Chapter 97

CHAPTER XCVII

The detail crossed the river at about 10 o’clock, a. m., and after a very fatiguing march, reached the command in camp.  Here communications were again opened, and the boys took advantage of this fact and nearly all of them wrote letters home.

Wednesday, 15^th.  We broke camp early in the morning and marched all day and night, traveling a distance of fully 18 miles.

Thursday, 16^th.  After a short rest during which we prepared our breakfast and after which we again started on the move and after traveling about 6 miles we went into camp after crossing Moore’s Creek.

Friday, 17^th.  We remained in camp all day, and devoted the time to cleaning ourselves, as well as scouring up our arms and accouterments, and they needed it bad enough.

Saturday, 18^th.  At about noon we broke camp and marched 6 miles, and then encamped.

Sunday, 19^th.  Broke camp about 10 o’clock, and marched until near daylight, when we were moved over to the left to the support of the 1^st and 3^rd Divisions, having traveled about 18 miles, when we encamped.

The Battle of Bentonville was brought on by the troops of the 14^th Corps and for sometime the enemy had the advantage of them and it was not until the troops of the 20^th Corps were led into action the enemy were finally repulsed.

Among the prisoners taken was a Col. Rhett, who it was said, assisted in firing the first shot against Fort Sumpter at the outbreak of the rebellion.

The rebels called it the Battle of “Acorn Run.”  A rebel Sergeant caused quite a good deal of merriment by saying that he had gone out to gather “acorns,” but that it soon became starlight and he was captured.

The reader will see the point when they bear in mind that the Acorn was the 14^th Corps’ badge and that the Star was the badge of the 20^th Corp.

We remained in camp during the next two days, during which time we expected to be attacked by the enemy.

Wednesday, 22^nd.  Broke camp and marched back to the Goldsboro Road.  Here we went into camp after a hard march of about 13 miles.

Thursday, 23^rd.  Broke camp, before daylight, crossed the Neuse River, over a bridge and went into camp, after marching about 10 miles.

Friday, 24^th.  During the day we passed through Goldsboro and went into camp a short distance of the other side of the city.  Here we had rations issued to us.  The Division comm­issary teams having brought up the supplies.  Here in this camp the writer lost a bible, which he had carried with him since leaving Harrisburg.

Saturday, 25^th.  We changed our Camp moving a distance of about 11 miles further west.

We remained in our present camp from the 26^th of March until the 10^th of April.  During the time that the Corps re­mained in this camp, quite a number of changes took place.  Gen. Mower was placed in command of the corps, vice General Slocum, who was assigned to another command, to the left wing, we think.

General Mowry at once, proceeded to do away with the Brigade Commissary’s thus merging three into one.  By this move the writer, who had charge of the 1^st Brigade Commissary Guards, Othello like, found his occupation gone, and was about making preparations to return to his command, when an order was sent de­tailing him to take charge of the Quartermaster’s Guards, at the same time W. S. Keller was promoted to issuing clerk in the Division Commissary.

Lt. Gibbs, the Brigade quartermaster, whose term of service expired, left for home and Lt. Col. John P. Nicholson, regimental quartermaster of the old 28^th, P. V. I., was promoted to the vacancy, and we never had any occasion to regret the change.

Monday, April 10^th.  We broke camp in the morning and march­ed through Goldsboro, traveled fully 12 miles, and went into camp.

Tuesday, 11^th. Moved early in the morning, reached Smithfield at about 2 o’clock, p. m., here our Division was drawn up, massed by Brigade and the announcement that the Army of General Lee had surrendered to General Grant was made.

The news was rapturously received by the men.  At last the dawn of the sun of peace illuminated the dark and angry clouds which had for the past three years obscured our National hor­izon.  The bands played the National airs, and everybody, even the citizens of the town, appeared to be well pleased with the speedy return of the bright winged messenger of peace.

We marched 15 miles and then encamped for the night.  During the day we met with unmistakable indications that the enemy was in our immediate front, in tolerable strong force and we were well held in hand to guard against surprise.

Thursday, 13^th.  Marched 15 miles and encamped a short distance from the Lunatic Asylum in Raleigh, the Capital of the State of North Carolina.

It was while lying in this camp that we first heard of the assassination of President Lincoln.  It is an impossibility to describe the feeling of indignation which filled the breasts of the Union boys at the announcement of his death.  The flags on the State House and on the pole in front of the Commandant’s quarters were placed at half-mast, whilst on every face could be read the gloom which the event cast over them.  Truly the Union soldiers loved the grand old patriot who had successfully carried on the war and who had sealed his devotion to that cause by dying at the hands of a fanatical assassin.

On the 18^th of April our hearts were cheered with the announcement that Johnston’s Army had capitulated to General Sherman, and now certainly the was would soon be over.  In the evening the bands played the National airs, rockets were sent up in the air, the boys gathered around the campfires indulging in conversation about the close of the war, and the happy events that the next few months wo’d have in store for us.  This was indeed a happy and never to be forgotten episode in our history, the day of all days.

“When this cruel war is over,”

 and when

“Johnny comes a marching home.”

But then “there is many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip,” and so it came nigh being in this case.  The terms of capitula­tion entered into between Gen. Sherman and General Johnston were not approved at Washington, and as a matter of course the magnif­icent air castles we had built, were with one stroke of the pen dashed to the earth, a crumbling pile of ruins.

By a general order, all the daily papers which made their appearance in the army, containing the disapproval at Washington of General Sherman’s terms of surrender, were destroyed.  They were taken from the news boys and burned.

Among the places of interest to us in and around the city, was the State House, the Lunatic Asylum, the State Institution for the Blind and Deaf and Dumb, the house where President Andrew Johnson carried on the tailoring trade also claimed fair share of notice and more especially since now by the tragic death of Lincoln, this North Carolina Tailor had been elevated to the Chief Magistracy of the Nation.

The Lunatic Asylum is a large brick structure, not unlike the Missionary Institute in appearance, only much larger.  It is situate on a commanding eminence, about one mile from the populous part of the city.  It was well filled with patients, many of them, indeed were pitiful looking objects.  The windows were protected by heavy iron bars or grating and through which we could easily see and converse with the inmates.

In one of the rooms a woman, aged probably 50 years was confined who attracted considerable attention, and who was one of the most profane women we ever met.  She would gaze down on the boys, quietly for a short time, and then would scream out:

“Oh, you Yankees, I could tear your hearts out of you all.  You killed my husband and my three boys, oh -----“ and then would follow such a torrent of oaths and other invectives that would cause the cold chills to chase each other down the backs of those who heard her.  We were told by a citizen that she had been a talented and highly respected lady, and that she had become the miserable object we now beheld her by the death of her husband and three sons, all of whom had been killed in battle.