Chapter 69

CHAPTER LXIX

On the morning of the 1^st of December we once more found ourselves in our old camp, in Wauhatchie Valley.  How sad the change, our company being commanded by Lt. William M. Willett of B Company, our Captain having been killed and Lieuten­ant Parks wounded.

Upon our arrival we received a large mail, the first we had received for a week, and the boys were soon made happy by reading the letters penned by loving friends at home, and thus cares, fatigues and dangers of the past terrible week were forgotten.

It did not take us long to occupy our old quarters and we were soon back again into the old rut of camp life, with its monotonous routine of duty.  On the afternoon of the 3^rd of December our Division was ordered to fall in at head-quarters and witness the turning over to the Department the trophies captured by it, and which consisted of a number of stands of reb­el colors and a battery of Artillery.   General Geary made one of his characteristic speeches which was neatly responded to by the receiving officer, who by the way was a member of old Pap Thomas’ staff.

On the 9^th, we were visited by a commission, sent by Governor Curtin, to express the thanks and gratitude of the people of the grand old Commonwealth to the soldiers of the Keystone State who had taken part in the late battles which had culminated in such a series of brilliant victories to the Union arms.

The Pennsylvania troops were drawn up in line, and the gentlemen comprising the Commission, accompanied by General Geary and his staff rode along the line, the command coming to a present.  The men were brought to a Parade-rest, when they were addressed by the members of the commission.  Among the remarks made, we distinctly remember the prediction that when the war should come to an end which ultimately mast be the case, that then our gallant commander, Major General John W. Geary, should his life be spared, will be called upon to govern the civil affairs of the people whose interests he, as well as the brave boys in his command, are now so gallantly defending upon the National battle-fields.

Upon the conclusion of the remarks a cheer burst forth from the throats the members of the old 147^th which could not fail but convince all who heard it that the boys endorsed the sentiments just uttered.  Whilst subsequent developments demonstrated that the prediction has been verified, General Geary having been twice elected Governor of the State.

At this time the Government offered an inducement to the veterans whose term of service was fast drawing to a close, a furlough of 80 days, and a bounty of $400.  This was offered to all men who had served two years or more.  This inducement acted like a charm and on the 12^th we turned out to witness the departure of the 29^th P. V. I., which was among the first of the regiments in the Department to Veteran.

The veteran fever in the department grew warm and the members of the old regiments began to re-enlist.  On the 22^nd we were again called out to witness the departure of the 29^th Ohio, who were the second party to re-enlist.

At this time it was reported that ow­ing to the fact that we were attached to an old regiment we would be allowed to re-enlist although we had served but fifteen months.  At this time our company numbered 57 men, of which number 56 signed  a paper agreeing to re-enlist as soon as they had served two years upon the same terms that the old companies did.

On the 23^rd our company fell in and marched down to Division head-quarters,  where Captain Veale of Geary’s staff, mustered us conditionally into the service.

On the 24^th we received orders to be ready to move back to Bridgeport, Ala., from whence we expected to take the cars for home.

On the 28^th  our Regiment, as well as the entire Division was drawn up in line to witness the drumming out of camp of a member of the 111 Penna. Vols., who had been charged with the heinous crime of robbing the pockets of his dead comrades, killed in the late battles, and had been found guilty by the court-martial before which he had been tried, and had been sentenced to have his bead shaved and afterwards to be drummed out of camp in disgrace.

The Division was massed by Brigades and the culprit was marched in the center and front of the command where he was seated upon his knapsack when a squad of soldiers detailed for the purpose proceeded to cut all military buttons from his cap and uniform and then lathered his head and beard with soap suds, which they had ready prepared in a camp kettle, after which they soon had his beard and head shaved as clean as possible.  He was then ordered to stand up, when a card bearing the following:

“I robbed the dead.’’

Was pinned fast to his back and he was marched up and down the line, amidst the groans and jeers of the men and the bands playing the “Rogue’s March.”

When he had been moved along the line, he was commanded to file right, and at the same time the guard was ordered to charge bayonets and the disgraced man was run out of service.  After the ceremony we were moved by regiment back to our quarters.

On the 30^th we received the intelligence that General Thomas would not give our company transportation, based upon the ground that the War Department would not accept us upon our terms.

Thus with one stroke of the pen the air castles which we had fondly been building for the past few days, were dashed to the earth, and we would be compelled to pass through many more dangers, as well as spend many tedious hours on the march, in camp and picket before we would be permitted to see our friends and native home again, an event which but a few short hours ago seemed almost within our immediate grasp.  To say the least the members of the company felt the disappointment very keenly, as well they might.

Rations were as yet very short and we suffered considerable from the effects of hunger, as well as from the scant supply of clothing, scarcely sufficient being used to protect us from the mid-winter’s blast, in fact it kept some of the boys busy to cover nakedness.

On Friday the 1^st of January 1864, it was our lot to be on picket near the old mill, in company with a number of the boys of the company, and the only rations we had during the day was a small corn cake purchased from an old colored lady who visited the post during the course of the day, and when we returned to camp on the following morning we were informed that the company had drawn rations but that the pickets had been overlooked and their rations distributed out among the company.  Of course no body got a good round going over, and there was not much extra chin music.

On the evening of the 3^rd we receive­d orders to be ready to move the next day.  This was welcome news to us as we had lain under marching orders since the 24^th ult.

In the morning we were routed up in good time and soon had our frugal meal of coffee and hard-tack prepared and dispatched.  After which we soon packed up our effects and longed for the orders to “fall in!”

At about ten o’clock, a. m., the Division flag of General Geary’s White Star Division, moved to the front, the bugle sounded, and at last we were on the move.

We marched towards the landing, where we were supplied with several days rations, which although they ad­ded to the load we were compelled to carry were thankfully received.  After the rations were dealt out we turned our back upon Chattanooga and moved in the direction of Wartrace.

We marched along quite briskly and by 4 o’clock, were nearing White­sides, when it began to rain furiously.  The heavy clouds soon obscured what little light remained, and a darkness similar to that which fell upon the Egyptians fell suddenly upon us, making it almost impossible to proceed any further.  We were accordingly moved up the sloping sides of a spur of Racc­oon Ridge where we were ordered to go into camp for the night.

After almost numberless attempts old Danny Herbster and several others succeeded in getting a fire started, after which we soon had the privilege of refreshing ourselves with a cup of coffee made fragrant by the smoke of the green pine boughs which we were using for fuel.

After partaking of supper we spread a poncho on the ground spread out a blanket over it and then two or three of us lying down on it and covering a woolen blanket over us, after which we covered the whole with a poncho.  Thus we stretched out our weary limbs and for a time sought rest thus, whilst the rain came down in pitiless torrents soon drenching us to the skin.

The members of the company who passed that night on the slope above referred to, will not soon forget it, nor how they were routed up by the severity of the storm, and how they huddled around those green pine fires until the morning dawned and the storm abated.

As soon as the rain was over we at once proceeded to make large fires and dry our clothing and blankets and thus making our load much lighter.

At about 9 o’clock, a. m., we again moved forward, crossing over runs which were terribly swollen by the recent rains, by aid of the trunks of the largest trees which were cut down for that purpose.  A number of the boys slipped down off of the trunks of the largest trees into the muddy water amidst the shouts of their more fortunate companions.

The march was continued until 8 o’clock, p. m., when we came in sight of the Tennessee River, which was spanned by a Pontoon bridge, across which we moved and then found ourselves at Bridgeport, Ala.  After moving back along the railroad a short distance our regiment filed right and soon came to a halt.  Here we broke ranks “to the rear by company.”  After which we proceeded to make arrangements to camp for the night.