Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
February 6, 1897



Co. H, 24th Wisconsin
Chapter 2

The boys had to march twenty-five miles that day on the hard turnpike, and many of them were so exhausted when they reached their bivouac that night that they were too tired to unbuckle their traps but dropped to the ground and slept soundly until the bugles and drums awoke them the next morning. Owing to the ignorance or negligence of its officers, the regiment started upon the march without the necessary individual cooking utensils, they having had company cooks while in camp. When leaving the camp at Louisville, the cooks were ordered to exchange their kettles for guns, and to take their places in the line, thus leaving the boys without means of cooking coffee or anything else. But necessity is often the mother of invention, and although each soldier had but a pint tin cup, a tin plate and a knife, fork and spoon, they managed to get something ready to eat by using the cup as a coffee pot, and the plate as a frying pan for cooking their meat, and a baking pan for baking pancakes, etc. The cup was also used as a drinking cup and as a coffee mill, the kernels of coffee being poured into it and pounded fine with the butt or socket of the bayonet. The method of cooking the coffee was generally as follows: The ground coffee being placed in their cup, cold water was poured on until it nearly filled the cup, which was then placed on the camp fire sitting on the rails or sticks that were burning, often as many as fifteen to twenty cups in a row. Of course the cups would have to be closely watched to prevent them from spilling as the wood in the fire burned and settled and, of course, each soldier generally wanted to have his coffee boiled in the least possible time, so the owners of the cups stood around watching their treasures and talking. Often the supports of the cups would settle unexpectedly, and the boys would burn and scald themselves, and swear while endeavoring to save their coffee. Some times an awkward fellow would jar the rails, . . .(unreadable portion of sentence). . . of a dozen or more cups into the fire, and raising a howl of rage and disgust from the waiting circle, which usually gave vent to expressions that were more forcible then elegant and would not look well in print.

Neither had the boys any tents, the big "Sibley" tents that they had used in camp being left there, and as there were heavy cold dews at night, the troops were obliged to carry their blankets and overcoats in order to have sufficient protection at night, the blankets often being saturated with the moisture before morning.

Continuing the march, our boys of the Twenty-fourth heard cannonading ahead early on the morning of October 8th. It was the advance brigade of Sheridan's division carrying Chaplain heights and opening the battle of Perryville. Pressing forward rapidly, the noise of the conflict became closer and more distinct, and our boys felt the blood surge faster through their arteries as they for the first time heard the rattle of distant musketry. The speed at which they were marching presently increased to a "doublequick" as the roar and din of battle became near and distinct, and away our boys went up hill and down until they were nearly choked by the dust of the hot pike and were nearly out of breath. Finally the column "filed right" off of the road, and formed in lines of battle, the Twenty-fourth finding itself in the third line. The supply of water in the boysí canteens had long since given out, and they were now suffering greatly from the thirst; but the command "forward" was given, and the lines marched up the long slope of a hill in front, and in the direction of the firing, meeting on the way the first wounded our boys had seen, who were being carried to the rear. The bullets now began to sing and whistle over the heads and about the ears of our Badgers, who being so far back could neither return the fire or see the foe, and the suspense was sickening. Chaplain Fusseder rode in front of the regiment and spoke encouragingly to the boys, telling them to do their whole duty and stand by the flag they had sworn to defend.

As the lines advanced, the bullets came thicker and with a spiteful "zip." Finally the Twenty-fourth reached the summit of the hill and had its first glimpse of a battle. They soon noticed that the rebels were being pressed back, but still continued to fight stubbornly. As our lines advanced the different regiments of the brigade were shifted from one place to another until presently the Twenty-fourth found itself in the first line and face to face with the enemy. When the rebs saw the long line of the big regiment sweeping forward they thought it was a brigade and our boys giving them a volley those in front of the regiment broke and taking to their heels were soon out of sight. The rebel lines retreated from the field, and by 4 o'clock P.M. the battle was practically ended. In this, the first battle, the Twenty-fourth acted with commendable coolness and gallantry, although subjected to a severe fire of musketry. The only casualties in the regiment were one man of Co. "D" killed, and one or two others wounded.

The army occupied the battle field that night, a beautiful moonlit one and the Twenty-fourth was detailed for picket duty. When the line had been posted, the men on the reserve posts called paper and pencils into regulation and letters by the dozen were written to the dear ones at home, giving details of march and battle. The next day was spent in caring for the wounded and burying the dead of both armies, and many of our boys saw the darkest side of war for the first time. The wounded were gathered first, taken to the field hospital in an orchard in the rear of the division, and laid in rows under the trees, where the surgeons were busy amputating limbs until there was a pile of them in a fence corner that would fill three or four wagons. The sad task of interring the dead was then begun and continued until all that could be found were under the sod.

On Nov. 22nd, the Twenty-fourth crossed the Cumberland and marching through Nashville, Tenn., encamped on Mill Creek, some five miles south of the city, where it remained drilling and performing the usual camp duties over a month. Here the Army of the Cumberland was organized by Gen. Rosencrans, who had succeeded Gen. Buell in the command of the forces in that department. In the new shuffle, Sheridanís division became the 3rd division of the 14th army corps, Gen. A. McD. McCook. Gen. J.W. Sill superseded Col. Greusel as commander of the brigade to which the Twenty-fourth belonged, and it was designated as the first brigade of the division. Lieut. Col. Buttrick of the Twenty-fourth resigned Dec. 24, 1862, and went home. Col. Larrabee being on detached service in Nashville, the regiment was commanded by Major Hibbard during the Murfreesboro campaign.

Early on the morning of the 26th of December, 1862, the Army of the Cumberland struck its tents and began its march toward Murfreesboro, where Bragg's army was preparing to go into winter quarters. The time spent in camp since the 8th of November had been so well used in drills, parades, scouts, foraging expeditions and picket and guard duties that the men of Sheridan's division, at least, were much better prepared to enter upon a campaign than they were when leaving Louisville. They now began to feel and act like veterans.

On Dec. 28th the booming of cannon far ahead told our boys that the foe was in front and watching their movements. On the morning of the 30th Sheridan's division was leading the column of McCook's corps on the Wilkinson pike, and was pressing forward rapidly. It met with but slight resistance until it came within three miles of Murfreesboro, when the enemy's force became stronger and made a stubbornly and serious stand, but Sheridan's men drove them back half a mile farther. Here the division formed in line and held its position until the balance of the corps had arrived and formed on the right of Sheridan's line. Sheridan's division was straddling the pike, Sill's brigade forming its right, Gen. Jeff. C. Davis' division joined the division on the right, and the right of Gen. Thomas' corps joined Sheridan's left. By the time the line had been formed the rattle of musketry on the skirmish line and the thunder of cannon had risen to the dignity of a battle, and when the signal was given to advance, the Johnnies were found to be on hand in large numbers. As Sheridan's division swept across the large cottonfield which had separated the contending forces, it became exposed to a very hot fire of musketry; but with flying colors glistening bayonets and unbroken lines, it pressed gallantly forward, and driving the enemy from a piece of woods on the farther side, halted there to await further orders. After some delay, the division was ordered to remain where it was until morning. That night was bitterly cold and as they were too near the enemy to light any fires, and as most of their haversacks were empty, our boys suffered much from cold and hunger.

Bragg's whole army, with Stone River at its back, laid between our lines and Murfreesboro. The opposing armies were very evenly matched in numbers, the Union army being a few hundred stronger than its opponent, but the advantage in numbers was more than balanced by the enemy's intimate knowledge of the country in which they were fighting. In Sheridan's front the rebels in strong force were posted in a dense cedar wood, just beyond an open valley which varied from two to four hundred yards in width. A peculiarity of the second day's battle at Stone River was the fact that both of the opposing commanders had planned to open the fight that morning with exactly the same manouvre, i.e., to attack and crush the right of his adversary's line. But as Bragg's army started the movement an hour earlier than Rosencransí did, it gained an advantage that cost the Union Army dearly that day. Gen. Sill's pickets heard the rebel troops marching toward the right of our line during the night of the 30th, and at 2 o'clock A.M., Sill reported the fact to Sheridan, who in turn immediately reported it to Gen. McCook, but the latter could not see how he could better the position of his corps, and made no changes.

Long before dawn on the 31st the half-famished men of Sheridan's division were in line awaiting the attack which its wideawke leader knew would come early, and hardly had daylight appeared than a heavy body of rebel infantry under Gen. Hardee assaulted and overwhelmed Johnson's division, the right of the Union line. The rebel line moving at a right wheel, pivoting on a point opposite the right of Thomasí corps, struck our line in the flank, and doubling it up crushed Johnson's division, sending it back in broken fragments and then fell upon Davis' division, soon crushing that also. As the din of battle thickened and drew nearer from the right, the waiting men of Sheridan's division saw heavy masses of grey clad soldiery issue from the cedars in their front, and advance to the attack in magnificent array. Right gallantly did the rebels advance across the open valley in the face of a terrific fire from the Union artillery, which did fearful execution in their ranks. But on, on they came, closing up the gaps made by the shells, and presenting an undaunted front until their first line reached the edge of the timber in which Sheridan's men lay, who now opened upon them, at a range of about fifty yards, a murderous fire of musketry that staggered them. For a few moments, the brave rebels tried to breast the storm of iron and lead, but it was too much for them, and the survivors were soon fleeing to the protection of the cedars. Sill's brigade left its trenches and followed the rebels in a spirited charge, driving them clear into their entrenchments, but the gallant commander of the brigade was killed in the moment of triumph. Gen. Sill's death was deeply and widely lamented and a bright military career was cut short when he fell. Col. Greusel, of the 36th Ill., again assumed the command of the brigade and by direction of Gen. Sheridan, led it back to its trenches. Again the enemy advanced to assault Sheridan's position, and again they were repulsed; but farther to the right they had better success, their heavy flanking column crushing everything before it, and scattering both Johnson's and Davis' divisions.