Saturday, 18th.—Ordered into line this morning and roll called. Ordered by Colonel McConnel to remain standing in line one hour for not being prompt to get into line. Boys pretty mad. Orders to remain here all day. 12 o’clock, ordered to move forward; passed Loudon at sundown; camped at old camping-ground at Laurel Bridge.
October 2012
Corinth, Saturday, Oct. 18. Roll call in the evening. —— made an explanation as to his whereabouts on the day of battle, and the orderly read a certificate from the commander of the 11th Ohio Battery, corroborating his statement.
OCTOBER 18TH.—Major-Gen. Jones telegraphs from Knoxville, Tenn., that a wounded officer arrived from Kentucky, reports a victory for Bragg, and that he has taken over 10,000 prisoners. We shall soon have positive news.
A letter from Admiral Buchanan states that he has inspected the defenses of Mobile, and finds them satisfactory.
I traversed the markets this morning, and was gratified to find the greatest profusion of all kinds of meats, vegetables, fruits, poultry, butter, eggs, etc. But the prices are enormously high. If the army be kept away, it seems the supply must soon be greater than the demand. Potatoes at $5 per bushel, and a large crop I Half-grown chickens at $1 each! Butter at $1.25 per pound! And other things in the same proportion.
Here is a most startling matter. Gov. Baylor, appointed Governor of Arizona, sent an order some time since to a military commander to assemble the Apaches, under pretense of a treaty—and when they came, to kill every man of them, and sell their children to pay for the whisky. This order was sent to the Secretary, who referred it to Gen. Sibley, of that Territory, to ascertain if it were genuine. To-day it came back from Gen. S. indorsed a true bill. Now it will go to the President—and we shall see what will follow. He cannot sanction such a perfidious crime. I predict he will make Capt. Josselyn, his former private Secretary, and the present Secretary of the Territory, Governor in place of Baylor.
October 18.—To-day as a small party of the Forty-third Indiana regiment were doing picket duty in the vicinity of Helena, Arkansas, they were attacked by a gang of rebel guerrillas, killing one and taking several of their number prisoners.
—The British frigate, Racer, by permission of Flag-Officer Green, commanding U. S. blockading squadron off South-Carolina, entered Charleston Harbor, and took away the British Consul. —The Twenty-third Maine and the Fourteenth New-Hampshire regiments, left Boston this morning for New-York, en route for the seat of war.
— A skirmish occurred in the vicinity of Lexington, Kentucky, between a detachment of the Fourth Ohio cavalry, under the command of Captain Robey, and a large force of rebel cavalry under General John H. Morgan, resulting in the capture of the entire National force. The rebels then dashed into Lexington, capturing the provost-guard, and without stopping any length of time, moved off in the direction of Versailles, Kentucky. By this operation General Morgan secured about three hundred and fifty horses, with their equipments, as many prisoners, and the arms and accoutrements of the men. He paroled the prisoners.
—Ten of Porter’s rebel guerrillas, Willis Baker, Thomas Humston, Morgan Bixler, John Y. McPheeters, Herbert Hudson, John M. Wade, Marion Sair, Captain Thomas A. Snider, Eleazer Lake, and Hiram Smith, held as hostages by order of General McNeil, for the safe return of Andrew Allsman, an aged citizen of Palmyra, Mo., who had been carried off by the guerrillas, were publicly shot this day.—(Doc. 10.)
—Nine Union pickets were fired upon and killed by rebel guerrillas at a point on the Mississippi opposite Helena, Ark.—A supply train of seven wagons laden with forage and commissary stores for the use of the reconnoitring force under General Stahel, was captured by a body of rebel cavalry at Haymarket, and taken to Warrenton, Va. A lieutenant and twenty-six Union soldiers were also made prisoners.
—A body of seven hundred rebel cavalry came upon a party of thirty-two Union cavalry under command of Lieutenant Baldwin, at Haymarket, Va., capturing all but nine of them, who made their escape after a severe chase.—(Doc. 37.)
October 17 — Last night was about as dark as they generally get in this country. I was on guard duty during the fore part of the night and it rained very hard all through my whole watch. We had no fire until after midnight, the ground, wood, and everything else being soaking wet; even the darkness felt like a wet blanket. I made my bed on top of a rock pile. It was a little hardish at first, but it was the driest place I could find and I had the sweet consolation of knowing that the ground all around the rock pile was soft.
Early this morning we were ordered to Summit Point to do picket duty. Summit Point is a station on the Winchester and Potomac Railroad, sixteen miles below Winchester. When we arrived at the station it was reported that the Yankees were advancing, and we put our guns in battery immediately and remained in battery until dusk, when we were ordered to Charlestown. We moved in that direction about two miles when the order was countermanded and we returned to Summit Point; camped. We heard cannon this afternoon in the direction of Martinsburg.
October 17, Friday. The question of traffic at Norfolk was discussed in Cabinet. General Dix has, I see, made some headway. Stanton wanted to transfer the whole subject of permits for army supplies and intercourse to General Dix. Chase thought there should be leave granted for return cargoes also. I requested, if there was to be a modification of the blockade, that it should be distinctly understood and announced to what extent. If traffic was to be authorized, it should be publicly known. Let us not have the shame, demoralization, and wrong of making a measure of this kind a cover for favoritism. No distinct conclusion was arrived at.
Friday, 17th—Everybody is now busy in the routine duties of camp life. The Government is having some deep wells drilled here in our camp; one of them is now completed and we are enjoying plenty of good water, although it is quite a job to draw it. We draw the water by means of a bucket attached to the end of a rope which runs upon a pulley fastened upon a tall pine tree standing near the well. The bucket is about four feet long and has a valve in the bottom. There are always some of the men at the well waiting for their turn to draw water.
Friday, 17th. Aroused at 3 A. M. Killed a calf for breakfast. Quite a time trying to kill a pig. Marched at sunrise. Whole command gone from old camp. Rear guard. At noon arrived at Kritsville. Stayed till 10 P. M. Marched again at 10 and moved till near morning. Lay down a few minutes by a little fire. Before daybreak passed the Arkansas line, Elkhorn Tavern, and stopped for a cold lunch on the old Pea Ridge battle ground. Interesting—trees considerably marred by bullets. Shot, grape, and shell picked up by different boys as relics of the battle.
Friday, 17th.—Woke up this morning; a hog had taken my haversack from under J. A. Park’s head and had eaten up all my bread. Regiment passed during the night; overtook at Rock Castle River; camped two miles farther on.
Corinth, Friday, Oct. 17. Resolutions relative to those who fell in battle on the 4th inst. were offered by H. S. Keene and unanimously adopted by the camp on roll call P. M.
