Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-05-04
HISTORICAL RECOLLECTIONS.
By G. WASHINGTON JONES.

unteer cavalry, 9TH, 59th, oOth, ga,
38th and 39th Indiana volunteer in
fantry, 18th and 10th Ohio volunteer
infantry, 34th Illinois volunteer in
fantry, battalion 18th U. S. infantry,
battery A Kentucky artillery. The
whole under the command of Brig.
Gen. A. McD. McCook, one of our
ablest Brigadiers. On the 18th of Oc.
tober Gen. McCook. issued general
orders No. 8, forming these troops into
brigades which he numbered the 4th,
5th and 9th. TO the 4th brigade he
assigned Brig. Gen. L. H. Rousseau, to
the 5th Brig. Gen. r. j. Wood and to
the 9th Brig. Gen. r. ". johnson. At
other points in the State Generals
Mitchell, Nelson, Thomas and 4. L.
Crittenden were rallying to their
standards regiments destined in due
time to share in the glory of victorious
war.
Camp Nevin became grand school
of instruction in which the officers and
men were thoroughly informed in re-
gard to the duties of the camp and of
the march.
The strength of McCook's command
at this time was about 10000 men. It
would hardly do to call them soldiers,
they were patriotic Union-loving cit
liens who assembled for the purpose
of doing all they could t. suppress the
monster rebellion. Their officers were
able and in earnest, and in a short
time the men were transformed into
good soldiers whose gallant deeds later
in the war commanded the admiration
and respect Of the American people.
About Oct. Goth, the famous Penn.
sylvania brigade under Brig. Gen.
J. S. Negley arrived and was placed
under McCook's command and desig-
mated as the 7th brigade.
On the 18th of November Gen. Sher.
man was superseded by Gen. d. c..
Buell..
Camp Nevin will long be remem-
bered by the troops stationed there.
Here they learned for the first time
something of the hardships Of a SOL
Gier's life. Change of diet, wet. cold
and disagreeable weather produced
disease, and at one time the camp was
converted into one vast field hospital.
We lost by disease a large number of
men while in this camp.
McCOOk was anxious for an advance
movement and determined to move
forward portion of the command, at
least. On December 9th he issued
orders for Johnson's brigade to move
forward to Munfordsville, on Green
river. This was accomplished on the
18th, the rebels retreating as our
troops advanced. On the 18th, the en-.
tire division moved up, and here for
long, weary weeks the troops remained
in a sea of mud, which for military
purposes was called Camp Wood. On
the 10Th of january, Gen. Geo. II.
Thomas achieved substantial victory
over the rebels at Mill Spring. It was
here that our gallant ''Second,' first
baptized it's name in blood.
In this battle Gen. Zollicoffer of
Nashville, Tennessee, was killed. His
body was embalmed: and. handsomely
cofined -aR& forwarded uner flag of
truce to the rebel lines.e The remains
were received by Gen. Hindman, who
thanked the Federal commander and
expressed deep regret at not being
able to invite him to take drink, as
there was nothing stronger than water
in his camp He remarked that he
had received barrel of whisky the
week before, but said he. ssa barrel of
whisky does not go far in a camp where
there is no milk.''
The Federal officer in charge of the
escort drew from his overcoat pocket
flask containing some very choice
brandy and invited General Hindman
s'to smile."' He smiled several times
and the bfandy'all disappeared. That
officer will always believe that if he
had had barrel of whisky with him
he could have negotiated a treaty of
peace between the North and South
and thus put an end to- the war.
In a few days the army was put in
motion towards Nashville, and Gen.
Grant notified the commander at Fort
Donelson that he proposed to move
against his works without delay" lie
carried his threat into execution and
captured the entire garrison, except.
ing Generals Pillow and Floyd and
their staffs.
When it became evident that Grant
would compel Il surrender, Pillow, who
had no taste for prison life within the
walls of 4 ''Northern bastile," turned
the command over to Floyd, and he,
for a similar reason, relinquished in
favor of Gen. Buckner, who was too
honorable to run away and abandon
the command to it's fate, but like a
true soldier remained to share it's for.
tunes. Pillow and Floyd escaped by
boat to Nashville: where they arrived
on the Sabbath morning while the
good people were in attendance upon
divine service. The news Of their ar.
rival flew tn -ough the city ''like a hue
and a cry through a country village -
The Yankees are coming!! Congre.
cations were dismissed without the
usual benediction and all who could
get women, children. and Con.
federate soldiers, LETT before the hated
Yankees arrived.
Floyd remained in the city long
enough to cut the wires of the suspen.
sion bridge and precipitate that grand
structure, in a shapeless mass, to the
bottom of the river. The rear of the
! column of fugitives> was scarcely out
of. the city when2Buell, with his mag:
1ifcent army, arrived on the north
side Of. the Cumberland river, oppo.
site to the city. Boats were procured
and the work of crossing began at
once By nine o'clock at night the
Troops over and Nashville was
in the hands of the Unionsarmy.
3 The scenery through which ~Buell's
army passed just before reaching
Nashville was simply grand. The
! earth was carpeted with fresh green
grass, dotted here and there with the
beautiful and variegated hues of ten
der, opening flowers. Forests, fields
and lawns succeeded each other in
rapid succession. Grand and majestic
trees encircled with their giant arms
| nd clustering foliage, old ancestral
| ONES, hoary with age and golden
emories. A people who had beer