The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-26
"Brigades Of misty shadows
Come trooping round the door,
And as they spread their tents about,
The old lines march once more"
PREFACE.


The writing of my rccollections of serv.
ice with the Army of the Tennessee is
labor of love-love for my comrades, living
and dead. My story is written in plain
language, unembeilished by the flowers OF
rhetoric
The facts herein are such as l find in
my pocket journal-recorded as they pre-
scented themselves in the panorama OF war
from 1861 to 1865.
Not being infallible know that l have
made some mistakes but l trust the COM
rades will generously pass my imperfec-
tons by.
Simply a common soldier in blue. /
served as Second Sergeant of Co Il, 18th
Iowa, Third Brigade, Fourth Division,
Seventeenth Corps, Army of the Tennes-
see.
was born in Ohio Oct :, 1910, but my
parents removed to Illinois in 1859: thence.
in 1883, to near Des Moines. Iowa. My
present address, however, is NiObrara,
Neb. Two of my brothers served a part
of the time in the same company with me.
When the war began l was 20 years old.
CAPTURED BY GUERRJLLAs.
Ny first war experience was in Missouri,
before l became a soldier. Accompanied
by two neighbors, l invaded that State
without hostile intent, our mission being TO
conduct two small children from Missouri
to Iowa, the fierce border warfare being
: waged near their temporary home making
their environment dangerous. The trip
was uneventful until we had crossed the
border and passed beyond a detachment
of Union troops stationed at Memphis, Mo.
Driving southwark, we stopped for the
night at a country tavern, where, shortly
after midnight, we were awakened by a
volley fired harmlessly in the air. Our
host, an old man, went to the door, where
10 toll Nv hpnt ON
'Hello." exclaimed the leader. I'VE want
our breakfast and our horses fed"
'.All right" said the landlord.
The guerrillas stacked their arms out
side the door, posted a sentinel and en-
tered the house. Seeing my fiddle-box,
they demanded that should play them a
tune, something quick and devllIsh.
Without demur 1 complied with their de-
mand, and while l played several lively
tunes they meTrily INDUCED in stag
dance.
About sunrise they mounted their horses
and ordered us to accompany them. gong
westward. After gallOping some four or
f~e miles. they slowed up, and the Cap
tain suggested that we should join the
band, he representing that we would have
lively and profitable times. killing
Yankees robbing banks and seeking other
enjoyable adventures. When we declined
his pressing invitation he got mad.
"Well,'' said he, Il guess you are Yam
kee spies. Wen hang yon in yonder
grove"
He had scarcely uttered that dire threat
when a squadron of Union cavalry came
charging down road from the north.
The spirited fight that ensued resulted in
the capture of the entire guerrilla band
not, however, until three of them had been
killed and five wounded.
Resuming our journey, we Travelled by
NIGHT a n show ourselves the
daytime. In due course of time we secured
the two little children and, without note
worthy adventure, returned to our homes
in Iowa.
FASCINATED BY THE POaTP AND CIRCUM-
ssfs,. STANCE OF WAR.
When we had crossed the boundary line
between Missouri and Iowa we met
great many soldiers in blue going south
ward, and when l saw them marching and
keeping step to the music of fife and drum
! became SO enthused that determined to
become a soldier myself This intention
/ announced to my parents Immediately
upon my arrival home They endeavored
to discourage me. but when my father saw
that l was firm in my resolution, he said
that if his boys should join the army he
hoped that God would be with them and
that there would be Joyous family re-
union when the>cruel war was over. This
Wsis III anu III pdSsiuS, tHit
God heard my good old fathers prayer,
for in August, 1865, his three soldier boys
returned home, each of them proudly bear
ing an honorable discharge from Uncle
Sans army.
MUSTERED IN.
During the Winter of 1S61-'G2 the 18th
Iowa was in Winter quarters and under
going the process of organization, the
main rendezvous being at Keokuk. We
we're formally mustered in, but we had
many difficulties in obtaining equipments.
For time we were indifferently armed,
each company having 10 old Belgian mus
kets n condition that made the drill in the
manual of arms somewhat awkward. The
commissioned officers carried wooden
swords, whitfield out with their pocket
knives. However. before leaving Iowa,
the regiment was fairly well organized and
tolerably well drilled. The field officers
were as follows: Col. Hugh II. Reid,
Lieut.-Coi. VIM. Dewey, Maj. VIM. W.
Belknap, Adj't Geo. POmritz and Surgeon
w. II. Gibbon. The officers of Co. Il were
Capt. Wilson 4. Smith. First Lieut.. Adolf
plus G. Studar and Second Lieut.. Chris
tan L. Lanstrum.
ment was Maj. Belknap, and of my COM
pany Lieut. Lanstrum.
As regards age, nationality, profession,
size and sex the company was decidedly
mixed. The oldest man was -, the young
est boy ID. The majority were American
born, but we had Irislmen, Germans,
Swedes, Englishmen, Scotchmen, Danes;
one Frenchman, one Norwegian and an
Irishman who said he belonged to nc
acknowledgement lie was horned while
coming over the SAY" one lawyer, two
doctors, 10 school teachers, two music
teachers and three artists. There were
clerks, printers, mechanics and farmers.
The tallest man was six feet five inches
and the shortest four feet IL inches. In
one company there was a woman, whose
sex was unknown until she had served as
soldier boy" year and half. That.
however, is n story that l shall relate
when / come to the siege of Vicksburg.
About March the regiment boarded n
steamboat bound for st. Louis. Hundreds
of people were on the levee, cheering and
bidding us Godspeed. The trip down the
Mississippi was pleasant and uneventful
In due time we landed at ST. Louis, and
marched through tie city to Benton Bar
racks, just outside the corporate limits.
Here we remained about two weeks, re.
ceiving while there new Springfield rifles.
BOUND FOR pITTsBURG LANDING.
Embracing on board the steamer Mime
haha. our destination being Pittsburg
Landing, we steamed along all right until.
having gone about 20 miles, the old boat
struck something. She stopped so sud
denly that we were thrown about proms-
cuously. the men assuming divers posi-
fionS. Some SwOre while ofborc pro vod