Ohaptee Xxii
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OHAPTEE XXII. REGIMENTAL HISTORY—FOURTEENTH INFANTRY. REGIMENTAL ROSTER—ARRIVE AT ST. LOUIS—MOVE UP TENNESSEE RIVER—BATTLE OF SHILOH—BATTLE OF CORINTH—JOINS GRANT'S SOUTHWARD MOVEMENT — MARCH TO MEMPHIS—MOVE TO VICKS- BURQ—TO LAKE PROVIDENCE—RETURN TO VICKSBURG—ASSAULT OF THE 22D OF MAY—THE SIEGE—MOVE TO NATCHEZ—RE-ENLISTMENTS —VETERAN FURLOUGH—RED RIVER EXPEDITION—WORDEN'S BAT TALION—BATTLE OF TUPELO—EXPEDITION TO AUGUSTA, ARK.— PURSUIT OF PRICE THROUGH MISSOURI—BATTLE OF NASHVILLE— RETURN TO VICKSBURG—NEW ORLEANS—INVESTMENT OF MOBILE —ATTACK ON SPANISH FORT—MOBILE CAPTURED—MUSTERED OUT —RETURN HOME—DISBANDED—STATISTICS. HE Foiirteentli Eegiment was organized at Camp Wood, T Fond du Lac, was mustered into the United States service on the 30th of January, 1862, and left the State for St. Louis on the 8th of March. The following was the regimental roster : COLONEL—DAVID E.WOOD. Lieutenant Oolonel—ISAAC E. MESSMORE; Jlia/or—JOHN HANCOCK; AdJuiani — 'BEiiiAii E.BROWER; QMartermasier—JAMEST.CONKLIN; ^urfireon—WILLIA3I H.WALKER; First Assistant Surgeon —HvnscAif D. CAMERON; Second Assistant Surgeon —DAYIDIJACOVNT; Chaplain—"Rev. JAMES B. ROGERS. Oo. Captains. First Lieutenants. Second Lieutenants. A—Lyman M. Ward, Charles L. Kimball, John V. Frost, B —Asa Worden, John D. Post, F. G.Wilmot, C —William W. Wilcox, Colin Miller, Absalom S. Smith, D — James W. Polleys, George Staly, David Law, E — George E. Waldo, Levi W. Vaughn, Don A. Shove, F—Joseph G. Lawton, George W. Bowers, Samuel Harrison, G— F. H. Magdeburg, James La Count, Orrin R. Potter, H—C. M. G. Mansfield, Van Epps Young, Milton K. Barnes, I — Calvin R. Johnson, John Kittinger, Joseph Clancey, K—James V. McCall, Ogden W. Fox. M. W. Hurlbuit. Leaving Fond du Lac and proceeding by way of Chicago, they arrived at St. Louis on the 10th of March, and went into quar ters at Benton Barracks. Here they were assigned to the forces BATTLE OF PITTSBURG LANDING. 599 designed for operations up the Tennessee Eiver, under General Grant, and embarked on transports at St. Louis, on the 23d of March, arrived at Savannah on the 28th, went into camp, and were assigned to provost guard duty. On Saturday afternoon, April 5th, the division of General Nelson, being the advance of General Buell's reinforcements to General Grant, arrived at Savannah. On the morning of the 6th, the booming of cannon and rattle of musketry, indicated that the battle of Pittsburg Landing hadft)egun. All day the troops lay at Savannah, which was only nine miles below the Landing, on the east side of the river. Li the afternoon, orders came for all the reinforcements at Savannah to move rapidly, as our forces were being driven back. General iN'elson, having waited in vain for transports, started his division immediately on the double quick, and crossed to the battle field, between five and six o'clock, and posted his troops just above the Lauding. The Fourteenth was in line when orders came for it to move. They embarked on one of the transports, but were detained, waiting for Critten den's division of Buell's forces, aud did not arrive at the Landing until 11 o'clock, P. M. Marching to the ground above the Landing, the regiment formed in line of battle, and bivouacked for the night, exposed to a heavy rain. At an early hour on the morning of the 7th, they were ordered to the front, being assigned to a provisional brigade, temporarily attached to General Crittenden's division, which consisted of the Fourteenth "Wis consin, a Kentucky, and two Indiana regiments, and a section of a Chicago battery, uuder the command of Colonel Smith, of the Kentuck}'- regiment. Forming in line of battle about two miles south of the Landing, on the main road to Corinth, Gen eral Nelson's brigade was on their left, aud General ~R. McCook's on their right. The New Orleans battery, supported by the Crescent City (rebel) brigade, was stationed on a ridge in their front. The rebel battery opened on them with shot and shell. The Fourteenth was ordered to lie down on the slope of the hill, aud consequently the enemy's missiles passed 'over their heads. After enduring this fire for an hour and a half, iha rebel infantry made a charge upon their position, for the purpose of capturing the Chicago battery. The Fourteenth rose and met them with a deadly fire, driving them back some distance, but were in turn 600 MILITARY HISTORY OF WISCONSIN. forced back. The regiment rallied, however, and were ordered by Colonel Smith, to charge and take the battery. The ground in front was a gradual descent for twenty rods, and covered with a dense growth of underbrush and trees. At the bottom was a small ravine; from the ravine, the ground rose at an angle of some twenty degrees, and was almost a clear field, excepting a few fallen trees, and also some standing timber. This elevation continued for some thirty rods, and there, upon the highest point, was stationed the rebel batfery. The order to charge was given, the ravine was crossed, and the regiment commenced the ascent on the further slope, when Lieutenant Colonel Messmore, who was in the advance, leading the charge, was dismounted by the bursting of a shell, seriously injured, and compelled to leave the field. Colonel Wood had ridden to the rear, to urge forward the Kentucky regiment to the support of the Fourteenth, aud met with an accident, his horse falling on him, and injuring his leg. Major Hancock was thus left in command of the regiment, which he retained until it was leaving the field. The charge was made upon the battery, the rebels were driven from it, many of the horses were shot, others were cut loose, and one of the guns was spiked by Lieutenant Staley of Company D, assisted by Sergeant Blackett, of Company K, and others. The rebel in fantry were in heavy force iu rear of the battery, and rained a perfect storm of lead upon the regiment, which was compelled to retire, the rest of the brigade failing to reinforce them. They fell back to within sixty rods of their original line. From this time till the close of the battle, the regiment was constantly engaged, and made two other charges upon the battery, and finally were successful in capturing and holding it. The gun spiked by Lieutenant Staley was afterwards sent to Wisconsin as a trophy. During the whole of the engagement, the Fourteenth displayed such conspicuous gallantry, that they received the com mendation of those who witnessed their heroism. They fought like veterans, and received the sobriquet of "Wisconsin Regu lars," for their soldierly conduct on the field. After remaining until the rebels were retreating on all sides, the regiment retired towards the Landing, when Colonel Wood again assumed com mand, having sufficiently recovered to do so. Arms were stacked, the roll was called, and every man was present, or was accounted CASUALTIES. 601 for as killed or wounded, except a few, who reported during the night In this battle, the Fourteenth established a character for bravery and endurance, which it sustained throughout the war. For over ten hours, they fought, without being relieved, until there was no more fighting to do. Captain Waldo, of Company E, was killed, while bravely leading his men to the charge. Lieutenant Post, of Company B, was mortally wounded. Lieu tenant Smith, of Company C, was seriously wounded, but retained command till night. Captain McCall, of Company K, when the regiment left the field, was ordered to take a detach ment of the left wing of the regiment, and examine the ground, aud bring in the wounded, if to be found, rejoining the regiment at the Landing. Captains Ward and Polleys, and others, were mentioned for their conspicuous gallantry. The casualties, as officially reported, were: KILLED OR DIED OF WOXTSHS.—Company A —First Lieutenant John D. Post, Sergeant Charles Drake, Corporal Joseph King. Company B — Privates John Eastwood and Thos. Morgan. Company C—Private James Alley. Company i?—Privates John B. Glenn and John Owens. Ootnpany E— Captain George E. Waldo, Private Ezra B. Austin. Company i^—Private John D. Putnam. 6bmpa»ijf G —Privates Lucius D. Barker, Eben Newton, Samuel Bumpand John Mosier. Company B'—Privates Henry Peeler, Amos Ci'ippen and Daniel D. Hammond. CbHipaji^^ J—Corporals F. A. Cullen and W. R. Lesherness, Pri vates Charles Bacon, Henry Ross, Harvey E. Frost, Gottlieb Schlinsoy and John J. Rockwood. Company JT—Privates Charles A. Brice and Horace D. Lyman — 20. WOUNDED.— Company A —'PrWa.ie's James B. Titus, E. G. Mauscraft and Adam SlidelL Cbmpan^i?—Privates Gottlieb Stanly, Ezra L. Whittaker and John Barker. Company C—Lieutenant A. L. Smith, Sergeant William Dittey, Privates Alonzo B. MUler, Sol. Statler, Nelson T. Hammond, James Statler, James K. Bishop, James E. Williamson and George E. Stuntz. Company D —Sergeant Gallagher, Corporals Guertin aud Harris Privates Alfred Collins, William Reed and Louis Amiot. CoDipany ^—Privates Wm. Baruth, Julius Wintermeyer, William Flinn, A. C. Tufts, Samuel Gokie, John Lovell, Robert Lee and Willett C. ^Vlleeler. Company F—Ber^ez^ni Charles Vincent, Corporal Hudson J. Cronk, Privates Henry Wescott, Gregory Milquet and James N. Howard. Company G?— Corporal Theodore Jorch, Bugler Henry Siegrist and John Keef. Company JT—Corporal Henry Voss.'Privates Spencer A. Hamblin, Edward Oilman, Peter Cottrell, David Carr, George B. Clark and Andrew Winegarden. Company /—Corporal G. S. Travis, Privates S. D. Parker, Wililara Stenesky, Charles Bacon, Henry Ross, George Rutherford, G. W. Reeder, Joseph Wilson, Harrison Maxon, J.