Chapter III On April 20th 1863. The Steamer Zephyr, with our Regt on Board left Alexandria Va. and steamed down the Potomac River. we had spent a pleasant winter here, and we left it with some regret. for the huctried [?] scenes and dan- gers before us, we passed Mt. Vernon with Tolling Bells, which is the usual custom in pass- ing that sacred place. We passed out of the River into Chesapeake Bay by the time it was dark. Where we anchored and were guided by a gun Boat during the night. The next morning we proceeded on our way down the Bay. Chesapeake Bay is a great resort during the win- ter, for untold thousands of wild fowl, of all kinds sorts and drisciptions, which congregate here. There were many species of Ducks, Loons, Wild geese, and our steamer literally plowed its way through them all day long. As the most of our men had been hunters at home we watched them with a great deal of Interest, At self last one of the men could contain him ^ no longer & fired his revolver at a large duck near the side of the steamer. Then another & another did the same. Then one man ventured to fire his musket 2 at a Loon near him and then another followed his example, by this time the colonel & the other officers had come out of the cabin to see what was going on, and as they made no object- tion to the sport a great many of the men took a part in it, After it had continued 15 min- utes or more, the Col. remarked that we had better save the rest for our ammunition for the rebels ahead of us, Cousin Irving would have enjoyed that scene immensely – we soon arrived at Suffolk, which was closely invested by Gen. Longstreet, with a large force we had heavy duty here for a few weeks, Con- structing defenses and occupying the trenches, when suddenly the enemy withdrew. Longstreet going to join Lee in his famous Raid into Penn. After this we remained there several weeks, making several expeditions into the Country for many miles around after the rebels left many of our Pickets were shot during the night by bush-whackers as there was no armed force in that vicinity. The inhabitants, who professed to be loyal, were warned that this must stop but as nearly every morning we found that some had been murdered during the night, one pleasant day 3 we marched out into that Country with a large force and soon in every direc- tion, could be seen the smoke from Bur ning dwellings. The lesson was taught there that they could not ask and accept our protection and at the same time murder our Soldiers. Undoubtedly some innocent ones suffered with the guilty but the lesson was a salutary one. We camped one night, near a place called the deserted Home, which figured in one of Mrs Southworths novels. It was not far from the great dismal Swamp in North Carolina. It was in a part of the Country whe no union force had penetrated. and every thing was strange and new to us. One dark stormy night a part of our Company was on picket duty. I was sergeant of the guard, we were in the Enemy's Country, and we had orders to be alert and vigilant. Along in the night the report of a musket sounded out like a cannon on the damp night air. I hurried up the line to see what was going on. A picket said he had shot a rebel who was crawling up thro' the brush to get a shot at him- we went out there and found a Big hog the fellow had shot. I suspected he 4 Fellow knew what it was all the time, but he said it sounded exactly like a man crawling on his hands and knees through the bush- The hog was soon skinned, divided into pieces & passed along the line & by the time the officer from the camp had arrived, all was quiet on the Potomac. The same night I was standing on guard under a large tree. I did not have to but usually did take my turn as guard with the others. late in the night, I heard something crawling thro' the bush toward me- just as the other man had discribed it. I had my gun all ready to fire the instant I could see any thing to fire at and after a considerable time a great Dog, came out of the bush into the shad- ow of the tree. Our orders were not to alarm the camp unless there was a necessity for it but I would have given a silver dollar (and silver was at a high premium then) to have put a ball thro' that Dog for scaring me so. The next day some of our Boys were trying to capture some half wild cattle, and as they were running past one fellow thru his gun, with Bayonet 5 attached at a nice fat animal. The Bayonet stuck in his thick Hide & he Carried the gun away with him & it took a long Cohase to capture the animal & secure the gun. - Quite a large force of use were marching around in this vicinity several days [in different pencil]. living on the fat of the land and as no large rebel force was near us, we had no particular anxiety regarding the future . but a few days later near windsor, quite a force of the Enemy was found and two Companies of our regiment were sent out as skirmishers. The Co. on our left, had advanced further than we had, and when our Captain John. C. Culver went out in front of the line to make some observations, one of the boys on our left mistaking him for a rebel shot him thro' the arm, He was taken back to Suffolk in an ambulance, but the roads were rough & he lost a great deal of blood & died within a day or two. He had two sons in our Company, fine young men, one of whom died the next summer at Washington. His widow always met with us in our Re-Union. It seemed a pleasure to her to be with the men whom he had comman- ded & who had known him so intimately & had He died May 23.63 loved him- 6 . We marched leisurely back to Suffolk. Va. and after a few days of Rest in camp, we started for Norfalk & from there took the Steamer for Yorktown, we staid here a short time, but long enough to make a survey of the place and to stand on the very spot where Cornwallis surrendered The closing scene of the Revolutionary Struggle. From here in the fore part of June /63, a force of several thousands under Genl Keyes, marched up the peninsula. I suppose for the purpose – by making a demonstration against Richmond.- Of drawing a part of Lee's forces from their Raid into Pa.- We enjoyed our slow march up the peninsula very much. We [switch of pencil type] had been living for months on Hard Tack and salt pork and there was a good deal of sickness among the men, but here we found Blackberries by the acre & they were just what we needed. All along the roads we harvested there were plenty of cherry trees one or two of the boys with a hatchet would go up into a tree & lop off the small limbs full of Cherries. and the ground between on tree & the next would be would be shervn [?] with the Branches. You see, the most of the men of this sec- tion were away with Lee. & these trees greatly needed trimming – and they got it We found Williamsburg – the seat of William & Mary College, one of the oldest in the South 7 a fine out old Southern city and a very beau- tiful country around it. It was here at the Bat- tle of Williamsburg May 5th 61 [?] that some splendid young fellows from our town were killed. We had no enemy to contend with as we marched along, except that now and then a picket would be shot by some cowardly skulker- We were at the “white- house landing” July 4th, While the Battle of Gettysburg was in progress & while Pemberton was surrendering to Gen. Grant at Vicksburg – our Regt went went up to Bottoms Bridge in sight of Richmond I was taken sick here with a fever of some kind. and sent to cousin Irving at N.Y. for a Bottle of Rad- ways Ready Relief – before it came however, I was sent on a steamer down to Pourtsmouth, where I staid several days joining my regiment in New York City about July 9th [different pencil]. It had been sent there on account of the riots in the city , which were over when we arrived. For a time we were were guarding a quantity of Government stores, arms &c on Pine st. west of Broadway but you are somewhat acquainted with our doings while in the city. [switch pencil type] I had a fine time while there. Irving after came around to see us, and gave us tickets to Barnum's Museum. We went several times to Cousin Julias and to Grand Mother Kirks & my Diary words, that on one occasion I went with Cousin Will to church & at another to Taylors Ice Cream parlors for ice cream and cousin Charles Smith supplied us with watches at good round prices and here truth compels me to say that the worst rations we received while in the army, we had in N.Y. City. They were probably furnished by some po- litical contractor, who was not satisfied unless he made a clear profit of at least 75 % - On Aug 2 d/63 our Regiment moved over to Staten Island near Ft. Richmond. We had a fine camp here up on the highest part of the Island. with a beau- tiful view of the ocean and good opportunities for salt water bathing. We did not have much duty to perform, and a lot of us non Commissioned officers- were detailed to drill in Heavy artillery in the fort, while here Aunt Eliza – came to visit us, perhaps you was with her. I do not remember- she wanted me to go up to Round Hill with her & stay over Sunday. I tried to get a pass but could not- Your mother says I'll go & see him & he's got to let you go, she saw [?] him & would not take no for an answer – and I went 9 I had a fine time in Round Hill with your Father & Mother and my cousins, went up on the Hill: saw Grand Fathers Tombstone, age 84 years. and ” all the other scenes around “there” that my infancy knew^ but it seems as if If every thing had shrunk to ½ the size it was when I used to play around there. I went back to staten Island monday and resumed my regular duties there. We had a man in our Co. an Irishman by the name of Bob Firley. About this time he had a pass to go to New York City, got drunk there, & overstaid his time & when he returned our Leiut Gusssin [?] put him in the guard Home! Mr. Bob was very indignant , in being treated in such a manner, and few days after deserted and went to Canada after the war was over he came back to Hartland and because Father refused to shake hands with him, & called him a Traitor. The Bob was going to lick him- Bob tried to get a Pension but had not at last accounts. Soon after this we were sent to Tarrytown , w/o the Hudson , as a draft was coming off there, Here Too. we had a fun time, we swarmed the woods for Grapes & Chesnuts -- & chickens. They made a pic-nic-for us while there and the way we cleaned up the fine Samples. must have 10. convinced them that constant exercise in the open air had given us good appitites . They made a sound Banquet for us before we left there- not quite as nice as the first but more substantial. to which we did full justice We after went to the Cemetery near us. where Washington Irving was buried. There were always beautiful flowers on his grave I was in there once- when a party of [titled?] people from England had left their cards and flowers there. Just a short distance from our Camp. was a monument erected on the very spot where Maj. Andre was Captured by William Paulding & Van Wert during the Revolutionary War-. We made many ac- quaintances here, and had a very enjoyable time, one of our company made the acquaintance of a Lady there. whom he afterward married when the war was over.- But time passed swiftly away. These good times could not always last, and one day when I was up in a chesnut tree thrasting aft the nuts a man came along the road and called to us that the Camp was all packing up to leave for New York. I hurried down from that tree 11 and hurried to camp in time to pack up my belongings and go with my company. we went back to our old camp on staten Island, nothing of spec ial interest around here and on the 13th of Oct 1863 we received notice to pack up & get ready to start for the front- When we first arrived in New York the N.Y. Times had this to say of our Regiment: “ the 26th Mich. arrived here last night from the Potomac & will be assigned to duty in this city until the great riot is quelled. The Regiment bore evidences of the hard services it had indergone in the field. but it is Com- posed of as fine a body of brave intelligent american young men as ever shouldered a musket in the cause of Civil Liberty & civil order. we wel- come it to the city and we trust our citizens by there thoughtful attentions, will show there apprecia- tion of such a Regiment, as Michigan soldiers have won renown for their bravery and discipline thro- ought the war, and on almost every battle field. . We were sent by way of Philda & Washington to join the army of the Potomac, and were assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division 2nd army Corps. our Brigade of 3 Regts. was commanded by Gen Nelson, a, miles. for many years since the war Commander in Chief of the armies of the U.S. ( los angeles) I shook hands with him, at a reception given him here ^ 12. a winter or two ago & told him that I belonged to the 26th Mich. He said he well remembered them & that it was a fine Regiment. Gen Francis Barlow of N.Y. commended one Division of 3 Brigades, while Gen. W.S. Hancock Commanded the Corps There was no better or braver officer in the entire army than He He took a very prominent part in the battle of Getteys- burg the year before, and was severely wounded, and during the Battles of the Wilderness, and Spottsylvania & Cold Harbor and indeed up to Appomattox. He was a tower of strength to the union cause. During the Fall of 1863 we were marching from place to place in the vicinity of Warrenton Va. There were no large bodies of the enemy in that anichon [?] , and our work was to break up the Concuhation [?] of men in any one place. No minor force had been in that part of the Country before & there was plenty of good foraging. marching into a fine portion of the country one day, we noticed there was [different pencil type] plenty of Piggs in the fields, as soon as we halted, stacked our arms, and broke ranks we started for some young pork. I went back a mile where I had seen a drove of them in a fenced field, There were 3 fellows from a N.Y. Regt after the same pork. we each selected a pig and 13 agreed that we would giver our undivided atten- tion to that one only. we advanced on them in good order. driving them into one corner of the field. They were half wild & could run like a deer- almost, as they broke past us, I was close to mine, and as he attempted to jump a ditch & partly fell back I caught him & he was my pork. He would weigh 40-50 # I was ougt out of breath with running & it was some time before I could decide, what to do with him. I had only a small pen knife in my pocket but I managed after a time to cut his throat with it & then drew him off some dis- tance into a fence corner where I covered him up with leaves until I could go to camp & get to some one ^ help me take care of him. He was just splendid eating and worked in finely with our hard tack- some of our boys killed a cow one day near our camp- The people who owned it proved they were union men, & it took all the company fund of $75 that we had saved up to pay for that union cow. On Nov 7th -/63 we marched from our camp near Warrenton Va, to the Rappahannock River which we crossed Nov. 8- we selected a camp near Stevensburg Va. just between the above named River & the Rapidan, beyond which was on 14 the enemeys Ground. It was a beautiful place for such a camp. between 2 fine Riv- ers. plenty of timber for building tents or quarters for the officers and men, with plenty of pure sweet water. There was one of the finest springs near our Camp that I ever sawy. A large Hogshead was sunk in the ground, and the water came up with such force that stones as large as hens eggs were raised up 2 or 3 feet from the bottom & dropped back again. I believe 10,000 men & a 1000 horses were wa- tered from that spring during that winter. We proceeded at once to cut down the timber and make uS log cabins. Each Co., had cab- ins in a row by themselves, than a street be- tween that & the next company. So that our Regt had 10 Rows of tents & 10 company streets, with lar- ger quarters for the officers beyond our own- the woods were so thick when we first went there, that the wild turkeys could not raise up to fly & some of these were caught by the men on the ground- we plastered our houses with mud. put a canvas roof on it & they were very comfortable in that climate- 15 my chum -Bily – F. Batchder & myself. took a good deal of pains in fixing up our House. gath- ered the small tender limbs from the spruce & cedar & Hemlock trees for our bed, and I never slept better in my life that I did that winter. It was better & healthier than straw or matrass in feathers: we took possession of an old a bandoned saw mill, fixed it up in good shape & turned out vast quantities of Lumber for all the uses of the Camp We build a large Hall in which to hold Concerts. Lectures and receptions. we had a splendid Band of 32 silver [pieces?] and during the winter they gave us glorious music to make us forget that we were far away from Home and Friends, and in an enemys'- land- Leut Birch of our company was quite a literary character . and he secured the services of “Grace Greenwood” for a Series of Lectures. Her Greatest Lecture was entitled “Heroism of Common Life”. On one occasion, she wan- ted to see for her self just how the soldiers lived- and our army Nurse, Miss Julia Wheelock, brought her to our tent, as a model of its- kind- we had a very pleas- ant visit with the Lady and she complimented us on our housekeeping. We had plenty of Leisure that winter and a great deal of Letter writing was done. The experience of war was new to that generation, and how the soldier 16 lived and how he fared and how he occupied his time, was the story every pen was trying to tell, and it was told in many different ways: and letters from home, how we enjoyed them. how joy-ful when we received them. & how disappointed when they came nowt- some poor fellows could not write & had no correspondents- how despondent & down hearted they were when they saw others enjoying their letters. A great many learned to write during the [continued in margin] winter practicing faithfully the copies set by their Comrades so that, by spring time they could write their own letters.- But there were a few Homeless, Friendless ones, and of all the men in camp they were the most to be pitied Our regiment was composed, mostly of famers boys, who had enjoyed the advantages, at least, of good district schools, & those who could not read & write in the Regiment, were comparatively few. Some spent their leisure hours, during the winter in learning to play cards, and became quite proficient in the game, until they lost all their earnings more them to those ^ proficient than ^ selves. Some sent Home & got their school books & kept up with their studies, with those at Home, some studied Law, and some studied the tat tactics in use in the army. (caseys): furthing themselves for greater usefulness and responsibilities, when the opportunity came. Plenty of young men worked 17 their way up from privates, thro' the grades of 2nd First Lieuts. Capt. Major. St. Col. & Col. & some to General. some sent their monthly pay home. to their friends as fast as they received it. While others not only used what they recd in the way of monthly pay, but had to have payment remittances from home to keep them going- I never spent very much money on, or for myself & I sent home the greater part of what I recd to Father and then could be done as well as not for the government furnished us with all that we needed, in the way of food, clothing, medicine and medical attention when sick. They allowed us $40 for clothing per year & what we did not use of that amount they paid us in money. For the time a soldier was a prisoner of war, they paid him 25 ¢ a day in Lieu of the rations. he did not receive. I recd $46 for Commiseration of Rations, while a prisoner of war, the time being 184 days- On thanksgiving day of 1903 [crossed out with different pencil to 1863] we started out on what was known as the mine Run Expedition 44 years to a day before the time I am writing this. – thanks giving day of 1907 in Los angeles Calif.- The object of this expedition, was to get a foot hold on the farther side of the Rapidan River & this being so much nearer Richmond 18 when the campaign opened in the Spring. A large force consisting, perhaps, of a hundred thousand men left camp Nov. 26 th & crossed the Rapidan at Germana Ford. While other Corps crossed at Culpepper Ford. we did not have very much fighting this time. We found the Enemy very strongly intrenched, so much so, that it was not deemed prudent to attack. There was a rumor in camp, that 3 Corps Comman- ders were in favor of it, 3 against it and General Meade gave the deciding vote against it. As it was late in the Fall and the weather was getting cold, and we were a long ways from our base of supplies. the loss of life would have been frightful. and it was a good thing it was given up. especially as they did not contest the pass- age of the Rapidian in the Spring. I was not well on that expedition, and suffered severely & did not get over it for several weeks. Our Regiment lost 9 men in this engagement but none of them, I think were from our Company- We Retreated to our old camp, near Brandy Station, where we spent the winter.- 19- Your may think, my dear Friends, that this does not sound much like war. more like a lot of Boys engaged in a summer Picnic. Well, it maybe so, our Regiment did not have a large amount of fighting until the Campaign Commenced in the spring of 1864, but from that time – from the first of May 64 to Appomattox April 1865 it was almost continuous fighting. at the wilderness- Nye River – Po. River at Spottsylvania, where I was wounded, north anna Cold Harbor Petersburg, with a great many other engagements on to the end of the war.- Well this will close Chap- ter three – I will try & not be so long in getting out the next one, & if it has given you any pleasure, I shall feel well rewarded Newton T. Kirk 2435 Mich. Ave. Los Angeles California