Four Years With the Iron Brigade

by Lance Herdegen

  Troops still continue to pass. Yesterday there was two or three regts went back to the rear, they having been out scouring the country and came in for rest. But the worst feature about it is we had nothing but Coffee for breakfast, not a bite of bread. Oh yes, my tentmate gave me two or three pieces of crackers and some of the boys that was out yesterday had some meat and some that had money bought things of the sutler.

  March 13, 1862

  Well, we are still at the same place. One deserted secesh was brought into Camp last night and two prisinors just brought in this morning. One was a large stout man, the other a smallish man. They have on gray pants and one of them had a kind of brown Coat similar in shape to our common overcoats up north, the pants having a black stripe about an inch wide down the leg. Well, when some of the boys asked him how they averaged he replied pretty well with a smile on his face. There was a terrible crowd gathered each side and in the road evry man having something to say but nothing insulting.

  Well last night we drew three days rations of crackers and with the meat and chickens brought in by the boys yesterday, we had plenty of meat. But I didnt get any of the chicken but plenty of the pig and veal. Our Colonels and field officers went to Manassas yesterday evening. The doctor went along also and found some medicines and our ordinance sargeant went out and brought in two secesh wagons pretty good ones and a good large chest made at Richmond and a rusty rifle but had a firstrate gun and a sword, a splendid one. But the scabbard being iron it had rusted badly. The belt was some rotton. But had been a splendid sword some day. There was four more contrabands came in last night. McDowel told them that they were free and to hire out if they could. Having all they could make they do so by all that comes into camp. The boys raised a flagstaff yesterday near General Kings quarters and he let them have the flag to put up and it is now flying. I expected last night to be marching before this time.

  Well I wrote a letter to mother last evening. Also one for Wm Turnby to his father as he cannot write.

  March 14, 1862

  Still at the same place, plenty to eat. We had skirmish drill yesterday morning and in the evening Battalion drill. The best drill we have had. We are improving verry fast lately. The Colonel praised us up verry highly. Well I had the bad luck to have some crackers stolen from me while on drill yesterday. And I shall carry my haversack with me after this. Well the sixth [Wisconsin] dressed up one of their men and thought to make us believe he was a secesh and brought him out on the road with four men guarding him with their guns. And great crowd following and hollowing secesh prisinor but our boys got wind of it and there wasnt many went to see him as they usually do when a prisinor comes by. They thought that they would get up a great sell on us but it was no go. Last evening the second [Wisconsin] boys got a piece of a gunbarrel and a little cart and fixed it up as flying artillery and brought it out on the road and commenced canonading us with paper wads. They would shoot then run a little piece, shoot again and when they got opposite Gen King’s headquarters they stopped and threw a few shell made of paper and then retreated.

  The weather is misty this morning. We doubled tents with four others last night and pitched ours and had a half of a tent put up at each end. They are made with such precision that by turning one half tent cornerwise they button on nice and tight but either four or six or more must pitch togather to it. Well they are just mounting guard. The guard runs around the Brigade so that all the brigade is togather.

  Well the forageing party is just starting out. There is so many goes from each Company evry day with a noncommissioned officer with them. Well the mail came in this morning but there was nothing for me.

  March 17, 1862

  And a fine morning and we are back to Arlington heights & I am well and rested well last night. Well there has a great deal transpired since I last wrote. Well on the 15th inst we got orders to march that day to Alexandria a distance of fourteen miles it is said. Well we got ready and waited until about noon before starting as there was so many to go ahead of us. It is said there is 70,000 to take shipping to go and reinforce [Union General Ambrose] Burnside but we don’t know anything about it. But I do know that we took up our line of march about noon for Alexandria and marched and marched and it commenced raining soon after we started. And rained quite hard sometimes and then would hold up a little but never stoped all day and it raised the streams and evry little hollow had a good stream of water running and evry hole in the road was full. And we had to march right through as there was no choice in the ground. We had to wade right through it all and sometimes it was about knee deep. The road was a good turnpike all the way sandy, gravelly and the water washing the sand into our shoes. It made verry hard walking.

  Well we ploded along there being no end to the massive colums of all kinds of things. When we got to within three miles and a half of Alexandria and there we met with the 5 th Wis Regt.45 We went on about half a mile and encamped on a side hill in the woods by the side of the road. And it still raining all this time. And still raining and we were as wet as we could well be. We got some rails and made a fire. By this time it was dark. Oh but how they did crowd around our fire. There was about a dozen boys of us made a fire togather and it was a good one. Whew, the steam rose from our clothes enough to run an engine if it was condensed. And it was pretty sight to see so many fires and so many thousands standing by them as the fires would show their forms through the darkness.

  We pitched our tents, myself and two others tented togather and layed togather. We were quite wet on going to bed which was about nine oclock. It kept raining until about twelve oclock when it stoped as the boys said that sat by the fire all night and didnt get to sleep a bit. And I woke up about the time it quit but went to sleep again and awoke at daybreak having made a pretty good nights rest. But how the steam rose when we got up. Well we dried our clothes, got the orders to strike tents and get ready to march at ten oclock having but what coffee we made in our cups, hard crackers, raw ham. And the Regts that was ahead of us comenced going by and about noon we started back. Some said we were going back to Fairfax, some said we were going to Arlington and the latter proved true. We come back the turnpike a couple of miles and turned of across a field and struck the Washington and Fairfax turnpike which we went out on on the 10th inst., about three miles west of Baileys Crossroads. And when we reach this place there was soldiers & wagons of all kinds of things without number. They were going to Alexandria and then we heard that this division had been ordered back to camp for a few days until the transports was ready and that we were to take shipping at Georgetown.

  Well then we knew that we were coming back to Arlington which we didnt like much. There was a great deal of murmering throughout the division it is said, espicially by the privates. For having to come back to camp and when we got or our Regt got back, we found that our tents had been taken down, packed up and put in the stable. Also our extra blankets had been packed into boxes and put in the stable. Then we were ordered to come down in the woods about a quarter of a mile and camp which we done. And we got fires started. By this time it was dark and I and five others tented togather and three more boys struck their tents opposite ours and we built a fire between them in so as to do for both tents. I rested well that night and as it had been a fine day, our things had dryed pretty well and I awoke this morning seeing the sun rise and today we have done nothing but have dress parade for which we went up on the old parade ground.

  There was considerable orders read and some promotions read and a letter from Gen Mclelen [McClellan] to all troops under his command to the effect that we shouldnt lay idle any longer. And that we should probably have long and rapid marches and great fatigue and hardships to encounter. And a courageous foe to face. But he had great confidence in the men and thought they would do what they had sworn to do. Well it was an encouraging letter and we were to hold ourselves in readiness to march at ten minutes notice. Then the Colonel gave us some good advice and talked verry cheerful. Expressed himself as having a grea
t Confidence in the men of his Regt and dismissed us. Capt took us into our old street and dismissed us and told us to look up our things and all public property was to be returned.

  I found my blanket but not my boots and they was worth three dollars. But let them go it is no use to cry for spilt milk. And there is the stove, it will be a total loss for it will not pay to send home. I tell you but the old Camp looks shabby with the stuff that has accumulated and the pens that were built which the tents were sit on.

  March 19, 1862

  And we have just got our tents pitched amongst the stumps. Well to return yesterday morning. We went to work and packed up our extra blanket in good shape and they are to be stored someplace until called for by us and we drawed a loaf of soft bread and it tasted good after having lived on crackers for a week or more.

  We got orders to march at four oclock and we packed up and started for someplace taking our regular load of blanket, overcoat &c and when we got to within about two miles of Alexandria we turned into a field and pitched tents and got lots of rails, posts &c and then we had to pack up again and march, it then being dark and we marched & marched until about 10 oclock and then we stoped, I supposed to rest. And as the woods all around had been cut down, a great many of the boys broke ranks and built fires and soon half of the Regt done so and some of them comenced to pitch tents and the officers never said a word against it but the colonel went back I suppose to get orders what to do. He soon returned telling evrybody to take care of themselves and there was the greatest confusion I ever saw. The whole brigade stoped, we being the lead Regt in this march.

  Colonel Cutler [Lysander Cutler of the Sixth Wisconsin] commands this brigade now in the place of King and King takes the place of Mcdowel [Irvin McDowell] as Mcdowel takes a higher position. Oh how the boys cursed Cutler, but I guess he was not to blame for he done as he was ordered I guess. But he is disliked by the privates and a great many of the officers in the Brigade. We marched over some verry bad road and it being verry dark it was hard going. Well I had a pretty good nights rest and got up and waited until about eight oclock for the coffee and meat and we had to make our own coffee and a great many had no bread and I had but little and have none for dinner.

  When we got breakfast we struck tents, packed up and marched to this place about a mile from the place we camped last night and we have pitched tents again.

  March 2l, 1862

  5 oclock P.M. The sun is shining verry pretty. The first time for several days. Well, I didnt write any yesterday for I didnt get off guard until about three oclock and it being a verry rainy day I couldnt write. Well on the nineteenth inst about three oclock, I and Corporal Mcdowel [Edward F. McDowell]46 with five other men from other Companies in this regt went on Amunition guard. There being a train of eleven wagons loaded with amunition belonging to this brigade. There being six of us we only come on post evry five hours so that it was not hard work but it stormed all the while and as we came off post we went into the wagons and slept on top of the boxes of catridges as they are all rifle catridges. I thought to myself as I lay on them that they intended we should not lack for powders and pills while we were in dixie, for there were at least 30,000 rounds in the wagon I slept in and each soldier in this Regt has 5 rounds now in their boxes. Well it kept raining and rained most all of last night. And has been cloudy today until about an hour since when it cleared off. This is what is called the equinoxial storm and I think we will have fine weather now.

  I received a letter and a paper last night. The letter being from Henry and the paper was the Grant Co Herald. The letter brought news of all well except bad colds and George was still alive and had had Doct Stedman from Iowa to see him. He thinks he can cure him and he differs from all other Docts that had been to see him. And the snow was the deepest he ever seen it, it being from four to eight feet deep and he thought that if I had been there to helped him break roads that I should have wished myself back to Camp in Dixie again. But I think he was mistaken about it. And Mother and Caroline said in answer to what I wrote about that they must have a pan of biscuit baked, plenty of potatoes and plenty of good butter. But be sure and not cook any beans. They said that I must whistle in time so that they could have a good dinner ready by the time I got there

  Oh but my eyes are sore and pain me. The cause of it is the fires we sit by. Smoke so bad and there are so many of them all around us that it is verry bad although it has not been so bad today as the wind has not blown much today. We draw our coffee & sugar and make coffee in our tin cups, evry man by himself for this last two days and I like it better. For when we march and stop we don’t have to wait until the teams come up and the cooks cook it. We drew three days rations of it and crackers yesterday.

  Well it is getting dark. Oh, I never seen a prettier sight than those rugged hillsides present at present with the hundreds of fires and big fires too for there is a great plenty of wood, the stumps and grubs so thick we have to pick out places to pitch tents. I put some leaves in the tent for a bed and I will rest better tonight.

  March 22, 1862

  And a cloudy day after a rainy right up to this time. Two oclock and we are still at camp among the stumps as I know of no better name but some of the boys call it Camp starveout on account of the scarcity of bread the first day we came here. Nothing unusual has transpired. Lieut [Samuel] Woodhouse has resigned and there is some excitement in our Co on account of that. The promotions that are likely to take place and it is said that Lieutanant [Henry F.] Young has been promoted to first Lieut and the orderly Sargeant [John W. McKenzie] is likely to take his place as second Lieut and so on through the sargeants and Corporals and there will have to be a new Corporal. This is the way it generally goes. It has had a great effect on some of the noncommissioned officers and some privates. They have been shaving and cleaning up all day. I suppose evry one thinks he is likely to be promoted. (The simpletons, Oh, what office or money will make a man do) There appears to be quite a hard feeling towards Young, but I stick to him and shall until he does worse than other officers which he could’nt do verry well. I think that it is no great loss to the company when we loose Woodhouse. I would as soon see him go as a private.

  Well, there is such talk that we will leave here for Alexandria before twenty four hours for [General Fitz-John] Porters division is embarking now and was all day yesterday. Well, I suppose that we will soon draw three days more rations for all the boys are out of grub and we have had a loaf of bread and thirty crackers for the last three days rations and all ate up now and I traded with one of the boys some coffee for four crackers and all gone. The cause of us eating so much bread is that we do not have much other food. What we threw away at Camp would taste good.

  Sometimes since we begun to march I think that things will go on better now if they do not. I for one will look into it and see if we draw our full rations. It will probably cause some hard feelings between myself and officers. But right is right and I want my rights and no more.

  March 23, 1862

  And it is a fine sunny morning and we have just been out on Sunday morning inspection. We are still camped at the same place. And still expect orders evry minute to march to Alexandria. We hear of troops embarking evry day which makes us impatient to be going. Our forces have Island No 10 in their possession which was a verry strong place but our guns are far superior to theirs, thereby shooting a greater distance. There was I believe only seaven of our men killed and the enemys loss is not known but it was verry great as our forces could throw shells into their forts and theirs wouldnt reach our boats. Commodore Fort commanded the expedition against them.

  Well we drew 25 crackers [hardtack] and a loaf of bread and coffee and sugar for three days. We get more to eat that we used to. The loaf of soft bread is calculated for one day & the crackers for two days. We have done sometimes three days with only twenty five crackers. I tell you there is some exciting debates about the resignation of Woodhouse. And it is said that when his resignation was received that the office
rs said that a man that would resign just now when the country needed him most was better out of office than in for he had wronged his country by so doing and he wasnt to be trusted.

  Oh, there is nothing going on but cardplaying and some quarreling about the games. When the boys purses got to low for one cent bets they went to betting and playing for buttons and got run out of them and went to playing for nails. And now they have drawn some sutlers tickets and they commence again to play for them.

  Well it is evening and I have just been over to Fairfax Seminary which is about one mile & a quarter distant from here in a southeast direction. It is a verry pretty building, also verry large & has quite a high conspicuous spire. The whole building shows the best of workmanship. There are a number of small spires on it besides the large one. It is built in gothic style with splendid brick and laid in cement. In fact, I never seen a finer building. There are quite a number of buildings around it. Two verry large ones, I suppose for boarding houses. In fact all the houses I guess are occupied or have been by teachers, servants, pupils &c and the stables for horses belonging to the institution. It is or was enclosed by a fence enclosing probably five acres and various shrubs & trees growing therein upon it making a verry nice park.