July 1, 1862
And a fine morning. Cap got a pass for the whole Co to go to town to get their extra pay or pay for extra work. I had to take or did take Bills breakfast to him also to two of the other boys, all of which were on guard. Some of the boys when on guard goes without some of their meals on account of their tentmates not taking it to them. But now if I had a tentmate that would not bring my meals when there was no other way provided, I should not like it much and it wouldnt be right.
Well, we got started about 8 oclock, went across on the pontoon bridge and we could hardly stand up while on it for it bobed about so. The weight of our Co didnt seem to settle it a particle, but on the contrary was as light as a feather. There were men at work blowing up the boats with small hand bellows which they screwed on to a small pipe on the end of the boat or bladder or whatever they are called. There is three of those boats fastened togather and those three are about 16 or 20 feet apart and so on across. The framework begins on the boats lying timbers various ways. I hadnt a chance to examine it enough to give but this slight discription but those boats has to be watched and kept full of air. And they go over them evry morning as this morning.
We went to the R. R. Depot there. The boys signed the roll. Then we broke ranks, Cap setting a place for us all to meet when the whistle at the Foundry blowed which was at noon. We met at the place which was the Wisconsin Headquarters of the bridge Corps. Then it would be an hour yet before the money come and we were to meet when the whistle blowed which tells all parties tis time to go to work which is one oclock. In time Cap drew the money and it being in large bills so it had to be broke and Cap let the Orderly do the rest of it. But ere this, Cap give the boys till the whistle blew again which was 6 P.M. Then the working parties quit work. Well we got togather, come home.
Got here just as the Regt was forming for dress parade (as we thought) but proved to be drill. And we drilled till dark. Cap thought the Col would be mad but he did not appear so. The pass run out at 4 oclock but we didnt get back till half past 6 oclock. When the Cap went to see the Col after drill, Well says the colonel, I guess Co F will do for passes for awhile and rather smiled. Col drill the battalion alone and took it afoot. Had neither Lieut Col [Charles A. Hamilton] or Major [George Bill] or Ajjutant [Charles W. Cook]61 to help him. He done the work of all of them running from place to [place] doing all that was usually done by the other officers.
July 2, 1862
And a rainy day all day but steady, commenced early in the morning and rained till about midnight. Our tent kept us perfectly dry. That is it didnt leak any and at night we fixed up two oilclothes at front of tent which kept the rain off our blankets as the tent is so short that our feet comes outside when we lay straight. There was nothing done today. There is good news today in papers. I bought a Philadelphia Inquirer which stated that Mclelens right wing had fell and let the rebels have a great deal of ground which he had occupied for the last six weeks & while he was doing this he had his left wing pushed forward and planted quite a number of large siege guns in shelling distance of Richmond. He also advanced the center of his army. It is thought he done this to trap the rebels and everything he done towards that was successfull. The rebels thought they were gaining a great victory. Was just what Mclelen wanted them to think. It is supposed he has baged then ere this. He has his left wing on the James River now and he can land provision right in the camp of his troops. It is supposed he is going to take them more by strategy than by fighting. Jackson of the Shenandoah Valley has got his army to Richmond. The rebel prisinors assert and reassert that the streets of the city will run rivers of blood and be filled with dead before they surrender but McC it is has got the position now that he wanted and he can shell them when he gets a good ready. The soldiers wanted to stand, they not knowing what was up.62
Goodbye
What I have drawn
1 pair pants
1 hat
1 pair of shoes
1 blous coat
1 oilcloth
1 pair pants
Two pages from William Ray’s Volume 6, detailing the August 28, 1862, encounter at Gainesville (Brawner’s Farm). Sherry Murphy
Volume 6
Spun Around Like a Boy’s Top
July 3, 1862 to August 29, 1862
Wm. R. Ray
Private in Co F,
7th Regt. Wis. Volt.
From the Township of Cassville of Grant Co.
Of aforesaid State
July 3rd, 1862
Enlisted August 19th, 1861
July 3, 1862
And I now begin in my new book which is the 4th one since I enlisted. [Ed. Note: Ray lost count; this is his sixth book.] Well today is a pretty day. Nothing but dress parade today. The Colonel [William Robinson] having gone to Washington it is said, so the other officers got Cap [John Callis] to act as Colonel on dress parade which he did in good style. He telling officers to give the boys tomorrow to do as they liked best. And he proposed a sham dress parade to be got up by the boys and they must put the officers in the ranks and choose their officers from amongst the privates.
So shortly after dress parade, each Co elected their officers and they met in the center of the regt and elected the field officers from amongst the privates which were as follows. Maclin of Co. H [Victor McLin] as Colonel, Harris [Charles Harris] Co I as Lieut Colonel, [George I.] Henderson of Co. F as Major and [James O.] Mann of Co H as Adjutant. Our Co. Officers were as follows. John Dolphin as Captain, Wesley Craig as first Lieut, Griffin Hickock [Griffen Heacock] second Lieut, those are the Commissioned officers and the sargeants are Viz, C Bishop [Corydon B. Bishop], first orderly sargeant, J Schloesser [John J. Schlosser] 2nd, L Sixby [Levi Sixby] 3rd, L Stevens [Lewis W. Stevens] 4th, F.S. Kidd [Fletcher S. Kidd] 5th. The Corporals are viz, H Hentner [Henry Hudson] 1st, Wm R. Ray 2nd, J.D. Runnion [John Runion] 3rd, M Dexter [Milo Dexter] 4th, J Clark [James Clark] 5th, H Miles [William Horton Miles] 6th, J Leppla [John Leppa] 7th, G Eustus [George Eustice] 8th and last Corporal.63 There was two Sergeons appointed from Co. G and that finished the officers. No, there is the Drum Major, he is to be appointed also which the Col will do. Well evrything is excitement tonight. I think we will make quite a demonstration on the morrow. All the officers is to give and did give up their Commands to the new elected ones. All the military that has to be done tomorrow is to mount the regular guard then the Regt does as it pleases. Oh, what a fine time we will have if things goes on right.
July 4, 1862
Fine morning. The sun rose pretty on the 86th birthday of this great and once happy Republic. Oh, awful to think of that a portion of it inhabitants have tried to & have Disgraced it to their utmost. Well about our proceedings of today. The first thing this morning was revilee and our orderly Sgt had us in line in proper time and called roll which he had fixed the evening previous. There was, as a matter of course, considerable laughter in the ranks but behaved well and obeyed orders which Our orderly said we must obey. And he couldnt refrain from laughing himself at the novelty of the thing. We broke ranks, got breakfast. The Drums beat the calls for us. I was much surprised to hear Corporal Rays name called not knowing that they had put me in. Hurrah, there comes orders, whats it for. For guard. 1 Corporal, 2 privates by order of Col Macklin [Victor McLin], J.C. Mann Ajutant answered the Orderly to the numerous inquiries. Guard to be mounted at 10 A.M. Corporal Miles was detailed with one of the regular Sargeants & regular Corporal, the two latter taking the privates, also all the officers in the Regt. And I tell you they had to work, it then being about 8 oclock and the Regular guard come off.
But as soon as we had got breakfast, the old cooks called on our Orderly to have somebody carry the breakfast to those that were on duty (as that is the way it is done). Orderly called at the top of his voice, J. B. Callis [Captain John Callis] and informed [him] that he had to carry the guards breakfast to him. This rather plagued him but go he must. Then there was water carriers & cooks to be detailed from the officers. For Cooks, the
orderly detailed two Corporals and gave them their orders. They went to work willingly. Then the water carriers not being detailed, the cooks as usual began to hollow. When the orderly stopped their noise by detailing the orderly and first Corporal for to carry wood & water. They going to work as if they had been used to it. Then Callis comes back saying that the guards hadnt bread enough and he said he didnt want to go over there again (as the boys usually [say] when he sends them back to do anything). So our orderly told the old orderly he must go and he remonstrated against it. But our orderly said if he didnt go, he would report him to Cap Dolphin. So he concluded to go and started. Evrything going on right.
William Ray’s journal, recording events on July 4, 1862. Sherry Murphy
The sargents are getting the boys to cleaning up and they hunt up the old noncommissioned officers, get them in for policing and watched them the same as they always have done us. There. The Drums beat for our guard mounting. Our Orderly cries at the top of his voice, fall in guard. Which they done. He marched them up to the usual place of guard mounting where the guard was forming and the band playing without either time or tune. New Drum Major doing his best to time the music with staff causing considerable amusement and a great crowd gathers running from evry regt in the Brigade to see the fun. And the Drum Major trying his best to stop the music which he denounced in loud terms saying that there was no time to it. At last he gets them stopped and the crowds being so great, our Ajjutant had to station a guard around so that he could proceed to mount guard.
I forgot to tell you how the guards came out. Well they came out with their old dirty rubbish on the worst way and most comical. Our corporal had an old haversack for hat, got an old knappsack which had been thrown away, put it on with the canteen tied to the knappsack behind dangling about his legs and instead of a gun he had a verry large crooked stick, with paper stripes cut in a fantastic form on his arms. And it being against orders to go on guard without leggins, so they, some of them tied on an old knappsack on one leg and something else on the other and so it went. There being verry few guns or catridge boxes. Oh well, I cant give you a discription of the different uniforms or ununiforms rather for such it was. For it would take a large volume so great was the Diversity. Some with the crookedest sticks for gun that could be found, I think, as if they looked a week for them.
Well as I have stated the ajjutant got the guard placed around to keep the crowd back which was verry great by this time. The Drums begin to rattle with the usual signal of the Drum major. They beginning one at a time in a verry irregular manner. And evry man has his own tune and persists in playing it with the Drum major trying to keep time for all. At last he tires and signals for them to stop but no stop until he gives each one a severe punch in the ribs with his long crooked fantasticle, comical staff which makes them grunt and stoped their tune short off (great laughter all the while in the crowd). But guards and officers are sober, never crack a smile or as much as possible so as to make it go off better.
Well they went through the regular guard mounting form except that they added a great many new features. The Ajjutant finding fault with some of their guns (sticks) for not being clean (not having the bark of and splinters off, two or three of which he got in his hand). Well at last the ceremonies were all through. And the Drum Major could not keep all of his band still at the same time, not long at a time. And the continued & boisterous laughter altogather made it verry difficult for the ajjutant to make them hear his orders. Well at last they got ready to march the guard off. The officer of the guard takes command & commands guard doublequick march. The band beginning verry spirited and as usual evry one his own tune which made a terrible noise. The base drummer and drum major doing as usual try to keep time for the whole. Drum major making his staff fly with great rapidity. And the guard were chased (accidently) by a large Newfoundland dog (owned by Capt. Gordon) [Captain Alexander Gordon, Jr., of Beloit] which some of the boys had been holding behind a tent nearby and let him loose just as the guards come by. This scattered the boys all over and the officer of guard with sword drawn tries to defend the guard and gets run over by three or four of the guard which caused greater confusion still in the ranks of the guard. At last some of them with the officers got to the guardhouse, called roll, a great many missing. Officer of guard send sgts & Corporals of guard to hunt up the others, found some hid, others running yet. Some in the flight had thrown away their guns (sticks), got them all togather again.
Officer of the day comes up to give orders for the day to officer of guard which were as follows. Dismiss the guard and let them go to their quarters but be [ready] to fall in at a minutes notice if there should be any disturbance arise in camp. But before he dismissed them, he was to station guards in front of the field officers quarters which the regular officers had to give up to their successors in office. And our officers went into their quarters with all the honors that could be bestowed on them. The regular officers having to retire to other quarters and leave their arms and best suit of clothes for successors to put on. Which they did and commenced buisness in earnest issuing orders &c and shortly an order come for battalion drill at 3 P.M. and things went on all right.
Had roll call at noon. The officers fixing up and consulting about things &c and warning the [boys] to come out in tiptop order but to return two hours or right after guard mounting to police call. The Orderlys of each Co had orders to bring out the commissioned officers with shovels, axes, picks &c to police and all the field officers being away but the Lieut Col, he was brought out and a shovel given him. But after fussing about for about an hour and as fast as the ajjutant would get one in line another would run away and about half of the officers had got excused by the doctor and he couldnt make them work. And they bothered the ajjuttant so that he dissmissed by order of Colonel Maclin [Victor McLin] who reprimanded them some for their great reluctance. But if there was great need of any policing they would be called on. And here another trubel seized the officers, most of whom did want passes to go to the city. But now they couldnt get them for our officers would not make them out, thereby causing them some discomfiture where the Co officers did not get up to rollcall. Our colonel ordered that they should police the streets the same as they (the officers) had made us do it heretofore and several Cos got their streets swept and dirt carried off by the commissioned alone.
Well, time passed on and 3 P.M. came and with it the dress parade call, as the order for drill at this hour had been countermanded, and we were to have dress parade. The Orderly begins to hollow—fall in for dress parade. Most evry one falling in. Great excitement and noise. The Drum Major lead out his band and put them in right position. This time the music is better. There is both time and tune. The new drum major had on the old majors coat. The adj places the markers for the Color Co to form against. Which came out immediately, the other Co following & forming on in succession & in good style. The band playing national airs. Evry officer carrying out evrything in good order. Now the battalion is formed and awaiting the appearance of the Col. At last he makes his exit from his quarters and the crowd opens for him to take his place. And the crowd is so great and presses inward so hard that the ajjutant takes the guards out of Companies, the Captains taking the old officers. Several Cap were put on guard. They were placed in front of the battalion a good distance off to keep the immense crowd back so as to have room. I guess that verry near all the Brigade present. A great many officers and some mounted officers. The spectators kept quite still and the officers from other Regts helped to keep their boys still. That is to suppress laughter or cheering which would have amazed the proceedings if it had been allowed. They listened eagerly to catch evry word that came from our officers. All went right.
The band starts down playing a good tune. The Drum Major with his extraordinary comical hat sticking out in all shapes and of all colors most. I will leave you to imagine which you can better do than I discribe. And he puts on all the French airs he is capable of & uses his crooked staff in as neat a m
anner as possible. They played down on common time and back on quick time doing ample justice to both. Then begins goes the performances, has the battalion present arms to the Col. Col returns the Compliment with good grace & gracefully. He then put us through the manual of arms as is usually done on dress parade. Then ajjutant orders first sargeants to front and center which they do. Then he orders them to report which they did. Ordered them to their posts. Then he orders attention to order and proceeds to read the numerous orders which have been handed in, evry one hinting on something pertaining to military orders and moves heretofore made, and clothing and leggins and an order declaring all negros in the Union army white and shall be obeyed and respected accordingly. The orders were numerous and touching upon different things to numerous to mention. And the last was thanking the Commander (Col Robinson) [Colonel William Robinson] for the levity he has allowed us &c and expressing the greatest confidence in him as a man to lead us to the battle and complimenting him verry highly in evry way. Also the other Regimental officers.
Four Years With the Iron Brigade Page 17