This is an excerpt from the diary
of Thomas P. Gere of the 5th
Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. The excerpt focuses on the time period in
which Michael Herrmann served in
the 5th Minnesota. It includes the entries for August 29 through
December 31, 1864.
Rain last night and this morning;
had an interesting time getting
started; at Holden got mixed up with the 1st brigade, which was not out
of the way, and it has been more or less "mixed" all day; passed
through Warrensburg about
noon, - here we got ahead of the 1st brigade, and so beat them into
camp.
Marched twenty-five miles, - to Clear creek, on the Sedalia road. We
learn
tonight that we are not to go to Boonville.
Wednesday, November 2,
1864.
Marched about seven; rain; wind
all day; cold; - twenty miles,
bivouacking two miles west of Sedalia before three. Gen. McArthur
assumed command this evening. [1 ]
Thursday, 3d.
This has been the roughest day we
have seen since we entered Uncle
Samuel's service. 'Twas snowing when we got up, has continued all day,
- at nine o'clock the snow is still falling; marched sixteen miles, to
Lamine river, - the wind
blowing constantly, covering us with snow, sleet and mud. For the
soldiers who have had to walk this has been awful, and tonight,
how they can sleep I don't know; the snow covers the ground to the
depth of nearly a foot. We have succeeded in getting quarters for the
night in a small log house, which is a palace to us.
Friday,
4th.
Over the prairie easterly eighteen
miles, - through the melting snow, -
the most slippery day imaginable, 'twas all our horses could do to
stand
up; the men of course all have wet feet, the mud and water having been
ankle deep. Bivouacked early, making our headquarters at the house of
Mr. McDowell, whose "better half" like most of those halves in this
part of the country, is somewhat garrulous [2
], nevertheless quite accomodating in supplying us with viands [
3 ] that are luxuries for our
table. Trees are broken down in many
places
by the snow, something unusual for this country.
Saturday, 5th.
A day much like yesterday, only
muddier; have marched sixteen miles,
passing through California [4 ], and
bivouacking a
mile west of Lookout station. It was necessary to exhibit a little
"strategy" [5 ] tonight, so the troops
countermarched
a mile. We spread our blankets on the floor tonight at the house of Mr.
J. Pope.
Sunday,
6th.
Seventeen miles more today through
the mud and we are a mile south of
Jefferson City, near the Fair ground. The snow is fast disappearing.
There seems to be very little going on in Jefferson City [6
], - perhaps because it is Sunday, - we were hardly aware of the fact
until we got into town.
Monday,
7th.
The 8th [7 ] and 11th [8 ] went ahead
today to await us at Westphalia [9 ]; the day, cold
and rainy. Have been so busy that I could not even go to town, - can't
get a half hour to write a letter. We march for St. Louis tomorrow.
Tuesday, 8th.
A hard day; were on the road at
seven, it having rained all night the
mud was deep; marched twenty miles, to Westphalia, fording the Osage;
at times the rain has poured down in torrents; the roads have been
fearul; tonight we are all wet and chilled through and through; our
teams are on the road, somewhere; the log hourse of a German
affords us shelter, a supper of bread and milk cheers us much. So much
for the experience of election day.
[10 ]
Wednesday, 9th.
The supply train, our headquarter
wagons and several regimental teams
were unable to get up last night, so the column did not move today; all
day the train has been passing up, - our wagons got along about noon.
The rain poured down fearfully last night, today the streams are
rushing torrents; the 8th and 11th were surrounded this morning; a hard
night for men and horses. Busy with reports etc/ this afternoon and
evening.
Thursday, 10th.
Left Westphalia about nine;
marching via Rich Fountain [11
] reached Linn [12 ] at dark. The streams have
subsided considerably, but at Rich Fountain
we learned that the Gasconade is too deep to ford, so we started for a
ferry fifteen miles from here; have marched seventeen miles to make
ten. The country is nearly all woods.
Friday,
11th.
Marched from Linn eighteen miles,
crossing the Gasconade at Pryor's
Ford; were much surprised to find the river fordable, - still it was
quite deep, the men were crossed on a large boat, which was utilized as
a bridge. Our route has led through woods all day.
Saturday, 12th.
Twenty-four miles more on the road
to St. Louis brings us to a place
for which we can find no name [13
]; the day, like all these days, cold. Received the news that President
Lincoln
is re-elected, - there have been speculations about the future. After
considerable
exertion Lieut. Sargent and I achieved a complete success this evening
in
the way of a fire.
Sunday, November 13th,
1864.
The road has been pretty good and
we have passed over twenty-seven
miles of it; the day pleasant; our road led through the town of Union [
14
], - where we got a cigar; have had the advance; our bivouac is about
three
miles west of Gray's Summit [15
].
Monday,
14th.
Were on our way at an early hour;
made a good march, twenty-two miles;
crossed the Pacific Railroad at the Summit [16
]; about eight miles from that point reached a fine Macadamized road [
17
] leading to St. Louis; we are halted for the night a mile or so west
of
Manchester. Showers towards evening.
Tuesday, 15th.
Twenty miles today "through the
cold" has brought us to the great city
of St. Louis. We are at Benton Barracks [18
]; everything tonight is in more or less confusion; we think we prefer
the
woods[!]; we occupy our tents, on the parade ground.
Wednesday, 16th.
Cold; we tried to write but made
slow progress, there were a thousand
interruptions. This P.M. Lieut. Sargent and I rode down to Maj.
Osgood's and got our pay; we did not stay ten minutes in the city; it
is said we did some pretty fast riding coming out.
Thursday, 17th.
Have been very busy all day at the
office, have hardly had time to
entertain a thought "of my own."
Friday,
18th.
The forenoon much as yesterday; in
the evening went down to the city
with the Lieut. Col. and several other officers, - for the first time
in nearly three months had the ministrations of a barber; we got some
fine oysters and
smoked some good cigars, - a very pleasant time.
Saturday, 19th.
When Capt. Reed and I awoke this
morning we found ourselves some fifty
or sixty stories high in the Lindell Hotel [19
], - started early and got down to the second floor in time for
breakfast.
After breakfast came out to the Barracks, where I have again passed a
busy
day.
Sunday,
20th.
A busy day, as usual. We have
hardly known that it is Sunday, - Lieut.
Sargent went to town to make some purchases and found the stores
closed. Very cold and damp.
Monday,
21st.
"Nearly froze" last night; the
first spectacle that greeted my eyes
this morning was the front of my tent on fire, - a threatening prospect
but the boys succeeded in extinguishing the fire. The day has been
colder than yesterday; have resolved not to sleep in my tent tonight.
Tuesday, 22d.
Staid [sic] with Lieut. Stacy last
night; had a better sleep, though
boards do not make the softest couch imaginable. Evening came down to
the city; saw
Laura Keene [20
] in "Our American Cousin" [21
] at the St. Louis theater; the hotels are full, - Capt. Leonard and I
have
a sofa at the Galt House for a bed; Mr. H. O. Brown, the clerk.
Wednesday, 23d.
Returned to the Barracks early
this morning. The command has moved down
to the river and embarked; we have our headquarters on the steamer W.
L.
Ewing; a busy day. Capt. McGrew [22
] is on the Staff now; Houston [23
] has been appointed Division Inspector. This evening the Col. and all
the
staff but me have gone to the theater, - I remain on the boat to look
out
for orders.
Part of the fleet started down the
river this morning; we did not get a
pilot until after noon; started for Cairo at one o'clock. Got a field
desk
this A.M. and this afternoon have been arranging documents.
Friday,
25th.
We awoke with a crash and got up
in a hurry to find that our boat had
struck an old wreck and was sinking; there was some confusion but as we
only sank in about eight feet of water we were spared the trouble of
swimming ashore; everything below overflowed; two men were drowned;
other boat soon came to our assistance, - after considerable difficulty
we got the troops on the Julia
and moved on the Graham ourselves. After noon started down stream
again, leaving
the poor Ewing behind; tonight we are tied up.
Saturday, 26th.
Down the river, passing Cape
Girardeau [25
] in the afternoon; about nine arrived at Cairo [26
]; moved on the Marble City to remain over night.
Sunday,
27th.
Moved off the Marble City this
morning; waited two hours; established
ourselves on the Julia when she came in; during the afternoon and
evening she has been coaling. Cairo is as usual, - muddy and wet.
Monday,
28th.
Morning found us at the mouth of
the Cumberland [River], our boat
having steamed so far up the Ohio [River] during the night; at
Smithland [
27
] during the forenoon; this afternoon have been ascending the
Cumberland.
Tuesday, 29th.
Making our way up the river;
passed Clarksville [28
] in the afternoon.
Wednesday,
30th.
Arrived at Nashville early;
disembarked; moved out about three miles to
the camp of our convalescents whom we left at Memphis, - they have been
here since Sunday. Nashville is full of people; there is no end to the
rumors about
the fighting near here, - it is pretty certain that Hood [29
] is not far away; the prospect seems good for a fight.
Footnotes
[1] Col. Woods of the 12th Iowa
has been in
command since Mower
was relieved on October 15. [Return
] [2] excessively talkative[
Return ] [3] dishes of food, especially
delicacies [
Return ] [4] in Moniteau County [Return
] [5] cf. Tuesday, September
27th [Return ] [6] in Cole County [Return
] [7] 8th Wisconsin [Return
] [8] 11th Missouri [Return
] [9] in Osage County [Return
] [10] President Abraham Lincoln is
re-elected on
Tuesday, November 8th
[Return ] [11] southeast of Westphalia, in Osage
County [
Return ] [12] northeast of Westphalia, in Osage
County [
Return ] [13] probably about 2 miles west of
Drake, Gasconade
County [
Return ] [14] in Franklin County [Return ] [15] in Franklin County [Return ] [16] Gray's Summit [Return
] [17] paved with compacted broken stone
and, perhaps,
asphalt or tar [Return ] [18] also known as Camp Benton;
Missouri's
largest Civil War Training
and Troop Deployment Encampment; located in north St. Louis County, 4-5
miles
from the City of St. Louis; it could accommodate 30,000 soldiers and
contained
a mile of barracks, warehouses, cavalry stables, parade grounds, and a
large
military hospital [Return
] [19] probably should be "five or
six stories
high"; designed by
Thomas Waryng Walsh; bounded by 6th, Washington Ave., 7th, and Green
(now
Lucas); construction started in 1856; hotel opened November 25, 1863
(largest
hotel in United States); burned March 30, 1867 [
Return ] [20] American actress-manager
(1826-1873) [
Return ] [21] by Tom Taylor; this is the
play that
Abraham Lincoln watched,
starring Laura Keene, the night he was assassinated in Washington, D.C.
(Good
Friday, April 14, 1865) [Return ] [22] Captain James G. McGrew from
Company B [
Return ] [23] John P.Houston; rank in:
First Lieutenant;
rank out: Major
[Return ] [24] Thanksgiving Day [Return
] [25] in Cape Girardeau County,
Missouri [Return
] [26] in Illinois; near the confluence
of the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers
[Return ] [27] in Kentucky [Return
] [28] in Montgomery County,
Tennessee [
Return ] [29] Confederate General John
Bell Hood [
Return ]