W^m H. Thompson

            Sergeant C^o F

                        17^th Ind Mtd

                                    Infantry

 

———————————————————

 

(1)

            My object in writing this manuscript is to preserve for myself should I live and my friends in case of my death an account of my life as a Soldier.

            I was enlisted by Cap^t Parrish of Wabash Wabash C^o State of Ind to serve for the term of three month unless sooner discharged but his C^o having a surplus of some 25 or 30 men I enlisted in a company under Capt James Thompson of Indianapolis Ind for the term of one year in the service of the state of Indiana

 

———————————————————

 

(2)

in that I served a month when we were transfered into the service of the U.S. for the term of three (3) years unless sooner discharged—here I will just mention that having kept a memorandum of all my proceedings up untill the advance on chatanooga when misfortune caused me to loose it—

first after leaving Indianapolis we took train for Cincinati Ohio this was on or about to use the military phrase, the 1^st of July 1861 arived at Cincinati the 2^nd from there we took train for Parkersburgh Virginia on the 4^th

 

———————————————————

 

(3)

and went into camp here we remained something like two (2) weeks when we took train for Webster western Va arrived at Webster we marched on to Cheat M^t Pass via Phillippi Beverly & Huttonville arrived here on or about the 11^th day of august 1861 During our stay at Cheat Mountain Pass the advance had frequent skirmishes with the enemy The advance on the left on the summit of the mountain consisted of the 14^th Ind Col Kimbal and 24^th Ohio. Col Kimbal was in command and therefore the camp was called camp Kimbal

 

———————————————————

 

(4)

at Cheat Mountain Pass the 17^th and 13^th Ind Regiments were stationed for some time and acted as a sort of a reserve while on our right up Tiger River was the 15^th and 6^th and 3^rd Ohio They were fortified both on the summit and on the Elk Fork. we remained some 6 weeks or 2 months at the pass when we were ordered out on an expidition up towards Bradye Gate a gap in the mountain here we staid some 3 or 4 days and returned to the camp of the 13^th During our absence our camp equipments had been moved up

 

———————————————————

 

(5)

from the Pass and we took up our camping ground on the river bank here we remained until about the 1^st of October when we got marching orders for the 14^th Camp Kimbal here we remained untill the morning of the 2^nd we moved out about (½) half mile and bivouackd for the day and part of the night about 12 oclock we got marching orders for the field of action This was about 25 or 30 miles from camp Kimbal on road leading from Webster to Stanton arrived there a little after sun up drove the pickets in and

 

———————————————————

 

(6)

commenced operations we had two batteries Capt Loomis the 1^st Michigan and Cap Daniels of the Regulars we had a sharp action of some 4 or 5 hours and retired without much loss our loss was only some 35 in killed wounded and missing they were strongly fortified on a stream called Green Briar

So the place and fight derived its name from the stream

we then returned to camp and sighned the pay roll the first pay that we had rec^d in the service Rec^d 4 months pay

 

———————————————————

 

(7)

in few days we moved back to Huttonville about 6 miles and went into winter quarters building but were orderd to the Department of Ky it was then This was on or about the 25 or 6 of November A.D. 1861. we marched to Webster and there took train for Parkersburgh from there we took boat for Louisville Ky where landed on or about the 1^st of December here we made but a short halt for some 5 days or a week then marched on for New Haven Ky

 

———————————————————

 

(8)

This is about 60 miles from Louisville on the Nashville & Louisville R.R. went into camp out some 7 miles from town here we lay untill the last of February when we struck tents and marched on from there in the direction of Bowling Green Ky here we made a halt of a day or so untill our train was all across the river when we moved on in direction of Nashville Tennessee marched through town on the 4^th or 5^th of the month Marched

 

———————————————————

 

(9)

Marched out of town something like two mile and went into camp the camp was called Camp Andrew Jackson here on the 14^th of the month I took down with the fever and was taken to the city of Nashville for medical attention From this time on untill about 15^th of November 1862 I could not say anything about the Regt as I was in the Hospital untill the time mentioned above I joined the Regiment at Silver Springs some 10 or 20 miles from Nashville Tennessee

 

———————————————————

 

(10)

I will just mention here that Bragg thought to change the base of action from front to rear but was finaly beat in his plans and whiped at Perryvill and forced to beat a hasty retreat about this time General Buel was superceded by Major General Rosencrans who took command of the 14^th Army corps it was then called. General Rosencrans fought the battle of Stones River we were placed in Brig Genl Reynolds Division and sent into Ky after Morgan—

 

———————————————————

 

(11)

and missed the fight of Stones River which now stands among the hardest won victory on record we returned to the front of action on or about the 1^st of January 1863 and was placed in the 1^st Brigade 4 Division Genl Thomas corps Department of the Cumberland about this time or shortly afterward Genl Reynolds was made a Major General we remained about Murfreesboro or in the imediate vicinity untill the movement of the army on Tullahoma which

 

———————————————————

 

(12)

which took place in the latter part of June our Brigade had a brilliant skirmish with the enemy at Hoovers Gap a distance of some 25 miles from Murfreesboro Ten on the pike leading from Murfreesboro to Manchester This was on the 24 of June our loss was some 60 killed and wounded we succeeded in routing the enemy they leaving their killed and wounded on the field—

—I will just mention here that our brigade was mounted about the latter end of

 

———————————————————

 

(13)

February or the 1^st of March and about the last of May and the 1^st of June were armed with the spencer repeating Rifle—after the skirmish at Hoovers Gap there was nothing to impede the advance of the armey on to Bridgeport on the Tennessee River—here I just make a memorandum of every day occurences

August 17^th 1863

Left camp at Dechard Station Tennessee camped at the university site on the summit of mountain

August 21^st 1863

are at the river opposite

 

———————————————————

 

(14)

Chatanooga half (½) past eleven oclok Capt Lilly of the 18 Indiana Battery fired on two steamers that lay at the levee moved back some 3 m^s from the river and went into camp at the foot of the mountain

Aug 23^rd in camp went down to the river and fired a few shots across at the Rebels They apear to be fortified—

Aug 24^th on the Picket line at the ford called Becks Ford just below Becks Island

Aug 25^th In camp cloudy some sighns of rain

Aug 26^th In camp done nothing but get forage

 

———————————————————

 

(15)

Aug 27^th this morning 1863 we were ordered to the river for the purpose of bombarding Chatanooga Done it and returned to camp about 3 P.M.

Aug 28^th Done nothing but go and get forage

Aug 29^th nothing of importance an unfortunate occurance on my part to day while out after forage by some means unknown to me my bed and bedding caught on fire and entirely consumed my bedding rations and a revolver that cost me some $15⁰⁰ Dollars

Aug 30^th Saturday in camp nothing doing in camp

 

———————————————————

 

(16)

Aug 31^st Sunday

nothing of importance attended Divine Service by the Chaplain S. Layton

September the 1^st 1863

in camp nothing going on

Sept 2^nd in camp Nothing doing

Sept 3^rd in camp Nothing going on

Sept 4 on Picket down at the river in front of Chatanooga Rec^d a letter from home the first mail since we left Dechard Station

Sept 5^th in camp

Sept 6 in camp nothing going on

Sept 7^th in camp

Sept 8 in camp nothing going on to day we moved

 

———————————————————

 

(17)

river to the ford when Joseph Wilson one of the scouts of the 17^th undertook to swim across to Becks Island but gets drowned in the attempt

Sept 9^th the stars and stripes float over Chatanooga

Sept 10^th crossed the Tennessee River about 10 AM and finished drawing our train across when we took up our line of march in the direction of Ringold Georgia

Sept 11^th Passed Ringold Georgia about 9 AM had a skirmish with the enemy here we met van cleves Division Followed the Rebels the rest of the day they retreating on the

 

———————————————————

 

(18)

on the Dalton and R.R. burning all the bridges as they went our loss in the skirmish was 1 killed and two wound out of C^o H. Camped within 2 mile of Tunnel hill about 12 mile from Ringold

Sept 12^th Returned to Ringold about 9 AM and started off for our Division which was several miles to our right came in contact with the enemy at Rock Springs about 2 P.M. had a brilliant skirmish with the enemy under General Pegram Repulsed them with a small loss on our side the 17^th lost 4 taken prisoner

 

———————————————————

 

(19)

and two wounded The wounded was Jackson Denny of C^o F and Wainright of C^o I Denny afterwards died the prisoners was one Capt Carter of the scouts James Bartlet C^o F Wm Sumney of the scouts formerly of C^o E Clinton Walters scout C^o I the 72^nd Ind of our Brigade lost 7 men killed and wounded one Capt C^o I. we returned to Major General Vancleve's Division and camped for the night

Sept 13^th on the skirmish line to day occasionly prety sharp skirmishing no loss on our side

Sept 14^th started for our Division Passed within

 

———————————————————

 

(20)

6 miles of Chatanooga

Sept 15^th Joined our Division and went into camp

Sept 16 in camp on guard to day

Sept 17^th marching orders marched to the left of the collumn Passed Major General Rosencranz H^d Q^rs about 2 PM at Crawfish Springs went into camp about 5 PM on the South Chicamauga River some 7 or 8 miles from Gen^l Rasa^s H^d Q^rs and about 4 miles from Gordons Mill the H^d Q^rs of Brig^d Genl Wood whose Division were fortified some little on the river at this point

Sept 18^th Laying in camp about 1 PM were attacked had a brilliant

 

———————————————————

 

(21)

artillery duel and some little skirmishing but were forced to fall back on account of Col Minty who had a Brigade of Cav. not being able to hold his position at the bridge we lost several here in killed and wounded Lieut Doury of Col Wilders staff. he was wounded in the ankle by a shell Fell back to Gordons Mill some 4 miles this evening and lay in line of battle all night

Sept 19 This morning about 9 A.M. the ball opened in earnest Longstreet and Bragg seemed determined to break our lines but we held our position prety well all day

 

———————————————————

 

(22)

Sept 20^th Morning came with a skirmish and the sun arose with a hard fight the battle raged with all the fury of war our Brigade was ordered back to Chatanooga camped within three mile of town to night

Sept 21^st Recrossed the Ten River and took up our old camping ground on the Chickamauga River at Becks Ford to day there was about 3000 Reb prisoners crossed the Ten River

Sept 22^nd nothing of importance but cleaning camp untill evening when we got marching orders and loaded up the wagons and saddled up our

 

———————————————————

 

(23)

horses but did not leave to night

Sep 23^rd Nothing of importance were on Picket down at the river

Sept 24^th In camp to day nothing of importance

Sept 25^th on Picket duty down at the river nothing worthy of notice to day

Sept 26^th Laying in camp

Sept 27^th Laying in camp

Sep 28 "          "          Drew rations

Sept 29^th Detail for forage to day out of the Regt

Sept 30 Marching orders Moved camp marched up the river some 30 miles to Bliths Ferry camped "Co F" on picket

October the 1^st Oct comes in with a rain it commenced raining about

 

———————————————————

 

(24)

midnight and rained on untill daylight and all the next day marching orders marched back to the foot of the Mountain

Oct 2^d clear this morning got marching orders from the river yesterday about 12 oclock and moved about 6 or 7 miles and camped at the foot of the mountain

Oct 3^d marched at daylight crossed the mountain and Cignatcha valley and marched to the top of the next mountain and camped

            Oct 4^th camped within untill evning about 4 PM had a fight with the Rebels Drove them

            Oct 5^th Skirmishing with the enemy rear

 

———————————————————

 

all day Passed through Murriesville about 3 PM

Oct 6^th Marched to Murfreesboro enemy still ahead

Oct 7^th Marched from Murfreesboro on the Shelbyville Pike camped within 6 mile of Shelbyville Oct 8^th Marched through Shelbyville about 3 oclock overtook the enemy on the Pike leading from Shelbyville to Lewisburgh about 10 AM had a fight our loss was 30 killed and wounded the 17^th charged a battery of 3 guns and captured them in Farmington. Lt G H Haych Privat G W Shannon

 

———————————————————

———————————————————

 

            Daniel when I think of thee I am sad knowing too, thou art far away and happy. Shall I never see those laughing eyes those pretty rosy lips that hair so black and clustering, never so Farewell now.

WHT

Lines written at

            Chickamauga Georgia

 

Daniel M Thompson

Died May 16^th 1863

at Champion Hills Mis

from a wound in the left thigh

Member of Co G 48 Ind

aged 17 yrs 8 months and 11 days

SOURCES