Wm H. Thompson
Sergeant Co F
17th Ind Mtd
Infantry
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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 Capt Parrish of Wabash Wabash Co State of Ind to serve for the term of three month unless sooner discharged but his Co 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
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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 1st of July 1861 arived at Cincinati the 2nd from there we took train for Parkersburgh Virginia on the 4th
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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 Mt Pass via Phillippi Beverly & Huttonville arrived here on or about the 11th 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 14th Ind Col Kimbal and 24th Ohio. Col Kimbal was in command and therefore the camp was called camp Kimbal
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at Cheat Mountain Pass the 17th and 13th Ind Regiments were stationed for some time and acted as a sort of a reserve while on our right up Tiger River was the 15th and 6th and 3rd 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 13th During our absence our camp equipments had been moved up
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from the Pass and we took up our camping ground on the river bank here we remained until about the 1st of October when we got marching orders for the 14th Camp Kimbal here we remained untill the morning of the 2nd 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
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commenced operations we had two batteries Capt Loomis the 1st 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 recd in the service Recd 4 months pay
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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 1st of December here we made but a short halt for some 5 days or a week then marched on for New Haven Ky
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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 4th or 5th of the month Marched
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Marched out of town something like two mile and went into camp the camp was called Camp Andrew Jackson here on the 14th 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 15th 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
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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 14th 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—
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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 1st of January 1863 and was placed in the 1st 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
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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
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February or the 1st of March and about the last of May and the 1st 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 17th 1863
Left camp at Dechard Station Tennessee camped at the university site on the summit of mountain
August 21st 1863
are at the river opposite
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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 ms from the river and went into camp at the foot of the mountain
Aug 23rd in camp went down to the river and fired a few shots across at the Rebels They apear to be fortified—
Aug 24th on the Picket line at the ford called Becks Ford just below Becks Island
Aug 25th In camp cloudy some sighns of rain
Aug 26th In camp done nothing but get forage
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Aug 27th 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 28th Done nothing but go and get forage
Aug 29th 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 30th Saturday in camp nothing doing in camp
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Aug 31st Sunday
nothing of importance attended Divine Service by the Chaplain S. Layton
September the 1st 1863
in camp nothing going on
Sept 2nd in camp Nothing doing
Sept 3rd in camp Nothing going on
Sept 4 on Picket down at the river in front of Chatanooga Recd a letter from home the first mail since we left Dechard Station
Sept 5th in camp
Sept 6 in camp nothing going on
Sept 7th in camp
Sept 8 in camp nothing going on to day we moved
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river to the ford when Joseph Wilson one of the scouts of the 17th undertook to swim across to Becks Island but gets drowned in the attempt
Sept 9th the stars and stripes float over Chatanooga
Sept 10th 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 11th 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
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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 Co H. Camped within 2 mile of Tunnel hill about 12 mile from Ringold
Sept 12th 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 17th lost 4 taken prisoner
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and two wounded The wounded was Jackson Denny of Co F and Wainright of Co I Denny afterwards died the prisoners was one Capt Carter of the scouts James Bartlet Co F Wm Sumney of the scouts formerly of Co E Clinton Walters scout Co I the 72nd Ind of our Brigade lost 7 men killed and wounded one Capt Co I. we returned to Major General Vancleve's Division and camped for the night
Sept 13th on the skirmish line to day occasionly prety sharp skirmishing no loss on our side
Sept 14th started for our Division Passed within
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6 miles of Chatanooga
Sept 15th Joined our Division and went into camp
Sept 16 in camp on guard to day
Sept 17th marching orders marched to the left of the collumn Passed Major General Rosencranz Hd Qrs about 2 PM at Crawfish Springs went into camp about 5 PM on the South Chicamauga River some 7 or 8 miles from Genl Rasas Hd Qrs and about 4 miles from Gordons Mill the Hd Qrs of Brigd Genl Wood whose Division were fortified some little on the river at this point
Sept 18th Laying in camp about 1 PM were attacked had a brilliant
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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
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Sept 20th 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 21st 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 22nd nothing of importance but cleaning camp untill evening when we got marching orders and loaded up the wagons and saddled up our
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horses but did not leave to night
Sep 23rd Nothing of importance were on Picket down at the river
Sept 24th In camp to day nothing of importance
Sept 25th on Picket duty down at the river nothing worthy of notice to day
Sept 26th Laying in camp
Sept 27th Laying in camp
Sep 28 " " Drew rations
Sept 29th 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 1st Oct comes in with a rain it commenced raining about
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midnight and rained on untill daylight and all the next day marching orders marched back to the foot of the Mountain
Oct 2d 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 3d marched at daylight crossed the mountain and Cignatcha valley and marched to the top of the next mountain and camped
Oct 4th camped within untill evning about 4 PM had a fight with the Rebels Drove them
Oct 5th Skirmishing with the enemy rear
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all day Passed through Murriesville about 3 PM
Oct 6th Marched to Murfreesboro enemy still ahead
Oct 7th Marched from Murfreesboro on the Shelbyville Pike camped within 6 mile of Shelbyville Oct 8th 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 17th charged a battery of 3 guns and captured them in Farmington. Lt G H Haych Privat G W Shannon
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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 16th 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