Four Years With the Iron Brigade

by Lance Herdegen

  There is a large church near or rather connected to the Seminary by a verandah. It is well finished inside, also furnished with an organ and all things required to make finished church. In the center hangs a large lamp with eight burners and shines like gold. I was in and took a look at it and found a man that has the care of it, the church, he being a polite sociable soldier. He giving us some interesting facts about the history of the Church. He said it was built in 1858 but I thought from its outward appearances that it had been built twenty years or more, but all the houses in this country even of the wealthier class of people look rough but inside they are better finished that the generality of house at the north.

  Well, those buildings, especially the Seminary, is set just on the top of the hill that rises about one mile back from the Potomac [River], also back of Alexandria thereby being on such high ground it overlooks a great deal of country in the front. We had a view of the river for four or five miles and could see the steamers plying about in its placid [water]. Also some sailing crafts of all sizes. We could see part of Washington but not verry distinct, which was some seaven or eight miles up the river. We could [see] the up part of Alexandria with its streets teeming with soldiers, ambulances & baggage wagons &c and looking down the bottom or level plane which streatches back from the river were swarms of soldiers comprising Infantry, Cavelry, Artillery and ambulances, wagons loaded with provisions, forage &c. It was one of the finest sights imaginable to stand on the doorstep of the seminary fronting the river and look in any direction. I stood and gazed on the beautiful scene as long as I dare for I and four other boys left camp without a pass and we were likely to march at any minute so that hurried us a little. I turned my steps Campward thinking what a beautiful Country this was once.

  Well we returned to Camp finding it about the same as when we left.

  March 26, 1862

  And 11 oclock & pretty day. And just come in from Company drill. We drilled two hours. It is a verry pretty day, sun shines quite warm. Well to return to yesterday. We had Company drill in the forenoon in the bayonet excercise and after dinner we got orders to get ready for review at two oclock in light marching orders. Got ready & formed line though verry imperfect on account of the stumps and brush piles. Started for the place we knew not where but terminated to or near Fairfax Seminary. The whole country seemed to be alive, so great were the number of men of all grades and in all positions of modern warfare. And the Drum Chorus, bands and the shrill notes of the Cavelry bugle, taking it all togather it was a fine sight as well as a fine sound. The review consisted of Mcdowels Corps or grand division numbering probably sixty thousand men or more. It took a great while to arrange the whole so as to pass in review without intermixing. A regt of men there looked verry small among such a great many. Before marching in review the officers rode by in front and rear of each line with the newspaper reporters following behind and Lord Russel [William Howard Russell] Reporter for the London Times47 was with them. He was quite a ways behind being rather an awkward rider. It caused a great deal of sport. At any rate, in our ranks they just hooted at him. Well we passed in review and done it well and all did so for all are pretty well drilled now. We came straight home as soon as we passed in review. Well I must get my dinner.

  Well got dinner and been out on battalion drill. We went out on the same ground that where the review was. But there being so many there drilling that our battalion had not much of a chance and after a few moves we came home.

  Well there was rather a disgraceful thing happened to one or two of the privates in our Co. It is as follows. We had roll call when we fell in this afternoon and there was two absent without leave so the Capt put a sargent to watch when they come back and have them march up and down the road in heavy marching orders and one of the [men] done as the sargeant ordered and he was released when we came back. But the other not doing it, the Capt ordered him to do it and he would’nt so the Capt and a Corporal took him to the Colonels and prefered charges against him and then the Captain had to Detail a guard to guard him and if I was the guard I would not let him have any privileges whatever. For now that verry man will cause more or less guards to go from this Co evry day when there would have been no use of it. And he is a man that has shirked more times than one that I know of. There is some from evry Company in the Regt and they say that the Colonel has put some of them to carry wood for him, thereby they are of some use.

  March 28, 1862

  And a fine day. Company drill in the forenoon and in afternoon signed payroll. We had another review yesterday but only two divisions out of the three that was there on the 25th inst, the other division having embarked it is supposed. And we expect to verry soon.

  Well, that man that Captain prefered charges against has had his trial and got his sentence which as follows. He must march in the rear of the Colonels tent for thirty days, four hours each day beginning at six A.M., march till 8, go on drill, then at twelve begin & march till two then go on drill. He has a guard over him while marching and has a 32 lbs ball in his knappsack besides his clothing. Well he marches in heavy marching orders which included evrything and the ball besides which makes a verry heavy load so this is a hard job. He had better obeyed orders and I think he must or will be sorry for not doing so and he commences his job this afternoon.

  March 29, 1862

  And it is snowing with the wind from the east. We have not drilled any today. The three other Regts in this brigade have been paid off and have just commenced on Co & of this regt so we will soon have some money. I think some of trying to learn to drum. Took one lesson today.

  Well it is quite chilly today. The new recruits that have come in think that it is about as bad as Wisconsin for chilly winds and cool nights.

  March 30, 1862

  And raining at times and cold chilly wind blowing which makes it verry disagreeable. And it is hard to keep fire and it is hard to sit in our dog kennels as the boys call them. But they turn the water verry well and are better than none. We got our pay last evening and the boys are all astir for all the rain that comes and some of them are quite boozy from the effects of the paddys dyewater (whiskey) and how they get it I cant tell for the orders are against selling any to the soldiers. But they get it. And some of them has paid two dollars for a canteen full. And they hold about three pints. But let them go it. It costs me nothing.

  Well I have paid my debts, all but twenty five cents and I have sent fifteen dollars home or rather put it into the orderlys hands and he attends to it. Oh, this is Sunday morning. There has been so much bustle that I had forgotten it. Our old Chaplain [Samuel Brown]48 has resigned and I guess gone home. If he hasnt he had better. I received another letter from Henry a day or two since bringing the news of Georges death, the which I was verry sorry to hear but it didnt come unexpected to me, knowing how he was situated. I ought to answer his letter but it is such a bad day for writing.

  The papers this morning brings news of the capture of Island No 10. They have been trying to take it for about a week so the papers have been stating but I believe it is confirmed.49 We do not get so much news as we used to when in our old Camp. But it is a good thing that [we] did move from there for the health of the Regt is better. There are but three men on the sick list in our Co and only one of them is in the hospital someplace, we don’t know where he is. One of our Corporals. And there is one that has the Scurvy, it being caused by him being so lazy and dirty. Oh, he is awful nasty. He has been banished from the Company until he gets well. He is able to be about but he must not talk with anybody or go amongst the boys on any pretense whatever.

  March 31, 1862

  Co drill in the afternoon. The boys are quite jubilant from the effects of whiskey. They will get it anyhow for all it is forbidden fruit.

  April 1, 1862

  And a pretty day. We had Co drill in the forenoon and brigade drill in the afternoon. For the latter we went out to Baileys Crossroads. We had a good drill. Col Cutler can command a Brigade verry well. But he is not
liked so well as King was. But King has the command of what was Mcdowels division.

  Well we have some sport with an old man or he makes sport for us in the way of ballad singing. He has a bundle of them for sale and he sings them, therefore he finds ready sale for them. I bought a couple of ballads & a song book of him. The songs are patriotic ones. The title of one being “We’re Marching Down to Dixie Land.” The title of the other is “The Ship Moves Proudly On My Boys.” He has been singing all day and still singing.

  April 2, 1862

  And a fine warm day. Co drill in the forenoon. Brigade drill in the afternoon. We went out to Baileys Crossroads as before. We had a verry good drill. Some doublequicking. There was great time in camp today by the boys rallying on the pedlars and taking evrything away from them and only letting them go with their wagons & baskets. It is said that they had a polite invitation from the General to leave Camp and if they didnt do it, they would be at the mercy of the boys and they did’nt leave so the boys rallied on evry one that was in Camp taking one and at a time until they cleaned them out. They didnt truble the women or little boys and girls or book pedlars. All they wanted was something to eat and some of the pedlars took the hint and went out of Camp a little ways. But when the boys had finished in Camp, they started after the others that were half a mile of and caught their horses and took evry thing they had that was eatable. It raised quite an excitement. But nobody was hurt unless it was by eating so much trash. I did not participate in any such doings but I suppose served some of them right. What started it first was some of them went to passing Counterfeit money on the boys and they rallied. Well the boys must have taken as much as 3 or 4 hundred dollars worth from them all. And so it ended.

  Well we changed our Cooks again. We, the boys all stick out to not pay the old Cooks anything. So they resigned and would’nt work any longer at the buisness. And the Capt thought to scare us by threats and he could’nt make that win and then he tried cursing and that wouldnt win therefore he was beat. Then we voted and the boys voted evry way & anyway just to be against the Commissioned officers. And he could’nt make that win. Therefore he got quite exasperated and said—well now, I shall appoint to for Cook and they must do it and he would not show them much lenity. Then the boys laughed. The boys are hard against the officers and try to plague them. At last Cap said he wanted to know if we were willing to have the Cook paid out of the commuted ration fund and we didnt care anything about that for we never expected to get it. Well there it settled and all goes on right again. And we will not have to only by our own consent pay the Cook we now have. And it has been seen and I have seen it that there were a few men in this Co that got favored by the old Cooks and they hung on for the old ones but the boys beat them out. We are still at the old camp.

  April 3, 1862

  And fine morning and had Co drill. We expect to march tomorrow to Alexandria to take shipping. We had Co drill in the forenoon, Brigade drill in the afternoon. Our Major [George Bill] in command of our Regt until near time to quit when the Colonel [William Robinson] and Lieut Colonel [Charles A. Hamilton]50 came. The Colonel said a few words to Gen Cutler and then he gave the orders for each Company to take their regts home which they done. And so it ended.

  April 4, 1862

  And a fine morning. It puts me in mind of a Wisconsin morning in the month of May when I have taken my hoe in hand and went to the field to cover corn. Well we are packed up again ready to march, it being 2 oclock. This morning we were ordered to get ready for review and the forenoon drill would be ommitted so that we could get ready. But about ten oclock the order came that we were to march at three oclock. But we don’t know where, but some say to Manassas, others say to Alexandria and some one place and some another. Oh, but I tell you, the Camp looks shaggy as there is always a great many things gathers one way and another. And a great many things are destroyed by the careless boys when we are about to leave a camp, such as boxes and barrels of the verry best kind. They might be useful to the few families that live in the neighborhood or might to some regts that may camp here in future but it [is] rather a rough place for a camp.

  Well the Artillery has started to the front. I can see them going on the road. And I should judge that we are going towards Manassas from the look. I think that all the artillery belonging to Mcdowels Corps is going and then all the Infantry must be going too. Also the Cavelry must be going and still the Artillery goes by. Now the baggage wagons comes and there is a great string of them. There, there the drum begins to tapp which signifies that we will soon start.

  Well, the recruits for the 5th [Wisconsin] Regt that got here the day that their Regt went onboard and our Capt attended to getting them something to eat until they might have a chance to join their Regt, which they have not done and now they have been put into the small Cos in this Regt and going in as soldiers. But they have done none of it as yet for our officers had nothing to do with them but keep them from starving and they found acquaintances in the Regt that let them sleep in their tent. One of them is Mr. Pointers brother in law and he tents with us for they cannot draw any tents or anything else in Regt.

  Our ordnance Sgt says we are going six miles to the front but probably he don’t know. Well I will quit for this time as I see the sixth [Wisconsin] regt is falling in and we travel by Brigade now on the march.

  April 6, 1862

  And a fine morning and we are about 2 miles to the front of Centerville and just ready to take up our line of march for Manassas they say. And they also say that we only go 9½ miles today and yesterday we marched 16 miles they say but I think we came 20. Well as I have time to write a little, I will return.

  Well on the fourth we marched about 4 miles and camped. Hard times for wood and water and was dark by the time we got our tents pitched. Got small fires made so as to make a cup of coffee.

  Well today we came about ten miles and crossed Bullsrun [Bull Run creek] early in the morning on a temporary bridge, the other being burnt by the rebels. This creek is quite good size. Well we came on seeing a great many dead horses all the way. Some of the boys say they counted 100 dead horses. We came to Manassas soon, found it had been burned with the exceptions of some two or three houses. It never had been a place of much note until the war broke out and now there are quite a number of small board buildings been put up by Government for storehouses. And there are a few sutler shops. This place has been quite a stronghold for the rebels but their forts are verry inferior to ours, never mounting more than half the cannon and verry poorly built. But there was quite a number of them. Also a good many rifle pits. I saw a pile of old wagon irons. It looked as if they had piled 20 or 30 wagons and then burned them. Nothing but destruction meets the eye. There the cars come. Government having finished the road to Bristoe.

  Well we came on to Broad Run, a run about twice as large as Bullsrun and crossed on a temporary foot bridge, the artillery and Cavelry fording it, the footbridge being only narrow so that only one man at a time could cross, so that it took a good while for all to cross and we camped here, the creek affording plenty of water.

  April 10, 1862

  Well I having been deprived of writing for several days by the recent rains which have been intolerable for three days. Well we were ordered to pack up on the 7th inst to march two miles to a better Camp ground as we were encamped on a cornfield and it begun to rain and therefore it would have been verry muddy. Well we came and camped in the edge of the woods with plenty of railfence which was soon carried off. Well it rained the balance of that day & night, next day & night & all day yesterday. And last night it snowed in earnest. In fact, it snowed the greater part time but in Camp it seemed to melt which made it rain. I have passed three of the hardest days that ever I passed in the service. And what makes it more miserable is my eyes are nearly smoked out by standing by those miserable fires.

  This morning when I opened my eyes I saw the sun was shining and it made my heart leap for joy. And now we have got our things out drying although they were
not much wet as we were verry careful and those little dog kennels turn water verry well. The snow has disappeared and the wind is blowing nicely. And we are in better spirits. And on the 7th inst we had no bread until just night and some of the boys, as soon as we got here, they went out scouring the Country for some bread for we had plenty of fresh meat which the boys had got. We have to come down to nothing but bread, meat, coffee and only 11 crackers per day which is not enough for me. We have plenty of coffee & sugar, meat twice a day, beans once. This is the average. Yes we have had two messes of potatoes since we marched this time. Well some of the boys come in just dark with some meat that they had bought of the Negros as there is verry few whites around here. And evry day the boys are bringing in something. But as I don’t chose to run the guard and help some of the boys get it, I don’t get any. And they that get it, eat it. Our sutler was coming to us today but when he got to nearly here, the N.J. boys rallied on him and took evrything away from [him] so we have no sutler shop wherewith we could buy some luxuries.

  We are camped within 2 miles of Bristoe Station and the cars run to Warrenton, 5 miles further towards the Rebels. Some of the boys say we are going back to Arlington but that is all a joke I guess, for the railroad can furnish plenty of grub and we are so near it that I can hear the cars as they pass. Well I must quit as my eyes hurt but my story does not link verry good for a few days past.