Four Years With the Iron Brigade

by Lance Herdegen

  At last we started. After while we got to Wilmington. There some boys were buying bread for the Soldiers so I sent 4 cents by a boy. He got me quite a loaf and as much butter as I needed. I was verry hungry but I couldn’t eat it all. I never had anything taste so good as that did.

  On we go, come to Chester 15 miles this side of Philadelphia. Here we were ordered to get out and did so, many of them getting back in when they found out that we were going to stop here. And if Frank hadn’t been lame we should have got back in and went to Philadelphia which I am glad we didn’t, so we came up here. They soon finished fixing a new ward up and we went in. We soon got our dinner which was good one, got into our ward. Numerous kindnesses shown us, furnished clean hospital clothes. Had to bathe again and got to rest again. Here for several days we were not attended verry good. That night, verry late, the Doct came around but I didn’t get my head dressed so it went. But it didn’t pain me much.

  September 4, 1862

  And had a good nights rest. About 9 A.M. the Doct came around, examined my head, ordered it dressed. Said it was not dangerous, said the bone was not cracked which pleased me. Everything went on right today. The nurses are verry kind. We had plenty to eat. Our wounds are to be dressed twice a day. The ward master is fixing up his books, making out a roll. The Regulations for the Governing this hospital have been brought in & hung up. There is rollcall at 6 in the morning & at 9 P.M. We are to have passes as soon as we get able to go.

  September 5, 1862

  A fine day. All goes on right. Go to our meals regular & have plenty good food too. Verry different from other hospitals. Today they assigned Doct Morton to take care of our ward, it being Ward E., No, 3. He was around this evening - appears to be a fine man, is verry cheerful and kind. He appears to have some feeling.

  September 6, 1862

  And fine day. All goes on right. The Doct comes around between 9 & 10 A.M. Then makes a call in the evening about 8 P.M. My wound is doing well.

  September 7, 1862

  Fine day. All goes on right. The same thing gone through as yesterday. And I don’t expect any difference. They go through the routine of business over & over every day. Doct comes at the Regular time, there being a time for everything and it is done at that time & a place for everything and it is kept in its place. Oh, we are comfortably situated and can have anything we call for.

  September 8, 1862

  Fine day. All went on right. They are still fixing and finishing the ward. We have both warm & cold water brought in pipes to the bathrooms and wash rooms. Today we changed our place of dining from the main building to the general dining room and there we don’t get only about half as many different kinds of food. Sometimes they tell me that there is only bread & coffee. Doctor goes his usual rounds twice a day and everything goes on right.

  September 9, 1862

  And about the same as yesterday. We don’t get anything for supper but Coffee & bread. We don’t have near so good living as we used to in the other dining room. Well the business is about the same every day. The Boys that are able get passes to be absent some 7 or 8 hours. It will be useless to note down everything over and over that passes day after day until about the 15th when I had an attack of the Fever. The Doct didn’t tell me what kind but I think it was the billious fever. At any rate I had it four days. And the Doct stopped its ravages. While I was sick the Ladies [civilian nurses] paid great attention to my wants. They troubled me to much bringing me evrything they could think to eat. But no use, I wouldn’t eat it until the third day when I begun to eat a little and kept improving right along. And soon went to the table to eat. I didn’t wait [until] the Doct ordered me to as most of the boys do. There is plenty of them that will sit in the ward and have the nurses bring their meals to them just because the Doct don’t order them out.

  Whilst I was sick they attended on me as well as I could have been at home. And all are verry kind. Well I gained verry fast and soon was able to have a pass. I go to town most evry day. We have to change shirts twice a week, and change all round once a week. Change of bedclothes once a week. They are verry cleanly. All went on as usual until the 20th inst. when I got shaved. Had those straggling whiskers taken off. They had got verry long and I had no scissors to cut them off so I concluded I would get the Barber to take those off and let them come out evenly all over if they would. This barber comes round & those that have a mind to can get shaved, hair cut &c. And it is said that Government pays for it.

  Nothing of interest has transpired of late. The new dining room has been finished and we go to eat there and get better food.

  Everyday there is some going back to their Regts or somewhere. They say they don’t send any more back to their Regts. At any rate they go to Philadelphia and I suppose the provost Marshall78 does what he pleases with them. Put them to guarding someplace I guess, thereby relieving those new troops to go into the field and giving the old veterans that have been crippled or sick easier business & that business can be done by them as well as by the rugged soldiers who are just waiting for such to come, so they can go to see the Elephant. And I am sure if I can serve U.S. as well that way as any I don’t care about going back to the Regt.

  September 30, 1862

  All right fine day. Reported myself for duty this morning and was put on duty after dinner to stand guard at the Ladies room, a verry nice place. The Ladies were verry clever, so I enjoyed myself verry well. Well all has went on right since I last wrote. I have written quite a number of letters and been rather negligent. Therefore have not written as much as I should had ought to have done.

  A few evenings since, one of the patients of this ward came in drunk. He had been out on a pass to the town. And he made an attack on another patient, both Irishmen and had a little fight. The way they flounced around on the beds and chairs was wonderful. At last they got them parted and took the drunk fellow to the Guard house and next day he was sent to the Regt, so we got rid of him. He was a smart man and could converse on any subject. He was verry well read. Well he was a smart man but the Demon intemperance was hold of him and a day or two since the other fellow was sent off for drunkenness and there is several more Irish that gets tipsy that will soon have to get out for the wardmaster will not have such doings about him.

  They still keep sending off those that are able & willing to go. And they keep enough so as to come on about evry third day. Standing guard is not hard work here. But I, being a little weak, it went as hard as when in the regt. I, as well as several others from our ward, will have to sleep in the ward for a while till they get beds for us in the guards room which is in the main building. There the guards have a hall, verry nice, large and light. It being a regular hall, it is a nice place. And is full.

  They expect the surgeon General here to inspect the hospital affairs. He being a brother of the Chaplain of the Hospital. The Chaplain is not liked verry well but I have seen nothing wrong with him except he being the cause of breaking up the Ladies society which was a great benefit to the hospital. I don’t like his profession. He wears the cross, he preaches & has meetings often through the wards & distributes books, tracts &c.

  October 3, 1862

  And rather cloudy, sprinkled a little. I am on guard today. Stood only four hours, went on at 11 A.M. come off at 1 P.M., went on at 5 P.M., come off at 9 P.M. and the Sargeant said he would set up & fix some and two others beds, they being from the same ward as me and I acquainted with them wanted and did get them in the same room. We picked us out a room but behold when night come they had put no covering on the bed so the Orderly sargeant said we should have to bring or borrow some blankets from our ward. But the wardmaster wouldn’t let them come without an order. So as I was lying in my room one steward passed. I hailed him, wanted to know about it so he took me to the head steward and laid the Complaint for me and I told him how it was and what I done so he gives me an order for three blankets from the ward & an order for 6 sheets & 3 pillow cases to the washhouse. So one of the Boys went to the washroo
m and I went and got the blankets so we got fixed up.

  There is another bed in the room, probably somebody accepts it. But if not we shall accept it and put the other bed out as it is too much crowded and 2 beds is all that is calculated to [be] in the room. The steward was surprised that we should have 3 beds in that room. Why says I, there is four. At which he laughed hartily. Well I was determined to not be out done so I attended to the thing myself and got well situated. All agreeable fellows.

  We are living so fine and easy here, I’m afraid when we come to go to the Regt we will [be] so tender and not used to sleeping out that it will just likely as not make us sick as it does most of them that have once been to the hospital. Well no more for this time.

  October 5, 1862

  And fine day and it is Sunday. We drew our clean clothes from the orderly this morning. We got all just the same as at home except we were too late to get handkerchiefs & towels but we, if here, will be on hand the next time. Well we are getting along fine. Nobody occupies the fourth bed and we shall move it out on the morrow and then we shall be sure of having the room to ourselves as long as we stay here. There was a lot sent to Philadelphia yesterday, but they didn’t pick on us fellows. In fact I am not able to stand up two hours when on pass & here I have to sit down some of the time.

  October 8, 1862

  And a fine morning. Quite warm. None of us roommates have been sent off yet. We have another roommate. He is the head cook in the Ladies room. He is apparently a verry fine man. We all get along verry agreeable together. But the cook does not stay here any in daytime, only sleeps here. I have been quite unwell since I last wrote. Had a bad Diaherea, but am getting better. I got a pass this morning but shall not go out till after dinner. Haifa day will tire me out. Evrything goes on right. We come on guard evry third day. The man that cooks for us does it up right and we have plenty to eat. We are living too fine, for when we come to go away and sleep on the ground it will go verry hard and probably make us sick. But we must obey our superiors in office.

  Well I don’t know much to write about for I have speculated enough on the beauties of the place and its accommodations for a soldier &c.

  I forgot to tell you we had some Rebels come to the hospital with about 150 of our men. They all were sick and wounded from the hospitals of Frederick city, Maryland. The wounded were those of South Mountain & Antietam and they were a bad lot I tell you. A great many had to be hauled in the ground and carried into the wards. A great many had hobbled about ever since the battle with only one stick and had broken legs. They were dirty, same as we when we first came. It has been about a week since they arrived here and they look quite different. There was about 30 secesh the most of whom are verry free to talk. Some have taken the oath of allegiance and others will, they say, when they get well enough to go out. Some of them say they always thought that they could whip us until they came north and they met so many new troops going all well dressed & well armed. That they must confess their weakness & inability to whip us but they say if they had had the strength in men and arms that we had they should have whipped us long since and I believe it myself.

  October 13, 1862

  And a cloudy day, sprinkles rain a little. Rained most all night last night. And was rainy yesterday and day before yesterday. And the day before that was quite rainy and that day I was on guard but didn’t get wet as the guards was & will be furnished overcoats as long as they stay here. They are new coats but verry poor ones. But if they had been good ones, I should have drawn one to kept. But we have them as long as we stay here anyhow. The weather has been such that we were not uncomfortable with them on when out. And I am on guard today and have to wear them to keep warm.

  We guards have been trying to raise a liberty pole79 for the last week. The Sargeant Major commands the guards. And he bosses that also. And the fault all lays with him. Sometimes he is about half drunk and other days he is the other half. He is a sargeant from the regular army and acting Sgt. Major here only, and I think it will never be raised unless somebody else takes it in hand. I understand today that he was arrested for running the guard last night. He is a perfect tyrant over the boys and the boys will not stand it much longer I think. We are treated like gentlemen by all the other officers. Also by the Doctors.

  I have not heard a word from the Regt as yet. And yesterday I wrote a letter to the Co. and directed it to the Co. also. I got a letter from Sarah [sister] yesterday bringing the news of her being married. She has married a German or in other words a Dutchman. Well I don’t care if he is an honerable man. He wrote some in the letter it being German. I got one of my brother Germans to read it. He said it was good writing and good spelling. I wanted to know what his Education was. He said it was good, he thought, which I was glad to hear if it be true which I haven’t a reason to doubt. She, as a matter of course, speaks verry highly of him. His name is Hottes. All I have to say is if he will prove to be a good husband it will be all right.

  October 17, 1862

  And day and right as usual. We had some rain last night. And it had been raining a little for several days. And cloudy all the time since I last wrote. I was on guard the 15th again but with my own consent. I expect to come on tomorrow but hadn’t ought till next day. But they have sent of a good many and therefore we have less to do the duty.

  We had to move out our beds day before yesterday to make room for some boys that they wanted to confine for running the guard. But they only kept them confined 24 hours and sent them to their regts. There was 3 Sergeants, 1 corporal and all. But we are back now and it seems good to be alone. We had to crowd to the guards room and there was so many & they kept up a great noise so that I couldn’t read or anything. I tell [you] high living and not much work makes them feel well.

  They keep sending off to the Regt. And I expect evry day when they will send me, and my roommates also expect the same but I don’t want to go now till I get my pay as the Regt has been paid ere this. And if I should go I would not get my pay till the next two months is due. It is the talk that the paymaster is coming today or tomorrow and so it goes.

  I got a letter from Henry on the 15th inst stating that they were all well & mother had written in it also. Her health being about the same it was when I left home which was tolerable.

  We raised the Liberty pole on the 15th, also the flag and the chaplain made or rather read a speech as that is his mode of speaking. We had quite a lively time. Cheering, singing songs, drums beating, fifes squealing &c. There were three or four secesh that was able to get out and they were out to see it of their own accord. They sat looking quite dejected most the time. The several speeches were made. But there was nothing said by either the speakers or the vast crowd that would be insinuating. But on the other hand the speakers said we had nothing against the southern soldiers personally.

  The whole thing went off exceedingly well. It is the first Flag raising I have been to since I have been in the service. And that is rather queer, that we never all last winter had a flag up in the Regt.

  October 27, 1862

  And rainy day and has been a little so for several days but today it is raining hard. We have fine weather most the time since I last wrote. There has been nothing of importance transpired since I last wrote except that the house got fire yesterday. Got pretty well started but they soon found some fire men and soon had to good streams of water on it. It had got in between the plaster and floor & they had to tear off the plastering to get at it. It was caused by lying some brooms against the main pipe that runs from the heating furnace and the fire. This being in the quartermasters dept. It caused quite an excitement which soon subsided as were not long putting the fire out. It would have been an awful thing if this building had burned up and it would certainly have set the wards on fire. As the roof is gas tar it would catch from the least blaze. It would have been a loss to the Government of about $200,000.00 or thereabouts and would have been a great loss to the patients physically speaking but kind Providence smiled on us so we
ought to thank him for that. For we still have good quarters.

  Well, I am learning bookkeeping, therefore I am well occupied my many leisure hours. I am progressing verry well. If I stay here long I shall learn it thouroughly. There is lots of soldiers going off for duty someplace but they don’t go to the army. As long as I can’t go to the army, I will stay here as long as possible. I can’t hear a word from the Regt therefore I don’t care about going. Most of the secesh has been sent to Fort Delaware and there I suppose they will be paroled.

  The paymaster has been here but those only that had been mustered got pay and therefore I got none but I hope my discriptive list will come by the 31 st inst as that is muster day.80 And those not having their discriptive lists will be mustered for the time they have been in the hospital only. Therefore if mine shouldn’t come, I will get only 2 months pay, that time I have been in the hospital.

  The weather is getting cool. They are putting stoves in the wards and they are badly needed.

  November 19, 1862

  Rather warmer than usual and cloudy, rained a little last night. Well it has been a long time since I wrote last. But I have been so busy with my bookkeeping since I last wrote that I did not take time [to] write about what was transpiring. But there has been nothing unusual transpired. We were mustered on the 30th of last month and I hadn’t my discriptive list and I don’t know as it has come yet. It hadn’t a week or so since but it is too late now for to get 4 months pay because the payroll has gone to Washington to be signed.