19, 1861 - Camp Trousdale, Sumner County. John Bradford with the Davidson County "Hickory Guards" wrote to his father saying in part:
We have drawn our arms which is [sic] flint lock muskets and we are learning to drill very fast...
The health of the camps are [sic] tolerably good. There has been but two deaths in our regiment this week, one last Sunday and one today.
We have just received our pay from the time we were sworn in to [the] first of July. $16.85 cts.
We have changed our time for drilling from 9 until eleven in the morning. Now we drill from 6 to 9 o'clock and from 4½ PM until 6½.
We had a very hard rain last Tuesday and we had a very wet time in our tents. It is very cool here at night....
Frederick Bradford Papers, TSL&A.
19, "The Names Drawn."
We learn that it is a fact that the names of twenty families having husbands or friends in the Confederate army have been drawn out, and that they will be given five days within which to leave Memphis, in retaliation for firing upon the steamers Continental and Dickey.[1] The names have not been made public, but each will receive a special notification. The firing upon the streamer Catahoula, about four miles below the city, about nine o'clock this morning, will doubtless cause ten more to be added.
We learn that those families having husbands and brothers in the Confederate service, will be taken first [sic], and afterward those having other connections.
Memphis Bulletin, October 19, 1862.
19, 1862 - Church, guns, and beef at Fort Negly: an excerpt from the diary of John Hill Ferguson, 10th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Sunday 19th the days are very warm and the nights cold N Fancher and my Self went to the presbiterian [sic] church in the foor [sic] noon and in the evening the old preacher improved or I begin to like him better than at first: in the foor noon he had his text in Jud [sic] 3rd verse: in the evening he preached us a good interesting Sermon taken from romans [sic] 8th & 9th verce [sic]: improvements are goin in at the fort 2 large 64 lb guns halled [sic] from the river and mounted in the fort today they are rebel guns and was here I think before the evacugated [sic] this place the spikes are not taken out yet: but will be tomorrow: McDaniel Wm Johnson Bock & Loyd went out in the afternoon to get some thing to eat as we are nearly starved out as we only get one third rations they came in in the evening with a small beef they shot it down inside of the pickets skinned [sic] it and presaed [sic] [persuaded?] a wagen [sic] to hall [sic] it to the fort Jacob Stevens went along and had a small intrest intrest [sic] in the beef he kept it concealed at the fort until dark then the boys went up and brought down the 2 four quarters and one hind quarter we are looking for an attact at any houre [sic] Pat Johnston and Fran Jeffers in gard [sic] [house] for refusing to carrie [sic] watter [sic]
John Hill Fergusson Diary.
19, The chaplain's tale of "a peculiar hardship and ill usage. " The kidnapping and beating of two former slaves
Nashville, Oct 19th/63
To his Excellency Gov Andrew Johnson
Governor. The bearer Maria Colored woman recently belonging to Wm Cartright residing about eight miles on the Murfreesboro Pike has represented her case to me as one a peculiar hardship and ill usage.
According to her statement her husband is a colored soldier in the regular service of the government, that while living with in the lines of this post her owner came and managed to steal her child away and convey it to his residence, being desirous of obtaining her clothes, and her other children who trusted the word of a "Tennessee soldier who offered for five dollars to convey her safely to the residence of her master, obtain her children and clothing and insure her safe return within the lines, but this was a trap, ash alleges by which for the sum of thirty dollars the soldier or individual so presenting himself had agreed to deliver he up to her master, who no sooner had her in his power than he locked her up for four days and inflicted upon her a most cruel beating, the marks of which she now carries on her person. A cruel beating was also inflicted on one of the children whose marks and scars was [sic] seen by one of the soldiers of the 129 Ill. Reg[iment]. She now hopes to obtain from your excellency the necessary authority and help to obtain her clothing and two children. I have no doubt of the entire truthfulness of her statement, and I feel sure Governor that your well known regard for righteousness and you sympathy for the weak and oppressed will prompt you to do what may be within your power to redress the wrongs from the suppliant who will present you with this humble document.
I am Governor with much esteem yours most respectful
Thos. Cotton
Chaplain 129th Reg[iment] Illinois Vols
Papers of Andrew Johnson, Vol. 6, pp. 426-427.
[1] According to Major General William T. Sherman, on October 16th the Dickey and the Continental were fired upon by a party "at a point near the boundary line of Missouri from the Arkansas shore, firing a 12-pounder howitzer. Two shots struck both boats in dangerous places, but by extraordinary luck missed the boiler and passengers. According to my rule, made known some weeks ago, I shall expel ten families for each boat, and will see that a fair proportion of secesh travel in each boat." .OR, Ser. I, Vol. 13, p. 742.
James B. Jones, Jr.
Public Historian
Tennessee Historical Commission
2941 Lebanon Road
Nashville, TN 37214
(615)-770-1090 ext. 123456
(615)-532-1549 FAX
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