SWS
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2019
The 104th Illinois had plenty of alarms over nightmares.
"When in camp north of the Ohio [in September 1862] a laughable circumstance occurred one night while we were all asleep. A member of Company F, dreaming that the rebels were coming, started up suddenly, shouting, 'Boys! Boys!' and falling headlong over his comrades, awoke. But a party went out to search the adjacent woods, finding, however, no enemy.
During the Tullahoma campaign, while we lay at Manchester, Tenn., General [John] Beatty was ordered to take our Brigade and march to Hillsboro, eight or ten miles distant, in support of General Wilder's movement against the right flank of the retreating rebel army. We arrived there Sunday night after a tedious march through the mud and bivouacked near the old village in a grove of young timber. The position was a dangerous one as we had no supports near and the rebels were not far in front. The orders were to lay on our arms with accoutrements on and to be ready at a moment's notice for an attack. General Beatty and our Brigade had been selected for the expedition on account of their fighting reputation. A strong picket line had been thrown out in front, the night was intensely dark and rainy, and our pup tents not much protection. We went to sleep, but a nervous, fitful sleep for many. All at once I was awakened by the most unearthly yell, howl and shriek, all in one, that it is possible to conceive of. I jumped up, grabbed my musket and took a position behind a tree that stood near. I thought rebel cavalry was riding over the regiment slaying on every hand. To add to the confusion the pickets began firing and my hair pushed up the cap on my head. It was so dark one could not see his hand before his face. The Brigade was formed in line and the immediate cause of the scare ascertained. The Major came along vowing that if he could find the fellow he would have him shot. But the pickets having been fired on we stood in line until daylight.
A similar incident occurred in front of Chattanooga in which I enjoyed the fun. Soon after the battle of Chickamauga we were on picket. The lines on either side had not been well defined as yet, and the two armies were skirmishing for the best positions to establish their lines and picket posts. General Rosecrans had sent out a brigade to see where the rebels were, but they were soon driven back and then Bragg sent out a division to ascertain our position, and he found out, for we speedily drove it back. My relief was on the line when the attack was made and after the next relief went on we were at the picket post, which was down in a nice little cove. As it was cold we had a fire and it was quite light. The boys being very tired and worn out dropped off to sleep, some of them covering their heads with their blankets. I was in a position to take in the whole situation and happened to be looking at the time when that same old yell broke the stillness of the night. It was better than a circus to see the men run in every direction, some with the blankets over their heads trying to run, and some crawling off on hands and knees. There were but few who did not move and quickly. I think the author of the trouble must have been the same one who scared us at Hillsboro."
"When in camp north of the Ohio [in September 1862] a laughable circumstance occurred one night while we were all asleep. A member of Company F, dreaming that the rebels were coming, started up suddenly, shouting, 'Boys! Boys!' and falling headlong over his comrades, awoke. But a party went out to search the adjacent woods, finding, however, no enemy.
During the Tullahoma campaign, while we lay at Manchester, Tenn., General [John] Beatty was ordered to take our Brigade and march to Hillsboro, eight or ten miles distant, in support of General Wilder's movement against the right flank of the retreating rebel army. We arrived there Sunday night after a tedious march through the mud and bivouacked near the old village in a grove of young timber. The position was a dangerous one as we had no supports near and the rebels were not far in front. The orders were to lay on our arms with accoutrements on and to be ready at a moment's notice for an attack. General Beatty and our Brigade had been selected for the expedition on account of their fighting reputation. A strong picket line had been thrown out in front, the night was intensely dark and rainy, and our pup tents not much protection. We went to sleep, but a nervous, fitful sleep for many. All at once I was awakened by the most unearthly yell, howl and shriek, all in one, that it is possible to conceive of. I jumped up, grabbed my musket and took a position behind a tree that stood near. I thought rebel cavalry was riding over the regiment slaying on every hand. To add to the confusion the pickets began firing and my hair pushed up the cap on my head. It was so dark one could not see his hand before his face. The Brigade was formed in line and the immediate cause of the scare ascertained. The Major came along vowing that if he could find the fellow he would have him shot. But the pickets having been fired on we stood in line until daylight.
A similar incident occurred in front of Chattanooga in which I enjoyed the fun. Soon after the battle of Chickamauga we were on picket. The lines on either side had not been well defined as yet, and the two armies were skirmishing for the best positions to establish their lines and picket posts. General Rosecrans had sent out a brigade to see where the rebels were, but they were soon driven back and then Bragg sent out a division to ascertain our position, and he found out, for we speedily drove it back. My relief was on the line when the attack was made and after the next relief went on we were at the picket post, which was down in a nice little cove. As it was cold we had a fire and it was quite light. The boys being very tired and worn out dropped off to sleep, some of them covering their heads with their blankets. I was in a position to take in the whole situation and happened to be looking at the time when that same old yell broke the stillness of the night. It was better than a circus to see the men run in every direction, some with the blankets over their heads trying to run, and some crawling off on hands and knees. There were but few who did not move and quickly. I think the author of the trouble must have been the same one who scared us at Hillsboro."
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