Thursday, November 27, 1862

William Fleming was detailed today to the E G Department.  The exact entry in his diary says:

Fleming William detailed in the E G Dept Nov 27th 62

He doesn't return to his company until February 18, 1864.  The  monthly muster records that I reviewed for those 15 months list him as "detailed" each month.  But they don't say what he was doing, or provide any further information as to what he was detailed to. 

In my research so far, I've been unable to find an explanation of the E G Department.  The best educated guess I can make at this point, is that E G stands for "engineering."  That would make sense, given William Fleming's occupation as a carpenter.

During the Civil War, the Union Army's Corps of Engineers performed duties like planning and erecting defenses, construction and destroying roads and bridges, placing and removing obstruction, etc.  

My assumption is that, while William Fleming was no longer with his company, he was still close by performing his duties in the E G Department.  

Tuesday, November 25, 1862

One day the regiment paraded in an open area near a public highway.  Some military exercises had just been completed and the men were standing at parade-rest.  A a carriage passed within a few feet of them on the road.  The sight was something new to men from the north, but one they would see many times in the next three years.

Charles Johnson described the sight like this:  

An old dilapidated family carriage that looked as though it might have seen service since the Revolutionary period, drawn by a large, dark-colored, raw-boned horse, only a skeleton in fact, and a little, old, mouse colored donkey; upon these were shreds of old harness, attached to which were some shabby old relics of silver mounting. Mounted on the box, with rope lines in his hands, was an old gray-haired Negro, who sat upright and dignified, an old and very high plug hat on his head, and his person attired in the antiquated remains of a coachman's livery. Within the carriage was a man and woman. The whole outfit was so ridiculous to Northern eyes that a hearty laugh went along the line, followed by a shout that was participated in by a thousand voices.

Saturday, November 22, 1862

Nearly every day the regiment went out on dress parade.  To participate in this, each man had to have his uniform in good order, his accouterments in neat trim, and his gun and metallic appendages bright.  Then the regiment marched to a nearby, level, open space.  There they went through the manual of arms, and, according to Charles Johnson,  displayed itself to the very best advantage.

Friday, November 21, 1862

When the regiment left the barracks at Camp Butler each company broke up into messes of eight to fifteen men.  These messes drew their rations as a group and did their cooking together.

Wednesday, November 19, 1862

At night a line of guards surrounded the camp to provide security, but also to break the men in and enforce discipline.  One of the men on guard duty accidentally shot himself in the foot.  This was the first gunshot wound in the regiment.

Tuesday, November 18, 1862

After their arrival in Memphis, the 130th Illinois Infantry Volunteers were attached to the Reserve Brigade, District of Memphis, 13th Army Corps., Department of the Tennessee.  In December the Regiment was attached to the District of Memphis, 16th Army Corps.

The regiment went ashore and marched over streets that were very muddy in places from recent rain.

Charles Johnson described their first day in Memphis like this:  

Now and then a house was passed, from which welcome was extended by a waving handkerchief in the hands of a woman. Most of the female sex, however, seemed ready to extend anything but a welcome to the "hordes from the North." Camp was formed on the outskirts of the city in a beautiful beech grove that was in every way pleasantly located. Here tents were put up, huts built by some, and about two weeks of beautiful November weather spent most pleasantly.

Monday, November 17, 1862

The lights of Memphis came into view this evening and the old boat began to blow her whistle.  The regiment made a spectacular entrance to the city, as there was a malfunction in the whistle "shut off" and the noise could not be stopped.  

After the boat landed and was tied off, the whistle continued to blow until the supply of steam in the boiler finally ran out.  

Charles Johnson summed up their arrival:  For a good while the night was made hideous, and the ears of all tortured by the screeching whistle of the old boat, but this was a fit ending to the tedious and dangerous trip on the crazy old craft. 

Sunday, November 16, 1862

Their first night in enemy territory turned out to be uneventful.  The regiment boarded the boat around noon and their journey continued down the river.

Along the river, the boys from Illinois observed chimneys standing alone and cheerless, the houses having been burned to the ground.  It became an all-too-familiar sight.

Earlier in the summer, the national fleet had maneuvered down the river under the command of Commodore Charles Henry Davis.  Early on the morning of June 6th , the fleet attacked the Confederate fleet lying in, front of Memphis.  During the battle the river bluff was lined with spectators.  The Union victory was convincing, as Davis either sunk or captured seven of the eight Confederate ships, while suffering damage to only one of his own.  

By 11:00 a.m. the city surrendered, and two infantry regiments accompanying the national fleet went ashore and took possession.  Nearly six months later the 130th Illinois Infantry was on its way to Memphis to  perform provost duties in the city.  

Saturday, November 15, 1862

This evening the boat was tied up on the Arkansas shore.  There was a concern that this particular stretch of the Mississippi River was infested with bands of armed rebels.  Therefore, night navigation was considered too risky.

After tying off, the regiment was marched ashore.  Nothing was found but a simple log structure that was used as a store before the war.  The area was heavily timbered with a dense under growth.  Despite it being mid-November, there was still a significant amount of leaves on the trees and brush.  

Since they were in enemy territory, a strong picket guard was detailed.  Company F (William Fleming's company) and another company were given the assignment.  Charles Johnson described the rest of the night this way:

The men were marched out the distance of a mile from the regiment, broken up in squads of four, and with freshly loaded guns, awaited any cause for alarm. There was no disturbance, but being in the enemy's country was an entirely new experience, and though there may not have been an armed Confederate within fifty miles, it is safe to say that in the whole regiment but few eyes closed that night in sleep. Six months later, so inured had most of us become to war's alarms, that sweet and refreshing sleep was often taken directly under fire.

Friday, November 14, 1862

Not long after leaving St. Louis, a man belonging to the 130th Illinois Infantry Regiment died.  The carpenter of the boat made a pine coffin in which the body was placed and taken to Memphis.  The death caused quite a commotion among the men of the 130th.  Unfortunately, in the not too distant future, death would become all too familiar.

Wednesday, November 12, 1862

At St. Louis the regiment boarded the steamboat General Robert Allen for the trip downriver to Memphis.  According to Charles Johnson, the trip turned out to be exceedingly tedious, as water in the river was at a low stage.  The old boat frequently ran aground, but with the help of spars put upon either side the bow, and hoisting apparatus, always managed to again get underway.

Tuesday, November 11, 1862

After about seven weeks at Camp Butler, the 130th Illinois Infantry Regiment received orders to report to Memphis, Tennessee.  It was a cold, rainy evening when the regiment boarded the cars of the Wabash Railway at the front gate of Camp Butler.  According to Charles Johnson, it was a cheerless ride.

Monday, November 10, 1862

In anticipation of their orders, the regiment received their arms:  Austrian rifled-muskets.  They were also issued cartridge boxes containing ammunition, canteens, haversacks (pouches made of heavy cotton for rations), knapsacks and blankets.  Each man was also issued his regulation blue uniform.

Tuesday, October 28, 1862

The newly organized 130th Illinois Infantry was put under a Dutch drillmaster.  According to Charles Johnson  he was a short, little fellow, with a red face, sandy mustache and goatee.  He wore a cap, a blue blouse and a sword that dragged the lower end of its scabbard on the ground. 

He gave his commands in quick, nervous, broken English: "Tenyan, Titalyan! Fa'rd March! By Goompanies, Right 'Veel!" (Attention Battalion! Forward March! By Companies, Right Wheel!)  When the evolutions of the green regiment were faulty, it was amusing to hear the scolding in broken English from the drillmaster.

Sunday, October 26, 1862

Unlike yesterday, the morning weather was bright and warm. The newly-formed regiment was formed in line, and the Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel and Major each made a short speech.

The Colonel of the Regiment was Nathaniel Niles, an attorney from Belleville, and the Lt. Colonel was James H. Matheny, a Springfield attorney and former law partner with Abraham Lincoln. The Major was John B. Reid of Greenville.

Saturday, October 25, 1862

This afternoon ten companies were mustered into the United States Army as the 130th Illinois Infantry Volunteers. As the weather was cold and raw, the ceremony was not enjoyed by the participants.

The men volunteered from the following counties: 

Company A from Monroe County

Company B from Sangamon County

Company C from Alexander County

Company D from Christian County

Companies E and F from Bond County

Company G, one-third from Coles County, the remainder from Edgar, Bond, Clinton and Douglas Counties

Company H from Richland and Wabash Counties

Company I from Lawrence and Sangamon Counties

Company K from Clark County

William Fleming, was part of Company F, as was Charles Johnson.

Tuesday, October 14, 1862

There was a flagpole in front of the Commandant's headquarters at Camp Butler.  Early each morning the Stars and Stripes went up, and the flag was brought back down when night approached.  Also, a cannon was fired every day at sunrise and sunset.

Monday, October 13, 1862

Apparently there were so many new regiments arriving there wasn't enough space inside Camp Butler to house them all.  Several newly-formed regiments were outside, and all about the enclosure at Camp Butler, encamped in tents. 

Charles Johnson recalled a surreal scene in these make-shift camps:

After staying in the barracks about two months I remember being detailed for guard duty one beautiful Sabbath day. Guard duty necessitated a soldier's absence from his quarters for twenty-four hours, though he would actually be on his beat with musket in hand but one-third of the time, two hours out of every six. The time referred to, my two hours for duty, came just before daylight Monday morning. 

Looking through the fence about sunrise, where a regiment was encamped just outside, several groups were seen eating breakfast, and these were not composed wholly of men, but were made up of women, girls and children as well. Looking closer, it was seen that they were eating fried chicken, turkey, cake, pie, freshly-baked bread and good butter, biscuit and doughnuts. By this time the man on the next beat had joined me, and the effect the scene had upon the two soldiers within the enclosure can never be appreciated by the reader who has not had a similar experience. The wives, sisters and children of these more fortunate soldiers had evidently come to spend a season with their friends, and had brought such eatables as they knew would be appreciated, for the time had thus literally transferred home-life to camp.

Tuesday, October 7, 1862

In the fall of 1862, many recruits were sent to Camp Butler for drill and organization.  These recruits came to Camp Butler organized in squads, companies, and even regiments.  However, for the most part they were unarmed, unable to march as a unit, and without uniforms.

But what a change a few weeks would make.  Charles Johnson recalls, 

One regiment in particular I recall as presenting the most motley appearance imaginable. Brown jeans was the prevailing dress, but every conceivable cut of coat and style of hat could be seen, and all, from colonel down, were slouchy in attire, and awkward and ungainly in manner and appearance. A few weeks later the same body of men marched out of Camp Butler to take the cars on the Wabash Railway at the front gate of the enclosure bound for the front and the firing-line; but, what a change! Every man was dressed in a new well-fitting uniform, had on his shoulder a bright new musket that glistened in the sunlight, and moved with firm, elastic step. The whole regiment marched with machine-like precision, and kept step with the rhythmic strains of the band at its head.

Monday, October 6, 1862

Being a military establishment, it was necessary to post a chain of guards all around the outside of the fence at Camp Butler.  According to Charles Johnson, the guards were armed with old army muskets of the Harper's Ferry pattern. Apparently the arms were all old and defective in some manner, and considered harmless for the most part. 

When assigned to guard duty, a soldier was given a musket, the counter-sign, and a post to guard or patrol.  After nightfall, a guard would not allow anyone to approach without challenging them.  As Charles Johnson explained, if the challenged party purported to be a friend, he was required to whisper the countersign over the musket's length with bayonet attached.

Friday, October 3, 1862

Besides poorly prepared food, Camp Butler held another change to the daily life of the recruits.  

Most of them were farmers who were used to everyday freedoms.  But the confinement at Camp Butler became very monotonous.  The fence around the camp, and armed sentries, made it seem like a prison.

The recruits were able to secure a pass from the Post Commandant from time to time.  They would visit Springfield, or the nearby woods and farms.

Wednesday, October 1, 1862

With that constant turnover of cooks in the kitchen, the food was prepared inconsistently.  Meat was usually over-done.  Charles Johnson, while noting the variety and quality of the food, expressed disappointment in the inconsistency of the final product.

Potatoes were almost never properly cooked, even when apparently well done, a raw core would frequently be found in the center.  Coffee was, at times, only a little stronger than water, at others it was like lye. But rice, white beans and dried apples gave the amateur cooks the most trouble. 

In fact, Johnson took his criticism a step further.

Good cook stoves and serviceable utensils were furnished by the Government, in addition to rations in abundance and of exceptional quality. The lame factor was in the food's preparation. Had it been possible for the Government to have supplied newly-enlisted companies with good cooks till others could have been trained, an untold amount of sickness would have been prevented, and many graves would have remained unfilled, not to speak of the many thousands who were discharged from the service by reason of ailments due to ill-prepared food.

Sunday, September 28, 1862

"An army marches on its stomach."  That quote is attributed to Napolean.  It actually has less to do with food, and more to do with logistics - getting food and supplies to the front lines where the army needs it.

But, that doesn't diminish the importance of food to soldiers like William Fleming and his companions at Camp Butler.  The soldiers' rations were plenty and of good quality, but as Charles Johnson noted, their preparation lacked the skilled, delicate hand of woman.

Each day, two men from each company were detailed to kitchen duty.  On their first day they served as assistants to two other men, who on the previous day were, themselves, the assistants.  Together the four men prepared and cooked for the 100 men in their company.  

And so on their second (and final) day of kitchen duty, they were the experts who instructed their replacements in the art of cooking.  

Tuesday, September 23, 1862

The recruits quickly assimilated into the life of a soldier.  Each company (about 100 men) was assigned to the long, narrow barracks.  At one end of the barracks was the kitchen and store-rooms and at the other end were two or three small rooms for the officers.  Charles Johnson described the rest of the barracks this way:

Through the center of the main room ran a long table made of rough boards, and from which all ate. At the sides of this main room were box-like structures, open in front, having tiers of boards upon which two men slept side by side. These we called bunks. Thus it was that our long, narrow barracks were not unlike a sleeping-car and dining-car combined. The barracks were made of rough boards put on "up-and-down," with no ceiling overhead save the shingle roof, and windows and doors were few, purposely, to save space.

Monday, September 22, 1862

The train completed the 90-mile journey and arrived at the Alton & Chicago station in Springfield well before dawn.  It began to drizzle and, according to Charles Johnson, everyone found shelter where they could. 

With a companion I found shelter in the open vestibule of a church a little south of the station. Next morning we got breakfast at one of the cheaper hotels, and this was destined to be one of our very last meals eaten from dishes placed on a white tablecloth.

Despite the seriousness of their journey, many of them were still star-struck by their surroundings in Illinois' Capital City.  

During the forenoon several of us visited the home of President Lincoln and picked some flowers from the front yard and sent them home in letters. 

Around noon they boarded yet another train - this one on the Wabash Railway - and headed for Camp Butler, seven miles east of Springfield.  They arrived at the camp and passed through a gate near the railway.  The gate was guarded by a uniformed soldier with a gun in his hands.  On the other side of the gate they found an enclosure of about forty acres, surrounded by a high, tight-boarded fence.  Charles Johnson described the camp in this way: 

Along two sides of this enclosure were rows of long, narrow buildings, which were known as barracks.  At one end was the office of the Post Commandant, and nearby, the Commissary and Quartermaster's Department.  At the other end was the Hospital, Guard-House, Sutler's Store, etc.  In the center was a large open space, used as a drill-ground.  In the middle of the rear end, as at the front, was a large gate for teams to pass through, and beside it a smaller one, for the egress and ingress of the men; both were guarded by an armed soldier, and no one could go out without a pass signed by the Post Commandant.

Looking at the camp, I'm sure more than one of them realized they were in the Army now.  

Sunday, September 21, 1862

After about 10 days in Belleville, the recruits were ordered to Camp Butler, which was located northeast of Springfield, Illinois.

They boarded a train for St. Louis, then went by steamboat to Alton, Illinois.  As night fell they boarded another train.  But this time the accommodations were not as comfortable as their previous train rides.  

They climbed on coal cars, and found seats on boards had been laid across from side to side. The ride was anything but pleasant, as those sitting near the outer edge seemed to be in constant danger of falling off.  Everyone was tormented by the smoke, cinders and sparks from the locomotive. 

Saturday, September 13, 1862

The weather was delightful, and the soldiers enjoyed this experience.  At this point, it seemed much more like a camp out then war - and it was.

But, as Charles Johnson pointed out, this was a new experience to most of them, and not necessarily a pleasant one.

However, there was one drawback; meals were taken at the several boarding houses in the city, and as these were substantially all run by Germans, Belleville being largely populated with people of that nationality, the taste and fumes of garlic seemed to permeate every article of food on the table. It was, of course, in all the meats, in many of the vegetables; but every man would have taken oath that it was in the bread and butter, if indeed, not in the coffee and sugar as well.

Thursday, September 11, 1862

Soon it came time for the recruits to leave home.  As Charles Johnson remembers,

At the appointed time friends, neighbors and relatives came with farm wagon and, early one beautiful September morning, the vehicles were loaded with hearty specimens of young manhood, all ideal "cannon-food," and the journey over a dusty road to the nearest railway station, twenty miles away at Carlyle, was begun.

Three or four miles on the road was a hill where we, for some cause, halted for a time. From here I remember taking a look at the Court House, about which we had been drilling for several weeks, and whose friendly roof had sheltered us from rain and sun alike, and as its familiar outline loomed up in the morning's sun I wondered if I should ever again look upon it.

About noon they had traveled straight south of Greenville, and arrived at the town of Carlyle, Illinois.  Soon a west-bound train arrived  on the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, and they all went aboard.  To many of the 200 recruits, riding on a train, much less inside a railroad coach, was a new experience!

After going west on the train for nearly 30 miles, they got off in O'Fallon, Illinois and marched about seven miles in a southwesterly direction, until they arrived at Belleville.  It was a hot and dusty march.

After they arrived at Belleville, they were directed to the fair grounds where they found quarters in horse and cattle stalls.  The soldiers spread their blankets and quilts on the bright clean straw that had been brought in.  The grounds were enclosed with a high, tight fence, and included shade trees and green, thrifty grass.

Monday, September 8, 1862

As the time for departure drew near, every man visited his home, made his final arrangements, said farewell to his family and friends, and then joined his comrades at Greenville.

Friday, September 5, 1862

Early in September orders came from the State Capital in Springfield.  The Bond County recruits were to rendezvous at Belleville, Illinois, a small city almost 50 miles to the southwest.

For the past several weeks the two companies ate pretty well while still in their civilian clothes.  While they had all taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, they were still more civilian than soldier.

But with these orders, that was all about to change.