Hardly a moment elapsed, “day or dreaming night,” but what we were capturing the enemy’s forces, sometimes in small and often in large numbers. At daylight on the morning of the 7th we were found in the saddle en route to Brandenburg on the Ohio River, and forty or fifty miles below Louisville, Kentucky.
The advance, after a few exciting adventures, marched into the above place just after dark, and found two steamers lying at the wharf, which Capt. Sam. B. Taylor, of the Tenth, who had been sent on that service early in the day, had captured without much difficulty. The steamboat Alice Dean was taken while lying at the landing, and soon afterward the steamboat General Combs appeared in view, coming up the river. Captain Taylor, commanding the Alice Dean, went out to meet and escort the General into the wharf, very much to the astonishment of the captain and the passengers.
I could mention, and yet it will be omitted, much that happened during the night and the next morning, or rather the next day, which was spent crossing over “Jordan” into the “Promised Land.”
Upon our arrival we dismounted to form line on the beach until the brigade came up. We then returned to our horses to feed them and to steal a little nod, if such were possible. Some of the boys gave champagne parties that night in the meadow, which doubtless was taken from the stores of one of the steamers; as also were a few other luxuries that had so mysteriously come into their possession. After satisfying their unnatural appetites all took a sly snooze, dreaming of home and of the fair fields beyond the waters.
Tired nature must have its requisite amount of rest; it may be overtaxed for a long time, but sooner or later exhaustion will come, when the body, in spite of all we can do otherwise, will repose. Many have been the times when I would have given worlds, if I possessed them, to lie down in a fence corner with permission to sleep a few hours. But the enemy was in front, and the watchword was “forward, march.” After crossing the Ohio we never halted except to feed, to fight, and to destroy U. S. property.
Our balmy slumbers were very easily disturbed by an explosion of a shell in our midst, thrown from a piece on the Hoosier State side. Burns’s battery returned the fire, and at the second shot dismounted the Yankee gun, a splendid rifled cannon, that afterward fell into our possession.
It occupied the entire day of the 8th to effect the crossing, there being many interruptions. Four or five gun-boats tried hard to intercept us, but our rifle field-pieces of longer range kept them at arm’s length, and finally compelled them to take shelter behind a point in the river.
Several U. S. transports, loaded with troops, had accompanied the gun-boats down from Louisville, and partly disembarked them on the Indiana side. But Duke’s and Ward’s regiments, who had first crossed, were on hand to receive them, and drove them pell mell on the boats again, which steamed up the river hurriedly beyond their reach. The General Combs and Alice Dean ferried all over safely by sunset. One of them, the latter I think, was a U. S. transport. She was set on fire and burnt up. A poor reward for her gallant and faithful service. The General Combs, being private property, was liberated with many thanks for her efficient services.
The command that night, which was intensely dark, marched on Corydon. We appeared before Corydon early in the morning of the 9th. The advance, then in command of Captain Hines, moved upon the enemy in front, met their outpost, a company of cavalry, and on exchanging a few shots drove them back into town. Hines’ company was the first and Company B the next in order for that day’s march; therefore, when his company engaged the enemy, Company B supported him. Regiments when marching have it so arranged that each company has its respective days for marching at the head of the column, it being easier to march at the front than at the rear of a column, and thus they change alternately.
While the advance was passing a farmhouse the proprietor was suddenly seized with a patriotic feeling, and taking down his old fusee deliberately fired into our line, killing one of Hines’s men. This enraged the boys, and one of them, who had been riding by the side of the one killed, threw himself from his horse, cleared the enclosure at a bound, and with a chunk of fire from out of the house, set it on fire, leaving the patriotic gentleman in the second story to take care of himself.