Company I.—Killed, James N. Johnson, Augustus Cluge, G. W. Kinder, Charles Loymer, David Lain, Alonzo Livingston, Hugh McMahen, John McKinney, Charles McDermot, Geo. M. More, Joseph P. Stevenson, David Williams. In all 12 killed. Wounded, Capt. Joseph G. Robinson, 2d Lieut. S. T. Hughs, Sergts. Geo. Woodbury and W. Jarvis, Corps. R. R. Swain, John G. Irwin and F. A. Courmon, Privates Wm. Baird, John Baird, D. G. Breyfogle, Jas. G. Ballard, Zachariah Burgess, Aaron C. Bordon, Jos. Crews, G. W. Clark, Charles Dayton, Emanuel Davis, John Ellett, Henry Fitzsimmons, Theodore Fisher, H. Fuller, John Graham, James Hawratty, William Helms, David Johnson, David Kyle, Geo. Lent, Geo. Lawson, Sam'l Morehead, James Mitchel, Chas. S. Patton, Samuel Read, John R. Vanhooser, William Willson. In all 34 wounded.
Company K.—Killed, Corp. Walter Walsh, Privates Reuben M. Anderson, And. J. Burton, Charles Casebeer, John Emery, Johna. Hazlewood, David Newcomb, Jas. Patterson. In all 8 killed. Wounded, Sergts. A. J. Snider and John Barbour, Corps. Chas. N. Brown, Geo. Lincoln and Samuel W. Sloan, Privates Jas. Broadie, Jos. N. Condon, Simon P. Casey, Wm. A. Daily, Frank F. Cogles, John Gibson, Albert W. Kimball, Aaron Lipe, John Mallory, Albert Mitchell, John Seivers, Wm. Thompson and H. C. Ulen. In all 18 wounded.
The desperate struggle in which our Regiment was engaged, and the persistence with which the boys fought, may be seen from the list of killed and wounded as presented above. Only about 600 went into the fight. Of these, 195 were killed and wounded; just about every third man.
The boys had, it will be remembered, when they left Fort Heiman on the morning of the 12th of February, only two days' rations. They received nothing more until the evening of the 15th, after they had been engaged in the severe battle of that forenoon. Thus their two days' rations had to last them four days. Many of the officers, who had entrusted their haversacks to their servants, became separated from those servants, and were almost without anything to eat for the last forty-eight hours. There was no chance for foraging there. Often now, our Regiment will go out on a scout with three days' rations, and live very well on it for six or eight days. Such was the battle of Fort Donelson, and the part the 9th took in it.
The Regiment remained at Fort Donelson until the 22d of February, when the Brigade proceeded up the Cumberland River to Fort Sevier near Clarksville, where they disembarked and went into camp on the 25th.
Major Kuhn, formerly Provost Marshal of Paducah, and Co. H of the 9th Regiment, his Provost Guard, reported to the Regiment for duty on the 23d. The Regiment remained in camp here until the 27th, when it embarked on board the steamer "Woodford," and proceeded up the river to Nashville, Tenn., arriving there on the morning of the 28th. Here it remained until March 1st, when it returned to camp at Fort Sevier.
When our forces advanced up the Cumberland River to Clarksville and Nashville, they found no enemy to oppose them. After the rebels surrendered Fort Donelson, they seemed to be seized with terror. The rebel Governor and Legislature fled from Nashville in terror, taking with them whatever they could of State property. The writer, being then in Illinois, well remembers the public rejoicing there was over the result of this victory. There seemed to be a feeling prevailing in the North that the "backbone" of the Rebellion was broken, and that we would soon have peace. But two years have passed away, (I write this sketch on the 16th of February, the anniversary of Fort Donelson's surrender,) and, although we have several times since that been cheered with the promise that the "backbone" of the Rebellion was broken, still it lives. It is said a snake's tail does not die until sunset, even though its back may be broken and its head mashed. Perhaps, as the rebs. had, at first, a snake for their emblem, this may be the reason it is so long dying. Maybe it is only the tail of it that now remains alive. When, however, sunset will come, and its tail cease to live, is difficult to determine. May it be soon.
Some incidents occurred during this period, worthy of note. During the time the Regiment was engaged in battle at Fort Donelson, James Getty, of Co. F, aged about 60 years, was observed by Lieut. Williford of his Co., to decline laying down to load. He stood, loaded his gun, and fired as deliberately as if he had been shooting at a target for a wager. The Lieut. told him he had better lay down to load, or he would get shot. His reply was, "I reckon I know my business," and again raised his gun and deliberately lowered it upon his selected rebel. Soon the Lieut. saw him tumble over, and supposing he was killed, went to him. But he jumped up, and said he guessed he was not much hurt. He was shot in the shoulder, but he gathered up his musket and went to firing again. It was not long until another ball struck his pocket-book. He had some silver in it. The ball struck a silver half dollar, and mashed it up, driving it against his thigh, bruising it very much. Two or three buckshot were lodged in him. Still he stood firing away at the enemy. I might also say in this connection, that this same man, at the battle of Shiloh, when the Regiment ran out of ammunition and had to fall back for a new supply, fell in with some other Regiment; procured a supply of ammunition from some one, and went to fighting again. When that Regiment in turn fell back, he happened in with some other one, and there fought. In this way he spent the whole of that terrible Sabbath day. When he ceased fighting with any company, he was careful to go to the commander of it, and get a certificate, stating that he had been fighting with it. When he returned to his company in the evening, he had certificates from several Captains and one Colonel. He preserved these certificates, so that he might show, when he returned to his Regiment, that he had not been straggling, but fighting. He went into the fight on the next day, and was shot in the head. From this wound he recovered, but was afterwards discharged on account of it.
Another incident. Surgeon Gulick (then Assistant Surgeon) was taken prisoner by the "Texan Rangers," while attending to his duties in the hospital. He insisted, that being Surgeon, he should not be retained as a prisoner; that there were a large number of wounded men under his charge, and no one to care for them but himself. The rebels persisted, however, in taking him. They told him that they had some wounded men, and he must come and attend to them. One of them was leading his horse along, taking him back to where their wounded were. He was in the rear of a rebel Regiment. The man who led his horse was shot. The Doctor does not say by whom he was shot. He put spurs to his horse to make his escape. He had to ride through a rebel Regiment. A perfect shower of musket balls followed him. To increase his danger, our own soldiers supposing him to belong to a party of rebels making a charge, fired upon him from the front. He was riding Surgeon Hamilton's horse. Strapped to his saddle was a buffalo robe. He had often joked with Dr. Hamilton about having that tied on there as a protection when he would be making his escape from the enemy. Five balls passed into this robe, and were lodged among its folds. The Doctor made his escape; but thinks he would never attempt to make another such.
Still another incident, with which the Doctor was connected. After the battle at Fort Donelson, he was placed on board a steamer with 275 wounded men, and shoved out into the river, without any medicine, without anything for the men to eat, with no instruments but carpenter tools, and in that condition remained for three days. If he attempted to take off a limb, he had to use a common cook's knife for a dissecting knife, and a carpenter's saw to sever the bone. He had no bandages with which to wrap up the wounds, except he take the only shirt they had. This truly was a trying position in which to place a good surgeon.