First Lieutenant John L. A. Reeves, of Co. K, resigned, and his resignation was accepted October 2d, 1861.
On the 6th day of November, 1861, the 1st Brigade, Brig. General Paine commanding, moved on the Columbus road to Mayfield Creek, and bivouacked for the night. The next day they moved forward to Milburn, Ky., 31 miles from Paducah, and 11 miles from Columbus, bivouacked there for the night, and commenced the return march by daylight on the 8th. Reached camp at Paducah by 2 P. M., of the 9th. This was about the first heavy marching the boys had undergone. It was very fatiguing. There was a disposition to straggle. To prevent it, in the 9th, a rear guard was appointed, which compelled all to keep their places. This, some of the boys who were very tired, no doubt thought to be cruel. But the result was, the 9th Regiment came into camp in Paducah in splendid order, while the 40th and 41st Ill. Regiments seemed to have lost their organization altogether on the return march, and came straggling into camp in small squads, during the entire days of the 9th and 10th. Gen. Smith issued an order highly commending the 9th for their orderly conduct, and condemning those Regiments which returned in such disorder. This pleased our boys so much, that they almost forgot their heavy marching, and there was no more complaining about rigid discipline.
On the 9th of September, 1861, Capt. John H. Kuhn was appointed Provost Marshal of Paducah, and his Co. (A) was detached to act as Provost Guard.
December 2nd, 1861, commissions arrived as follows: For Lieut. Col. Aug. Mersy to be Colonel; Major Jesse J. Phillips to be Lieutenant Colonel; Capt. John H. Kuhn to be Major; 1st Lieut. Emil Adam to be Captain, and 2d Lieut. E. J. Weyrich to be 1st Lieutenant of Co. A. On the 5th of December, Sergeant Scheel, of Co. F, received a commission as 2d Lieutenant of Co. A, but was assigned to duty in Co. D, 2d Lieut. Bohlen of that Co. having been transferred to Co. A.
Capt. Geo. B. Poor, of Co. K, resigned, and his resignation was accepted on the 10th of December. First Lieutenant E. J. Weyrich, of Co. A, resigned on the 25th of December.
Capt. Armstrong, of Co. H, was appointed Provost Marshal, to relieve Major Kuhn, and his Co. (H) relieved Co. A, as Provost Guard, on the 6th of December, 1861.
On the 15th of January, 1862, the entire force at Paducah, except the 40th Ill., moved towards Viola, 13 miles, and bivouacked for the night at Hickory Creek. Brig. Gen. C. F. Smith commanded the Division in person. Col. McArthur, of the 12th Ill. Inft., was in command of the 1st Brigade, and Brig. Gen. Lew. Wallace, of the 2d Brigade. The Division was about 5,000 strong. On the 15th, moved to Mayfield Creek, 28 miles from Paducah. On the 17th, the command marched 23 miles to Clark's River, and bivouacked for the night on its banks. On the 18th and 19th, owing to rain and mud, the command moved a very short distance. It reached Calloway Landing, on the Tennessee River, 20 miles below Fort Henry, on the 22d of January. Finding no enemy in that vicinity, and none nearer than Fort Henry, the command returned to camp at Paducah, Ky., arriving there January 25th, 1862. It had marched altogether, during the reconnoisance, 125 miles. The most that was accomplished, was accustoming the men to hard marches.
Second Lieutenant Wm. Bohlen, resigned, and his resignation was accepted on the 31st day of January, 1862. On the same day a commission arrived for private Henry H. Klock, of Co. F, to be 1st Lieutenant and Adjutant, to rank from October 3d, 1861, the date of Adjutant Newsham's promotion.
Major I. N. Cook paid the Regiment up to January 1st, 1862. It had been previously paid by Major C. P. E. Johnston, to September 1st, 1861.
During the time the Regiment was in camp at Paducah, some incidents of interest occurred. All were longing for an adventure of some kind. The routine of camp life was becoming wearisome. One day Major Phillips, of the 9th Ill. Inft., and Major McDonald, of the 8th Mo. Inft., rode outside the pickets. After they had rode out two or three miles, Major McDonald remembered that he had an old acquaintance living ten or twelve miles out that road. It was proposed and agreed upon, that they would ride out and see him. Before reaching there, they passed where the enemy had their picket fires the night before. Things looked suspicious. A rebel soldier was seen riding up to a neighboring house. They proposed to go and take him. But their friend with whom they stopped, insisted on their not doing it, saying that if any fuss occurred there, they would burn his house at once, as they were threatening him anyhow, because of his Union sentiments. Dinner was ready in a short time, and they must stay for dinner. Major Phillips, always disposed to watch rebs. closely, proposed to stand picket while the rest were eating. He then hurriedly drank a cup of coffee, and they mounted their horses and started for camp. In a short time they saw two cavalry men riding before them. Taking them to be rebels, they gave them chase. Major Phillips, mounted on a splendid horse, soon came close on them. Suddenly they checked up, wheeled around, and drew their sabres. Before our Major could check his horse, he was close upon them. With pistol drawn, he inquired what command they belonged to. The reply was, "Thielman's Cavalry." The Major mistook it for Tilman's (Rebel) Cavalry. He inquired the second time. The same reply came, and he labored under the same mistake. By this time Major McDonald came fairly up, and they demanded the surrender of the two men, and they surrendered. At this point, they saw a short distance from them, about 25 men coming towards them. They felt that they were in a close place. Says Major McDonald to Phillips, "What shall we do with these two men? shoot them?" "No; we will take them with us, and if they don't keep up, then we will shoot them," was the reply. Says Major Phillips, "I would give a horse to be in Paducah." "Paducah!" says one of the prisoners; "we belong there, too. We are Willson's Dragoons." The mistake arose from the fact that the Rebels had a band of cavalry, known as Tilman's Cavalry, while the Federals had a battalion of cavalry, known as Thielman's Cavalry. The prisoners being Germans, the one was mistaken for the other. This matter explained, their prisoners were released, and they returned to camp. Having reached camp, Major Phillips reported to Gen. Smith, when the following interview took place. I give the substance: