Guard and Picket in the 21st Wisconsin

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Guard and Picket in the 21st Wisconsin

This offering comes from 1864, from a letter by James F. Sawyer of Company K. Sawyer's letters are in the microfilm collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

On the battlefield June 19, 1864

Dear Nancy

I will write you a few lines today I am well and hope that these will find you ath[sic] well the Lord has seen fit to preserve my life and health thus far I thank him for it There was one man killed yesterday belong to our Regiment I think that he is the [only?] one that has ben[sic] hurt in ours in this battle yet the Johneys[sic] left

. . .

Today was a thundering the artillery is a making they are shelling the Lost Mountain now it is awfull I wish that this war was don[e]

James F. Sawyer joined the 21st Wisconsin on March 28, 1864. He wrote home regularly, providing a late war perspective on the regiment. Several artifacts that belonged to Sawyer are in the collection of the Oshkosh Public Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. These include a hand carved wooden ring inscribed with the red acorn corps badge of the 1st Division, 14th Corps, and a canteen half plate made from a 1862 “bullseye” canteen.

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Guard and Picket in the 21st Wisconsin

This week there is another account from James F. Sawyer of Company K, in 1864. Copies of Sawyer's letters are in the microfilm collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

[W]e had a great selerbration[sic] on the 4 of July we went on to the picket or skirmish line the night before we was releived[sic] in the [illegible] but had to stay near the line as reserves but they did not let us rest

. . .

The regulars maid[sic] a charge on the rebs and drove them back the rebs fired on them their boolets[bullets] came right one where we laid we got behind a log you may think that we lay close to the ground the balls stuck the ground ahead of us and went over us like a swarm of hornets after that was over we had to [guard?] a gap in the line

“The regulars” referred to would be 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 14th Army Corps. That brigade was engaged July 4, 1864 at Smyrna, Georgia. Colonel William Stoughton commanded the regular brigade that day, but was wounded, and relieved by Colonel Marshall F. Moore. At the time, the 21st Wisconsin was in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 14th Army Corps, under the command of William P. Carlin.

James F. Sawyer joined the 21st Wisconsin on March 28, 1864. He wrote home regularly, providing a late war perspective on the regiment. Several artifacts that belonged to Sawyer are in the collection of the Oshkosh Public Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. These include a hand carved wooden ring inscribed with the red acorn corps badge of the 1st Division, 14th Corps, and a canteen half plate made from a 1862 “bullseye” canteen.

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Guard and Picket in the 21st Wisconsin

Surprise mid-week update! Here is another account from Charles Nelson Paine, Captain of Company B from 1862-1863. Transcripts of Paine's letters are in the microfilm collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

January 10, 186[3]
With New Years day came but few pleasant thoughts. We were ordered to march to the front. One night, that of New Years, we were on picket, we could hear the enemy talk plainly. For three days and three nights we occupied the center, in advance, in front of the enemy. The nights were quite light. We expected to move forward any moment. Our position was the most responsible of any (that is the brigade). We did not sleep, had no fires, the mud from six to ten inches deep and it rained most of the time. We were required to lay down flat. We were in that position most of the time, part of the time in front and a part of the time in rear of our battery's shell shot. Sharpshooters all blaring away at us, but for a wonder our regiment did not suffer at all. I thought all would be sick at least, but hardly a man has complained.

Charles N. Paine was the original captain of Company B. He resigned, due to disability, effective December 2, 1863.

- - - Updated - - -

Surprise mid-week update part two! One more account from Charles Nelson Paine, Captain of Company B from 1862-1863. Transcripts of Paine's letters are in the microfilm collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

March 31 [1863]
We had an interesting trip last week. We received orders to be ready to move with two days rations at a moments notice. In ten or fifteen minutes orders were to fall in. In five minutes we were on the move (our Brigade). It was the middle of the afternoon. We marched fourteen miles, encamped for the night about ten o'clock within a mile of the enemy. I was ordered with two companies to post a picket. We were required to keep a sharp lookout all night, not to sleep any, which we did. We anticipated a fight next day, but it did not come. Hall's Brigade had that day been attacked by at least four thousand men mounted of John Morgan's forces, commanded by him in person.

Charles N. Paine was the original captain of Company B. He resigned, due to disability, effective December 2, 1863.

COMING THIS SUNDAY: One final account that I have been saving up for the last minute before the event. Sometimes the way a picket is handled can be influenced by the personality of the commander...

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Guard and Picket in the 21st Wisconsin

The final account in our series, will come from Brigadier General William P. Carlin. He was in command of the 21st Wisconsin's brigade in 1864, and later rose to command of the 1st Division, 14th Army Corps. In a post war account first published in the National Tribune and later collected and published as a book, The Memoirs of Brigadier General William Passmore Carlin USA, edited by Robert I. Girardi & Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes Jr., University of Nebraska Press, 1999. This is my favorite account of picket in the 21st Wisconsin.

About the 26th of August [1864] the Fourteenth Corps was moved from its position in front of Atlanta to one at the head of Utoy Creek. The same tedious desultory skirmishing was kept up here as at the former position. But a little variety in the course of events came occasionally to break the monotony of life. In some way a very kind sort of feeling sprang up between the pickets of the opposing armies. It resulted from the habit of trading along the picket lines between the men. The Confederates had excellent tobacco and more than they wanted. The Union men had pocket knives and various notions they would trade for tobacco. Sometimes two or more men would meet at the picket-line and begin their barter, and after attending to that would branch off into a discussion of the political situation and prospects of the country. On one occasion a large crowd assembled at the picket-line, perhaps 200 or 300, and seemed disposed to discuss the prospects of peace. Colonel H.C. Hobart, of the 21st Wisconsin, a ready and interesting speaker, availed himself of the occasion to deliver quite a speech to his mixed audience. Among other ideas he told the Confederates that it was our plan to people the country as we progressed southward in our conquests.

Finally the Confederate officers seemed to become uneasy about the loyalty of their men, and ordered them quietly to their proper stations in line of battle.

Girardi & Hughes, pg. 133

Confederate participants, are you prepared in case a Union officer decides to lecture you while on the picket line?

As noted above, this account is reprinted in The Memoirs of Brigadier General William Passmore Carlin USA, edited by Robert I. Girardi & Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes Jr. The original account in the May 28, 1885 edition of the National Tribune can also be found online, courtesy of the Library of Congress. It is in the second column, about halfway down. The account continues, with a claim of an unfair trade offer on the line, and also military action that followed shortly after.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82016187/1885-05-28/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=01%2F01%2F1866&index=6&date2=12%2F31%2F1900 &searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=sn8 2016187&words=CARLIN+Hobart&proxdistance=5&state=D istrict+of+Columbia&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=hobar t&phrasetext=&andtext=hobart+carlin&dateFilterType =range&page=1

Colonel Harrison Carroll Hobart was, at the time of our event scenario, Lt. Col. of the 21st Wisconsin, in command of the regiment. The original Colonel of the 21st Wisconsin, Benjamin Sweet, was wounded at Perryville and never returned to service with the regiment, although was still commissioned as its Colonel until September 8, 1863. Hobart previously served as a Captain in the 4th Wisconsin Infantry, and was promoted to Lt. Col. of the 21st Wisconsin at its formation. Hobart's transfer to the regiment was delayed, so he was not present at the battle of Perryville. He assumed field command when he joined the regiment. He would be captured at Chickamauga, and imprisoned at Libby Prison. Escaping through the famous tunnel at Libby, Hobart would re-join the regiment before the Atlanta campaign, eventually rising to command of a brigade when Brig. Gen. William P. Carlin was promoted to division command.

[Ambrose Bierce]

Re: Guard and Picket in the 21st Wisconsin

Awesome stuff as always, Andy, and thanks for a great series of accounts in support of the event.

Got my LtCol straps sewn on last week, if I may be so presumptive!

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Guard and Picket in the 21st Wisconsin

Thank you for the kind words, Ivan.

What I hope everyone gets from this thread is that picket was sometimes exciting and other times, even bizarre. And that much of it was mundane and miserable.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in 5 days to carry this out on our own.