TENTH INFANTRY.

THE Tenth Infantry was recruited and organized in the autumn of 1861 and the following winter, through the efforts of the Hon. Edward H. Thomson, then president of the state military board, its rendezvous was established at the city of Flint. The rule had been adopted by governor Blair, and up to that time closely adhered to, to established no regimental rendezvous in places inaccessible by railroad, and as Flint had then no railway communications it required all the influence and energy of the patriotic president of the board to procure the order designating his own city of flint as the headquarters of the Tenth during its organization. Bur the order was finally obtained, and the camp of instructions--of which he was made provisional commandant--was named by the officers "Camp Thomson," in his honor.

This camp was situated near the eastern limits of the city on the left bank of Flint river, "on a piece of undulating ground including a small piece of woods separated from the drill-ground by a low marsh, which in the spring time was overflowed by the high water of the river." comfortable barracks, mess and cook-rooms were erected, and here the men of the Tenth made winter-quarters and their home for a period of nearly six months--a period which during its continuance they thought to be one of considerable hardship, but to which from their later camps and bivouacs, they often looked back as a season of comfort and pleasant associations.

The several companies composing the regiment were recruited under the following names: "Byron Guard," afterwards designated as A Company; "Saginaw Rangers," afterwards designated as B Company; "Orion Union Guard," afterwards designated as C Company; "Sanilac Pioneers," afterwards designated as D Company; "Scarritt Guard," afterwards designated as E Company; "Holt Guard," afterwards designated as F Company; "Lum Guard," afterwards designated as G Company; "McClellan Guard," afterwards designated as H Company; "Genesee Rangers," afterwards designated as I Company; "Dickerson Guard," afterwards designated as K Company.

The first, third and ninth of the above companies, especially the ninth, were largely made up of men from Genesee, and the county was represented in nearly all the other companies.

The "Byron guard," reported at the rendezvous eighty-six strong, November 5, 1861, being the second company I camp; the first was the "Saginaw Rangers," who arrived November 1. The first commissioned officers of the "Guard" were Henry S. Burnett, captain; Robert F. Gulick, first lieutenant; Bradford Cook, second lieutenant.

The "Orion Union guard," reported at Camp Thomson, November 11, with the minimum number of men. The nucleus of this company was formed at Orion, Oakland County, by B. B. Redfield; it was afterwards moved to Goodrich, Genesee County, and consolidated with a company being raised at the latter place by Myron Bunnell, the consolidated company retaining the name which had been adopted by the Orion recruits. The company was mustered under the following commissioned officers: Myron Bunnell, captain; Benjamin B. Redfield, first lieutenant; Alvah A. Collins, second lieutenant.

The "Genesee Rangers" joined the regiment at Camp Thomson, November 30, only 31 strong, under Captain Barker, who had previously resigned his captaincy of a company which has been raised for the Seventh Infantry and afterwards transferred to the Eighth under Colonel Fenton. A part of a company which had been raised in Lapeer county by P. S. Titus, and which had reported at the camp of the regiment November 20 was consolidated with the "Rangers"; the company received the designating letter I, under the following officers: Russell M. Barker, captain; Platt S. Titus, first lieutenant; John Algoe, second lieutenant.

On Wednesday, February 5, 1862, the regiment was reviewed by Governor Blair, at Camp Thomson; on that and the following day it was mustered into the United States service by colonel Wright, U. S. A. The Tenth was now an organized regiment in the service of the government, under the following field-officers: Colonel, Charles N. Lum; lieutenant-colonel, Christopher J. Dickerson; major, James J. Scarritt.

The ceremony of presentation of a national flag to the regiment was performed on Friday, the 11^th of April. The event is mentioned in General Robertson's "Flags of Michigan," as follows: "The Hon. E. H. Thomson, in one of his eminent patriotic speeches, presented, on behalf of the citizens of Flint, a very elegant flag, made of the best roll silk, on which was inscribed the name of the regiment, and the work 'Tuebor:' on a silver band on the staff the words, 'Presented to the Tenth Regiment, Michigan Infantry, by the Citizens of Flint.' A response in good spirit and taste by col. C. M. Lum, commanding the regiment, with a prayer by the Rev. J. S. Boyden. Judge Avery, of Flint, and Professor Siddons followed with brief and appropriate speeches. After the speeches colonel Lum delivered the colors into the hands of the color-sergeants, who was said to be six feet seven inches in stature. On this occasion the men of the Tenth paraded in their new regulation uniforms, and were armed with 'Austrian rifles, just received,' which in their inexperience they then believed to be a reliable and effective weapon. While they stood in hollow square, Mrs. Fenton and other ladies of the Flint distributed to each member of the regiment a copy of the New Testament."

The regiment, nine hundred and ninety-seven strong, took its departure from Camp Thomson on Tuesday, the 22^nd of April, its first destination St. Louis, Missouri. There was then no railroad from Flint to the line of the Detroit & Milwaukee road. The men were moved to Holly station on wagons and other vehicles furnished by patriotic citizens of Genesee and Oakland counties. The first stage of their long journey was accomplished in a snow-storm. This gave additional sadness to partings, many of which proved to be final. At Holly, after abundant feasting, the command took the train for Detroit, and marching through the city to the Michigan Central depot escorted by the "Lyon Guard' and Detroit "Light Guard," embarked on a train consisting of twenty-three passenger and five freight cars drawn by two locomotives; at a little before midnight they left for the West. Michigan City was reached at two o'clock p. m. on Wednesday, and at six p. m. Thursday the regiment was in East St. Louis. On the following day it embarked on the steam "Gladiator" and at four p. m. Friday moved down the Mississippi. Cairo was reached, and during the short stop which was made there the most sensational rumors were circulated that desperate fighting was then in progress at Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee, the known destination of the regiment; that the river at Paducah was filled with dead floating down from the battle-field above and many other stories of similar import. But the "Gladiator" moved on up the Ohio on Saturday afternoon, passed Fort Henry on Sunday, and on Monday night reached Pittsburg Landing. She was ordered to proceed four miles farther up the Tennessee to Hamburg, which was reached on Tuesday the 27^th, just one week after the departure from Camp Thomson. Here the regiment was embarked on the 28^th, and on the 29^th was assigned to duty in Col. James D. Morgan's brigade, Payne's division, left wing Army of Mississippi. On its first advent among the veterans of Shiloh the regiment received the usual attentions which old soldiers pay to fresh troops, such as illusions to the cleanness of uniforms and the size of knapsacks, with frequent application of the epithets "paper-collar soldiers," "band-box regiment," and many similar compliments; but all this was given and received in good-humor for all knew that a few days of marching would lighten the knapsacks and remedy the objectionable brightness of uniforms, and that after the first action all would be old soldiers together.

The first march of the regiment in the enemy's country was made on the 29^th when it moved up about five miles and bivouacked for the night in the woods. On the 1^st of May it again advanced towards Farmington, Mississippi, and remained in the vicinity of that village until the enemy's evacuation of Corinth May 30. During this time it was several times slightly engaged in skirmishing, but sustained no loss, except on the 26^th when the adjutant, Lieut. Sylvester D. Cowles, was instantly killed by the bullet of a sharpshooter while on picket.

The entire summer of 1862 was passed by the regiment in marching, camping, picketing, and similar duties in the north part of the states of Mississippi and Alabama, but without any notable event, more than occasional skirmish occurring in its experience. On the 1^st of June it was at Rienzi, Mississippi, and from the 2^nd to the 11^th at Booneville and vicinity. About June 15 it was encamped at Big Springs, six miles from Corinth, and remained there five weeks. At this place a Fourth of July celebration was held. The stay at this camp was regarded b y all as among the most agreeable of all the regiment's sojourning during the war. On the 27^th of July the headquarters of the regiment were at Camp Leighton, Tuscumbia, Alabama, but the several companies were posted at different places for a distance of twenty miles along the Memphis and Charleston railroad engaged in guarding that line. Lieutenant-colonel Dickerson, who was at Town Creek, Alabama, with a part of the regiment, evacuated that place in haste in the night of the 31^st on account of the reported advance of a heavy force of the enemy. The camp was reoccupied the next day, as the enemy, if there had been any in the vicinity, had moved in another direction.

About the last of august it was announced that the command was to move to Nashville, Tennessee. On the 1^st of September the several detachments of the regiment concentrated at the military ferry on the Tennessee river, and awaited orders to move; the orders were received on the following day, and the command moved northward. The march occupied nine days, during which the regiment passed through Rogersville, Athens, Elkton, Pulaski, Lynnville, Columbia, Spring Hill, and Franklin, and in the evening of the 11^th bivouacked two miles from Nashville. Here it remained on picket till the 15^th, when it moved through the city and encamped in the southern suburbs.

The labor demanded of the regiment during its stay at Nashville was severe. It consisted of work on the extensive fortifications which had been laid out by General Negley, the commandant of the post, besides constant picketing and guarding of forage-parties which were continually sent out into the surrounding country; this was the only means of subsisting the forces in Nashville, as all communication with the city by rail or river was destroyed. This state of affairs continued for about two months. Nashville was held by the division of Negley and Palmer, but out of communication with the outside world and surrounded one very side by troops of the enemy, principally cavalry. The Army of the Cumberland, however, had defeated the army of Bragg at Perryville, Kentucky. It was marching southward from Bowling Green under General Rosecrans, to the relief of the beleaguered force, and on the 6^th of November his advance guard reached the river at Edgefield opposite Nashville. Railroad communication was now open to Mitchell, thirty-five miles north of Nashville. Soon after, it was opened to the city; this gave relief in the matter of rations to the troops who had been so long imprisoned there and lightened this forage and picket duty, but the labor on the defensive works of the town was still continued and a great amount of work was to be done in repairing roads and bridges for the advance of the army southward.

The Tenth did not move forward with the Army of the Cumberland on the 26^th of December in the advance on Murfreesboro, but remained nearly seven months after that time at Nashville engaged in provost, grand guard and fatigue duty and in protecting communication between Nashville and Murfreesboro and other points. Upon one occasion (April 10, 1863) a detail of men from H and E companies, forty-four in number, under command of Lieut. Francis W. Vanderberg, were sent to guard a railway train to and from Murfreesboro, and on their return were attacked by a body of the enemy's cavalry in ambush at Antioch Station, three miles north of Lavergne, the train having been stopped for some cause when the attack was made. Lieutenant Vanderberg fell mortally wounded at the first or second fire and five of his men were killed, ten wounded and three taken prisoners, making a total loss of nineteen, or two-fifths of the force engaged. With the exception of the loss of its adjutant killed on picket in Mississippi, this was the first loss inflicted on the regiment in action by the enemy.

The men and officers of the Tenth had begun to regard Nashville as their permanent camping-place, and some of them had formed such strong attachments there that when on the 19^th of July, orders were received to move southward they were welcomed with very little of the enthusiasm which similar orders would have produced a few months earlier. But the regiment moved in the morning of the 20^th, and reached Murfreesboro at noon of the 21^st; here it remained on picket and guard duty till august 19^th, when it again marched southward.

The history of the regiment during the four months next succeeding its departure from Murfreesboro is that of an almost continuos march through the state of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. It passed south through Forestville, Shelbyville, Farmington, Tennessee, and Lewisburg, to Columbia; remained there on provost duty from the 23^rd to the 26^th of August; moving on through there from August 29 to September 1; thence passed through Huntsville, Brownsville, on Flint river, Alabama, remaining at the last-named place on provost duty from the 7^th to the 21^st of September; moved to Bridgeport, Alabama; remained there till October 1; moved at midnight, through dense darkness and fathomless mud on the road to Jasper, Tennessee; passed that place and moved to Anderson' s Cross-Roads; remained there picketing from the 3^rd to the 18^th of October; moved to Dallas, Tennessee thirteen miles above Chattanooga, on the north side of the Tennessee river; remained there three days within hearing of the cannonading between the hostile armies at Chattanooga; moved again October 24^th, passed through Washington, Tennessee, and arrived on the 26^th at Smith's Ferry over the Tennessee, fifty-five miles above Chattanooga. There the regiment remained for nearly four weeks, during which time the men had constructed comfortable quarters with fireplaces and other conveniences, believing this would be their camping place for the winter, which was then approaching. But on the 20^th of November, marching orders came, and on Saturday the 21^st. The Tenth Michigan was again on the march. In the evening of the 22^nd it was once more within hearing of the cannonade from the batteries on Lookout Mountain, and on the 23^rd it reached Camp Caldwell on the right bank of the Tennessee, four miles above Chattanooga.

Crossing to the south side of the river on the 24^th, the Tenth stood inline during the progress of the great conflict at Lookout and Missionary Ridge, but was not engaged in either of those battles. Soon after midnight, in the morning of the 26^th, it moved up to Tennessee, crossed Chickamauga creek on a pontoon-beige and marched up the right bank of that stream, where a part of the brigade met a small force of the retreating enemy and a skirmish ensued in which one man of the regiment was slightly wounded by a spent ball. The enemy's evacuated works at Chickamauga Station were occupied on the same day; the Tenth was the first to enter the works. On the 27^th he regiment entered Georgia for the first time, passing through Grayville and camping near Ringgold. On the 28^th orders were received to march in pursuit of Longstreet, who was known to be in the vicinity of Knoxville. Under these orders the regiment marched with its brigade on the 29^th and continued to move rapidly up the valley of the Tennessee until December 6^th, when it had reached a point some fifteen miles above Loudon, where the intelligence was received that Longstreet had withdrawn from Knoxville and retreated into Virginia. Then the column was order to return to Chattanooga. The Tenth passed through Madisonville to Columbia, Tennessee, remained at the latter place from the 9^th to the 15^th of December, during which time the bridge across the Hiawassee river was constructed by Company I, on the 18^th it reached its old camp four miles above Chattanooga. Here it remained till the 26^th, when it moved to near Rossville, Georgia, and prepared to go into winter-quarters after a marching campaign of more then four months' duration. The men had come in from the East Tennessee march worn out, famished and tattered, many of them having no shoes; they had been compelled to cut up their ragged blankets into wrappings for their feet. Certainly no men ever stood more in need of rest and recuperation.

At the Rossville camp the men built tight and comfortable log cabins, each containing a fireplace, and in these, when not out on picket duty, they spent the two remaining months of winter in a very agreeable manner. The month of February was quite as warm and pleasant as the northern April. On the 28^th and 29^th of January, the Tenth was out on a reconnaissance to Ringgold and the march proved quite oppressive on account of the heat.

Preparations were now made for mustering as veterans. Nearly all the companies had the requisite three-fourths of their number re-enlisted when, in the evening of February 3, the regiment was ordered out on picket to Chickamauga Station, eight miles away. It remained out till the 14^th, when it was marched back to camp and the veteran muster was completed on the 126^th, three hundred and eighty men signing the veteran enlistment for three years dating from February 6. The number of veterans was afterwards increased to over four hundred. When re-enlistment and muster was perfected, the men waited impatiently for the veteran furlough (which some of them were destined never to receive). In the morning of February 23^rd the regiment had orders to march immediately. With three days' rations and sixty rounds of ammunition. The men could hardly believe that they were again to march to the front before making the long-anticipated visit to their homes, but they fell in without much audible complaint and marched away on the road which was to lead them to their first battle-field. The regiment moved to within a mile of Ringgold and camped for the night. In the morning of the 24^th it moved to a point between that town and Tunnel Hill, where the brigade joined the forces which had moved out from Chattanooga to make a reconnaissance in force of the enemy's position in the direction of Dalton and Lafayette, Georgia. The enemy were flanked out of their works at Tunnel Hill, and retired towards Dalton. The Tenth, with other commands, followed in pursuit, and at about five o'clock p. m. arrived at Buzzard Roost--a rocky stronghold of the rebels, situated in a pass of the mountains known as Kenyon's Gap--three miles from Dayton. The works were in the rear of Rocky-Face Ridge and fully commanded the Gap. Some skirmishing as done in the afternoon and evening of the 24^th and the regiment took position for the night between two spurs of Rocky-Face Ridge.

On the 25^th the early part of the day was consumed in skirmishing; but about two o'clock p. m. the Tenth, with the sixtieth Illinois, were ordered forward in line over the ridges to attack the enemy and carry his position. They moved forward gallantly into a very hot artillery and musketry fire from greatly superior numbers of the enemy; remaining under this terrible enfilading fire for about forty minutes, they did what men could do to carry the position, but were at last forced back by superior numbers. At the end of one hour and ten minutes the regiment reoccupied the position from which it had advanced to the charge. In this brief time it had lost forty-nine killed and wounded and seventeen missing, among the latter being Lieutenant-Colonel Dickerson, who was wounded and made prisoner by the enemy.

A characteristic account of the battle given buy a rebel paper--the Atlanta Register of February 29, 1864--was as follows: "On Thursday, the 15^th, the enemy commenced, about nine a. m., to skirmish with our pickets and sharpshooters. At one p.m. the Federal general, Morgan, advanced on our right centre to force the Gap. They were gallantly met by Reynolds' brigade, of Stevenson's division, Clayton's brigade, of Walkers' division, and Stavall's brigade, of Stewart's division, when a lively fight took place. The enemy made three desperate assaults to take the Gap, and were repulsed each time with great slaughter, being enfiladed at the same time by our artillery. We captured some twenty prisoners, among them Lieutenant-colonel C. J. Dickerson, of the Tenth Michigan, which regiment alone lost two hundred and fifty killed and wounded. That night the enemy fell back behind their entrenchments--some three or four miles from our front line--and a portion of their forces moved over to our left and succeed in taking a gap leading to the Lafayette road, through sugar Valley, three miles south of Dayton."

It will be noted that while this account makes the loss of the Tenth more than five times what I really was in killed and wounded, it admits that the two regiments which formed the Union attacking column encountered a rebel force of three brigades in a strongly-fortified position. In fact, neither the Tenth nor the Sixtieth Illinois had al its strength present in the fight; only eight companies of each, making a total of about ine hundred men, were engaged.

On the 26^th the regiment with its brigade was relieved. It marched to Ringgold, from which place it returned to camp at Rossville on the 27^th, and about the 5^th of March moved to Chattanooga en route for Michigan. It arrived at Detroit on the 11^th. There the men received the veteran furlough, with orders to reassemble at its expiration at the rendezvous--the city of Flint. Upon reassembling they remained in Flint for some days. The veterans and recruits left Flint on the 20^th of April and moved by way of Fentonville to Detroit, thence by way of Kalamazoo and Lafayette to Jefferson, Indian, Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, arriving at the latter April 24^th. They left Nashville on the 27^th, and marched to Chattanooga, where they arrived on the 11^th of May, and on the 12^th marched to their old winter-quarters at Rossville, which were found undisturbed and in good condition.. On the 13^th they marched in search of the brigade which had moved forward with the army May 2, and overtook it in the morning of the 16^th, narrating nineteen miles farther the same day with Gen. Jeff. C. Davis's division, which as moving towards Rome. On the 17^th the regiment took part in the fight at Oostanuala river, and in the capture of Rome on the following day, both without loss. Then followed a series of marches and maneuvers by which the Tenth moved to Dallas, to Ackworth, george, and to near Lost Mountain, and reached the base of Kenasaw Mountain on the 19^th of June. On the 27^th it formed part of the reserve of the charging column at Kenasaw. Its losses during June were fourteen killed and wounded.

The enemy having evacuated his works at Kenasaw, the Tenth took part in the pursuit, marching on the 3^rd of July, and reaching the Chattahoochee river on the 17^th. On the 19^th it advanced to Durant's Mill, on Peachtree Creek, and took part in the actions of that the following day, losing twenty-three killed and wounded. Through the remainder of July and nearly all of august it lay in the lines of investment before Atlanta. August 30^th it moved with a reconnoitering column to Jonesboro, and took part in the battle at that place on the 1^st of September, charging across the open field on the enemy's works, and losing thirty killed and fort-seven wounded; among the former was the commanding officer of the regiment, Major Burnett. It was claimed for the Tenth that in this action it took more prisoners than the number of men which it carried into the fight. For it conduct on this occasion it was complimented by Generals Thomas, Davis and Morgan, the corps, division and brigade commanders.

On the 28^th of September the Tenth left Atlanta and moved by rail to Chattanooga, Stevenson, Huntsville, Athens, and Florence, Ala., tearing up the Memphis & Charleston railroad. For several days it was in pursuit of Wheeler's and Forrest's cavalry, but did not overtake them. On the 13^th of October the regiment moved by rail back to Chattanooga, where it remained five days; on the 18^th again took the road, moving to Lee and Gordon's Mills, Georgia, to Lafayette, to Summerville, up Duck creek, through Broomtown Valley, and Alpine, Georgia, across the mountains into Alabama, to Gaylesville (October 22^nd), and then back to Rome, Georgia, where it was in camp November 1. On the 9^th it was at Etowah, Georgia, and on the 13^th at Cartersville, where, at six o'clock a. m. on that day, it "bade good-by to the cracker line, and to all communications, and plunged into the confederacy with four days' rations, marching south and tearing up the railroad as we moved." On the 13^th it made fifteen miles, on the 14^th twenty-five miles, and on the 15^th fifteen miles, burning the bridge over the Chattahoochee, and reaching Atlanta at two o'clock in the afternoon of that day.

"As we approached Atlanta," wrote an officer of the Tenth, "a huge column of black smoke was seen, and soon we found the railroad depots and building with the foundries and manufactories, a burning mass." When night closed in the whole heavens were illuminate by the glare of the conflagration, and the innumerable camp-fires of the Union hosts which lay encircling the conquered city, busy with their final preparations for the stories, "march to the sea."

The force composing the great army which Sherman had concentrated here for the mysterious expedition, whose destination was then only a matter of conjecture, were composed of four corps--the Seventeenth (a consolidation of the old Sixteenth and Seventeenth) and the Fifteenth forming his right wing, and the Fourteenth and Twentieth forming the left wind of is grand army of invasion. In that army the position of the Tenth Michigan was with the First Brigade, Second Division of the Fourteenth Corps. The other regiments of the brigade were the Fourteenth Michigan, the Sixteenth and sixtieth Illinois and the Seventeenth New York, all under Col. Robert F. Smith as brigade commander.

The right wing was the first to move out; then came the Twentieth Corps, and lastly the fourteenth and with this corps the Tenth Michigan marched away at noon the Sixteenth of November. A distance of eleven miles was made during the afternoon, and at night brigade bivouacked near the celebrated Stone Mountain, a round-topped knob of solid limestone about one mile in diameter at the base and riding bare and gray from the level plain to a height of about thirteen hundred feet. From this halting-place the regiment set out at six in the morning of the 17^th and, with fine weather, and a good road, made a march of fifteen miles, passing through the decaying settlements of Lassonia and Conyer's Station. On the 18^th the Yellow and Alcova rivers, tributaries of the Ocmulgee, were crossed on pontoons, and the tired men of the Tenth light their bivouac fires in the vicinity of Covington, the seat of justice of Newton county. During this day they had marched as train-guard and made a distance of ten miles.

In the morning of the 19^th they resumed their journey at six o'clock in a drizzling rain, and at night found themselves twenty miles from Covington, and twice that distance from each of the towns of Macon and Milledgeville. The evening of the 20^th saw them encamped three miles from Eatonton and fifteen from Milledgeville, here the dull boom of distant artillery was heard; this was the first hostile sound which they had heard since their departure from Atlanta. Their march of the 21^st was commenced at ten a. m., and was continued until three p. m. at which time twelve miles had been accomplished, and they went into camp for the night.