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Isaac McFaddin’s Book
Bought at Glasgow Kentucky
Dec. 3rd 1862
Barren Co. Kentucky
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Tuesday Sept 2nd 1862
The 101st Regiment left Camp Wabash and arrived at Indianapolis at 9 o’clock the same evening. Sept. third we went into camp at Camp Morton. Was in camp there till Tuesday the 9th of Sept. Then we took the cars for Cincinnati. Arrived there 11’clock the same evening. There we had supper then we marched over the Ohio River to Covington. Stayed there till next morning and till the afternoon. Then we crossed Leiching Ricer on the wire bridge, marched through Newport and marched out on the Alexandria Pike three miles. Then we went into camp. This camp was called Camp Shaler, named in honor of the man
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who owned the land that we camped on. We left Camp Shaler Sept. the 23rd and marched down to the Ohio River. Then we got on board the boat called the Lady Pike, bound for Louisville. We arrived at Louisville the next night . The towns between Cincinnati and Louisville were Laurenceberg, 20 miles below Cincinnati, Rising Sun and Madison. We marched out south of town and went into camp. This camp was called Camp Wilder. We stayed there till the 1st day of Oct, then we marched from there to Springfield. We were there till after the Battle of Perryville. This battle was fought Wednesday, Oct. 8th between General Jackson and the
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Federal forces and General Bragg of the Confederates. We left Springfield on Tuesday Oct. 14th and marched from there to Perryville then from there to Danville, from there to Crab Orchard, then from there back to Lebanon then from there to Mumfordsville. We got there Oct 24th and then went to Cove City then back to Mumfordsville and was in camp there till the 30th day of Nov. (this travel was in Baker County) Then we were ordered up at 10 o’clock in the night and marched to Glasgow. There we went into camp on Monday Dec. 1st.
Saturday Dec. 6th, 1862, we left there for the town of Gallitin. This day was cold and froze and snow on the ground. The country was hilly. The 8tn day of Dec. we crossed the line into Tennessee and marched about 4 miles into the state and camped there
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for the night. The next morning we were ordered to destroy all supplies, lumber and old tents so the teams could get along and keep up with the infantry. Then we marched Hartsville. There Morgan the Rebel and his army had a fight on Sunday the 7th with the 108th, 107th Ohio and the 104th Illinois and the 2nd Indiana Cavalry. They were nearly all taken prisoners. We passed the rear springs about 10 miles from the line on Wednesday on the 10th We got to Hartsville from there. We took the Gallitin Pike for 5 miles and went into camp where the 75th Indiana were camped at Castillian Springs. We stayed there till Sunday the 14th. Then the three Brigades that were in camp marched two miles further up the pike and went
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into camp. That night we were ordered out at 3 o clock in the AM and formed in a line of Battle. The news came that Kirby Smith and Morgan’s men were advancing on us but this proved to be false. We went in camp there on Monday the 18th day of December 1862. This camp was close to the Gallitin Pike. This is a beautiful part of the country. The land is nice and rolling. We were camped within 5 miles of Gallitin.
There we stayed until Dec. 26th, then we were ordered back to Kentucky in pursuit of Morgan. We had a hard march Saturday, the 27th. It rained on us all day Saturday. We got to Scatesville on Sunday. We went to Glasgow and stayed there till Tuesday morning, then we marched on to Bear Wallow and stayed there over night On New Years night we were ordered out in line of Battle
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and marched three miles and formed in line of battle across the road. We stayed there all night. We were expecting a fight with Morgan. The next day we came to camp and got our dinner and struck our tents and marched to Cove City. Stayed there that night and started on Saturday January 3rd for Nashville, Tenn. on a forced march. Sunday the 4th it rained on us all day.
THURSDAY, the 9th day of January, about 10 o’clock AM we got to Nashville Tennessee. We had a hard and tiresome march from Mumfordsville or Cove City. The distance 100 miles we made the trip in five days and a half averaging about eighteen miles a day. The fight at Murfresborough
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commenced on Tuesday the 30th day of December and lasted till Sunday the 4th of January, with great loss on both sides. We left Nashville on Saturday the 10th of January and Marched 18 miles towards Murfresborough the distance being 98 miles.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11th 1863
We got to Murfresborough. This was a beautiful day, clear and warm. We had a good road from Nashville. There we traveled over the Battle ground. We could see the effects of a hard battle. There was a great many graves, dead horses and mules, Bayonets, guns, cartridge boxes, broken wagons and a great many things that had been burnt up. There was one thousand men supposed to be killed
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on the Federal side and 1200 or 1500 wounded. We got to Murfresborough at 1 o clock PM and went into camp about 1/2 mile east of the place, traveling that day, 12 miles.
MONDAY, JAN. 12th
We lay in camp and Tuesday the 13th our Reg. was ordered out west of Murfresborough to work on the Fort, and worked there that day. We were building a Fort to guard the Railroad Bridge that crossed stone Creek where the battle was fought. On our march to Tenn. we went to Castillion springs. We passed a river called the Last River That Runs Under Ground.
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WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14th 1863
We moved our camp about a quarter of a mile closer to town on a higher piece of ground. That day it rained all day and all that night.THURSDAY, JAN. 15th 1863
We lay in camp all day and it rained hard all day till towards evening. It turned to sleet and snow Thursday night and turned cold.FRIDAY,
It snowed all day and was the coldest day we had in Tennessee. Friday night was a cold night.SATURDAY,
Was a nice day, but rather cold that day. We lay in camp and had no duty to perform.
[Page 9]SUNDAY, JAN. 18th 1863
Was a beautiful day, clear and mild that day. We lay in camp and had no duty to perform except Dress Parade.MONDAY, JAN. 19th 1863 We were on drill forenoon and afternoon. In the evening it commenced raining and rained that evening and night.
TUESDAY, JAN. 20,
It was raining nearly all day. Our Regiment was on fatigue duty that day working on the fortifications. I stayed in camp.
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Murfresboro, Tenn.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21st 1863
Our foraging trains went out after forage, 35 of them and the rebels came upon them and took 32 of the wagons and about 129 of the guards that were with them. About one o’clock our Reg. and the 80th Illinois were ordered in pursuit of them. We marched out about 18 miles but did not get up with them. we stayed that night out and came in to camp on.TUESDAY, evening the 22nd at dark. The next day... the 23rd we were in camp and drilled that day.
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SATURDAY, 24th 1863 Our regiment went a foraging after corn. We got about 500 bushels about 12’clock it commenced raining and rained very hard all that evening and night. we got into camp after dark very tired and hungry, We had our supper after we came in.
SUNDAY, JAN. 25
We stayed in camp that day. I was on guard that was very nice.MONDAY the 26th day of JANUARY
Our regiment went a foraging again after corn that day. It was rather warm but clouded and looked like rain.
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TUESDAY, JAN. 27th
It rained some in the forenoon and towards evening it turned some colder and that night it snowed. Wednesday was a tolerable cold day and it snowed some. We were in camp that day. Thursday we were in camp. it was rather cold that day. Friday was a tolerable day. We were in camp all that day, had no duty to perform but skirmish and battalion drill.SATURDAY, JAN. 31st 1863
Our regiment was ordered out after forage, but came in directly. The news came that our pickets
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had been driven in the night before. It was reported that there was 7,000 Rebels some 15 miles from our camp. So, the next day
SUNDAY, FEB. 1st 1863
Our Brigade was ordered out. It rained the most of the day. They were after forage.TUESDAY, FEB. 3rd 1863
Our Division consisting of eight Regiments of Infantry and six Batteries and about six hundred Cavalry were ordered out on a scout with seven days rations. We made our trip in five days. We took the Liberty Pike for 25 miles.
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We found where Morgan had camped the night before. He heard that we was coming and skedadled. Then we took the Alexander Pike and went a mile to the other side of the road and camped. That night, it rained hard and snowed. I was on picket. The next morning we went on to Lebonon and from there on back towards camp. On Friday, we took a Brigadier General Anderson the Rebel prisoner with several other privates. Saturday about ten o’clock, our trains were attacked by about 150 of Morgan's guerrillas but they soon fled for refuge in the Hedge bushed. It was supposed they got two or three of their men wounded. There was one of our men wounded slightly in the back and two or three mules was crippled.
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About nine o’clock on Saturday night we got into camp all safe and sound. On that scout we took four or five hundred horses, mules, a lot of corn flour, bacon beef cattle and got the Southern mail. Made the trip in five days and traveled about 80 miles. From Febuary 4th to Feb. 17th we layed around camp and done nothing but drill the most of the time. We had cloudy, muddy and wet weather most of the time. It snowed a little of the time. It was as warm as it is in Indiana in March
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FEB. 17th, 1863
We started out on a forage expedition for two days. The first day Feb 17th we had a hard march. In the evening we found plenty of forage so we camped up on a hill in a field and stayed over night. That night it rained hard so the next morning we went on about a mile and filled up our wagons with corn and Fodder. The man that we got the forage off was an old planter. He owned 70 Negroes and a large tract of land. We started back expecting to get back to camp that day but we did not on account of the bad roads. Wednesday the 18th day we camped by another old Planter. He had 7,000 acres of land
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and 100 Negroes, but he was a captain in the Rebel Army and his two sons were in the Rebel Army also. We camped there that night and the next day we got into camp at about 2 o’clock. We were a tired set of boys. We had to wade mud a half boot top deep the most of the time. Well then we were in camp till the third day of March.
MARCH 2nd, We got orders to have six days rations, two of them in our haversacks, and be ready to start the next morning at 7 o’clock on a scout. Our business was to take a Rebel force consisting of 900 Cavalry. we marched that day 10 miles and camped on the side of a high hill. The country here was very hilly and broken.
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Our Division is the second Brigade and the Fifth Division, General Reynolds Commanding the Division and Colonel Hall commanding the Brigade . . .
We were camped that day within one mile of a signal car which was situated on a high hill. You could have a view from the top of this hill of the country for 20 miles with a good glass. They could give signs from there to the court house in Murfresboro 10 miles away. They could also see the rebel camp at Bradyville 6 miles. Thursday night about 10 o’clock at night we were ordered to fall in and march for the rebel camp, to surprise them at day break.
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We had a very hilly road to travel over but we made the six miles in good time. The firing commenced about day light on the picket posts. There was but one Regiment in the skirmish, our Regiment was the one. Co. A F and I were deployed as skirmishers. The firing commenced all along the line and was kept up for about two miles. The Rebel Pickets ran in and gave the news, firing at us as they went. When they got into camp, they formed in line and intended to give us a fight, but found that we were too strong for them so they ran in every direction over hills and bluffs. We did not get a man killed nor wounded. we then gave up the chase and started back towards camp.
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We went about a mile then called a halt and got some breakfast for we had had nothing to eat since the evening before at about 8 o’clock. When we got our breakfast we went back to our camp at Cedar Grove. The next morning we were ordered to the town of Woodbury. This is the county siet of Hannon Co., six miles from where we were camped. Our Brigade started for that place. We took a round about course over the hills and bluffs aiming to get around and cut off their retreat. The Artillery kept to the Pike but they were too fast for us and ran them out before we could get there. That day it rained very hard on us and we had a very hard march. The road was very hilly and the roads in places had little streams
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that were very much swollen with the heavy rain that we had then. We were all cold and wet when we got into town. Colonel Hall got quarters for us in houses that had been evacuated. Our company and two more companies stayed in a Baptist Church that night. The next morning we went back to our Camp at Cedar Grove. On Sunday our Forage Wagons went out and got a lot of corn and came in about 10 o’clock. Then we started back to camp. at Murfresboro. Got there about 11 o’clock in the evening.
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MARCH 18th, 1863
Our Brigade left camp on a scout with four days rashions to hunt up John Morgan’s Army. We marched about 10 miles that day. Part of the time Cos F, I and C were skirmishing over the hills and hollows and through the fields and over fences. We marched on all day slowly till dark. There was about 100 men two commissioned officers sent on to surprise a small force of 70 men supposed to belong to Morgan’s guerrillas. The rest of the Brigade lay in line of Battle across the Pike till they got back. They returned about 11 o’clock in the night. Then we started some fires and made some coffee and eat our supper and laid down on the ground with our arms by our side and rested there in peace till morning. Then we got some breakfast and started on our march.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 19th 1863
We marched on to a little town called Statesville.There there was about 80 or 100 of Morgan’s men but our horses soon routed them without the loss of any of our men, killing one of the rebels. Two of our regiments had taken another road ahead of us and had gone on towards Liberty to where Morgan’s Army was camped. They got there about noon and waited till we came up. Before we got there, Morgan’s man were in the line of Battle Waiting for us to cross the river. We got there about 4 o’clock in the evening. Then we started back on the Liberty Pike towards camp. Went about three miles and camped for the night. Our Cavalry drove two of the Rebel pickets off their posts.
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The Fight At Milton
FRIDAY morning we started on for camp. Got about three miles on our road to a little town called Milton. There we stopped to rest. While there resting, some of Morgan's men were discovered in the rear of us. Our Cavalry rode back and the firing soon commenced. We were then thrown in line of Battle in the open fields. The Artillery then opened on them but our Infantry was soon ordered to the roads by Colonel Hall who had command of the Brigade. It was seen that the design of the Rebel force was to surround us for they were flanking us on the right and left. We retreated as fast as possible under of the Cedar bushes for about half a mile. There was the 101st Indiana Regiment held the right, the 80th Illinois on the left, the 123 Illinois and the 105th Ohio in the center.
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The Rebel force was about 8,000 commanded by Generals Morgan and Breckenridge and Colonel Duke. They soon had us surrounded and general engagements soon commenced and lasted about two hours. Our regiment was in the hardest of the fight. We had 25 killed and wounded out of the regiment. The Rebels acknowledged their loss to be 300 killed and wounded.
SATURDAY MARCH 21st
We got back to camp from then until the 29th we were in camp. Did not drill much. One day we were out on review. The Brigade was reviewed by Colonel Hall Commanding Brigade and General Reynolds Commanding Division Sunday March 29th was a cold and very windy day. That day we had regimental inspection.
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[Page 27 has a sketch of the line of battle and fight at Milton.]
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TUESDAY MARCH 31st
Our division was on Grand Review by General Rosecrans. Old Rosecrans came out very fine, riding a fine horse. Had a very fine saddle and bridle.
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WEDNESDAY APRIL 1st 1863
The order came around about 10 o’clock to be ready to march at 2 o’clock with six days rashions, two in the haversacks and four in the wagons. We did not know where we were going but soon found out that we were going to hunt the Rebel John Morgan and his force. The weather was fine so at the time, Colonel Wilder’s Brigade and two regiments out of our Brigade started out . The first day we traveled about 10 miles, camped over night and started on the next day for Liberty. we took five or six prisoners. Stayed at Liberty about a day and a night then started out for a little town called Rome on the Cumberland River.
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There we camped about a day and a night, then we started on for Carthage on the Cumberland River. Got there about noon and stayed there about 9 o’clock. This is an important place. Our troops crossed the river here. It is the only place close to Murfresboro that they can cross with the ferry boats. There you can have a splendid view of the country for miles around. There is a very high hill perhaps 600 feet high on the south side of the river where on this you can have a splendid view of the country.
>From there we went to Liberty. Morga’'s forces were said to be there but they
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were not all there. There was about 700 there. We took 64 of them prisoners. They looked very hard. They were guerrillas. We then started for camp. Got to camp the 9th Day of April without getting into a fight. The Rebel prisoners that we took was sent to Nashville.
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MONDAY, APRIL 20th 1863
Our Brigade accompanied with several other Brigades of Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery were ordered to have five days rations to go scouting. The point we were to go to was a town called McMinville 28 miles from Murfresboro. That was where the Rebel John Morgan kept his Head Quarters. Tuesday the 21st day of April we got within six miles of that place about noon. We then lay there till 4 o’clock in line of battle waiting for Colonel Wilder's Brigade to get in town and bring on the Attack providing the Rebels stand their ground. Then we were to reinforce him, or if they should retreat we would cover them on the road we were stationed on.
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There we could attack them and Wilder reinforce us. But they took out another road. Colonel Wilder followed them and took 190 prisoners but their being fresh, our forces could not over take them. We then went on to within 14 miles of Tullahoma, they destroyed the Railroad water tanks and two large factories in the town. of McMinville. Then we came back and pursued to a little town called Smithsonville. There we came up with Wilders forces. We stayed there that night. The next morning we started for Snow Hill. The Rebels had retreated there. This is a noted place for the guerrillas to rondevous. It is a very high hill and a few men could hold against a large force.
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When we got there they had retreated to a little town called Liberty. We followed them up but when we got there they has left there also and gone on to Alexeardre. We followed them there. There they said they would make a stand but they did not. Our Brigade and Colonel Wilder’s then went on to Lebanon. There we camped a day and a night. Our Co. was provost guards of the town. That place is a very nice little town and a fine country around it. There is the residence of Colonel Stokes. He used to command the First Middle Tennessee Cavalry but resigned . We then went back to Alexeandre and stayed there that night and Thursday.
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Thursday the 30th day of April we got back to camp at Murfresboro. We were out 11 days and traveled about 140 miles. This was a rather pleasant scout, fair roads, the weather the most of the time was clear and pleasant.
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Camped within 2 miles of Murfresboro on May 15th. We left our camp and moved out on the Woodbury Pike two miles from Murfersboro. We had remained in that camp at Murfresboro for four months. We had a nice camp here. We were camped next to the Big Springs or Boiling Springs Rosecrans’ Division was camped there.
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Note: Issac McFaddin died from his wounds in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Oct. 16, 1863.