He [James Wilson Howser] would never talk about his army life
very much, so we have but little first-hand information regarding
it. Knowing that he had served through the entire time with Mr.
J. W. Sumner, I wrote to Cousin Webb [Josiah Webster Sumner--
1st cousin of James Wilson Howser's wife, Frances Carnahan] for
information about their war experiences. In answer, he sent [Martin
Luther Houser] a little old leather-covered diary, and wrote:
'I have concluded to send you the small diary I kept as well
as I could during our ups and downs while in the army. You will
see that it is about sixty-four years old. I just had to jot
down our experiences as chance to do so occurred.
To complete it, I will say that we were mustered out of the
service at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on July 12, 1865. We marched
fify miles across to the White river to get a boat for Cairo,
Illinois and finally arrived at Camp Butler, Illinois, July 24,
1865. Here, we received our pay, and were discharged for Home
Sweet Home.
Your father was one of us through all these rounds. We had
traveled by boats, railroads, and on foot through mud and swamps,
some six-thousand miles. I will just add that we went to Vicksburg
with 900 men. When we came back to Helena and got marching orders
for Little Rock, 250 were all that got in line. Ther rest were
either dead or in the hospital.
At one time, your father was sick in the hospital at Helena,
Arkansas, as was I. Your mother came down to see him, bringing
Louvern, then a babe. My brother, Thompson, came with her. Your
father got able to go home with her; and later, I got a furlo
too.
There were the officers of Company F, 106 Ill. Vol. Inf.
Colonel: R.B. Latham
Captain: Wm. Beezley
First Lieut.: James I. Ewing
Second Liet.: John R. Ash
Sergeants: B.F. Sumner, John Rhodes, A.F. Gordon, H.A. Barker, L. Stackhouse
Corporals: B.F. Smith, J.F. Russum, James W. Howser, Wm. Cartright, W.L.Jones, P.W. Howser, W.J. Martin, J.W. Sumner
Captain Beezley and Liets. Ewing and Ash served all through
the war; and that was something unusual. The Sergeants and Corporals
were promoted during the war. Your father was promoted to Third
Sergeant. I was sorry to hear of your father's death. We
were good friends. Please be careful of my little book. Excuse
my writing as my hands are not so steady as they once were. I
am in my 87th year.'
DIARY
1862 Nov. 7: Left Camp Latham and arrived at Alton, Ill., about
8 o'clock at night. Got aboard steamer Metropolitan for Columbus,
Ky. Stopped at St. Louis, about 20 miles from Alton, for two hours.
Nov. 9: Arrived at Columbus, distance 250 miles; stayed all night;
then got aboard cars again.
Nov. 10: Arrived at Jackson, Tenn., and struck our tents. Nothing
of any note occurred in this month excepting that the hogs and
cattle suffered.
Dec. 6: Moved into the town of Jackson. Quartered at the Court
House where John A. Murrel was condemned. Had a good time here
generally, but things were quiet for a while.
Dec. 15: Quite an excitement in town today. Rumors of Gen. Forrest
marching on Jackson with 20,000 men. Gen. Sullivan sends to Coringh
for reinforcements.
Dec. 16: Commenced to build breastworks. All business houses
closed. No citizen allowed on the streets. Reinforcements came,
and we are all ready for a fight, but no attach today.
Dec. 17: No fight yet, and no hopes of any.
Dec. 18: Increased excitement. Skirmishing in the afternoon.
Reported loss on our side of 100 men and two pieces of artillery.
The enemy's strength supposed to be 30,000.
* * * * *
Dec. 26: Went to Trenton. Nothing of much note transpired the
rest of this month excepting preparations for New Years dinner.
1863 Jan. 1: Had a splendid dinner. All ate hearty and had
a jolly time. We did not do anything for the rest of this month
but forage, which was carried on with life.
* * * *
June 1: Started for Vicksburg. Laid two nights and one day at
Memphis.
June 2: Got on board boat at 12 o'clock. We were fired into
by a band of guerrillas at the head of Island No. 63. C. Beezley
of our company was instantly killed; and three others wounded,
none fatally.
June 4: Landed fifty miles up the Yazoo River, and ordered in
line of battle. Heavy skirmishing on the front.
June 5: Rebel battery opened on our gunboat. Three shots from
out gunboat silenced the battery.
June 6: Orders to march. Started at 11 A.M. for Haines Bluff.
The weather was very warm, and a great many of our boys were
sunstruck.
* * * *
July 4: Pemberton surrendered his entire force of 27,000 men
to Gen. Grant.
* * * *
Sept. 18: Went to the hospital at Memphis, Tenn.
Sept. 27: Tomp [his brother] came to Memphis, and Frank [Francis
Howser] and Wm. Summers [her brother]
Oct. 5: Tomp started home.
Nov. 7: Spent the day in Memphis; went to market in company with
J. Bowen; the assembly was large, and the sales fast; my weight,
152 pounds.
Nov. 8: On guard at the magazine. Received a letter from home.
Nov. 9: My name taken for furlo
Nov. 10: Went to Memphis and spent the day; bought a hat, cost
$2.50.
Nov. 14: Went after word.
Nov. 15: Received my furlo and started for home. Got aboard
the steamer and left Memphis at 5 P.M.
Nov. 16: On my way to Cairo; got on board cars at 1 P.M.
* * * *
Dec. 14: Started for the regiment.
Dec. 16: Arrived at Cairo and got on the steamer St. Patrick
for Memphis.
Dec. 18: Got on Steamer R.E. Hill and went to Helena, Ark.
* * * * 1864
Jan. 8: David O. Dodd was executed today at 3 P.M. for being
a spy. He pleaded that he was not guilty until the last, and then
he owned that he was guilty.
* * * *
Feb. 1: Drew six months' pay, $77.10. Sent $60 home.
March 18: Two men executed for hanging Union men.
Mch. 23: Gen. Steel's expedition left Little Rock for Camden,
20,000 strong. Whipped the Rebs and marched into Camden. Stayed
there until their rations gave out.
Mch 28: Left Little Rock with supplies for Gen. Steel's army.
Went eleven miles and met the army. They gave us three hearty
cheers when they saw the rations.
* * * *
June 25: Ordered to Clarendon. Got on the steamer Platte Valley
and started in company with five other transports and three gunboats.
The Rebs have blockaded the river at Clarendon, about forth miles
from Devalls Bluff. They have sunk one gunboat, taking the crew
prisoners.
June 26: Landed at 9 A.M. Formed in line of battle and marched
out. We found the Rebs posted in the edge of the timber some three-quartes
of a mile from the landing. Had to go through a cornfield to
get to them. and while we were advancing through this field the
enemy opened on us with their artillery, doing little damage.
Company F of our regiment was ordered forward as skirmishers.
By this time the Rebs began to fall back. They retreated to
Piketown, planted their artillery, and let loose at us again.
They soon had to pull stakes and skedaddle, leaving one piece
of artillery. By this time we had advanced two miles, and, it
being very warm, a great many of our men were overcome with the
heat. We stopped here and took dinner, about 2 o'clock, the Rebs
eating their dinner about half a mile away. Was ordered forward,
and skirmished for about half a mile. Then the Rebs beat a hasty
retreat.
June 27: We followed them up, had one little skirmish, then heard
of them no more.
June 28: We had to return to the landing to get grub, having
had but one meal since we left. Heavily reinforced with hardtack.
June 29: Arrived at Clarendon. Illuminated the town by burning
every house in it. We had twenty men wounded, some fatally.
The Rebel loss is twenty men killed and sixty wounded. The Rebel
Colonel Shank had his leg shot off. Got aboard a steamer and
landed at Devalls Bluff at 10 o'clock at night. The country passed
through on this trip was swampy and we had to wade mud and water
shoe-mouth deep more than half of the time. The country was almost
destitute of inhabitants and eatables.
* * * *
July 4: We had a dry old time.
* * * *
Aug. 21: Left Brwnsville for Pine Bluff, going by way of Little
Rock.
Aug. 22: Landed at Pine Bluff, having come 115 miles.
Sept. 12: Corp'l James F. Russam died.
Sept. 23: William Hicks was executed, charged with being a spy.
Oct. 23: Commenced cutting logs to build winter quarters.
Nov. 18: Liet. Col. John M. Hart died at Pine Bluff.
1865
Feb. 10: Detailed as clerk at Deserters Camp. Pine Bluff, Ark.
Submitted by: Aprille C. McKay