ILGenWeb - Civil War Scrapbook - Diary of Lucias C. Runion

Sketches of the Travels and Observations from Camp Fuller at Rockford, Illinois to the end of the War

by

Lucias C. Runion (spelled Ranyon in AGR)

Company K, 92nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry

Photo/bio of Lucias C. Runion

Section 1:

August 11 1862 - Enlisted at Oregon, Ogle, Co. Capt. Albert Woodcock.
August 15 - Went to Oregon to form our new camp and elect Officers, which was as follows: Capt. Albert Woodcock, First Lieut. H.G. Smith, Second Lieut. H. H. Scouville.
August 25 - Our company met at Oregon and was drilled by Capt. Kebels to the 29 day when we went to Camp Fenller on the steamer Rockford and got to camp on the 30 day.
Sept. 4 - Was mustered into the service of the United States service by Allen Fenller and received marching orders the same day.
Sept. 7 - Received 13 dollars in bounty
Sept. 17 - Received our arms, which was Enfield Rifles.
Sept. 19 - Went to the Fair Grounds at Rockford.
Oct 7 - Received 27 Dollars of bounty.
Oct. 10 - Marched from camp and took the cars at town and went to Chicago then by Mich. City & Lafayette to Indianapolis to Cincinnati and crossed the river to Covington the 12 day camped. Two miles south of the city.
Oct. 18 - We received our orders to march and left our camp and marched ten miles and camped on the fairground.
Oct. 19 - Marched 18 miles passing threw the town of Crittenden and camped one mile from the town.
Oct. 20 - Marched 15 miles on a clay road over a rough country.
Oct. 2 - Weather pleasant. Marched 8 miles and camped at Falmouth and the Licking River. There were several regiments. Here they had just finished the bridge over the river, which the rebels burnt, when they made their raid.
Oct. 24 - Regiment left Falmouth and marched some 15 miles over a hilly country and camped at Roberson Station of the Licking River.
Oct. 25 - Marched 9 miles and camped near Cynthiana. In the night it snowed some 3 inches.
Oct. 26 - Left Cynthiana and marched to Paris 14 miles threw the snow and mud. This is a fine town.
Oct 27 - We marched threw town and camped 4 miles from town.
Oct 28 - Marched to Lexington 12 miles marched threw the town and camped 3 miles north west of the city.
Oct 29 - Weather clear and pleasant. Lexington is quite a large city. We passed in site of Monument of Henry Clay. There is a deaf and dumb asylum.
Oct 30 - Counter marched threw Lexington thence 12 miles eastward to Winchester.
Oct 31 - Left camp and marched 16 miles and camped.
Nov 1 - Marched 7 miles to Mt. Sterling and camped 2 miles south of the town.
Nov 2 - Weather cold and cloudy with a little rain. Religious services by the chaplain.
Nov 3 - Co. K messed off into five messes. Col. Atkins is appointed commander of the post. A battalion of the 14th Kentucky Cavalry is near Mt. Sterling.
Nov 4 - The 92 Reg. was out on a review.
Nov 5 - Weather cold and rainy.
Nov 6 - B. Kentrick a member of Co. B shot himself by accident while on guard and died in 4 hours. Today 50 of our men went with 33 prisoners to Winchester and delivered them to the 14th Kentucky Regiment and returned next day.
Nov 7 - Today 30 of our men was sent with 50 prisoners to Winchester and returned the 8 day.
Nov 9 - Tonight the long roll was sounded and the regiment was formed in line of battle but the alarm proved to be false.
Nov 14 - We marched threw Mt. Sterling and camped 5 miles north of the town on a farm of Thomas Johnson, an officer in the rebel army and the man that raised the first rebel flag in Kentucky and got together the first company in the State of Kentucky.
Nov 16 - We received marching orders. We counter marched threw Mt. Sterling and thence toward Winchester and camped on the same ground that we did when we marched to Mt. Sterling.
Nov 17 - We resumed our march and camped 12 miles east of Lexington.
Nov 18 - We passed threw Lexington and camped 3 miles south of the city.
Nov 19 - We marched 7 miles and camped at Nicholasville Making 210 miles that we have marched in one month from the time we left Covington.
Nov 26 - Tonight we received marching orders and the next day we marched 7 miles and camped in a field said to be the first one fenced by Daniel Boone in the state.
Nov 28 - Today we marched 16 miles in marching we crossed the Kentucky River and the Dix River. On the Kentucky we passed near the cave called Boone's Cave. Tonight we camped on the fair ground one mile south of Danville. This is one of the finest towns I have seen in the state. It has a deaf and dumb asylum a state library and two bible seminaries and is the residence of Dr. Brackenridge an Uncle to the ex-Vice President.
Nov 29 - We broke camp on the account of water and marched threw town and camped one mile south east of the town.
Dec. 25 - Christmas warm and pleasant. Tonight we received marching orders and next morning at 3 we was called up and started at brake of day for Lebanon which is 3 miles when we had---???
Dec 26/27 - Marched 4 miles. It commenced to rain and kept it up all day. We marched 15 miles and camped in the mud for the night. At one in the morning we was called up and ordered by the General to march immediately into Lebanon 15 miles to stop General Morgan from taking the place but before we was ready the order was countermanded and we went to bed again and slept until morning. In the morning we was ordered to march back to Danville, which we did and arrived at Danville in the afternoon and camped at our old camp ground.
Jan 1 1863 - New Years Day Started off quietly. Weather clear and pleasant. In the morning we called out by Col. Atkins and Col. Sheets which gave us a speech which was received well by the boys.
Jan 2 - The weather clear and pleasant.
Jan 3 - Changeable and a chance of rain.
Jan 4 - Cold and Changeable.
Jan 5 - Clear and cool.
Jan 6 - Changeable.
Jan 7 - Clear.
Jan 8 - Changeable Received $21.60 pay.
Jan 9 - Clear and warm
Jan 10 - Rainy in the morning & clear in the afternoon
Jan 11 - Clear and pleasant. White H. Weld from Ills.
Jan 12 - Clear and pleasant
Jan 13 - Cloudy and warm
Jan 14 - Rainy and Unpleasant
Jan 15 - Rainy, sleet and hail
Jan 16 - Snow and cold
Jan 17 - Cloudy and cold
Jan 18 - Clear and cold
Jan 19 - Cloudy and thawing
Jan 20 - Rainy and warm
Jan 21 - Cloudy and misty White left for Illinois
Jan 22 - Cloudy
Jan 23 - Clear and warm
Jan 24 - Clear
Jan 25 - Cloudy & warm. We got marching orders.
Jan 26 - We marched 15 miles passed Harrodsburg a town of 2500 inhabitants. Weather cloudy.
Jan 27 - Marched 18 miles. It snowed half of the time today.
Jan 28 - Marched 17 miles, passed threw Lawrenceburg. It is a town of 2500 inhabitants. Weather cloudy.
Jan 29 - Marched 17 miles. Weather dandy.
Jan 30 - Marched 16 miles and camped 2 miles east of Louisville. Weather pleasant and warm.
Jan 31 - At sunrise we marched to Louisville a distance of 2 miles and was put on two steamers, one the Tempest, the other the Angonia. Nothing of interest occurred. Weather clear and pleasant.
Feb 1 - Weather cloudy and warm.
Feb 2 - We started down the river at 2 in the morning. Weather clear. We stopped to coal up at 4 in the afternoon at Conton. There was 10 boats coaling at this place, all of them was loaded with soldiers at dark. We started at dark and dropped down 10 miles and tied up until morning.
Feb 3 - Started at daylight. The river in many places was over the banks we passed Evansville, Ind. about noon. There was 6 boats of soldiers at the landing. We passed the mouth of the Wabash which brought us in sight of Ill. At 4 p.m. we arrived at Smithland at the mouth of the Cumberland River at 10 in the night and we got news that there was fighting at Ft. Donelson and for us to come immediately and we coaled 3 hours and started up the river and at daylight was 60 miles up the river.
Feb 4 - At 1 in the afternoon we stopped 3 miles off Ft. Donelson and stayed an hour then we started and got to Dover at 3 P.M. and stopped in sight of the late battleground. After we landed we went on land and over the battleground where they was engaged burying the dead. I went to a house where the rebels had got in to shoot out of the windows at our boys. I counted over three hundred rifle holes in one side of the house to say nothing of the holes in the windows. I counted 14 holes in one door. Weather cloudy.
Feb 5 - It snowed of day we are still at Dover. Gen. Baird arrived tonight.
Feb 6 - We left Dover at 10 A.M. it is very clear and the trees and hills covered with snow makes a grand sight as I am writing. I can count 20 boats in sight. 6 miles from Dover we passed the rolling mills that our men burnt after they took Ft. Donelson. We arrived at Clarksville at 9 in the evening. We run all night.
Feb 7 - At 8 in the morning we passed the ruins of 3 boats the rebels burnt last month. At about 2 P.M. the Prioress passed us it is the flagship. We arrived at Nashville at 4 P.M. stopped near the State House. Weather clear and warm.
Feb 8 - We left the boats at noon and marched thru the city of Nashville and camped 2 miles south of the place on the Franklin pike. Weather cloudy and warm.
Feb 9 - Weather cloudy and warm.
Feb 10 - Weather cloudy and misty
Feb 11 - Weather clear and warm
Feb 12 - Rainy
Feb 13 - Clear and pleasant
Feb 14 - Rainy
Feb 15 - Clear and pleasant
Feb 16 - Cloudy and warm
Feb 17 - Rainy
Feb 18 - Weather cloudy but warm.
Feb 19 - Weather clear and windy
Feb 20 - Weather clear and pleasant
Feb 21 - Weather cold and raining.
Feb 22 - Weather cold and cloudy. We heard of the death of Henry Russell a member of Co. K. He died at Danville Ky. on the 17 of the present month. Several regiments left today. At sundown we heard the guns at the front near Nashville firing a salute in memory of Washington.
Feb 23 - Weather clear and cool. We got a Louisville Journal announcing the taking of Vicksburg but it is not credited here.
Feb 24 - Weather pleasant and warm. We had a general review of the regiment.
Feb 25 - Weather pleasant in the morning it commenced to rain about noon.
Feb 26 - Weather cold with rain. It rained all night.
Feb 27 - Weather bright and pleasant.
Feb 28 - Weather cloudy and appearance of rain. We was mustered for pay today.
March 1 - Weather clear and cool
March 2 - Weather clear and cool
March 3 - Weather cold and cloudy the 92 reg. still in camp at the same place near Nashville.
March 4 - Weather cold and some snow in the forenoon but it cleared off at noon.
March 5 - Weather clear and cool. The Reg. had orders to shoulder their guns and have two days rations in their haversacks and 60 rounds of cartridges and in half of hour after we got in line and marched to the railroad track about 20 rods from camp and waited an hour for the train that was to carry us and at five in the afternoon the train and in a few minutes we was ready to move off for Franklin 16 miles distance. On the fourth our troops was skirmishing with the rebels near Franklin and today the first brigade of our division under the command of Col. Colbern of the 33 Ind. Regiment, which was camped near Franklin was ordered forward and engaged the enemy seven miles from town and was badly cut up and was drove back to within three miles of town by an overwhelming force of the enemy. Our brigade did not arrive at Franklin until eleven in the night. We stopped a quarter of a mile north of town. We formed in line as soon as we got off the cars and was ordered to stay in place and keep still until further orders. We stayed there until we got tired of it and layed ourselves down to sleep on the damp ground in cornfield. We was not disturbed only by the rain threw the rest of the night.
March 6 - We stayed in the place where we stayed in the night until noon when we had tea, pork & sugar for dinner. As soon as we got threw dinner we marched a quarter of a mile and camped. It has rained by spells all day our train with our tents and camp equipage arrived near night and we was glad enough to pitch our tents in the mud. It rained all night.
March 7 - We are in the same place that we was yesterday. A flag of truce was sent out to the rebel lines to get the wounded and bury the dead but the rebels had buried them. It is thought that the rebels will make an attack on the place tomorrow. We have not heard any of the particulars of the late engagement. It rained all night.
March 8 - There has 45 carloads of soldiers arrived here from Nashville. Our men are takin their sick from Franklin to Nashville. The weather warm and cloudy. We got orders to have 3 days rations cooked and be in readiness to march at a moments warning.
March 9 - We got marching orders at five in the morning. But we did not leave camp until eight in the morning. We marched with our blankets without knapsacks, we carried 70 rounds of cartridges with us. We crossed the Harpers River on the Railroad Bridge. We passed our outer pickets two miles. At about ten our Calvary came up with the rebels pickets six miles from town and drove them before them all day. We passed the battleground of the fifth at three in the afternoon the ground is 8 miles from Franklin. We arrived at Springhill about four then we marched one mile beyond town and camped thirteen miles from Franklin. The Calvary did not drive the rebels much beyond our camp. The two pickets was within 1 miles of each other. The weather was fine all day. At one in the morning it commenced to rain and rained until midnight.
March 10 - At noon we drove the rebels across the Rutherford Creek they burnt the bridge so we could not get across. The creek be high so we camped in threefourths of a mile from the creek and put out a heavy picket.
March 11 - The sun rose clear this morning we was called up half an hour before sunrise and stood in line an hour or two. The rebels could be seen getting their batteries in position on the opposite side of the creek. Our men got some of their batteries in position and sent several shells over to the rebels who answered the compliments several times. In the afternoon our cavalry forded the creek and scouted on the rebels side of the creek but came to find out the rebels had crossed the Duck River five miles from us and they had made us believe that they was going to fight on the creek to cover their retreat across Duck River. At night our company was sent out on picket.
March 12 - Weather clear. We was ordered back to Franklin today and started at hour after sunrise and arrived at Franklin at three in the afternoon. We had with us about fifteen thousand troops including Sheridanís division from Murfreesborough.
March 13 - Weather clear and warm nothing of importance has occurred today.
March 14 - Weather clear and pleasant. There was a grand review today of all the troops at this place by Gen. Granger commanding this here troops at this place.
March 15 - Weather clear and warm there was 70 men detailed to work on the fortifications on the Harper River about a quarter of a mile from our camp. Some of the flowers here are in full blossom the grass is quite green.
March 16 - Weather clear and warm there is 70 men out of our regiment to work on the fortifications.
March 17 - The same as yesterday. The rebels are reported to be in sight of our picket lines south of town. Two siege guns arrived from Nashville today they are to be put in the front on the river.
March 18 - Weather clear and warm. Our cavalry was out scouting in the direction of Springhill and it is reported that they captured 200 rebels, we had one captain of cavalry killed.
March 19 - Weather somewhat cloudy but warm. The works on the fortifications go on briskly.
March 20 - Our regiment was detailed to stand picket for twenty-four hours. The weather cloudy and has the appearance of rain the wind high in the after part of the day.
March 21 - Weather clear and pleasant. One of our men arrived here that was left at Danville sick when we left for Tenn.
March 22 - Weather cloudy and appearance of rain. Our pickets was fired upon to night by the rebels south of Franklin.
March 23 - There was some prisoners brought into camp this morning. Our cavalry has been skirmishing all day with the enemy near Thompson Station the weather in the forepart of the day cloudy this afternoon it is raining. We are ordered to be ready at a moments warning for any emergency.
March 24 - Weather cloudy with rain.
March 25 - Weather pleasant but cold. The troops expect an attack. The rebels under Gen. Forest made an raid on the Nashville and Franklin R.R. half way between Nashville and Franklin and burnt a small bridge and captured nearly all of the rest of the first brigade of Gen. Brands division. They burnt the camp equipage of two regiments. Our regiment was called in line at five in the afternoon but did not leave camp.
March 26 - Weather warm and pleasant in the forenoon but it rained in the afternoon. At five in the afternoon we got orders to march in thirty minutes. Marched to Brentwood a distance of nine miles from Nashville.
March 27 - We are hindered so much in crossing a small stream which we had to wade that we did not get to our destination until after twelve in the night. It rained hard all night so we had to camp in the mud without anything to sleep on.
March 28 - Weather cloudy. We moved our camp a mile from our camp of last night. We are camped in a nice piece of woods. We are sent out here to guard the railroad.
March 29 - Weather hazy and cool. Our company was sent out after ??? today.
March 30 - Weather clear and cool. Capt. Woodcock started home for a few days to improve his health.
March 31 - Weather clear and all of our regiment was detailed to work on fortifications. Col. Atkins is building trenches around our camp. Col. S. D. Atkins commands the campOur camp it consists of the 92 & 96 Ill. Inf. and 6 Ky. Cavalry and the 9 battery. On the 24 of the present month there was some 300 of our men was taken by the rebels near the place we are camped.
April 1 - Weather clear and pleasant. Our company are all on picket today.
April 2 - Weather the same as yesterday except it is warmer than yesterday.
April 3 - Weather clear and pleasant. David Shepherd started home on a discharge.
April 4 - Weather clear and warm. We moved our camp a few rods to give a chance to build a fort where a part of the regiment was camped. They are working on the fortifications today as usual no news.
April 5 - Weather clear and warm.
April 6 - Weather clear and a little cooler. Our company is on picket today. They commenced work on the fort today.
April 7 - The weather is clear and cool. The work on the fort is progressing finely. The people are working on their spring work.
April 8 - Weather clear and warm. Our men was all to work on the fort this forenoon. At two in the afternoon we was ordered to strike tents and march to Franklin. We camped near our old campground.
April 9 - Weather clear and pleasant. The rebels are reported advancing on us.
April 10 - Weather same as yesterday. The rebels advanced upon our pickets at one this afternoon and drove our pickets in to Franklin. They got possession of a large three-story building used by our men as a hospital and got some blankets. Some fifty of the enemy dashed threw town and six of came up to the pontoon bridge within sixty rods of the fort. One of them took one of our Capt. prisoner at the bridge when a guard standing on the railroad bridge some 20 rods from the rebels shot the rebel threw the head killing the rebel on the spot. Our brigade was ordered in line at two in the afternoon and at four was ordered across the river. By this time the rebels had fell back again. We followed them some five miles when we came in sight of them it being nearly night. Three of our regiment formed in line of battle and stood a few minutes and then we was ordered forward some half a mile. It now being dark we stayed in line until ten when the rebels had fallen back and we having no blankets or overcoats with we was ordered back to camp and arrived at midnight. When we was going out we saw six dead rebels and two of our men dead by the side of the road and they was stil laying there when we returned to camp. I did not get the number killed on either side. We lost from 9 to 15 the rebels from 100 to 150.
April 11 - Weather clear in the day in the night it rained some. No further particulars of the skirmish yesterday.
April 12 - Weather clear and pleasant. Our regiment is all on picket today. About noon General Baird went out with a flag of truce and returned after dark. I did not hear what the flag went out for.
April 13 - Weather cloudy no news today.
April 14 - Weather rainy and unpleasant. One of the 96 men was shot last night on picket by the enemy.
April 15 - Weather rainy and cool. Two of our men got their discharges last night.
Our regiment was paid four months pay.
April 16 - Weather clear and warm.
April 17 - Weather clear and warm. Two of our company started home on discharge.
April 18 - Weather pleasant and warm.
April 19 - Weather rainy and unpleasant not with standing the men are at work on fortifications, we have commenced fortifying several hills about Franklin.
April 20 - Clear and pleasant no news today
April 21 - Weather rainy and unpleasant
April 22 - Clear and regiment is on picket.
April 23 - Clear we got shelter tents.
April 24 - Weather clear and warm.
April 25 - Weather clear and warm. Our regiment is detailed to chop down timber to get it out of the way of batteries. We got hats today.
April 26 - Weather cloudy and appearance of rain.
April 27 - Weather changeable. The 6 and 7 Ky. Cavalry surprised a camp of rebels some six miles from here and took 120 prisoners among them nine commissioned officers. Our regiment was ordered out but did not get threw town before we met the prisoners coming in so we came back to camp.
April 28 - Weather clear and pleasant.
April 29 - Weather clear and warm.
April 30 - Weather clear. Our regiment was inspected and mustered for pay.

Many thanks to John Runion for submitting this information.

Section 2 - L. C. Runion Diary *** Section 3 - L. C. Runion Diary *** Return to Scrapbook page