Presents Excerpts from the 1863 published book by F. Kiner

ONE YEAR’S SOLDIERING

EMBRACING

THE BATTLES

OF

FORT DONELSON AND SHILOH

By F. F. KINER

CHAPLAIN FOURTEENTH IOWA INFANTRY

CHAPTER V.

OUR TRIP TO CORINTH, MISS., MEMPHIS, TENN. AND MOBILE, ALABAMA

At half past five o’clock, April 6th, 1862, we were prisoners of war, but not without having first done our duty; and we felt clear of any reproach that any one might feel disposed to lay upon us. Though we were in rebel hands, we felt that the stigma of cowardice could not be attached to us as to those who deserted us and our country’s cause, and sought only to save their lives at the risk of the defeat of our army on that day. But before I pass to give our journey South, let me say, that when we were taken, to all appearances the day was considerably against our army, and it is my firm conviction that our holding out to the last, even until surrounded and captured, was the safety to a great extent of Grant’s army; for, holding in check the enemy in the centre till a late hour in the evening, gave time for our forces to arrange another line of battle in our rear, and by the time we were taken off the field, it was too late for the enemy to commence a heavy engagement that night again. By this delay, Gen. Buell with reinforcements had time to get to Grant’s assistance, which he did, and thus the next day the tide of the battle was changed in our favor. If it is true that our capture, or holding out to the last, assisted in securing the safety of the Union army, and hence the ultimate defeat of the enemy, I shall never regret my fate, though it fills the saddest period of my life.

As soon as daylight made its appearance, we were called up into line and counted, upon which it was ascertained that we had over two hundred of our own regiment. The following is a list of all the commissioned officers:--Col. W. T. Shaw; Lieut. Col. E. W. Lucas; Adjt. N. N. Tyner; Captains R. D. Emerson, J. O. Shannon, J. H. Newbold, E. A. Warner, W. C. Jones, and W. J. Campbell; 1st Lieutenants J. S. Agy, W. Gallagher, W. H. Calkins; 2nd Lieutenants Smith Thompson, W. B. Davidson, W. H. Dodds, S. F. Eckels, L. A. Crane, G. H. Logan, C. P. King.

The list of the company to which I belonged, including the commissioned officers Capt. W. C. Jones and 2nd Lieut. G. H. Logan, stood as follows: F. F. Kiner, I. N. Rhodes, M. Rhodes, I. Mitchell, Sergeants; U. McNeeley, G. M. Smith, J. E. Savage, J. Hartman, B. Chandler, and G. W. Grant, Corporals; The privates were: W. L. Bearden, David C. Beaber, H. Beaber, N. Britenham, W. H. Brooks, H. C. Beyer, R. Chandler, J. Campbell, M. Foot, I. Campbell, E. H. Gossett, J. Jay, H. H. Jones, Dennis Hummell, E. B. Holt, J. E. Mitchell, G. Nutton, R. L. Roland, D. Rainey, J. Saum, A. B. Saum, L. W. Sutton, G. Swinney, H. Saint, D. Smith, H. Turner, J. Whitmyer, C. C. White, P. Cloonan and T. Barton. To the best of my knowledge there were about 2200 to 2500 prisoners in all taken that day, and among that number was Gen. B. M. Prentiss. General W. H. L. Wallace, who commanded our division, was killed on the field. The slaughter was indeed great upon both sides, the ground being strewn with the dead and wounded for miles. I never desire to see another such sight of slaughtered men.

But to pass on. On the morning of the eighth we found ourselves on our way to Memphis. As we passed the various stations large crowds were generally assembled to see the Yankee prisoners; the news of our capture had already gone in advance of us, and very much exaggerated too; they had reported sixteen thousand prisoners, when it was in fact but little over one eighth of that number; but that was but a slight mistake for a rebel to make in the way of falsehoods; for a man who would perjure himself after taking the oath of allegiance as an American citizen, could report any thing. After allowing us time to go through a thorough exhibition at one station, we were carried along to another. However, numbers along the road gave us credit for being brave men, saying that they had paid dearly for us.

We got into Memphis a little before dark, and you may be sure there was a large crowd at the depot to see us; but after they had been gratified with the sight, our officers were taken from us, and many of them we never saw again until after our exchange and release from prison. The non-commissioned officers and privates were taken to separate buildings from the commissioned officers. But before we got into our quarters we had to suffer another wetting, this being the third night we were in heavy rains, with nothing to eat worth naming; and it began to tell with sad effect upon our physical health.

Transcribed and submitted by great great grandson

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