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 I.

MY ENLISTMENT AND BEGINNING OF CAMP LIFE.

Whilst my Government was making repeated calls for volunteers, and thousands were gathering into the various camps throughout our states, I could but feel that my country held a certain claim upon me, as well as upon all others; and as the war became more and more desperate, and the contest more severe, the greater were my convictions of duty in this respect. I was then, as I am now, of the opinion that slavery was the cause and the only cause of this war, and as an evil of so great a magnitude must necessarily lead to such a result, I felt that it had to be met, and that in the best way we could; and as I had always been both a political and a religious enemy of this system, and had, time and again, given my voice against it, it was but my duty, as well as the duty of all others of my own views, to defend our principles, when it became the very test of our national existence. Taking this view of the subject, I at last resolved to enlist, and leave all other consequences with God, whose watchful and preserving care is always over His people. Consequently, from a full and sincere conviction of duty, on the 5th day of October, 1861, I enlisted in the service of my country; and I to-day, look upon the moment I raised my hand and pledged myself to "support and obey the President of these United States, and defend the Constitution against all its enemies and opposers whomsoever they might be," (copperheads included) as the proudest moment, and noblest acts of my life.

The regiment I was connected with was the 14th Iowa Infantry, and upon its complete organization we received the following field and staff officers: W. T. Shaw, Colonel; E. W. Lucas, Lieut. Col.; H. Leonard, Major; G. M. Staples, Surgeon; N. N. Tyner, Adjutant. In my own company we had W. C. Jones, Captain; J. M. Moorehead, 1st Lieutenant; G. H. Logan, 2d Lieutenant. As for myself, I received the position of first sergeant, having enlisted as a private. It must be understood that I held this position during the whole of the following history, and carried my musket and stood in the ranks during all of our engagements, while we as a regiment underwent all the hardships which I shall hereafter record in this volume.

Benton Barracks is situated upon a very flat piece of land, but very suitable for a drill camp, for which it was originally intended. The buildings, so far as comfortable quarters for the soldiers was taken into consideration, I think were well designed. Good cook houses, with suitable furnaces for cooking were conveniently arranged in the rear of the Barracks.--As to water, nothing could have been better looked to than the water conveniences; and, no doubt, this was one of the reasons for selecting this piece of ground, as being sufficiently low to allow water to be carried into camp by the means of pipes leading from a large reservoir situated upon an elevated part of the city. This water was, we might say, carried to the door of every cook house, and was in every way convenient. The buildings for the Port commander, and for Regimental Head Quarters were also convenient and well arranged. The camp was well drained, consequently it never remained muddy any length of time after heavy rains and spells of wet weather. Upon the whole, I never saw any better in all my travels as a soldier, and doubt much if there is any better of a kind in the United States. I believe that General Fremont has the honor of getting up this camp, and ordering its erection and conveniences.

In this camp we were considerably put through in the business of drilling, both in company and battalion movements. Here we received our guns, and then the manual of arms had to be learned. This was entirely a new business to me, and my exercises at first were not the most exact in accordance with the military tactics. In fact in this part of military duty I never took much delight, and consequently never became very proficient.

While we remained in this camp, in the winter of 1861-2, we had to go through one of the saddest trials of disease we have ever had in our term of service. Some time in December the measles broke out among the troops, and its ravages were very fatal among us. Out of our regiment we lost fourteen by death; but this was a small number compared with some of the other regiments, which lost from forty to sixty in a shorter time. Our limited loss, no doubt, is owing to our having an excellent physician. I think that among all the regiments I ever became acquainted with, our own appeared to have fewer casualties by death from disease. On the first of January we lost out of our company a very fine young man, Harrison Hall, of Davis county; he died from pneumonia following measles. This was the second death in the company.

But time rolled on; we got the orders on the 3rd of February, 1862, that we had to prepare to shove out, which we accordingly did, and on the 5th we were all ready by day break to march. So far our soldiering was pleasant enough, but the beginning of our sorrows was but to come. And now I ask the kind reader to go with me in the history that shall follow, and I feel confident that you will be satisfied that we went into this work with a will to serve our country, and that furnishes a story worthy to be read by every lover of freedom who delights in remembering the acts of the heroes of this rebellion.

Transcribed and submitted by great great grandson