Grant's Bodyguard: An Illinois Trooper at Fort Donelson

Continuing on last week's theme of brushes with the legends of the Civil War, this week's post features a letter from Illinois trooper Private George M. Bradley of Co. A, 4th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. Bradley, a native of Akron, Ohio, enlisted September 26, 1861 in the 4th Illinois Cavalry and served three years as a Private, mustering out November 3, 1864. 

 Perhaps one of the most noteworthy things about his service was the time he spent as a bodyguard for General Ulysses S. Grant during the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862. Interestingly, Bradley joined up with the 2nd Iowa Infantry on February 15, 1862 and participated in their celebrated attack that broke the Confederate right and precipitated the surrender of the fort on the following day. The charge of the 2nd Iowa will be the feature of my next blog post as I have a number of accounts from Ohioans who participated as members of the 2nd Iowa.

 Bradley's letter saw print in the March 13, 1862 issue of the Summit County Beacon which was published in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. 
Fort Donelson, Tennessee
February 26, 1862
          When I rejoined my regiment at Cairo, they were under marching orders for the reconnaissance that was made down the Mississippi River in the rear of Columbus, Kentucky and moved the next day. You have no doubt heard the particulars of the taking of Forts Henry and Donelson, therefore I shall not enter into a long detail of the many excellent charges made or the coolness and undaunted bravery with which our gallant troops fought but shall confine myself to a few facts that occurred under my own particular observation.

Charge of the 2nd Iowa Infantry at Fort Donelson on February 15, 1862. Trooper Bradley took part in the charge and remembered that "I saw some sights here I pray I may never be called on again to witness. I remained until my ammunition failed, then took two Secesh prisoners that I found lying in their entrenchments and started for camp. I turned them over to General Grant." 
          
    As our company has been detached from the regiment and made a body guard to General Grant, it was not brought into actual service on the battlefield like the infantry, although we were placed in several warm positions while escorting General Grant and staff around the lines (which he used to make several times a day) as he was giving orders to the various officers in command of the different divisions. On one of the excursions as we had been to the extreme right and the General had delivered some important order and we were on our return, having to pass across a clearing within rifle shot of their entrenchments, they opened fire on us and for a few moments the bullets cut the air around our heads very sharp. In as dangerous a position as we were placed, I could not help but laugh out right to see some of the boys dodge down their heads close to their horses to screen themselves from the flying missiles, some taking off their hats to see where the balls had passed through them, but we came out all right except having one horse shot.
Brigadier General U.S. Grant in 1861. 

          At another time as we were returning from the transports (where the General had been to give some orders for the forwarding of several thousand reinforcements that had just come up the river), on the way back the General thought it best to take a nearer road than the one we had come down on. After we had traveled about a mile on it, we came to a small stream much swollen by the backwater from the river. As we were emerging from the timber, I noticed what I thought a breastwork covered with snow on the opposite hill about half a mile distant. We had not proceeded ten rods farther when white smoke curled up from an embrasure, and a dozen voices exclaimed at once “take care!” and simultaneously went the ball with a whiz not five feet over our heads and going the whole length of our lines. The shell buried itself in the bank not more than 20 feet from the General. He coolly remarked “fair shot” and then ordered “about face,” and in a second we were on the retreat on the double quick. But we did not get away so fast but that they gave us another turn with about the same effect.

When a Confederate cannon ball buried itself in a mud bank 20 feet from Grant, the imperturbable Ohioan coolly remarked "fair shot" but promptly and prudently ordered the escort to "about face." 

          
    But this kind of work didn’t exactly suit me (to be put up as a mark for the Rebels to shoot at) without any chance to send them my compliments and as I was on guard on Saturday (memorable as the fall of Fort Donelson), I did not have to turn out with the balance of the company but after they were gone with the General. I got permission after dinner from one of the lieutenants for a few hours to take my carbine and go out. 

          So provided with 40 rounds of ammunition and my revolver in good working order, I proceeded to the spot about a mile distant where the gallant 2nd Iowa and three other regiments were about to charge the enemy’s breastworks. I got there just in time to see and participate in one of the most gallant charges ever made on American soil. They drove the Rebels from their works, pouring a heavy volley of musketry into them as they ran away. We lost about 30 killed and 70 wounded in this one charge; then they had three pieces of artillery playing on our men with grape and canister shot which made sad havoc among them. I saw some sights here I pray I may never be called on again to witness. I remained until my ammunition failed, then took two Secesh prisoners that I found lying in their entrenchments and started for camp. I turned them over to General Grant. Our troops held their position thus gained until the following morning when the enemy surrounded.

Map of the Battle of Fort Donelson from Lurton Ingersoll's Iowa and the Rebellion. Trooper Bradley joined the men of General Charles F. Smith's division on the north side of field and attacked the Confederate right. 

          Our troops proved here that they are equal to the emergency and are bound to crush out this rebellion. They have endured a great deal of hardship on this expedition and all without a murmur. They have lain out on their arms in line of battle for several successive nights without fire and a very small allowance of provisions, and in some instances without blankets or overcoats as they took off their knapsacks before going into line of battle with their overcoats and blankets in them. And for two nights the rain poured down in torrents and still they uttered not a murmur. I remember one night of being sent with a dispatch to General Smith about 1 o’clock at night. After inquiring for some time, I found him sitting by a log fast asleep, worn out by work and fatigue. There he sat fast asleep.
General Charles F. Smith
          
    I have just come in from a rode out to the battleground on the left of the entrenchments where the Rebels charged and tried to break through our lines to make their escape five times and were as many times repulsed with heavy loss. Of all the sights I ever saw, this was the most awful. The woods are completely cut down by the artillery which kept up an incessant firing. In another locality where the two contending parties met in the woods you can hardly see a tree that has escaped the bruise of a musket ball and there the new made graves scattered all through the woods mark where the brave men of the North fell and several long trenches where 50-60 men are buried, all marking the havoc of civil war.

          I sent a small package to Cairo to have it sent home, but don’t know as it will ever get there. In it was a Rebel flag captured at this place by us. Go down and see it if it comes; also a large knife flourished by the chivalrous Southerners and more commonly known as an Arkansas “toothpick.” We are quartered in very good quarters in the town of Dover inside the fortifications as it is General Grant’s headquarters. We have a post office established now by order of the General; it is doing a brisk business, receiving and carrying letters for about 50,000 troops. 


An example of an "Arkansas Toothpick"


To read more about the 4th Illinois Cavalry, please check out Ronald Wallace's superb website: http://4thillinoiscavalry.tripod.com/
Regimental colors of 4th Illinois Cavalry


Comments

  1. Ronald Roy WallaceSeptember 18, 2020 at 12:51 PM

    Thank you kindly for your kind words, please endeavour to spread the word of the brave cavalry soldiers of the " 4th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry" Signed Ronald R Wallace, 4th illinois volunteer cavalry
    Gratefully Signed above

    ReplyDelete

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