The Killing End of the Business: the 27th Illinois at Belmont

Within minutes of going into action at Belmont on November 7, 1861, 20-year-old Private George William Christy of the 27th Illinois Infantry had a major problem: the tube of his musket burst after firing just a half dozen rounds. “I rolled down to where our first lieutenant was lying and asked him what I should do. He told me to get some dead man’s gun. I crawled around a good while hunting for one but could not find one as there was no one killed near me then, and the wounded wanted their guns to defend themselves with. I saw there was no chance there and I jumped up and ran like blazes to the rear, the bullets singing within a few inches of my head and every now and then a cannon ball or a shell from Columbus would come whistling over. I dodged like a good fellow no matter if it was 40 feet above my head,” he related in a letter home to his family.

Reading George Christy’s account of the Battle of Belmont, originally published in the November 22, 1861 issue of the Alton Telegraph, reinforces how green the soldiers were that fought in those early battles of 1861. They had a lot to learn about “the killing part of the business,” but bravery and courage they had in spades and that would serve to carry them through.

Six soldiers from the 27th Illinois Volunteer Infantry posing in camp. The 27th Illinois particularly distinguished itself at Stones River in the bitter fighting near the Wilkinson Pike on December 31, 1862.

Camp Cairo, Illinois

November 9, 1861

          We marched around to the rear of their camp and drove in the pickets when the 22nd and 31st Illinois and 7th Iowa marched to attack the main body. In about half an hour the firing began. Such a rattling of musketry and cannon I never expected to hear. The gunboats began to throw shells into Columbus. When we heard the firing, our Colonel [Napoleon B. Buford] moved us around to the right and within about 200 yards of their camp and we were fired into by the guard. We then formed a line of battle as well as we could with the heavy timber and logs and heavy force of the Rebels in front of us. We fired into them and it would have done you good to see them run. I took deliberate aim as if I was shooting a squirrel, and brought my man the first fire.

Colonel Napoleon B. Buford
27th Illinois

          We now formed to attack a large body that we discovered nearer their camp. The command then given was ‘Forward charge!’ when we started on the run toll we got into their parade ground. We were fired into by thousands of men concealed by logs and trees that they had sat down for that purpose. I saw our boys falling all around me and through they were shot. I fired a couple of rounds on the ridge where we were standing. When I saw our boys on the ground on their backs and in every imaginable position ramming the cartridges into their guns and firing as fast as they could, I discovered my mistake and lay down like the rest. I fired five or six rounds in this position when the tube of my gun blew out. I rolled down to where our first lieutenant [Orson Hewitt, dismissed March 1, 1863 for prolonged absence without proper authority] was lying and asked him what I should do. He told me to get some dead man’s gun. I crawled around a good while hunting for one but could not find one as there was no one killed near me then, and the wounded wanted their guns to defend themselves with. I saw there was no chance there and I jumped up and ran like blazes to the rear, the bullets singing within a few inches of my head and every now and then a cannon ball or a shell from Columbus would come whistling over. I dodged like a good fellow no matter if it was 40 feet above my head!

A burst musket tube courtesy of the Gettysburg Museum of History. 

I succeeded at last in getting a gun from one of our sergeants. By this time our men had fallen back but when the artillery came up, we rallied and went at it again. The killing part of the business now just began. A man was shot down by my side, the ball passing through his brain, killing him instantly. We got behind logs and fired at the Rebels until they began to give way. We then followed them, shotting them down, and getting shot in our turn till we got into their camp. Here was the hardest fighting of the day. I saw a scamp poke his head up from behind a log when I blazed away and put the ball through his head and stretched him out beautifully. We drove them towards their boats and just mowed them down as they were going on, tumbling them off the boat into the river. A lot of us now charged down to the river bank where there was a lot of Rebels firing and took about 300 prisoners. We now tore down their flags, blew up their artillery powder, and fired all of their tents.

Our boys were busy picking up our wounded and plundering when the Rebels were reinforced by 5,000-6,000 men from Columbus. Some of our boys took swords, knives, revolvers, uniforms, blankets, horses, and a great many other things. We now could fight no longer, as we were completely tired down and had no water. My mouth was drawn up and my tongue parched for want of water. I was as black as a Negro with powder. We now thought of nothing but retreating which we began to do as the balls flew like hail. The artillery at Columbus got range of us with their cannon and the balls whistled altogether too close for a man to feel safe. A six-pound shot flew about three feet over my head, striking close by and plowing up the dirt like smoke. The Secesh had now almost completely surrounded us. I was certain we would be all cut to pieces, but we turned in another direction and managed to get around them. We started for the river through the woods without knowing where we were.

Battle of Belmont, Missouri, November 7, 1861

The other regiments got to the boats about two hours and a half before we did. Just as they were pushing off [from the bank], the Rebels ran to the river bank and fired on them, killing and wounding a few. The gunboats [appeared] and dispersed them with shells and continued shelling them after they got into the timber. Some of the shells fell into our midst, but fortunately killed no one. We reached the boat just after dark and got about the gunboat, arriving safe at Cairo with 200 prisoners. The Rebels were well-armed with Minie rifles and muskets, and they fought well. They had their own position and double our numbers and yet, if we could have had some fresh troops to attack them on the other side, we would have whipped them worse than they were ever whipped before.

After the first fight, dead horses, disabled artillery, and dead and wounded men were lying all over the ground. I counted up as many as 16 dead and dying Secesh in one place. Their loss must have been very heavy; our own loss was considerable but how many I am unable to say. It was our first fight and we did splendid. We were all cool and even laughed and joked as we fired. Bill Carter and myself stayed together as long as we could, but we got separated and I thought he was killed as he thought I was. Towards the last, there was no order at all as every man fought on his own hook and killed all he could.

We were dealt out 40 rounds of cartridges on the boat, but I never fired over ten of them as I would fill my pockets with Secesh cartridges. Our company had nine killed and but four wounded. One was shot through the wrist and thigh, another a ball cut between his lips and in the back of the head. Asa Adams was firing when a bullet struck his gun and another just grazed his hand.

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 19, 2021 at 7:44 PM

    Man, I wish there were citations to this. I’d love to know the sources of information.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MastersJuly 21, 2021 at 7:41 PM

      The source is stated at the beginning of the second paragraph: "Reading George Christy’s account of the Battle of Belmont, originally published in the November 22, 1861 issue of the Alton Telegraph."

      Delete
  2. staghoundsOctober 19, 2021 at 8:02 PM

    I suspect that "the tube of my gun blew out" refers to blowing out the percussion nipple, then often called the tube.

    A burst barrel has always been called that. Thank you for posting these letters!

    ReplyDelete

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