Toney: Jesse and descendants part 2

TONEY

Posted By: Earle & Pat (email)
Date: 11/3/2001 at 22:16:02

Subject: Toney: Jesse and descendants part 2
Date: Monday, May 21, 2001 10:38 AM

TONEY: Jesse TONEY and down a few generations part 2

The next operations were described by the Regimental historian

Champion Hills before Vicksburg, Miss., 5/16/63 "When within three miles of
Champion Hills everybody was of the opinion the rebels had a very decided
advantage. An Aide of Gen. Grant ordered us forward on the double quick. The
boys threw away knapsacks, haversacks, blankets, pushed forward in a brisk
run... The reports of disaster were but too true .... We formed under
partial cover of a hill. As yet the 10th Missouri had not formed. Col.
Hillis, seeing nothing could be accomplished in a standing fight against
such odds... at once gave the order "Fix bayonets - charge bayonet- double
quick -march! The bayonets went on with a clatter and with the old
ear-piercing Iowa yell, the regiment bounded forward, firing as they ran and
driving the rebels up the slope and beyond the crest of the next hill. Again
we charged them, capturing their battery, 178 prisoners and the colors of
the 31st Alabama. The gallant 10th Missouri formed on us and we again
charged at three different points and drove them in utter rout. Thus ended
the battle. The credit for deciding was given by General Grant in person. .
. "
(Company "A" had one slight wound. The regiment had 59 killed or captured -
25%)

The regiment arrived at Vicksburg on 5/20 and on the 22nd participated in
the assault. Being reserves, they lost but seven men. At Fort Hill, on June
25th, they stood off a cannon and grenade attack. Company "A" had six
injured. The regiment had 37 killed. Among those mortally wounded was Wm.
Bird, husband of Mary Ann Toney.

Assisted, by old "General Starvation", the Vicksburg garrison of 30,000
rebels surrendered July 4.. The Regiment moved to Helena, Ark., to support
General Steele's assault on Little Rock. He needed none, so they moved to
Memphis to fit up a rescue operation for the Army of the Cumberland
encircled at Chattanooga, Tenn. They departed 10/10 and arrived Chattanooga
area 11/19. The 17th took the north flank and crossed the Tenn. River.

"There, at midnight, stood 20,000 soldiers, breathlessly awaiting the signal
to embark, below us were hundreds of little boats, on the opposite shore,
apparently but a few hundred yards distant, were the frowning rugged heights
of Mission Ridge. Presently, the signal was given and the soldiers launched
their perilous voyages for we were expecting momentarily to hear the cannon
of Mission Ridge crashing through our little fleet." (in other accounts this
was described as Missionary Ridge)

Battle at Mission Ridge

Near Chattanooga, Tenn. 11/29/63

Lieutenant:

I have the honor to submit the following report by the 17th IA... on the
24th and 25th of Nov., 1863.. I moved my right to the Tenn. River, near the
mouth of West Chickamauga and rested in line in rear of the 5th IA. Inf. At
10 o'clock on the 25th, Col. Raum moved by the left flank toward Tunnel Hill
and we followed the 80th Ohio up the road.. Here we met heavy fire but
reached the base of the hill without casualty. The 3rd Brigade was nearly
out of ammunition. The 17th advanced.. By this time a large number of men
had fallen back from the Reg. Immediately in front! When I had advanced
half-way up the hill the whole right of the 3rd Brigade gave way and fell
back through the 17th and 80th Ohio. We now reached the crest of the
hill.... I discovered a heavy force of the enemy on my right... the left
of their line coming up in our rear on a double quick... outflanked and
out-numbered, I ordered my regiment to fall back... to a cornfield to the
next ridge. Company A casualties: 3 killed, 1 missing. In total, 12 of
the regiment were killed.
C.R. Wever, Col.

On this day the Army of the Cumberland had the middle of this assault. They
had recently been severely beaten at Chickamauga and their reinforcements
had berated them. General Grant's orders were to cross, secure and stop at
the first line of trenches. He watched in astonishment as they continued up
the ridge, regimental colors flying, into the teeth of murderous fire from
Confederate guns at the summit. This charge sent Braxton Bragg reeling in
disarray into Georgia.

Protection of forage trains at Huntsville, Ala. were their last duties of
1863. During their two years, they traveled over 4,000 miles, engaged in two
sieges, 12 battles and countless skirmishes. At Huntsville they numbered
479, down 456 since leaving Iowa.

Next, from June 8, 1864 to Sept 4, they were with Sherman's attack on
Atlanta, Ga. On Sept. 29 they moved back to northern Georgia to protect
their rail link against the disruptive strikes of Gen. J. B. Hood, who
sought vainly to forestall Sherman's March to the Sea. Hood had lost--an
arm and a leg in previous battles, so he had to be strapped to his horse.

Thomas Yosehoff's "Campaigns of the Civil War, Vol. 5", describes what
happened: "Hood reached Resaca on 10/12, and summoned it -to surrender,
saying he would take no prisoners if he carried it by assault. Col. Wever
returned a defiant answer. Hood did not assault, however, because General
Raum's Infantry and General McCook's Cavalry supplied reinforcements. Next,
Hood marched General Stewart to Tilton and Dalton, capturing the garrison at
the latter without resistance. But at Tilton the block-house and little
entrenchment was held by the 17th IA. under Archer and his answer to Stewart
was like Wever's. The little garrison of less than 200 men resisted an
overwhelming force for several hours and only showed the white flag when a
concentration of artillery fire had knocked
the block-house to pieces about their ears.." Included in the debris was
William Ray and 15 Decatur County boys from Company "A"
William Ray Toney went to Andersonville Prison in South Georgia. General
John Stibbs of Iowa City described that prison in an article in the Iowa
Journal of History, Vol. 9, for 1911. He sat on the martial court that
sentenced its keeper, Capt Henry Wirz to death. Andersonville was a barren,
27-acre tract
surrounded by a wooden rail "dead line", then a 20-foot corridor and an
18-foot high pine trunk stockade. Near its top was a series of platforms and
sentry boxes every 100 feet where guards were posted continually with an
unobstructed view. At a distance of 60 paces outside was a 2nd stockade
fence about 12 feet high. Surrounding the whole was a cordon earthworks of
17 guns. All were manned by a continual guard force of 3 to 5 thousand
plus dogs. When the fort was built someone suggested they leave trees in the
stockade and the Asst. Adj. General, W. S. Winder replied, "This is just
what I am not going to do. I will make a pen here for the damn Yankees
where they will rot faster then they can be sent." His father, General John
Winder had the following order, #13 in effect when Bill arrived: "The
officer on duty and in charge of the Battery of Florida Artillery, at the
time, will, upon receiving notice that the enemy has approached within seven
miles of this post, open fire upon the stockade with grape shot, without
reference to the situation beyond these lines of defense. It is better that
the last Federal be exterminated than be permitted to burn and pillage the
property of loyal citizens..." At the time of his arrival there were more
than 33,000 POW's inside the dead line. It was so filled there was scarcely
room enough for all to lie down at the same time. This prison claimed the
lives of over 200 IA. boys. There was no bedding, only rag tents, one
doctor, and the water supply was a putrid mass of corruption. POW's dug
wells 70 feet deep with broken knives and canteens. Bill and two others
escaped one night by bribing the guard with a $20 gold piece. Some say Ery
Ann had sewn it in his pants. He placed it under a designated rock, out of
gunshot range.

koeble@koeble.org
http://www.koeble.org

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