The Sioux City Journal, September 17, 1901 (Photo of Civil War veteran)

The Sioux City Journal, September 17, 1901

THE BOYS IN BLUE OF ‘61

JOHN HORNICK 

John Hornick enlisted at Ottawa, Ill., August 3, 1861, in Company E. Twenty-sixth Illinois, commanded by Capt. J. S. Lothrop, now a comrade of Mr. Hornick in Gen. Hancock post in Sioux City.  Mr. Hornick was mustered out August, 1864, on the battle line in front of Atlanta, having participated with his company in twenty-eight engagements. 

On the march from Memphis to Chattanooga, during the fall of 1863, with the army of the Tennessee, in command of Gen. Sherman, the army was en route to Chattanooga to relieve Gen. Rosecrans’ army after the battle of Chickamauga and to participate in the battle of Missionary Ridge.

The army drew no rations on this campaign, but subsisted on the country, and the soldiers were supposed to forage for their daily wants.  Comrade John Hornick conceived the idea of pressing into the service of the mess an Old Bull (animal.)  The bull was turned over to the mess cook, a colored boy, to carry the mess outfit, such as camp kettles, coffee pot, etc., and also what the boy could pick up during the day, such as chickens, pigs, sweet potatoes and anything that could be digested; in addition to the foregoing articles the boy was to gather forage for the bull and when loaded the bull looked more like a load of straw than an animal.

One morning as the regiment fell into a line to take up its march near Huntsville, Ala., Col. Loomis and staff, commanding brigade; Gen. Hugh Ewing and staff, commanding division, and Gen. Sherman and staff, were reported coming up the line to review the brigade.  The animal was loaded with his outfit of what was left from supper and breakfast, ready for the march directly behind the company, but in order that it might face the reviewing party the regiment was ordered to about face.  This moved placed the bull outfit and the colored boy in front of the regiment and directly in the path of Gen. Sherman.

The regimental commander took in the situation and dispatched an orderly, giving orders to Capt. Lothrop to get the bull out of the way.  He said,  “Get that cussed brute out of the way.”  Captain Lothrop gave an order to the company to right wheel.  This left an opening in the ranks, and with the assistance of the points of a couple of bayonets the bull and the boy were induced to double quick through the ranks in the rear of the company. 

The company passed a respectable review, but it was noticed that the General smiled broadly as he passed, while the boys of the regiment were so boiling over with the fun of what they termed ‘Sherman’s review of Company E’s bull’ that as soon as the officers had passed they broke into shouts of laughter.