A Huckleberry Frolic at Allatoona Pass with the 15th Illinois

RichardShatswell joined the 15th Illinois in January 1864 when the regimentwas home on veteran’s furlough. He was an unusual recruit- the 47-year-oldMassachusetts native was twice the age of the average Union soldier. Leaving behinda farm in Waukegan, Illinois, he joined the 15th Illinois along withhis son George and soon was on the road to join Sherman’s army in northernGeorgia. The regiment’s first assignment was guarding Allatoona Pass. Theycould hear the guns of the front in the distance but relative quiet allowed themen to focus on improving the defenses and their living quarters.  

“We are encamped on a very high hill which commands the passthrough these hills,” he wrote. “We have little huts built in the side of themountain about eight- or nine-feet square. Three or four men sleep together.Our huts are made of good, planed boards and if you would like to know where wegot our lumber, I would refer you to the frame of a large flouring mill anddwelling house standing at the foot of the mountain. The Rebels destroyed partof the machinery so the Yankees should not use it, but they did use it and intwo or three days after we arrived here, every board and every piece of sidingwas carried 400-500 feet up the mountain and converted into huts for Yankees.”

          Shatswell’s letter describing hisinteractions with Southern civilians and quiet duty at Allatoona Pass firstappeared in the July 9, 1864, edition of the Waukegan Weekly Gazette.

 

Allatoona Pass, Georgia, looking south along the Western & Atlantic Railroad towards Atlanta. "General Sherman considers the place of great importance; so much so that he has ordered it to be held at all hazards," our correspondent noted. His regiment, the 15th Illinois Infantry, was among the three regiments assigned to guard the pass in June 1864. 
(Library of Congress) 

AllatoonaPass, Georgia

June 16,1864

          We left Paducah about the 12thof May and arrived at Clifton, Tennessee on the 14th; on the 16thwe left and took our line of march across the country for nearly 300 miles byway of Pulaski, Tennessee, Decatur, Huntsville, Somerville, Warrinton, and CedarBluffs, Alabama. We have at length arrived here at Allatoona Pass which we arenow guarding.

The country through which we have passed is mountainous mostof the way and poor tillage land but found most excellent water in abundance, agreat blessing to soldiers on the march. The inhabitants appear very destituteand are anxious for peace on any terms and they say if our soldiers don’tconquer the Rebels soon and bring provisions into the country, they must soonstarve. This appears to be the feeling of the poor class all along the road andI think they mean it as there are families around where we are now camped thatdo not know where to get their next meal.

When we arrived at Cartersville, Georgia, the inhabitantsseemed to be as glad to see us as our own folks would be to see us come home.They cursed Jefferson Davis and the whole Confederate crew and wanted to seethe stars and stripes waving over the whole land once more. A good part of theemployees on the railroad are citizens of this part of the country. But theYankees are a great wonder to them; they say they never saw such people andthat the Yankees can do anything for what has appeared to them asinsurmountable, the Yankees overcome quite easily.

Allatoona Pass looking north towards the hill where the first picture in this blog post was taken. 

For example, when we were coming to Raccoon, Sandy, andLookout Mountains in Alabama, the inhabitants told us we could not pass themountains for when they went that way they had to take their light wagons apartand take them down the other side of the mountain in pieces, but we got oursover the three mountains safely with the exception of three or four thatcapsized after dark. Ours were large six mule wagons, heavily loaded withprovisions and ammunition for the 17th Army Corps.

When General Sherman was coming through, the citizens toldhim he never could pass through Allatoona as Johnston had made it absolutelyimpregnable, but Sherman went through and if Johnston had not skedaddled, hewould have been caught in his own trap and now they say when Sherman getswithin 7 miles of Atlanta, he will get whipped but time will tell whether hewill or not. To show you how Sherman hurries matters, I will state that most ofthe timber for the railroad bridge across the Chattahoochee River is alreadyout and ready for framing. It lies now at the foot of this mountain along therailroad and the probability is that three days after Sherman crosses theriver, the bridge will be up and the cars across as he keeps his communicationopen as fast as he goes.

Private George P. Shatswell
Co. I, 15th Illinois Inf.

We are encamped on a very high hill which commands the passthrough these hills. Up and down, we have our cannons in position on top of thehill and our rifle pits finished as there has lately been a depot for militarystores established here. General Sherman considers the place of greatimportance; so much so that he has ordered it to be held at all hazards and the14th Illinois, 15th Illinois, and 53rdIllinois regiments are guarding it and as they are mostly veterans and wellknown to Sherman, I presume they will do their duty.

The weather is nice and cool in these mountains and we havethe best of water, a great blessing in this climate. We have little huts builtinto the side of the mountain about eight- or nine-feet square. Three or fourmen sleep together. Our huts are made of good, planed boards and if you wouldlike to know where we got our lumber, I would refer you to the frame of a largeflouring mill and dwelling house standing at the foot of the mountain. TheRebels destroyed part of the machinery so the Yankees should not use it, butthey did use it and in two or three days after we arrived here, every board andevery piece of siding was carried 400-500 feet up the mountain and convertedinto huts for Yankees.

          We can hear every discharge of Sherman’scannons and see the smoke and ever since daylight today the discharges havebeen more frequent than heretofore. My son George was out to the frontyesterday to see the 96th Illinois boys. They were in excellentspirits and had full faith in Sherman’s ultimate success and they gain someground every day. George came back on the cars with 600-700 Rebel prisoners. Heknew several as they were the same ones Grant paroled at Vicksburg. They saidif we took Atlanta, they though the soldiers would not fight as they had butwould become disheartened and give up.

Yoursrespectfully,

RichardShatswell, 15th Illinois Infantry

P.S. If anyof your friends wish for a huckleberry frolic, by taking a trip down here theycan get all they want as the hills are covered with them.

Source:

Letter fromPrivate Richard Shatswell, Co. I, 15th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, WaukeganWeekly Gazette (Illinois), July 9, 1864, pg. 2