Excerpt of transcription of Isaac Huntting’s Journal made by Ann Haviland Amadori, September 2010 … of a photo copy, made in July of 1975, of a “handwritten journal by Isaac Huntting (1825-1910)”, then owned by the Pine Plains Historical Society of Dutchess County, New York.

Isaac Huntting speaks of himself in the third person in several places in his journal.

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… In August 1862 he was commissioned Major in the 21st Michigan Infantry Volunteers then in preliminary camp at Ionia Mich. the commission to rank from Aug 21st. He was mustered in the camp at Ionia Sept 4, 1862 by Capt. James McMillin of the 2d United States Infantry assistant mustering officer.

Friday Sept 12th at 8 AM the regiment left Ionia for Detroit, arriving there at 4 PM via Detroit and Milwauky [sic] RR. The regiment left Detroit at 8 PM the same day in two divisions for Cincinnati via Toledo he being in command of one division of six companies. His train collided with a fast train at the crossing of the Michigan Southern RR without injury to anyone, the engines only coming together, one of them thrown on end upright. We arrived safely at Cincinnati and with the other companies of the regiment crossed the Ohio and camped at Covington opposite Cincinnati. Three days later the regiment was ordered to Louisville, Ky he having charge of two companies by rail, the other companies going by boat.

Arriving at Louisville the regiment united in companies camped two miles southwest of the city by the side of the Louisville and Nashville RR. General Bragg the confederate had invaded Kentucky and there was a great scare in Louisville. Major Genl. Nelson then in command on Sept 22, 1862 ordered all the citizens to cross the river to Jeffersonville Indiana and there was rushing in hot haste.

There was also great commotion in the army for a week or more. Genl. Nelson was shot and killed at the Golt House by Colonel Jeff Davis and changes of officers in all the regiments were talked of, Colonels to Brigadiers and so on all for an upgrade. Finally Genl Don Carlos Buel came in from Nashville with his army, and was given command by order of the war department which settled all controversies.

Bragg did not reach Louisville and returned south. The Union army under command of Genl. Buel pursued and a battle occurred at Perryville (called also Chaplin Hills) on the 8th of October 1862. In regard to this battle Major Huntting sent a letter to his father written at Dix River Oct 16, 1862. This was 112 miles from Louisville.

“I have not been able to write you since the battle of Perryville being in the service and on the march every day since. It was a big battle. It covered two or three miles of our front, and on going over the field the second day after the battle the dead rebels and horses here and there told how severely the ground had been contested. I witnessed the canonading [sic] and musketry the most of the day.

About 4 PM 5000 rebels advanced upon our two batteries of eight guns which we were supporting. They advanced to within eight rods of the guns and these and the muskets were terrific in their slaughter. They were driven back from three attacks with heavy loss. The great mistake in my opinion was in not following close upon them. We might have captured a large portion of them and completed our victory. Something wrong here somewhere. Our army generally has but little confidence in Buel as a true union man.”

Proceedings in court martial were instituted against Genl. Buel soon after this battle. In a later letter on Nov 6, 1862 written to his father Major Huntting again refers to this battle and to the court martial of Genl. Buel as follows;

“The McCooks of Ohio are men of influence politically. Several of them are in the army and acquainted with president Lincoln and Stanton. One of the McCooks commanded a brigade in the battle of Perryville and Genl Buel failed to support or reinforce him at his repeated urgent calls for assistance when 30,000 or 40,000 union troops were a short distance back in the valley and idle. The result was McCook was driven back by superior numbers and suffered terribly. I saw the whole movement during the fight from 2 PM until dark. Genl. Mitchell, better known at this time as “Kansas Mitchell” as he had fought in Kansas, was in command of a brigade next to ours, and about 2:30 PM he and staff were a little distance from me watching the attack on McCook about three fourths of a mile away. I rode up to them and as McCook was driven back and overwhelmed Genl Mitchel exclaimed “what a shame that is. To see those men slaughtered when down there” pointing to the valley “are 30,000 men with stacked arms. I can’t understand it”.

After we drove the rebels back who were charging upon us and our batteries - Genl Sheridan was in command of our brigade - he turned his guns upon the rebel battery which was pouring into McCook’s men. It was about three fourths of a mile from us and our shells were so well sent as to drive the rebel battery from the field. It was fine practice and occurred about sundown. McCook felt outraged and can get two thirds of the colonels in the army to go with him. I can’t see how Genl Buel can get out of it. He claims to have known nothing about the fight until 5 PM that day. It was nothing but manslaughter.” (Note = Buel was held soon after to court martial and Genl Rosekrans appointed his successor. This was Buel’s last battle.)

The army remained in camp at Dix or Dicks River four days. On the 20th left camp returning to Danville Ky where it took the Lebanon Pike for Bowling Green and Nashville. At Rolling Fork six miles south of Lebanon Ky Major Huntting had an aggravated attack of an old chronic liver trouble and was obliged to leave the army. He went to Lebanon and secured lodgings with a citizen there named Brennan where one or two invalid soldiers of our army were quartered. He called a physician resident of that place, a Doctor Happer an elderly man and kind who seemed to be a good family physician. He prescribed wine and other tonic as temporary restoratives for my complaint was deep seated. I was there six days and meanwhile Col. Benjamin Smith and his wife called on me, his regiment the 2d Mich. Cavalry was in this army at that time. I was able to take the cars for Louisville via Mumferdsville [sic] where it was necessary to change cars. He arrived in Louisville Nov 1, 1862 and took lodgings at the “Arnisby House” and put himself under the care of a Doctor Cook a resident physician of Louisville. He diagnosed the disease “chronic hepatitis”. It was accompanied with fever and night sweats and general debility. He remained here about six weeks when he returned to his regiment then at Nashville Tenn. He left Louisville Dec 12,1862 in command of a squad of soldiers and arrived at Nashville in the evening of the same day. Turned the squad over to the proper military authorities and spent the night at the “City Hotel” and the next day joined his regiment about seven miles south of the city.

Friday December 26 1862 the army of the Cumberland under command of Maj. Genl W. S. Rosecrans left camp seven miles south of Nashville for Murfreesboro, Tenn. Major Huntting’s regiment was in Genl Sheridan’s division which was composed of three brigades, 1st Brigade. 36th Illinois 88 Ill. 24. 21st Mich 2d Brigade 2d and 15th Missouri 44th and 73rd Ill. 3 Brigade 22d 27th 42d 51st Ill.

These brigades made Genl Sheridans division and left camp at above date for general army, at 7:30 AM on the Nolansville pike for Murfreesboro where at Stone River Dec 31, 1862 at about 6 AM commenced the battle of Stone River or Murfreesboro, the two names for one battle. Sheridan’s division was in the center of the main battle line. Jeff C. Davis division (who shot Genl Nelson at Louisville) joined Sheridan on the right and Genl Johnson division to the right of Jeff Davis, Johnson being the extreme right of the line. The attack commenced on Johnson about 6 AM whose line was broken and he was driven back in confusion. Davis’ division was next compelled to fall back as the rebels had flanked around to his rear, leaving Sheridan the center pivot on which the right wing was swinging around to his rear. His three brigade Generals, Sill, Shaffer and Roberts were killed before 10 AM. The 21st Michigan regiment (Major Huntting) was in Genl Sills brigade and supported and saved a battery on the extreme left of Sheridan’s division which was the pivot point of that days fight. In a letter to his father soon after the battle under date January 7, 1863 Major Huntting writes -

“I can only write you now that I am alive after the hardest battle in the west. Our regiment went into battle with 275 men had 84 wounded including seven officers and 18 killed the greatest loss of any regiment in proportion to numbers of men. Genl Rosecrans admitted that our division (Sheridan’s) saved the army”. A few days later January 15th, in a letter to his father he writes from “Camp on Stone River two miles south of Murfreesboro. I think I wrote you since the great battle of Murfreesboro or at some time I can’t define now. I will now mention again that we were in the thickest of it and the old soldiers of Shiloh say that was not equal to this. I cannot be particular in description now. Our regiment of 275 men fought well. We saved a battery of six guns which the brigade commander makes special mention of, fighting and standing our ground against almost over whelming numbers. How any of us escaped is a miracle. Our flag received 27 bullet holes, and one through the center of the staff. We were almost surrounded but escaped retreating to supports.”

General Sill in command of the first brigade (Sheridan’s division) in which was the 21st Michigan (Major Huntting’s) was killed by a minnie [sic] ball entering his face in front passing out at the base of the brain about 7 AM at the commencement of the battle and the command of brigade came to Col Greisel [Greusel?] of the 36th Illinois. In his report to Genl Sheridan of his command during the battle he writes “About this time (7 o’clock AM) while directing the movements of the brigade our brave General Sill was struck in the face with a musket ball and instantly killed. I then received your order to take command of the brigade. The enemy having turned our right and again advancing in force, I moved to the rear with the 24th Wisconsin and 88th Illinois across the road where I formed on the left of the 88th Indiana leaving the 21st Michigan to support Hiscock’s battery, where they were assailed by great numbers of the enemy, but held their ground until the battery was moved, when they retired in good order losing heavily in killed and wounded.”

The exposure during this three days battle and the inclement weather immediately following , brought on a return of his chronic malady. From the nature of the disease he was convinced he could not stand exposures incident to army life. If not able to be in the field he would not be a tax on the government by going to an invalid camp or hospital and at the same time draw pay. So after several days confinement to his tent by illness he sent in his resignation January 13th, 1863 which was accepted January 23rd. In his diary under the date Sunday January 25th is this entry. “Resignation papers received this morning dated January 23rd. Thus endeth my service in the field for my country. I hate to part with the Crove boys with whom so many hardships and dangers have been passed together. Past sufferings have cemented us, past dangers now make us rejoice in our present safety. My country ‘tis for thee sweet land of liberty. Long live the 21st.”

Colonel A. A. Stevens who was in command of the regiment at its first organization was taken ill soon after leaving Nashville for Murfreesboro, and returned to Nashville, leaving Lieut Col William B. McCreary in command of the regiment during the battle of Murfreesboro. On Major Huntting’s leaving he presented him this letter -

“Head Quarters 21st Michigan Infantry.
Camp of Stone River January 26, 1863.
Major Isaac Huntting
Major,

I am pained to learn that from long continued ill health brought on by exposure and hardship in the service you have felt it your duty to resign your commission and return to your home in Michigan. Our acquaintance formed in the camp and at the bivouac fires, has been and always will be a source of great gratification to me. Upon the bloody field during the recent engagement in front of Murfreesboro we stood shoulder to shoulder with our gallant 21st, and in you I found an officer willing and ready to perform every duty, even though its performance might lead to certain death.

“Trusting that again enjoying the comforts of domestic life you may speedily regain your health, and that we may be able soon again to continue our acquaintance in peace and quiet in our much beloved state, I remain Major yours very truly Wm B. McCreary. Lieut Col Commanding 21st Michigan Infantry.”

He returned to Michigan a physical wreck accompanied with jaundice and chronic diarrhea, which made a diet of oat meal gruel for six months imperative. Health and strength came gradually and in 1876 he came to Pine Plains Duchess County and commenced gathering data for local history in this part of the country. …

Isaac Hunting