Oct. 6, 1864: We are resting today after the severe fighting of yesterday. Our dead are being buried today. Co. A lost 5 men, our loss is very heavy. Our wounded are sent to Rome on the train.
John Newton Prentice, a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War, wrote this entry in his diary following the Battle of Allatoona, which had been fought the previous day.
It was one of many battles he took part in while serving in Company A of the 57th Regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry from late 1861 through disbanding of the unit at the end of the war in 1865.
Prentice kept a diary throughout his entire service. Wanting to preserve history, his great-grandson Doyl Fritz of Sheridan recently transcribed the well-worn books.
The lessons in those diaries are revealing, historically important and priceless.
“This is the infantry guy's view of what was going on, so he didn't have the big picture,” Fritz said. “I'm not a historian. I'm an engineer, so when I read these diaries, I'd have to go to the internet and to find what they were doing at a certain time, and you'd read about a battle. I got pretty fascinated with it.”
Growing up, Fritz spent summers on his grandfather’s farm in South Dakota, but never heard about his great-grandfather’s service in the Civil War until two years ago. While at his aunt’s house in Sturgis, South Dakota, he discovered some of the diaries on a bookshelf.
“She mentioned these diaries that she had, and I thumbed through them,” he said. “Of course, they were impossible to read.”
Water stains and age had taken a toll on the three books, but Fritz wanted to know more, so he began the painstaking process of enhancing them. He scanned the diary pages and used Photoshop to make the entries more readable.
“You know, when you read these diaries, the amazing thing is that they made it at all with what he'd been through — fording rivers and streams and camping out in the rain, marching in rain and snow,” he said.
Fritz later found out his second cousin, also named John Prentice, had three additional diaries in Paw Paw, Illinois. So he made the trip to retrieve them and learn more about the place his great-grandfather called home.
“He had these diaries and some other information, and he still lived in the house that the Civil War John Prentice built in 1890, so that was fun,” Fritz said of meeting his second cousin.
There are five books of the diary in all, with two for the year 1865.
“Apparently, he misplaced a diary for part of [1865], so he started a new one, and then he went back and filled in the first part of the diary,” Fritz said. “It's similar, but seemed like he was writing from memory.”
It took Fritz about a year to complete the project, working on it a little each day. He also added maps, some photos and historical context.
Call To Arms
The 57th Regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry was recruited from various areas of the state during autumn 1861, under the call of President Abraham Lincoln for 300,000 troops.
Company A was enlisted with headquarters at Mendota. Prentice was born May 8, 1842, and enlisted when he was 19. He was sworn into service Oct. 31, 1861.
“I think everybody involved was surprised that the war built to the level it did,” Fritz said. “A lot of people thought, ‘Well, we'll slap them down, and they'll get back in line, and we won't have to worry about this anymore.’ I don't know that anyone predicted the Civil War would end up killing 600,000 people.”
Prentice’s company went to Springfield, Illinois, in October 1861, and from there to Camp Douglas in Chicago to prepare for what was to come.
Jan. 31, 1862: Received a letter from home today. Another month has passed away with all its joys and sorrows.
The regiment, which included 975 enlisted men armed with old Harper's Ferry muskets altered from flintlocks, left on Feb. 8, 1862, for Cairo. Illinois, and then to Fort Henry on the Tennessee River.
The regiment got its first taste of the war during the Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee on Feb. 14, 1862. Early on, Prentice’s diary entries were brief sentences, possibly because his first diary was a smaller book.
Feb. 15, 1862: The rebels attacked us this morning.
Feb. 16, 1862: The rebels surrendered this morning and we are tonight in their camp.
Feb 17, 1862: I find myself in the hospital.
In mid-February, many soldiers, including Prentice, fell ill, making it difficult to muster enough men to perform ordinary camp duties. Prentice went home on furlough from Feb. 25 through April 12 to recover.
It very likely saved his life, as he just missed the Battle of Shiloh on April 6-7, 1862.
It was the bloodiest engagement of the Civil War up to that point, with nearly twice as many casualties as the previous major battles combined. This was the first severe engagement for the 57th, with 187 officers and men killed, wounded or missing.
“That Battle of Shiloh was a mess,” Fritz said. “But luckily, he happened to get sick and they sent him home for a month or the diaries probably wouldn’t exist. He got to Fort Donaldson and then went down to Corinth for the Siege of Corinth and the occupation.”
Returning to Duty
The Siege of Corinth began at the end of April and Prentice’s company took an active part, including picket and skirmish duty, clearing and building roads, entrenching, etc., until the rebels evacuated the city on May 30.
April 29, 1862: Received orders to leave this morning. Heavy firing is heard in the direction of Corinth.
“Corinth was a major east-west and north-south railroad crossroads, and it was a key supply line,” Fritz said. “So one side would take it and the other side would start tearing up railroads. Then the other side would take it back, so they’d go tear it up.”
During this advance the regiment received new Lee-Enfield rifles. Prentice and his fellow soldiers remained in the area until fall, with the Battle of Corinth fought Oct. 3-4, 1862.
Oct. 3, 1862: The rebels attacked about 3 miles from Corinth with heavy force and our Division was compelled to fall back to the town but no farther.
Oct. 4, 1862: The enemy are shelling the town at 10 a.m. A general engagement commenced early this morning and after desperate fighting they are whipped. Our forces have drove the enemy 8 miles and are still fighting.
“They were in the early days, like during the Battle of Shiloh and the Battles of Corinth, and they were using Revolutionary-era muskets,” Fritz said. “They were using archaic equipment before they finally got muskets with rifle barrels.”
In the winter of 1862-1863, communication having been destroyed, the troops at Corinth were placed on short rations, nearly everything in the way of subsistence being consumed before supplies were again received.
Dec. 25, 1862: No train from the north yet and we have to spend Christmas on half rations and nearly out of that.
Jan. 1, 1863: We have drawn all the rations from the Commissary that we can get until communications are opened and that will not last more than two days. We have had some geese for dinner that our boys dressed for the purpose so that New Year’s has not been as unpleasant as it might have been, however it is bad enough.
Soldier’s Daily Life
Much of 1863 was spent in Corinth.
While the Civil War is known for its many battles and military engagements, a soldier’s daily experiences rarely centered on combat. Life in camp required soldiers to drill, stand watch and perform regular military duties.
Prentice spent many days on picket duty. Posted as close to the enemy as possible, the picket was responsible for noting any movements of the enemy and alerting the main line or camp of an enemy attack.
June 4, 1863: Tuscumbia Creek. Am on picket again today. Had a fine lot of mulberries to eat which I found in the woods. It is very wet and rainy today to be out without tents but it is all in a soldier’s life.
Drill also was part of the daily routine. Infantry soldiers drilled as squads and in company formations, each man getting accustomed to orders and formations. After an hour of drill on that level, the company moved onto regimental level drills and parades. Soldiers practiced guard mount and other procedures such as the Manual of Arms, which infantrymen learned for the rifle-musket.
March 26, 1863: Brigade drill this afternoon. Dress parade at 5½ o’clock at which Col. Hurlburt was presented by the noncommissioned officers with a nice photographic album.
Sept. 6, 1863: Inspection at 9 A.M. Dress parade at 6 p.m. I am sitting this eve where I can gaze upon the Old Flag and pleasant thoughts are in my mind. How beautiful that emblem of peace.
When not performing military duties camp life was often dull for the soldiers. To help entertain himself Prentice attended church, wrote letters, read newspapers and letters from home, walked around nearby cities and occasionally dined at the homes of people who lived there.
March 1, 1863: Went to church at 11 o’clock and listened to a splendid discourse from the text which shall be to all people. Went to church again this evening at the music hall.
July 4, 1863: It has been a dull day for the 4th but I have got used to dull days and can stand it I guess.
A soldier's chances of surviving the war were about one in four. However, more than twice as many soldiers died of disease than were actually killed in battle. Many of Prentice’s friends and neighbors fell ill and later died, which he noted in his writings.
“His particular unit was formed from people around Mendota and Paw Paw, Illinois,” Fritz said. “So he knew a lot of those people. You'll see an entry like, so and so showed up at camp today, and somebody else is near death and dying there. They were friends and neighbors.”
Prentice himself also was sick several times thanks to fatigue and a lack of adequate food and water, but he always recovered. At one point, though, so many had fallen ill he was tasked with serving as a nurse.
Feb. 4, 1863: Hospital. It seems as if I have gone out of the service almost to be here and am quite lonesome. It is snowing this afternoon and the ground is quite covered.
Feb. 15, 1863: I am very busy today and was last evening occupying my spare time as Oly is worse and others are very sick. I find that it is not easy work to wait upon the sick in Hospital.
Soldiers also marched for days and weeks at a time to reach battlefields, carrying their entire lives on their backs. Prentice often writes about being tired after a long journey. Toward the end of the war he had to continue on without shoes as his had worn out.
Oct. 9, 1863: We get orders at 1 A.M. to be ready to march at 5 with one day’s rations. Only marched 6 miles and are awaiting further instructions. 5 P.M. The teams have come up with our blankets and 3 days rations. Are camped for the night.
“Many, many days they would do their work: marching, camping, building bridges, building roads, fighting: on just a cup of cornmeal a day,” Fritz said. “They'd make some kind of pancakes out of cornmeal. That would be all they'd have for several days.”
Re-enlisting For More
On Jan. 17, 1864, the 57th Illinois Regiment re-enlisted for three more years of service, and then went on veteran furlough for 30 days. From April 30-May 22, 1964, the regiment marched from Athens to Rome, Georgia, a trip of 221 miles. During the journey they took part in the Battle of Resaca on May 13-15, 1864.
May 13, 1864: 1½ p.m. The fighting has now commenced in earnest and with apparent good success for us but no doubt more severe will be the battle than yet. 7 p.m. The firing has nearly ceased and we have gone into camp. We expect hard work tomorrow.
May 14, 1864: We are at the ferry and heavy skirmishing is going on and quite heavy artillery firing. 3½ p.m. The most terrific fighting is now going on at Resaca. 5 p.m. The heaviest fighting in Resaca has ceased but artillery firing is heavy. Our Co. is on picket at the ferry tonight. It is very cold and chilly.
The regiment stayed in and around Rome until Nov. 10, 1864, when they joined Gen. William Sherman’s March to the Sea. His forces followed a "scorched earth" policy, destroying military targets as well as industry, infrastructure and civilian property.
“I read in a history book that when they were on the march, Sherman didn't want to provision his troops,” Fritz said. “He wanted to punish the southerners for their succession. And he wanted these guys to steal their chickens and their cows and their eggs and out of the garden and everything. That was part of his strategy.”
The march covered 324 miles, and Prentice and his company participated in the capture of Savannah. As the war neared its conclusion, Prentice began to reflect on his service.
Jan. 16, 1865: Savannah, Georgia. We have Battalion drill at 1 P.M. as usual. We learn that Wm H. Sanger is dead. One by one our number grows less and each place is filled by new men. As I look through the Co. I see but few that started out with me. I learn a lesson from this which I never can forget.
Following the March to the Sea, Sherman's army headed north for the Carolinas campaign. On Feb.17, 1865, U.S. forces entered Columbia, South Carolina, and camped about a mile to the southeast.They witnessed the burning of the city during the night. On Feb.18 and 19 they engaged in the destruction of the Memphis and Charleston railroads.
Feb. 17, 1865: After 3 days of fighting the rebels evacuate Columbia and the 1st Division of 16 Corps enter the town and take possession at 11 A.M. The whole Corps cross the river this afternoon and remain for the night. A large portion of the city is burned by the uncontrolled crowd, it burned all night.
Feb. 19, 1865: We move at 7 A.M., return and commenced to destroy more of the railroad. The whole distance destroyed is 15 miles. 3 P.M. move 3 miles off the railroad and go into camp for the night. Get plenty of provisions for supper in the country.
War Comes To A Close
News was received of the capture of Richmond by Gen. Ulysses Grant's army on April 7. Five days later, official word arrived that Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Virginia had surrendered. On April 17, they learned of President Lincoln’s death, as well as the report of terms of surrender of the confederate army.
April 17, 1865: Start out on a forage trip today. Further negotiations are going on at our front. We learn through what is supposed to be a reliable source that the President of the U.S. was killed by an assassin on the night of the 11th.
April 19, 1865: Great news is undoubtedly in store and we are primed to hear all in due time. We believe that everything is settled satisfactorily with Sherman and Johnson. The story of the assassination of the President is contradicted. God grant that it may be.
April 20, 1865: Co. A is on picket. It is a very long, lonesome day. It is again confirmed that the President is dead. We are ordered to be ready to leave at 6 o'clock in the morning.
On April 27, notice of the surrender of Gen. Joseph Johnston's army was received. The Civil War officially ended on May 26, 1865, and the regiment traveled to Washington, D.C., where it awaited to hear what would happen next.
June 11, 1865: Co Inspection at 9 A.M. The day is very warm. We are very lonely here in camp. We do not feel patriotic enough to soldier after the war is over. I think there will be trouble in camp if we stay here long.
“It doesn't sound like he had any interest in making it a career,” Fritz said. “You know, a lot of them stayed in and came out West with Custer and people like that, but he went to be a farmer in Illinois. I'm sure he'd had enough war with what he'd seen and all the friends and neighbors he'd lost.”
The 57th was disbanded July 13 and Prentice returned to Paw Paw.
July 13, 1865: We get our pay and discharge at 10 A.M. I take the 1½ P.M. train and arrive at home at 9 P.M. Find the folks all well. A joyful meeting to us all.
July 14, 1865: Thus I am transformed to a citizen again after nearly four years of a Soldier’s life.
After the war Prentice married and he and his wife Mary had five children, three sons and two daughters. He built a home in 1890 that is still in the family today.
Prentice died June 6, 1912.
Keeping History Alive
Fritz has shared the diaries with authors and historians who have asked, including the curator of the Shiloh National Military Park. Fritz and the diaries also are mentioned in the book “Delivered Under Fire” by Candice Shy Hooper, who lives part of the year in Jackson. She was speaking for a book club in Sheridan and he told her about his project.
“I was working on these diaries, and she got quite interested in it because she was working on a book about [Absalom] Markland, who was responsible for the mail system for the Union Army during the Civil War,” he said. “With these diaries he tracks when they got mail. The mail was a huge thing to keep running.”
He hasn’t yet decided what he wants to do with the diaries, although Fritz is considering turning them into a book.
“I don’t know how wide the interest would be, but I hate to see them not get used,” he said. “It shows some insight that you don’t see everyday with this view of the war.”
