WITH FIRE AND SWORD [Illustration] [Illustration: W. T. Sherman] [Illustration: S. H. M. Byers.] With Fire and Sword BY MAJOR S. H. M. BYERS OF GENERAL SHERMAN'S STAFF Author of "Sherman's March to the Sea," "Iowa in War Times," "Twenty Years in Europe," and of other books [Illustration] NEW YORK THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1911 Copyright, 1911, by THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I 11 My enlistment in the Union Army--The "Bushwhackers" of Missouri--The Quantrells and the James Brothers--Cutting a man's head off--My first adventure in the war--Capturing a guerrilla. CHAPTER II 22 We leave Missouri and go South--The prisoners of Donelson--The taking of New Madrid--"Kindly bury this unfortunate officer"--Quaker guns at Shiloh--The killing of the colonel. CHAPTER III 29 Iuka, the fiercest battle of the war, 217 men out of 482 of my regiment are shot--The awful rebel charge at Corinth--Moonlight on the battlefield--Bushels of arms and legs--Tombstones for fireplaces--One of Grant's mistakes. CHAPTER IV 40 An unlucky campaign led by General Grant--Holly Springs burned up--The first foragers--Some modern Falstaffs--Counting dead men. CHAPTER V 49 The laughable campaign of the war--An army floating among the tree tops of the Yazoo Pass. CHAPTER VI 54 Grant's new plan at Vicksburg--Running the Vicksburg batteries--An hour and a half of horror--The batteries are passed--The most important event in the war. CHAPTER VII 63 Crossing the Mississippi on gunboats and steamers--Battle of Port Gibson--How General Grant looked to a private soldier--A boy from Mississippi--Fights at Raymond--Battle of Jackson in a thunderstorm--Digging his brothers' grave--Grant in battle--Saving a flag--How men feel in battle--An awful spectacle--The critical moment of General Grant's life--A battlefield letter from him to Sherman. CHAPTER VIII 87 Assaults on the walls of Vicksburg--Logan in battle--An army mule--A promotion under the guns of Vicksburg--A storm of iron hail at Vicksburg--The Vicksburg clock--The town surrenders--The glad news--Reading my first order to the regiment--My regiment put on guard in the captured city--Eight days' furlough in four years of war. CHAPTER IX 102 Sherman's army floats across the Tennessee River at midnight--Washington at the Delaware nothing compared to this--We assault Missionary Ridge--An awful battle--My capture. CHAPTER X 111 In Libby Prison--Life there--"Belle Isle"--All prisons bad--The great escape--"Maryland, My Maryland." CHAPTER XI 119