Civil War Journal of Private Joseph P. Hayes, 19th Illinois Regiment

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American Historical Ephemera and Photography

By Cowan's Auctions

Nov 19, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-11-19 10:00:00 2020-11-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American Historical Ephemera and Photography https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-historical-ephemera-and-photography-5894
Cowan’s Auctions, a Hindman Company, is pleased to present the November 19 Fall Auction, featuring over 400 lots of historically significant photography, manuscript material, artwork, and other ephemera dating from the 18th through the early 20th century, including the Civil War. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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• Lot Description
  Civil War journal of Private Joseph P. Hayes of the 19th Illinois Infantry. June 17, 1861-January 24, 1862. 96pp. 7 x 8.5 in. Original half sheep and embossed cloth boards (spine perished, boards detached, wear to extremities). A diary from the private's first moments in the army with details of camp life along the Mississippi River in the early Western theater. Joseph P. Hayes, from Hampton, IL, enlisted on June 10, 1861, and was mustered in a week later on the 17th into Co. H of the 19th Illinois Infantry as a private. The regiment was organized at Camp Long in Chicago, which is where Hayes' journal begins on the day of his mustering in. Hayes was a diligent diarist, making entries, even if brief, every day. While in Chicago, the soldiers enjoyed the city in the summer. On July 4th, the citizens of Chicago organized them a picnic, and Hayes notes it "made the boys feel quite elated." However, there "was not enough provisions brought for much more than one Co...so we spent a very dull and disagreeable fourth." They departed Chicago on Friday, July 12 and arrived in Quincy, IL by rail, before moving on to Palmyra, MO where they were given their first tasks of guarding a rail bridge and picket duty. On July 27 they crowded on to the steamer Louisiana which took them to the St. Louis Arsenal, arriving on July 29th, with several other regiments joining them including the 2nd Iowa Regiment and the 2nd Regiment of Missouri Home Guards. Four companies traveled aboard the Empress on July 31st and arrived at Cape Girardeau on August 2nd, crossing over to Birds Point, Hayes noting that "there is a great many troops here." They moved on to Camp Fremont at Norfolk, followed by Sulphur Springs, and Pilot Knob where they engaged in target practice. On August 27, the regiment began to march through Missouri, first through Fredericktown, Bundys Farm, and on to Jackson. On September 4th, Hayes writes that "the Col. of the 2nd Iowa brought the report of the sudden death of Jeff Davis," though he wisely speculates, "I doubt the truth of the report."On the move again, they boarded the Arizona on Sept. 8th set up on the Kentucky side of the Mississippi, naming it Fort Holt, "in honor of the Hon. Jos. Holt of Ky." About this time, Hayes became ill and was left behind when the rest of regiment was taken to protect batteries and was eventually taken to the hospital in Cairo. Hayes includes the transcripts of his diary entries he made while he was sick from Sept 14-Oct 5, 1861 at the end of this journal, beginning on p.86. He was taken from Fort Holt, to several places before arriving at the General Hospital in St. Louis on Sept. 19. He reports on his health and the movement of his regiment, commenting on October 6, "Every thing is very quiet and lonesome here and I am very anxious to get away from here." He was reunited with his unit and spent much of October at Camp Anderson, KY, leaving for Elizabethtown on Oct. 25th, he muses: "It is a beautiful place. The country is a little broken," and notes the appearance of "The Bearded Woman that was on exhibition through the state lives here and is in camp every day peddling."He spent Nov. 6th and 7th in Louisville going to the theater and staying at the National Hotel before returning to Elizabethtown. He joined a Glee Club on Nov. 11th which seems to be a source of pleasure for him mentioning it several more times throughout his journal. He left for Big Springs, KY two days later and noted that "there is a great many secesh here." They took some prisoners before returning to Elizabethtown. Traveling again in mid December, first to Camp Nevin, KY on Dec. 16th then on to Bacon Creek, KY on Dec. 19th. There he went with "several others to see the wet cave. It is about 1 1/2 miles from camp near Bacon Creek. We went in at the Mouth and explored the first Chambers on the first floor and it is one of the greatest Natural Curiosities I have ever seen. We then went up a ladder made of a limb of a tree the small limbs being cut off short for steps and after going up about 15 ft to the ceiling we crawled through a hole just large enough to admit a mans body. We went through several passages and saw a great many curiosities then descended and went out at the other end of the cave."He reports a scandal on January 5th, 1862: "There is quite an excitement in Camp on account of several sudden deaths in the 3rd Indiana Reg'ts. There was 13 died from Saturday until Sunday night and the Surgeon of the Post (Dr. Blair) and the Brigade and Regimental Surgeons proceeded to Hospital of the 37th to investigate the matter. Col. Hazzard of the 37th ordered ...arrested the Surgeon of the 37th and took possession of his medicines. It raised quite an excitement in camp on account of their dying so suddenly and being burned two hours after their death." Hayes stayed with his regiment and was mustered out July 9, 1864. The 19th IL would participate at Stones River, Murfreesboro, and Chickamauga, though it is unknown if Hayes was present. It appears that he re-enlisted on January 30, 1865 as sergeant, mustering into Co. K of the 147th IL Infantry, mustering out on Jan. 20, 1866. 
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