eHistory's Civil War Newsletter A Free Monthly Newsletter Issue Date: December 2002 http://www.ehistory.com
***************CONTENTS***************
**Feature: Susan Baker King Taylor, Reminiscences Of Life With The 33d Us Colored Troops By Kimberly J. Largent
**For The Record: Dr Ebenezer Swift's Account Of General William Rosecrans' Actions On The First Day Of Murfreesboro
**On The Battlefield
********************************************* Susan Baker King Taylor, Reminiscences Of Life With The 33d Us Colored Troops by Kimberly J. Largent ********************************************* Susan Baker King Taylor Born: 6 August 1848, Liberty County, GA Death: c. 1904
Susan Baker King Taylor didn't live like most Negro women of the Civil War. Because of that fact, for years following the war the Grand Army of the Republic and the Women's Relief Corps repeatedly urged her to write her memoirs. Her family and friends even supported the notion. But it wasn't until a man whom she highly respected lent his support to the idea that Susan undertook the task of putting pen to paper. The man was Colonel Charles Tyler Trowbridge, a man who it is believed was the first person to enlist colored soldiers during the Civil War.
Susan was born under Georgia Slave Law to parents Hagar Ann and Raymond Baker in Liberty County, GA on a farm that belonged to the Grest family. When she was seven, she remembers being sent to Savannah, along with her brother, to live with her grandmother. Once settled there, she tells of being secretly schooled by a freed Negro by the name of Mrs Woodhouse. "We went every day about nine o'clock, with our books wrapped in paper to prevent the police or white persons from seeing them. We went in, one at a time, through the gate, into the yard to the L kitchen, which was the schoolroom. [Mrs. Woodhouse] had 25 or 30 children whom she taught, assisted by her daughter Mary Jane." Susan was an excellent scholar and within a short amount of time, she'd become a skilled reader and writer. She was then sent to study under another Negro named Mary Beasley where she continued her studies until May 1860 at which time Mary stated she had taught Susan all that she knew.
In April 1862, when the Federals were firing upon Fort Pulaski, she was sent back to the country to be with her mother. The arrangement didn't last long for two days later, after the fort was overrun by Yankees, she accompanied her uncle and his family to St Catherine Island where they landed under protection of the Union fleet. They remained there for two weeks before being boarded onto a Federal gunboat to be transferred to St Simon's Island, an island inhabited by about 600 Negro men, women and children. She remembers this moment in her life with great clarity, "At last, to my unbounded joy, I saw the 'Yankee'."
Word quickly spread among the Yankees on St Simon's Island of Susan's education. Commodore Golds asked her if she would take charge of the school for children who were living on the island. She agreed. It was during this time that Susan met and married Edward King, a man who was just as educated as she was.
In August '62, General Hunter, having heard many tales of how the brave Negroes of the island managed to fight off the Confederates who tried to gain access to St Simon's, ordered Captain C T Trowbridge to visit the island to enlist the Negroes into the Union army. Susan won Captain Trowbridge's respect upon their first meeting and he asked her to accompany the troops as laundress; her husband, as well as many of her friends and relatives, enlisted in Company E and she saw no reason why she shouldn't join them.
Susan was not only a laundress-she was whatever the army requested of her. In early 1863, several cases of varioloid (smallpox) broke out among the camp. Several men were quarantined, but that didn't stop her from taking on the role of nurse and treating them. She would sneak into their tents and nurse them back to health. "I was not the least afraid of the smallpox," she asserted. She also was a teacher and taught many men of Company E how to read and write during their off duty time. Additionally, she was also a good shot. "I learned to handle a musket very well while in the regiment, and could shoot straight and often hit the target. I assisted in cleaning the guns and used to fire them off, to see if the cartridges were dry, before cleaning and reloading each day. I thought this great fun. I was also able to take a gun all apart and put it together again."
Although Susan could often be found close to the fighting, she never joined in. But after each engagement, she was ready to take care of the wounded and felt this was where her real work began. "I gave my assistance to try to alleviate their sufferings. I asked the doctor at the hospital what I could get for them to eat. They wanted soup, but that I could not get; but I had a few cans of condensed milk and some turtle eggs, so I thought I would try to make some custard. I had doubts as to my success, for cooking with the turtle eggs was something new to me, but the adage has it, 'Nothing ventured, nothing done,' so I made a venture and the result was a very delicious custard. This I carried to the men, who enjoyed it very much."
To read about what happen to Susan Baker King Taylor after the war, go to: http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/features/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=42
Read Kimberly Largent's bio at http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/ProviderDisplay.cfm?ID=31
********************************************* FOR THE RECORD *********************************************
Union Surgeon Ebenezer Swift of the U.S. Army describes the actions of General William Rosecrans at the Battle of Murfreesboro on December 31, 1862.
"About 9 o'clock the commanding general, with his staff, dashed boldly forward to the front of the left wing, and in person directed the movements of troops and placed batteries in position. His daring presence so near the enemy's line brought down upon him an angry and spiteful fire of musketry, round shot, and shell, almost at point-blank range. But utterly disregarding this metallic storm, our brave commander moved calmly on from left to right, cheering and inspiring our faltering troops; and throughout the day, wherever the tide of battle most fiercely raged, General Rosecrans bore his charmed life and ubiquitous presence. The noble Garesche was killed by his side, and his aides, Lieutenant Kirby severely, and Lieutenant Porter slightly, wounded. Sergeant Richmond and 4 privates of his escort were also killed or wounded, the former mortally.
Much the heaviest loss sustained to-day fell upon our regular battalions, brigaded under command of Lieut. Col. O. L. Shepherd, in holding the cedar brake, on the right of the center, against the columns of the enemy sweeping down upon them, after having forced back our entire right wing. This loss amounted to 561 killed and wounded, more than one-third of their numbers; in fact, I might probably better say nearly one-half. Our casualties in killed and wounded did not all short of 4,000 men, including about 1,500 of the right wing, 1,200 of whom, wounded, fell into the hands of the enemy."
Read the entire report in the Official Records at: http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/library/or/029/0219.cfm
********************************************* ON THE BATTLEFIELD FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER ********************************************* 1861: Action at Salem, Missouri (Dec 3)
1862: Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas (Dec 7) http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/features/battles/states/arkansas/0010.cfm Affair at Padre Island, Texas (Dec 7) Battle of Kinston, North Carolina (Dec 14) http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/USCW/BattleView.cfm?BID=623&WID=2 Affair at White Hall Bridge, North Carolina (Dec 15) Engagement at White Hall, North Carolina (Dec 16) Action at Rowlett's Station, Kentucky (Dec 17) near Jackson, Tennessee (Dec 19) Affair at Rutherford's Station, Tennessee (Dec 21) Battle at Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi (Dec 28) http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/features/battles/states/mississippi/0007.cfm Affair at Springfield, Kentucky (Dec 30) Battle of Murfreesboro or Stones river, Tennessee (Dec 31 through Jan 2, 1863) http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/features/battles/states/tennessee/0015.cfm
1863 Affair at St. Martinsville, Louisiana (Dec 3) Affair at Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina (Dec 5) Attack on Centreville, Missouri (Dec 24) Engagement at Fort Brooke, Florida (Dec 25) Attack on Waldron, Arkansas (Dec 29)
1864 Engagement at Egypt, Mississippi (Dec 2) Operations against Fort Fisher, NC (Dec 7 through Dec 27) http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/features/battles/states/northcarolina/0017.cfm Engagement at Fort McAllister, Georgia (Dec 13)
1865 Action at Concord Church, Mississippi (Dec 1)
To read more about the Actions and Battle during the Civil War, go to http://www.ehistory.com/LinkRedir.cfm?TID=3&U=http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/features/daily_dispatch/intro.cfm
Special Thanks to Kimberly J. Largent for contributing this month's feature article on Susan Baker King Taylor
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Edited by Thomas R. Long, Jr., Historian.
