James Laughlin Orr was born 31 October 1838 in Evansville, Indiana. He was
the son of Samuel
Orr and Martha Lowry. His parents immigrated from Ireland in 1834. The
family lived for a while in Pittsburgh and then came to Evansville in 1835.
Traditions of his boyhood are few as he seldom talked of himself. He was a
famous skater, going for miles on the frozen canal. At the age of 14 he was sent
to Belfast for a year. His school books with the commendation of teachers and
monthly marks are still preserved and bear witness to the severe classical
course and the diligence of the young boy. His letters tell of visits with his
grandmother and aunts and uncles.
He also lived with a German family in Evansville for a year. In those days a
knowledge of German was necessary for business in Evansville, which was largely
settled with Germans. He went into his father's heavy hardware business on his
return from Ireland at 15 years, having no further schooling, but educating
himself all his life by diligent reading of books and papers.
He remained in business until the beginning of the Civil War, when he
promptly responded to the call to the colors. He was commissioned a first
lieutenant of the 42nd Indiana
Regiment on 7 September 1861. He was commissioned a captain on 2 July 1863.
On 12 July 1865 he was commissioned a major by brevet for efficient and
meritorious service in the U.S. Army. These commissions are in possession of the
family.
He went through the whole of the Civil War in the Quartermaster's Department,
and was with Sherman in his famous march to the sea through the enemy country.
He was also at the siege and surrender of Vicksburg. His children could never
get him to tell of his army experience, but he left a brief diary of
his experiences on the march to the sea which is attached.
His service is mentioned in the "Official Army Register of the
Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861 - 1865,"
Part VI, page 96.
Soon after his discharge from the army he married Kate Howes, an Evansville
girl then living in Memphis. This marriage took place on 31 October 1865. He and
his wife had six children, three of whom died in infancy. She died of
"consumption" at the untimely age of 47 on 13 September 1887, leaving her
husband and their three children who were then still in their teens. He pursued
a successful business career in Evansville, until retiring in 1913, and died 4
February 1919.
26 July 1994 163 C24.4
Introduction to a Civil War Diary
A Talk Delivered on
November 22, 1960
by Samuel Orr to
The Civil War Round Table of
Evansville
My grandfather, James Laughlin Orr, was born October 31, 1838 in Evansville.
Soon after, his father built and moved the family into a two-story brick
residence on the southeast corner of Second and Vine Streets, across from what
is now the postoffice. The house was tree-shaded, enclosed by a picket fence
upheld by large sandstone gateposts, and there was a wooden entrance stoop and a
lattice summer kitchen, typical of houses of the pre-Civil War period. The
neighborhood of Second and Vine was an attractive place to live at that time and
many old families trace their origin to nearby houses. The last remaining
structure from this period was taken down a year or two ago immediately after
the Evansville museum moved to its present location in Sunset Park.
In 1852 James Orr accompanied his father, Samuel Orr, who was returning to
Ireland to visit relatives in the old country. They traveled mostly by rail to
Milwaukee, by lake steamer from there to Buffalo and from Buffalo by Erie Canal
and railroad to New York City where they took ship to Belfast. The boy of
fourteen years was left behind by his father with relatives to go to school in
northern Ireland. Later he returned and entered his father's iron business until
with the outbreak of the war he enlisted in the U.S. Army. By 1864 he was a
captain in the Quartermaster Service, assigned to the trains of the Second
Division, XIV Corps, U.S.A.
The Civil War diary was a part of a trunkful of army papers presented to the
Evansville museum by my aunt, Mrs. George S. Clifford. It occupied some 12 to 15
pages of a ledger book in which were listed the various issues of quartermaster
supplies with receipts therefor, and division strength tabulations. It starts
with the army on November 12 at Cartersville, Georgia a few days before Sherman
started his famous march. It ends with the fall of Ft. McAllister and the
capture of Savannah, December 16, 1864.
The rest of the ledger book is taken up with lists of supplies issued by
Captain Orr to various army units with the signed receipts of the officers
commanding the units involved. It is fascinating to turn the pages and read the
varieties of food supplies that were available, together with the packaging
methods in vogue at the time. The entries begin in November 1864 and end in late
March 1865. They cover the period during which the army marched across Georgia,
up through South Carolina and across North Carolina.
To create the setting for the events described in the diary, reference should
be made to a map on which the route from Cartersville to Savannah can easily be
traced. Even a modern highway map can be used. For while some place names have
disappeared in the last 100 years, enough remain to pin point the route. After
the capture of Atlanta on September 1864, Confederate General Hood started for
Tennessee by way of Florence, Alabama in an effort to distract Sherman from the
over-all course of strategy that had been agreed upon between him and General
Grant who was then in Virginia. Sherman divided his forces and sent Schofield's
army and Thomas's army north from Atlanta under the command of General Thomas to
deal with Hood. He, himself, turned his back on his regular lines of supply, cut
loose from his base, and prepared to march from Atlanta to the sea -- one of the
boldest and most imaginative strokes of the Civil War or any other war for that
matter.
For the march, Major General William T. Sherman's army consisted of 60,000
infantry and 5500 cavalry. The infantry were organized into two wings, the right
wing commanded by Major General O. O. Howard contained the XVII Corps and the XV
Corps. The left wing commanded by Major General Henry W. Slocum was composed of
the XX Corps and the XIV Corps. The XX Corps was a relatively new organization
made up of the veteran soldiers from the old XI and XII Corps who were combined
into one unit and brought west after Gettysburg. The XIV Corps commanded by
Brevet Major General Jefferson C. Davis was composed of three divisions. The
second division commanded by Brigadier General Morgan was the one in which my
grandfather served. The cavalry division was composed of two brigades and was
commanded by Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick.
During the major part of the march, Sherman and his headquarters moved with
the XIV Corps, and General Slocum moved with the XX Corps. Since it is natural
that the descriptions of the march should coincide largely with the activities
of the commanding general, it is easy to identify many place names and events
mentioned in the diary from other historical descriptions of the march. The General Foster referred to in the last paragraph of the
diary was Major General Foster who served as the departmental commander for land
forces on the south Atlantic coast.
After his discharge in the early Summer of 1865 with the rank of Major, James
L. Orr returned to Evansville. We can well imagine what were his activities in
the next few months, because on 31 October 1865 he was married to Kate Ann Howes,
daughter of Lewis Howes, a wholesale grocer of Evansville and Memphis,
Tennessee. He was active all his life in G.A.R., memorials, parades, and
meetings. He died in February 1919 at the age of 80.
26 July 1994 165 C24.6
- Cartersville, Ga. Nov. 12 - 1864
- This day about 11 o'clock the last train north on the Georgia R. R. left
for Chattanooga and R. R. connection with U. S. was thus severed. The
telegraph operator took out his instruments & left early in the a.m. At 12
Gen. Sherman arrived -- hitched on his pocket instrument & probably that
may be the last link binding us to the north. We are now adrift for a great
raid. But whither? Quien sabe? Fair.
- Nov. 13 Sunday
- The Division moved at 6 a.m. across the Etowah River and began the work of
destroying the railroad. About 7 miles was assigned as our task. The work was
thoroughly performed -- ties torn up, placed in piles with the rails on them
and fired. Army of the Tenn. near Marietta and 20th Corps at Atlanta. Iron
twisted and bent. On this Sabbath day forty five miles of railroad from
Cartersville to Atlanta was entirely destroyed. Bridge over Chattahoochie
burned. Camped at Acworth. Cartersville, Cassville, Acworth burned all
buildings of value to the enemy. Fair.
- Nov. 14 Monday
- Division moved at 6 a.m. to march as far as possible, expect to camp at
Chattahoochie River. I left it at big shanty and pushed forward to Atlanta.
Glad to get back to my own ranch -- absent 42 days. Fair.
- Nov. 15 Tuesday
- Troops came in about 2 p.m. Loaded on train this morning. Many buildings
had been already destroyed. Today the work of destruction recommenced and all
the business part of the city burned. R.R. depot completely demolished. To
bring it down a ram was extemporized by fitting a bar of railroad iron to a
frame and thus knocking out corner and lower portion of the building until the
whole came down with a crash. Frequent explosions during the conflagration
probably shells thrown by the Yanks, which had penetrated building without
bursting. Fair.
- Nov. 16 Wednesday
- Ordered to move at 11 a.m. Delayed by trains. Marched at 12:30. Through
Decatur to a dark camp. Marched 10 miles. Fair.
- Nov. 17 Thursday
- Marched at 7 a.m. Through Lithonia to Conyers Station on line of Augusta
R.R. Our troops destroyed 3 miles of the road. Camped at Conyers. Marched 20
miles. Fair.
- Nov. 18 Friday
- Marched at 6 a.m. At Covington went again to work on the railroad.
Destroyed 4 miles. Other troops also at it. Crossed Yellow River and camped on
one of its tributaries. Marched 15 miles. Fair.
- Nov. 19 Saturday
- Moved at 6 a.m. Passing 1st Div. obtained the advance. Marched 19 miles.
Fair.
- Nov. 20 Sunday
- Marched at 6 a.m. Camped at 4 p.m. at Eatonton Factory on Little River.
Factory burned. Ran the mill all night. Got 120 bush. meal. Rain. Marched 15
miles in advance.
- Nov. 21 Monday
- Marched at 6 a.m. down west bank of Little River on Milledgeville Road.
Much rain, roads bad. Trains delayed and troops make the march with
difficulty. Marched 12 miles in advance. Rain nearly all day. Issued 3 days
coffee, sugar and salt. Men are foraging for potatoes, chickens, hogs, etc.
and having abundance of every thing.
- Nov. 22 Tuesday
- In camp on Cedar Creek 16 miles from Milledgeville. 3rd and 1st Divisions
passed by us. 2nd Division will have the rear tomorrow. Weather changed during
the night. Heavy frost this morning, and today cold and windy but no rain.
- Nov. 23 Wednesday
- Marched at 6 a.m. soon struck rear of 1st Div. train and were delayed by
it all day. Weather cold but clear. Camped 1 1/2 miles west of Milledgeville,
which is our possession without opposition. Marched 14 miles. Fair.
- Nov. 24 Thursday
- Marched at 10 a.m. following 1st Division. Through Milledgeville which is
a meanly built town of perhaps 2000 inhabitants. No importance whatever except
as State capitol, State house is on a fine site, large ordinary looking
building, slate color stucco. Penitentiary and arsenal burned by us. Camped
about 8 miles east of Milledgeville. Marched 10 miles. Fair.
- Nov. 25 Friday
- Marched at 6 a.m. passed 1st Division in advance. Rebs burned bridge over
Buffalo Creek, narrow but deep stream in a swamp. Had to throw over a pontoon
bridge. Delay. Marched 13 miles. Fair.
- Nov. 26 Saturday
- Moved at 6 a.m. in advance. Found enemy's cavalry near Sandersville. Some
skirmishing. We lost one killed and two wounded. Camped at noon on the south
east side of town. March 10 miles. Fair. Saw Spanish moss.
- Nov. 27, Sunday
- 2nd and 3rd Div. moved at daylight on the Louisville Road. All the trains
of the corps protected by the 1st Division ordered to Davisboro. Owing to
delayed march of 1st Division head of the train did not move till about 1
o'clock. Order was as follows: 1st Div. corps, hdqtrs. & artillery,
ammunition, pontoons, 3rd Div., 2nd Div. cavalry trains. I went with trains.
2nd Div. train reached camp about 7 1/2 p.m. Moved 8 miles. Fair.
- Nov. 28 Monday
- Ordered to move at daylight. Uncertainty about the road delayed us. Our
train was on the road about 9 a.m. Went through Davisboro found troops there
destroying the railroad. Camped on Ogeechee River. March 14 miles. Fair.
- Nov. 29 Tuesday
- At our crossing of the Ogeechee there is an extensive swamp, through which
a causeway had been thrown up to afford passage for the water of a freshet,
seven openings were left in the causeway spanned by bridges. The rebels had
burned all of these making, with the one over the river, eight bridges
destroyed within 3/4 of a mile. A road was made by corduroying the swamp with
rail and debris of the bridges, to pass trains. Moved about 3 miles to
Louisville and there parked trains. Our troops camped at Louisville last
night. Holtum missing. Fair.
- Nov. 30 Wednesday
- The corps in camp about Louisville. No movement. Holtum brought in killed.
- December 1, Thursday
- 2nd Div. with trains of corps hdqtrs. 3rd Div. and our own arrived at noon
on the Milledgeville Road. 3rd Div. to our right supporting cavalry, 1st Div.
on another road, towards R.R. I believe. March 10 miles. Fair.
- Dec. 2 Friday
- Moved at 6 a.m. on Millen Road. 1st Div. joined us on a road intersecting
ours from the right and took the advance. Camp on Buckhead Creek. March 12
miles. Fair.
- Dec. 3 Saturday
- Moved at 7 a.m. 1st Div. in advance. 20th Corps being on our front, had to
take another road. Swamp bridges burned. Pontoons put down. Camped 1 1/2 miles
from Lumpkin Station. March 10 miles. Fair.
- Dec.4 Sunday
- Moved at 5 1/2 a.m. Passed 1st Div. destroying Georgia R.R. near Lumpkin.
Through Habersham. March 15 miles. Fair.
- Dec. 5 Monday
- Moved at 6 1/2 a.m. on road towards Savannah River. Passed near
Jacksonboro, a mile south of it. 2nd Div. train in rear. All in camp by 8 p.m.
Marched past three days through fine forests, crossing many small swamps,
requiring corduroy and causing delay. 1st Div. behind us. Camp on Buck Creek,
6 miles from S.C. March 16 miles. Fair.
- Dec. 6 Tuesday
- Moved at 6 1/2 a.m. on the "River Road" to Savannah 2nd Div. train again
in the rear. March 18 miles. Fair. Obstructions in the road by felling trees
across it. Saw sugar cane growing.
- Dec. 7 Wednesday
- Head of column moved at 6 1/2 a.m. 2nd Div. train again in the rear. No
opposition by the enemy except obstructions in the road and destroying
bridges. Camp near Ebenezer Creek 26 1/2 miles from Savannah. Saw a butterfly
today. March 16 miles. Fair. Disposition of the 14th Corps past three days has
been as follows: 2nd Div. with trains of 2nd and 3rd Div. and corps ordnance
and reserve artillery (19th Ind. Battery.) A brigade marching with trains of
each division and one with corps trains. 1st Div. with its trains: 3rd Div.
without transportation. Kilpatrick's cavalry. Thus reversing the usual order
and advancing backwards, trains being in front and troops in the rear.
- Dec. 8 Thursday
- Troops moved about 3 miles clearing obstruction and pontooning big and
little Ebenezer Creeks. Rebels having destroyed the bridges. Tonight
everything will be placed between the two streams and tomorrow got into shape,
south of both. Rebel gunboat threw 3 or 4 shells from the Savannah River to
the road on which our trains were moving, by way of defiance and steamed down
the river. No opposition on hand. Shower last night. Fair.
- Dec. 9 Friday
- Troops moved about 7 a.m. 2nd and 1st Div. in advance of trains of corps.
Small force of the enemy was encountered. They used artillery. Lieut. Coe was
killed by a 12 pd. Shell. March 7 miles. Fair. Camp on Dr. Cuyler's
plantation.
- Dec. 10 Saturday
- Enemy retired at dark last night. Troops moved at 7 a.m. About 10 miles
from Savannah struck the column of 20th Corps moving in on Springfield Road
which intersected ours. Having reached the junction first, they took the
advance and the 14th Corps went into camp with some disgust. March 5 miles.
Fair.
- Dec. 11 Sunday
- Troops moved at 6 1/2 a.m. and went into position on the right of the 20th
Corps. Trains following. Ordered to the rear of the corps by a swamp road. Had
to corduroy it. Head of 1st Div. train stopped halfway over and remained till
morning. Other trains parked near main road. Ours on a rice plantation near
the river. 4 miles. Fair.
- Monday 12
- Train moved from Louisville Road to Milledgeville Road and parked 5 miles
from Savannah. No move of our troops. 4 miles. Fair.
- Tuesday 13
- In camp. Fair. Visited rice plantation of Mr. Potter. 20th Corps running
the mill. Threshing and beating rice. Saw this operation for the first time.
Watered my horse in Savannah River. Yesterday two gunboats and a transport or
tender attempted to pass our batteries on the river. Transport disabled and
captured.
- Wednesday Dec. 14
- In camp. Fair. 2nd Div. 15th Corps yesterday assaulted and captured Fort
McAllister, on the Ogechee River, with its garrison and armament.
Communication opened with the fleet.
- Dec. 15 Thursday
- In camp. Fair.
- Dec. 16 Friday
- Train ordered to King's Bridge for supplies. Started at 5 a.m. and parked
at the bridge 9 o'clock. Nothing arrived yet. Two boats came bringing mail and
Gen. Foster. Scarecely water enough in Ogeechee for the
boats. They will have to be lightened. Saw tide coming in and going out.
Fair.
On a separate sheet of paper inserted into the ledger
is a very brief account of the army's march north from Savannah across South
Carolina and into North Carolina between February 8 and March 19, 1865.
Right wing started from Beaufort up west bank of Edisto River. Up
Savannah to Sister's Crossing. Left Sister's February 8 -- struck Charleston
and Augusta R.R., destroyed 30 miles to Aiken -- 16 from Augusta. Cross
Congaree-Saluda-Broad to point north of Columbia, through Winnsboro destroying
many miles of road from Columbia to Charlotte and threatening Charlotte
sufficiently to keep rebels in doubt as to whether we were going that
direction. Turned east and moved on to Great Pedee passing to the north of
Cheraw. Crossed 8 miles from Cheraw. Army of the Tenn. occupied Cheraw -- said
to have found many wealthy families there from Charleston fled for safety from
the Yanks. Then quit Fayetteville on Cape Fear River to which point came a
boat from Wilmington with very small amount of supplies. Moved on towards
Goldsboro, left wing making a demonstration toward Raleigh and in swinging
round to Goldsboro had pretty sharp fight on the 19th (of March) a few miles
west of Goldsboro. Right wing coming up to support. Johnston wisely decided to
leave -- he took to Raleigh. Whole army then ordered to concentrate at
Goldsboro where we now are.