War: What was the Civil War like for David Bellinger?

This week's prompt is "War." Of course, that immediately makes me think of David Bellinger and his service in the Union army during the American Civil War. He served in the 19th Michigan Regiment, Company B. While researching David's service I came across 2 books for sale. One is "They Died to make Men Free: A history of the 19th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War," by William M. Anderson. Hardscrabble Books. Berrien Springs, Michigan 1980. The other book is, "I Hope to Do My Country Service" The Civil War letters of John Bennitt, MD, Surgeon, 19th Michigan Regiment. Wayne State University Press, 2005. I was able to order them off Amazon and eBay. I haven't had a chance to read them yet but I have skimmed through them. Here are a few snippets of information from They Died to Make Men Free.  

When David signed up he was given his first month's pay plus $25 of a $100 bonus upon enlistment. Money was a great motivator used to encourage men to sign up and fight.

After signing up, Company B, which was mostly from Allegan, took the train to Dowagiac, Michigan. They brought the Allegan brass band along with them. The band played while the company marched through the streets from the train station to where they were housed. 

For their first Thanksgiving in the army, the men enjoyed boiled salted beef, hard crackers, and coffee. 

For the first Christmas, the officers supplied the men with oysters and a half keg of beer for each company. 

The battle at Thompson's Station in Tennessee is where David Bellinger was wounded in his thigh and taken prisoner. The fighting was fierce on both sides and while it looked as if it would be a Union victory, the win ultimately went to the Confederates. The 19th Michigan went into the battle with 531 men. They suffered a 21% casualty rate. 20 men were killed, 92 wounded. The 19th suffered a greater casualty rate than any other regiment, including the Confederates. 

The 19th was marched 17 days to a prison camp 75 miles away in Tullahoma, Tennessee. The Rebel enlisted men were reported to have treated the 19th with compassion, even sharing their meager rations with the 19th, but only when the Confederate officers were not watching. The officers of the Confederacy did not share in the compassionate treatment.  After being housed in Tullahoma, the 19th was put on a train and moved to Libby prison in Richmond, Virginia. At Richmond their main meal mostly consisted of one food, mule meat. Sometimes they were given the water the mule meat was cooked in also. Mule meat was not a favorite of the men. After approximately 30 days from originally being taken prisoner, the 19th was released. 

Here is the daily schedule the men followed after first signing up and getting adjusted to Army life.

5 am            Reveille

6:30 am       Roll Call

7 am            Breakfast

8 am            Clean up tents

9-11 am       Drill

12 noon        Dinner

2-4 pm          Drill

4 pm             Half hour swim and supper

6:30 pm        Dress parade (as long as the Colonel likes)

9:30 pm        Tattoo and lights out

The 19th Michigan came under General Sherman's command and marched with him through Georgia and to the sea. The first picture shows the march. The second picture shows all the engagements and places visited by the 19th during the course of the war. 

I can't wait until I have more time to properly read these two books to find out what life was like for David and the men of the 19th. One thing is for sure, David Bellinger was very lucky he survived and lived to come back to Michigan and marry Loretta Foster. Lorett's first husband, David, died while being held prisoner at the infamous Andersonville POW camp in Georgia. 

How David Bellinger fits in:

David Bellinger, father of 

Charles Bellinger, father of

Mildred Bellinger Strand, mother of

Viola, Howard, Marylaine, Joyce, Yvonne, Milton, Fred