the Ohio, and on the 11th arrived at
Paducah, Kentucky, where we debarked, and went into camp. We remained
here nearly two weeks, doing nothing but the ordinary routine of camp
duty, so life here was quite uneventful. Paducah was then an old,
sleepy, dilapidated, and badly decayed river town, with a population at
the outbreak of the war of about four thousand. After our brief stay
here terminated, I never was at the place again until in October, 1914,
when I was there for about a day, which was devoted to rambling about
the town. The flight of fifty years had made great changes in Paducah.
It now had a population of about twenty-five thousand, four different
lines of railroad, street cars, electric lights, and a full supply
generally of all the other so-called "modern conveniences." On this
occasion I hunted faithfully and persistently for the old camp ground
of the regiment in 1864, but couldn't find it, nor even any locality
that looked like it.

On the evening of November 24th the regiment left Paducah on the little
stern-wheel steamboat "Rosa D," which steamed up the Ohio river as far
as the mouth of the Cumberland, there turned to the right, and
proceeded to ascend that stream. That move told the story of our
probable destination, and indicated to us that we were doubtless on our
way to Nashville to join the army of Gen. Thomas. There was another
boat that left Paducah the same time we did, the "Masonic Gem," a
stern-wheeler about the same size of our boat. It was also transporting
a regiment of soldiers, whose State and regimental number I do not now
remember. The captains of the two boats, for some reason or other,
lashed their vessels together, side by side, and in this manner we made
the greater part of the trip. In going up the Cumberland the regiment
lost two men by drowning; Henry Miner, of Co. D, and Perry Crochett, of
Co. G. There was something of a mystery in regard to the death of
Miner. He was last seen about nine o'clock one evening on the lower
deck of the boat, close to where the two boats were lashed together. It
was supposed that in some manner he missed his footing and fell between
the boats, and was at once sucked under by the current and drowned. His
cap was discovered next morning on the deck near the place where he was
last observed, but no other vestige of him was ever found. The other
soldier, Perry Crochett, stumbled and fell into the river in the day
time, from the after part of the hurri