The Diary of Albert Underwood, Civil War soldier

 By Michelle Shocklee

Albert Underwood. 

Does that name sound familiar? Ring any historical bells in your mind? If you've read my latest release, Under the Tulip Tree, it might. He made a cameo appearance on pages 236 and 237, just before the Battle of Nashville began. 

But who was Albert Underwood. Was he a famous general? A hero whose name we should remember? 

Albert was, in fact, one of millions of young men who fought in the Civil War. His record and journey is no more remarkable than most other soldiers who did their job during a time when countrymen fought against countrymen. The thing that solidifies Albert's place in our country's history is the simple fact that he recorded his thoughts, his feelings, the weather, and important details regarding his whereabouts and what was happening around him in a diary. 

An old diary like the one Albert kept

Albert S. Underwood was from Annapolis, Parke County, Indiana. A promissory note found tucked in a pocket of the diary, dated December 12, 1864, was given by Hugh Sample to Albert Underwood for $25.00, so the assumption is the diary belonged to Albert. He was a member of the 9th Indiana Light Artillery. It isn't clear when he joined, but during the course of the war, the men of the 9th traveled from Indiana to Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. They were involved in the Battle of Shiloh as well as Grant's Mississippi Campaign.

My interest in Albert's diary came when I was researching the Battle of Nashville for my book. I'd read about the battle in history books and on historical websites, but I wanted more. I wanted to know how the soldiers felt as they waited for the battle to begin. I wanted to know about the weather, about the sounds, about the smells. 

Finding Albert's diary online was like finding gold! Written in pencil, he kept it from January 1, 1864 to January 11, 1865. As you read bits and pieces of his entries, imagine a young man, far from home, fighting a war he, like everyone else, hoped would end soon. 

• New Year's Day 1864 found him in Huntingdon, Tennessee, 60 miles from Union City. "Clear and cold this morning. The thermometer stood at 10 degrees above zero this morning. It continued cold all day. A quiet New Year's Day."
• " Fri. Jan 15: The weather still continues very delightful for the time of year." 
• "Mon. Feb 1: Bockett and I went up town this morning to get our breakfast. Took a 50 cent breakfast at a restaurant. Saw an orange stand and got about a half dozen." 

The year continues, with the 9th traveling from Tennessee down to Mississippi. 

• "Sat. Jun 18: Beautiful weather. Rather lonesome times now. Orders were received to remain in camp for the paymaster would be out to pay us off, but he has not come. We have been disappointed every day for about 2 weeks now. It has been the talk every day since we have been here that we would get our pay tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes." 
• "Tues. Jun 21: Considerable stir this morning among the veteran boys getting ready to go home." 

By the fall of 1864, the 9th was on the move through Missouri. This is my favorite entry from that period. 

• "Sat. Oct 29: I finished reading the Bible the second time."

In December, the 9th was called to Nashville, and that's where we find Albert in my book. This is one of the entries I used to create the scene where Frankie meets up with Albert at Fort Negley:

• "Sun. Dec 11: Very cold here in camp. I went down to the city and went to the Baptist Church in the morning. I then took a walk out to the forts in the south part of the city."

Old diaries definitely fill in the blanks for me as an author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Albert's entries and learning interesting details of the life of a Union soldier. Heartbreakingly, his story ends in tragedy. 

New York Times, January 28, 1864

Here is an excerpt from the New York Times, dated January 28, 1865:

CAIRO, Saturday, Jan. 28. 

The steamer Eclipse, which exploded her boiler in the Tennessee River, opposite Johnsonville, on the 26th, had on board the members of the Ninth Indiana Battery, and other troops. In all, over one hundred and forty lives were lost by the accident.

Our Albert Underwood was one of the casualties. He died on January 27 from injuries received while traveling home. 

I hope, in some small way, I've honored his memory by including him in my book. His words definitely influenced many scenes, and for that I'm very grateful. 

Your turn: Do you keep a diary? If so, would you want someone to read it 100+ years from now?

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two grown sons, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online at michelleshocklee.com.

UNDER THE TULIP TREE

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

 https://www.amazon.com/Under-Tulip-Tree-Michelle-Shocklee/dp/1496446070/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Fort Negley: From the Civil War to the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s

 By Michelle Shocklee

 

As an admitted history nerd, there's nothing I enjoy more than poking around old ruins. Homes, towns, forts, plantations. You name it, I'll poke around in it.

When we moved to Nashville in the fall of 2017, one of the first historical sites we visited was Fort Negley. The fort itself is no longer there, but there are ruins that give visitors a solid idea of how the fort was laid out and what Federal soldiers, former slaves, and others would have seen from high atop Saint Cloud Hill.

But first, a bit of history.

Capital building in Nashville, TN; circa 1864

When the Civil War erupted in April 1861, Tennessee was as divided as the country. While some Tennesseans wanted to join the southern states and secede from the Union, others felt it was important to keep the United States united despite differing opinions on slavery and states rights. On July 2, however, the decision was made and Tennessee joined the Confederate States of America. With several railroads and major roads intersecting in Nashville, it was an important city for the Confederacy. 

But in February 1862, with several recent victories in other parts of Tennessee, Federal troops marched into Nashville and remained in control of the city until the end of the war. They lost no time building fortifications around the city, including several forts. 

 Drawing of Fort Negley

At the time the fort was built, it was approximately two miles south of the city center. It's location on top of Saint Cloud Hill gave Federal soldiers a clear view of Nashville and the surrounding vicinity. Enormous limestone blocks, mined from nearby, were laid out in a star pattern with a wooden stockade in the center. Although soldiers were undoubtedly put to work constructing the fort, most of the labor was provided by former slaves. An estimated 2,700 conscripted men and women who'd escaped slavery were, in some instances, forced into the difficult and often dangerous work of building the fort.    

  Impressing Former Slaves to Work on the Nashville Fortifications, Annuals of the 

Army of the Cumberland, John Fitch, 1864

In my latest novel, Under the Tulip Tree, the character of Frankie, a former slave, tells of living in a contraband camp in the shadow of Fort Negley. There isn't an exact number of how many former slaves lived in the camp, but it would have been several thousand. Many of them, like Frankie, took refuge behind the fort's walls in December 1864 during the Battle of Nashville. At the end of the two-day battle and Union victory, Fort Negley and its occupants were still standing. 

Following failed efforts to preserve Fort Negley as a national military park, St. Cloud Hill once again became a popular picnic area. The City of Nashville purchased the property in 1928. In 1936, 800 men working for the Works Progress Administration--like Alden in my book--reconstructed Fort Negley at a cost of $84,000. The Fort reopened to the public in 1938. However, in the 1960s, the deteriorated stockade was removed for safety measures and the fort was closed to the public. Vegetation soon hid what remained of this historical site. 

Fort Negley, 2011

But thankfully, it wasn't left hidden. In 2002, the City of Nashville appropriated funds to restore the area. The project remains the largest expenditure of city funds in the nation for the preservation of a Civil War site. Fort Negley reopened to the public on the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Nashville in December 2004. A visitors center opened in 2007.

  Me at Fort Negley with downtown Nashville in the background. 
Behind me, down the hill, is where the contraband camp was located.

If you live near Nashville or visit Music City on vacation, I hope you'll make time to visit Fort Negley. For readers of Under the Tulip Tree, you'll definitely want to hike up the hill and look out over the same landscape Frankie and Sam would have seen as they awaited Freedom. 

Your turn: What's your favorite historical site in your area?

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two grown sons, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online at michelleshocklee.com.

  UNDER THE TULIP TREE

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

https://www.tyndale.com/p/under-the-tulip-tree/9781496446077