Research Arsenal Spotlight 8: Asa Frank Chester and the 20th Illinois Infantry
Asa Franklin “Frank” Chester enlisted as a private in Company G of the 20th Illinois Infantry in June, 1861. By the time he mustered out in July of 1865, he had become adjutant of the regiment. Through a generous donation from one of our subscribers, we have several diaries, letters, and photographs available in the Frank Chester Collection. Frank Chester’s diaries are an amazing resource, as they detail not only his own story, but the history of his regiment as well.
Battle of Fredericktown
The 20th Illinois was stationed in Missouri in the fall of 1861. On October 21, 1861, they participated in the Battle of Fredericktown, which Frank Chester related in great detail in his diary:
“About 11 hundred of the rebels were concealed in the ravine behind a fence and cornfield to the left of the road. The 17th and 11th [Illinois] filed to the left and the two pieces of Taylors opened firing twice before an answer was returned. The 20th filed to the right and getting most to far countermarched on the top of the rise presenting a fair mark for the enemy’s cannon. They fired 4 shots, 3 went over our heads and one fell short. We marched behind the rise and again come into line near the road. Our two six pounders were answered by 3 sixes and one 12 pounder. The 17th and 11th had opened and kept up a steady discharge of musketry in the cornfield on our left. When we had advanced about ½ way down the hill and were within about 400 yards of the enemy on the hill we were ordered to deploy as skirmishes and commence firing and continued to advance. As we started we gave a yell and the enemy behind the cornfield seeing that they would be exposed to a flanking fire as well as front in a few minutes gave the order to retreat and we turned our whole fire upon them. The enemy’s guns in the meantime had opened upon our reg. with grape and canister. One of our men had his gun cut into with a grape shot while putting on a cap. It knocked him down but did not hurt him. This open field which the enemy had retreated across was covered with the dead and wounded and 40 men were taken prisoners who lay down to avoid the heavy fire. About 80 were found dead upon this open space among whom was Col Lowe who commanded the forces in the ravine. One man was found with his head hanging one side of a fence and his heels the other with 8 musket balls through his body. The whole force of Jeff [Thompson] now made a stampede and the 17th traversed their field from left to right taking one piece of artillery (the 12 pounder) while the 20th moved straight forward and followed up the enemy.”
This engagement was followed by even more confusion later when the 20th Illinois encountered some cavalry forces under Major M. Jeff Thompson:
“About a mile from their first position we overtook some cavalry who were riding from us on a walk. I supposed it to be ours as our cavalry had come out in advance of us but had dropped back while we were marching through the woods. Cos G and B were deployed to the left of the road and K and F on the right and the rest were in the road. A man from the cavalry rode into the field with a white plume in his hat and whom we afterwards learned was Thompson and asked us who we were. The Major answered; ‘The 20th ILL, who are you?’ They answered ‘Missourians’ and fired 3 shots. Let them have it shouted the Major bringing a rifle that he had taken from a prisoner to his shoulder and setting the example. About 20 shots were fired when the Col rode up and shouted stop that firing you are firing on your own men and before it could be explained the cavalry were out of reach. One of them was thrown from his horse and two killed.
Frank Chester and the Battle of Atlanta
On July 21 and 22, 1864, the 20th Illinois fought in the Battle of Atlanta where they took heavy casualties, including Frank Chester himself who was wounded in the thigh on July 21:
“About 8 o’clock the lines were advanced. The enemy pickets driven in and their works charged. The battle was fierce and the works holy [wholly] captured, but they were captured. I was wounded through the thigh just after passing an old house. The regt. at the time was not by the left flank. Our regt. afterward charged the works of the rebs and though support on both flanks were driven back by the enemy and they had a fire from their direction to contend against. This little band of 138 men held their own, never giving an inch, after an hour support was brought up but not until one half of their number lay dead and wounded by their sides. The loss in the division was severe, but the 20th lost the most in comparison of numbers. The 20th had 6 killed and 54 wounded.”
Despite being wounded and off the field, Frank Chester recorded the results of the battle on July 22, as well:
“The rebs charged the works of the 17th corps and tried to retake the position. they got a whole corps in the rear and charged from the other side but to no purpose. The boys obstinately held their own. The 20th was charged about 5 o’clock from the front flank and when they fought with their old desperation but were overcome and nearly all captured in their trenches. The Col. Adjt. and about 15 men got away and that is all that remains of the duty list of the proud little 20th. The rebs gained the works only to have to leave them again and they left more dead men in the trenches 2 to one, than there were in the 20th when they started their charge.
General McPherson was killed this afternoon. The hospital was moved twice today on account of the rebs attacking in the rear.”
Frank Chester’s Medical Treatment
Confined to the hospital after the Battle of Atlanta, Frank Chester began a fascinating and detailed account of his medical treatment and his great displeasure with hospital food. On August 4, he wrote:
“I was moved to a room by myself where I can have a full view of old Kennesaw and the town. It is a splendid view and in time of peace and prosperity this must have been a fine country to live in. The room in which I am is about 18 feet square with two large windows. I can hobble about with the use of a bannister post for support which I picked up today. This evening some more of the boys from the hospital in the rear were brought up and six of them put in the room with me.”
On the 7th Frank Chester was moved to a hospital in Rome, Georgia:
“Got a cold breakfast and our wounds dressed early this morning preparatory to moving. We are bound for Imperial Rome, Ga. where I expect we will stay several days. Got aboard cars about three o’clock AM. Had beds to lay down on. Started about 10 o’clock. Got dinner on the car about 3 o’clock PM. Had cranberries, beef, tea and soda crackers. Arrived at Rome about 6 o’clock PM. We were taken about 1 ½ miles from town and taken into tents. These tents are very much crowded with the wounded and it will not be a wonder if there is considerable sickness. The ball in my leg has formed a cavity and worked loose within the last 2 days and every time I move the rolling of the ball causes extreme pain.”
August 8-9 saw Frank Chester in more pain:
“8 The Dr. came around today & looked at my leg and proped [probed] it a little and told me that he would be around in the afternoon and take the ball out, but he didn’t come and the pain brought on fever which last till about dark.
9 Woke up sick to my stomach and the bad taste of the fever in my mouth. Didn’t eat any breakfast as they brought around nothing but coffee and bread at dinner. I eat a little beef soup, but didn’t feel like eating much. The Dr. came around about 3 o’clock and aid he would try and see that the ball was taken from my hip soon. Took some [rhubarb?] quinine etc feel quite easy tonight.”
After Frank Chester developed a fever on August 11, the surgery to remove the ball in his thigh was finally set for the next day:
“11 A fever came on about nine o’clock and remained all day. The surgeon came around tonight and prescribed quinine. He gave me the largest dose I ever saw. I divided it into two making very large ones and took them about 3 hours apart. I wrote a line to the surgeon in charge telling him how the thing had been managed. He sent back word that he would take it out himself the next day. I took my quinine and a dose of morphine but got not a moments sleep all night—although I was in no pain whatever.
12 The Dr. came around about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and after probing a little gave me cloriform [chloroform] and when I came to myself again they handed me the ball, an enfield rifle ball not very much bruised. The Dr. told me that I would have a very sore leg as the muscle was badly bruised in getting it out. He said he has to work a long while after had found it. About 7 o’clock in the evening it commenced paining me and it pained me without ceasing all night. Twas the most miserable night I ever passed in my life.”
On the 13th, Frank Chester used a flaxseed poultice to help relieve some of his considerable pain:
“The pain continued. I sent for the wound dresser and got him to go to the dispersers and get some flaxseed. He done so and I made a poultice and put it on and it relieved the pain in twenty minutes but I have to be very careful about moving. In fact this forenoon it was impossible to move at all without causing pain which sometimes lasted several minutes. Afterward along towards night I got so I could move a little and commenced a letter to my wife.”
As Frank Chester’s leg healed, he turned his attention to the food, writing on August 16, “We get every day for dinner beef soup, bean soup and tomato soup, either of which would make a hog give up trying to live in disgust.”
The next day, he had more to say about the soup, “Dinner came with the same course of soups and I could eat nothing but a small piece of bread. I wish the soups were all in the Atlantic Ocean or that the Drs. were compelled to live on such fare, just one week.”
And the day after, “Soup as usual for dinner, the smell of them is enough to sicken one. The Dr. sent me some soda water for a sour stomach.”
On August 31, Frank Chester finally had some relief for both his leg and his taste buds:
“We’ve mustered today and the rest of the ward were moved. Had a dinner of toasted bread, ham, pickles mush potato soup, bread pudding & tea. Filled up and took a smoke to top off with. My leg has quit running and the wound is healing over. It is not very sore if I don’t stir too much. I will soon be able to be pegging around on sticks & can take my furlough.”
Frank Chester survived the war and went on to live to the age of 74, passing away in 1914. His diaries kept during the war offer amazing insight into the 20th Illinois Infantry and his experience with Civil War era medicine, with incidents too numerous to be included in a single article.
The full diaries can be read with a Research Arsenal membership.
Check out some of our other collection spotlights like David King Perkins, a Master’s Mate on the USS Seminole or James A. Durrett of the 18th Alabama Infantry.
