Special thanks to Doyle Cooper for sharing this information written by his Great-Grandfather, and his service in the 35th Indiana Volunteer Infantry.  Caution: There are some words that might be deemed offensive to some readers.

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          The 35th Indiana Infantry was recruited and organized in the summer and fall of 1861.  This regiment was intended to be wholly composed of Irishmen, but a few Scotchmen and Americans were recruited in its ranks, and among the rest, your humble servant.  The regiment was recruited from all parts of the state of Indiana.  At the time the regiment was organized, I was living in Park County, Indiana working in a woolen mill at $20 a month.​
          A young man came in our neighborhood hunting recruits for the 35th Indiana Infantry, and having no objections to my age, I went with him to Indianapolis and was assigned with a young boy to Co. B.  Not until we were in did we know we were in an Irish regiment.  But I will say here I was very well treated through all our soldier life together.​
          At the time I enlisted, I was 16 years, 9 months, and 15 days, for I enlisted October 15, 1861.  Our regiment was a very large one, and our uniforms were very nice, being striped with the Irish color green.​
          We remained in Indianapolis during the winter of ‘61 and ‘62, and in the early spring we went to Jeffersonville, Indiana remaining there a short time.  We went next to Madison, Indiana and from there to Louisville, Ky. By boat.  Will say here that on our way from Indianapolis to Jeffersonville, that every window on the passenger train was broken out by our own men, caused by what the Irish love so well!  And from Madison to Louisville on the boat, some of our men found a barrel of alcohol and by that time we got to Louisville, the regiment didn’t know whether they were going to war or to work on a railroad job.  When the men got so they could walk, we marched through Louisville and out to Bardstown, Ky.  About 40 miles from Louisville.  Here, we were drilled nearly to death by order of Gen. Nelson, but we suffered no more than other regiments camped there.  We were compelled to get up before daylight, pack our knapsacks and everything else we had, and go out and drill two hours before breakfast and after breakfast, it was drill till noon, and then drill all afternoon.  Our grub was scarce; we had bread flour baked the best we knew how.  A great many men never got over such treatment.  We know of but one man that was satisfied and that was a sutter.  He got all of our pay and money besides.​
          I do not remember all the places we went in Kentucky and Tennessee in 1862, but remember that we were at Munfordville, Cane Co., Kentucky, Nashville, Mount Pleasant, Tennessee and Florence, Alabama.  The raid to Florence was a hard one.  Just at dark my company and Company B of some other regiment, the 1st Wisconsin, were ordered to fall in.  The 1st Wisconsin was put in wagons, there were on hundred cavalry, and two pieces of artillery.  Co. B struck out afoot.  We ran all night, waded two streams up to our necks, and at sunrise next morning we were within two miles of Florence, Alabama.  We had marched 33 miles.  After lunch, we went to town on the run but what few Johnnies there were, were gone.  About all the good we accomplished was to break open the jail and liberate a few “niggers” as my company called them.  If I remember right, we were at Franklin, Tennessee when Bragg made his raid to Louisville.   We did some very hard marching under Buell to keep up with Bragg, and finally overtook him at Munfordville, Kentucky.  Here we remained several days.  Every day we got orders to cook six days rations.  That meant to make our bread from flour and water.  We had no crackers.​
          Finally, the “Johnnies” moved ahead after capturing the fort and we followed.  I have heart it said that some of our troops wanted to fight, but Buell wouldn’t let them.  Munfordville was one of our old camping grounds and we were well acquainted with the town.  My company knew very barrel in it and also what was in the barrel.  The consequences was that when we fell in to wade Green R. most of our men were pretty full.  Some of the boys stopped to take off their clothes, which made our Colonel mad and he began cursing them.  Two of our men aimed their muskets at him, which caused him to drive his horse into the river, and he let us alone.  Two of our men remained in town all night and came into camp next morning very drunk.  The officer of the guard ordered their arrest.  The guard, failing to respond, the officer got a gun and undertook to drive the rebellious Yanks himself.  The Irishman grabbed the gun, and for a minute, the officer had all he could do to save his life.  No one coming to his relief, and fearing for his life, he ordered the guard to shoot the rebellious man, which he did, killing him instantly.  For a few minutes it looked as though war had commenced in our own ranks.  Every man grabbed his gun, some for revenge, and some to save to save their guns from being lost.  Our Colonel, at this time, came riding up to inquire what was wrong.  Several muskets were leveled at him which caused him to leave in a hurry.  And this was the last we saw of our Colonel for a long time.  When the mutiny was quelled by our brigade commander, we found we were surrounded by the rest of the brigade, and a battery, all with loaded muskets.  For punishment, we were the rear guard of all Buell’s army that day and night.  We followed and passed Bragg and got into Louisville first.  We only remained in Louisville and few days, when we were ordered to fall in and trot after Bragg again.  At Louisville I was taken sick, but marched with the rest until we got to Bardstown, 40 miles from Louisville.  I was sent to the hospital and remained there until the 29th of December, 1862 when I was taken prisoner by John Morgan.  All who were able to walk could have got away if we hadn’t have taken the “Rebs” for our own men, for all of Morgan’s men that came in first had on blue overcoats, having just captured the 71st Indiana.  Morgan paroled us, and we were sent to Indianapolis where we remained until we were exchanged about the 1st of September, 1863.  During the time I was gone, my regiment fought in the Battle of Stone River, my company losing six men killed, and three wounded.​
          When I returned to my regiment, they were at McMinville, Tennessee.  In a few days we crossed over the Cumberland Mts. And started for Chattanooga.  We crossed the Tennessee R. at Shellmound in old scows.  Then we crossed the front of Lookout Mt. and out to Ringold and Less and Gordons where we were run to different posts of the battle as support and were not engaged until late in the evening, when we came together.  My company lost eight men captured and one wounded.  We were run in as support several different times; about four o’clock we were on the extreme left of our army where our brigade made a charge and drove the rebels back across an open field, and right here, I made the fastest run of my life.  I never could run after that.  In this battle my company lost 18 men killed, wounded and captured.  Six of them died in Andersonville.  We retreated to Chattanooga, where we remained about one month and nearly starved to death.  I was the only Sergeant left of our Co. this battle, and I acted as orderly until Dec. 1864 when our Orderly returned having escaped from the Rebels.  He was discharged, and from that time on until we were discharged, I was Orderly Sergeant.  At the Battle of Chickamauga, we were in Bartlett’s brigade, 3rd Van Clive’s Division, Crittenden’s Corps 21st.  At Chattanooga we were reorganized and assigned to Whittaker’s Brigade, Stanley’s Division, 4th Army Corps.  My brigade was in the expedition for the relief of Chattanooga.  We crossed the Tennessee R. at Brown’s Ferry in the Wankachie Valley.  We marched up the valley under fire of the “Rebs” until we met Joe Hooker’s command.  Then on the 27th of November, 1863, we ascended Lookout Mt. by the right flank until we came to the high perpendicular rocks, then halted and faced the front, then advanced around the west side of Mt. Stirling, striking the enemy’s works in flank, never stopping until we came around the end of the mountain.  Here, my regiment fired all our ammunition, 60 rounds at the enemy.  Next morning, we went down the mountain and reached Missionary Ridge late in the evening, just in time to see “Rebs” on the run.  We followed them as far as Ringold and then returned to Shellmound, Tennessee where we re-enlisted on the 16th day of December, 1863.  Went home with the regiment one month.  We returned and went into camp never Cleveland, Tennessee where we remained until 1st of May, 1864, when we started on the Atlanta Campaign.  My regiment was on the skirmish line or actively engaged in nearly all of the engagements of the Atlanta Campaign, especially on the 4th of July and at Kennesaw Mountain, my regiment losing many in both engagements.  We were at Jonesboro below Atlanta.  While here, we were close to the “Rebs” under a heavy fire lying down.  Here I was stabbed six times or eight times.  I never knew exactly how many times.  Not wishing to raise my head, for the bullets appeared to just graze our backs so close I believe the gray backs took the underside.  I lay and took these stabs.  The boys next to me thought I was hit by a “Reb” by my actions and strong language I used.  I was hit by a nest of Rebel Yellow Jackets.​
          From here we went back to Atlanta and there remained until Hood started north when we followed him the 4th and 23d Army Corps.  We skirmished with him at Pulaski and at Franklin and were actively engaged.  At Nashville we did our share to induce Hood to move farther south.  We followed Hood to Huntsville, Tennessee, then marched to Bull’s Gap in North Carolina where we were when Lee surrendered and when Lincoln was assassinated.  We marched back to Knoxville, took the cars for Nashville, here we remained for some time.

Note: Willis B. Keith went on a 20 day furlough and returned to his regiment that had left for Indianola, TX.  Keith mustered out with the 35th Indiana on October 23, 1865 after 4 years and 6 days of service.

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Willis B. Keith. “Reminiscences of His Part in the Civil War,” 1900-1922?