On September 5th, 1861, the discharged three month Ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry re-organized into a three year regiment. Out of the 72 original members of company C to serve in the three month reg't., seven would enlist in this new Company C. A total of fourteen men from Wakarusa enlisted in this three year regiment.
On Wednesday February 26th 1862, nearly six months after the others, George met Captain. D. G. Risley in Wakarusa and enlists. Private Bickel is ordered to report to the Recruit Camp located at Indianapolis where he is mustered into service, receives a medical exam and signs the March muster roll. Reviewing the medical exam, one can come up with a plausible explanation for Bickel not enlisting when the "Bloody 9th" re-organized, he had the fever. Late March, Pvt. Bickel is ordered to report to his company then located in Tennessee.
Arrives on Field
Pvt. George Bickel arrives on the field April 9th, 1862. Not only is George a welcomed recruit due to his past association with the company and bringing news from home, the ranks are depleted from the hard fought battle the preceeding day at Shiloh and every man is needed. The month of April would bring in six additional recruits for Company C with Bickel being the last veteran and man from Wakarusa to serve in the "Bloody 9th" Ind. Infantry.
On May 3rd, the Ninth Indiana and its sister regiments left Shiloh, Tennessee to began their advance on and siege of Corinth, Mississippi. The advance was arduous and the weather hot.
"A gallant regiment from the Hoosier state" is the title for this photo of the 9th Indiana Infantry found in Francis Trevelyan Miller's Photographic History of the Civil War.
A company of men, 9th Indiana Infantry (National Archives).
Disabled
At some point in mid-May, Pvt. Bickel fell ill and in later years (per disability pension application) would attribute his troubles to severe exposure of weather and duty while on that march to Corinth. With the Ninth participating in the seige of Corinth, Pvt. Bickel was transfered from the division hospital near Corinth back to Shiloh, TN. on May 27th. On June 3rd he was transfered to the hospital side-wheeler steamer "City of Memphis". The "City of Memphis" traveled up the Tennessee River, Ohio River and then up the Wabash River to Terre Haute, Ind. where Pvt. Bickel was dis-embarked and admitted to General Hospital No. 5, June 6th, 1862.
Below is a engraving of the Hospital Ship "City of Memphis".
The "City of Memphis" was built in 1857 and was the largest side-wheeler steamer then on the Mississippi River and once employed Samuel Clemens as a pilot. Early in 1862 the steamer was used as a troop ship ferrying both supplies and men for the Ft. Donelson campaign. After Ft. Donelson, it was converted into a hospital ship at first in name only due to the meagerest of accommadations for the ill.
Only male nurses served these boats, but the "City of Memphis" had a surprise. Once Mary Ann Ball Bickerdyke came aboard, she took over care of the soldiers and made sure every cot was filled before the boat left for the hospitals then located at Cairo, Illinois. "Mother" Bickerdyke sought and fought for improvements to these hospital ships and served aboard another hospital steamer during and after the Battle of Shiloh. She cared for "her" soldiers through out the rest of the war in the western theater and was close enough to General William T. Sherman to address him as "Billy".
