USA > Illinois > History of the 112th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in the great war of the rebellion, 1862-1865 > Part 1
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LIBRARY OF EMORY UNIVERSITY
STATES OF AMERICA
THE CONFEDERATE
:22
FEBRUARY 1862
DEO
VINDICE
KEITH M. READ CONFEDERATE COLLECTION
HISTORY
-OF THE-
112th Regiment
-OF-
ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
-IN THE-
GREAT WAR OF THE REBELLION
1862-1865.
BY
B. F THOMPSON, LATE CAPTAIN IN TIIE REGIMENT.
PRINTED AT THE STARK COUNTY NEWS OFFICE, TOULON, ILLINOIS. 1885.
To the surviving members of the regiment, and to the memory of our deceased comrades, this volume is respectfully dedicated, in Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty, by the author.
PREFACE.
At the reunion of the 112th Regiment Illinois Volunteers in 1882, a committee was appointed to write a history of the sev- eral companies, and send the same to the author, to be edit- cd, arranged and woven into a history of the regiment. The author waited two years, in vain, for some action of the com- mittee, and then determined to undertake the work independ- ent of the committee. His original purpose was to prepare the manuscript and give it to the Association of Surviving Members of the Regiment for publication ; but the labor and expense of collecting material were too great for one to bear, and this plan was abandoned.
The records of the regiment were twice captured and de- stroyed by the enemy ; many of our diaries have been lost or destroyed, and others have faded so they cannot be read ; but four company muster-out rolls can be found, and two of these are imperfect copies ; and the Adjutant General's Reports of this State are too inaccurate to be of any value. The author has examined all the rosters and records that could be found, but has relied mainly-and especially in the preparation of the roster of the regiment-upon the facts and dates furnished him by the members of the regiment. He has endeavored to make this a true and impartial history of the regiment and of each man ; but that it is free from errors he does not claim ; many mistakes of omission and commission will doubtless be found ; it would be vain to expect absolute accuracy, afterthe lapse of so many years, with our present means of nforma- tion. The author has not attempted to write a history of the
4
PREFACE.
war, of campaigns nor of armies, but of a single regiment on- ly ; and he has described the movements of other portions of the army only when it was deemed necessary in order that the reader may intelligently understand the movements of the re- giment.
After the close of the war the government removed the re- mains of all the deceased Union soldiers that could be found to National Cemeteries, where the graves were numbered and a record made of all that could be identified. Many could not be found, and many of those found could not be identified, but by the courtesy of the superintendents of these cemeteries, the author has ascertained the place of burial and number of grave of every member of the 112th Illinois of whom there is any record. Inquiry has been made as to every man ; and if any are missing it is for the reason that no record can be found of their burial.
The author is greatly indebted to many members of the ro- giment for valuable aid and suggestions in the preparation of this volume, and especially to those who have furnished him diaries, documents and papers ; and to each and all of them he returns his sincere thanks.
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER I.
ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT-ORDERED TO THE FRONT.
Who among the surviving veterans of the war of the great rebellion can ever forget the stirring events of the summer and autumn of 1862? The war had continued more than a year without decisive results ; the success of our arms in the West had been counterbalanced by the masterly inactivity, or the repeated failures of the Union armies in the East ; Union men were disappointed and despondent ; a murmur of disapproval began to be heard among the most ardent and zealous support- ers of the administration, while its enemies openly avowed their dissatisfaction and want of confidence in its ability to quell the rebellion ; those who were lukewarm in their devotion to the Union, or secretly sympathized with the rebellion, cen- sured the government for continuing the war at the expense of so much blood and treasure, and demanded a cessation of hos- tilities and an effort to settle the differences between the sec- tions by compromise ; and the enemies of the government re- joiced at our reverses and predicted the ultimate success of the so-called Southern Confederacy.
Such, in brief, was the state of public feeling in the North when, on the 2nd of July, 1862, President Lincoln called upon the country for three hundred thousand volunteer soldiers to serve three years or during the war. This was followed by a second call, on the 4th of August, for three hundred thousand more, to serve nine months unless sooner discharged.
6
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
This decisive step on the part of the government infused new courage and confidence in the hearts of the people ; there was an im mediate change in the tone of public sentiment ; the pe )- ple saw that the government was in earnest, and they hailed 1.s decisive ac ion with demonstrations of joy and approval ; and, in response to the President's calls for volunteers, there was a general, spontaneous, patriotic uprising of the whole people of the great loyal North, such as the world had never before seen.
From every hill-top and valley ; from country, town and city ; from the farms, the work-shops and the factories ; from stores, offices, and even pulpits, men of every vocation and profession laid aside their business and professional pursui's, left homes and firesides, wives and children, fathers, mothers, sisters, sweethearts and friends, and hurried to the front, to risk their lives upon the field of battle in defense of the Union and the flag of their country-dearer to them than all else- singing as they marched : "We are coming, Father Abraham, Six hundred thousand more."
No other government on the face of the earth could have raised such an army of volunteers. No ti led monarch could thus command the services of his subjects ; but those brave, patriotic men-citizen soldiers-voluntarily marched forth to offer their lives, if necessary, in defense of country, govern- ment and flag, because it was their country, their government, and their flag.
No eye ever beheld a grander or more inspiring scene. Our forefathers must have looked down with pleasure and gratitude upon the Grand Army of the Republic, marshalled in defense of the government they had founded ; angels might well rejoice as they looked into the hearts and read the secret though s of the weeping but heroic wives, mothers and daughters whom husbands, sons, fathers and lovers, at the call of duty to their country, left behind; and God bestow his blessing upon the brave men and noble women whose unselfish love of country promp'ed such invaluable sacrifices in its defense.
In no State in the Union did the people respond more will- ingly or with greater enthusiasm to the demands of the gov- ernment than in the State of Illinois, notwithstanding the fact
7
ORGANIZATION.
that in the southern portion of the State a large portion of the people sympathized with the Southern cause and refused to aid the government in its efforts to preserve the Union. This State had already furnished seventeen thousand men in excess of its quotas under previous calls. Ifs quota under the two calls of July 2nd and August 4th was 52,296 men. It did not ask-did not expect-any credit under these calls on account of its for- mer surplus. It asked only tor arms and ammunition for its volunteers. In cleren days after its quotas under the two calls had been ascertained and announced, the quofas had been fill- ed, and on the 18th of August 52,296 men-the whole number required-had been enrolled and were awaiting orders to take the field. And Illinois did not cease in well-doing. After the two calls for volunteers, and before the expiration of the year 1862, fifty-nine regiments of infantry, one regiment of cavalry, four batteries, and ofher recruits for old regiments, had been sent to the front, which raised its excess, over and above all quotas, to twenty-three thousand men.
Henry and Stark counties, in common with other parts of the State, had responded liberally to all previous calls, and had sent to the front more than their full proportion of volunteers. Both were agricultural counties, with no large towns or surplus population. Men without employment, if any there were, had already enlisted and were in the field : and very many of the best men of the two counties had left their business and work for other hands to perform, and were then fighting the battles of their country in the South. In consequence there was a great scarcity of laborers, and farmers had much difficulty in securing sufficient help to cultivate and save the maturing crops. If was in the midst of harvest, and they were busily at work gathering and saving the ripening grain. But the loyal men and women of these counties were thoroughly aroused up- on the issues of the war, and were ready and willing to do all in their power to aid in subduing the rebellion and punishing secession ; and when the President called for "three hundred thousand more," the reaper was abandoned in the field, and the golden grain left to be harvested by the old men, and the boys and women, who until then, had been exempt from such labor; the mechanic laid aside his tools ; merchants abandon-
8
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
ed their business ; lawyers and physicians closed their offices, and even ministers of the gospel exchanged the cloth for a blue uniform ; and from every neighborhood, town and village, the sturdiest, bravest and most intelligent men in the two counties turned their backs upon homes and families, and hastened to enroll their names as soldiers of the Union "for three years or during the war."
Prominent citizens, of both counties, without waiting for for- mal authority, and without previous conference or understand- ing with each other, as if animated by a common spirit, com- menced the enlistment of companies. Among these, in Hen- ry county, were Tristram T. Dow, the leading business man- operating largely in grain and stock and general merchandise -of Annawan ; Alexander W Albro, actively engaged in the same business at Galva ; James M. Hosford, editor and bank cashier, of Geneseo; Rev. Joseph Wesley, a preacher of the gospel of peace, of Green Tiver : Dr. Augustus A. Dunn, a for- mer sheriff of Stark county, and afterwards the leading physi- cian of Cambridge : Emery S. Bond, deputy clerk of the cir- cuit court, and a veteran of the Mexican War, where he served in a Tennessee cavalry regiment, also of Cambridge; and George W Sroufe, another Cambridge man, who worked at a carpenter's bench six days of the week and preached the gos- pel of the Carpenter's Son on the seventh. And in Stark coun- ty, Thomas J. Henderson, ex-state-senator, and the leading lawyer of the district ; Sylvester F Otman, county surveyor, and a farmer and business mau of Wyoming; and James B. Doyle, an extensive farmer and stock dealer, of Bradford, were engaged in raising companies at those places. Each of these men succeeded in raising a full company, and each was elect- ed captain of his company.
Large and enthusiastic public meetings were held at Cam- bridge, Geneseo, Toulon and other towns, and everywhere the people-men and women-emulated one another in the honor- able strife of securing enlistments and aiding ' hose who volun- teered. Dr. Dunn, of Cambridge, was the first to report a full company.
J. M. Hosford, of Geneseo, headed a roll with his own name
9
ORGANIZATION.
on Thursday, and on the following Monday had one hundred and one nien.
T. J Henderson, of Toulon, raised nearly a full company in two days.
T. T. Dow, of Annawan, and E. S. Bond, of Cambridge, each raised a company in a very few days, and, after Dr. Dunn's, were the first companies filled. The other companies were but little slower in filling their ranks. Everywhere the best and most active men-men prominent in town and county affairs- sought the places of enlistment and enrolled their names as private soldiers, with but a single controlling motive-to reach the front as quickly as possible and strike a blow in defense of the Union.
Early in August each of these companies held an election and elected its commissioned officers by ballot ; and at once, as if moved by a common impulse, active steps were taken by the officers-elect to unite their companies into a regiment.
The people of Henry county had been anxious to raise a Henry County Regiment ; but two companies had been raised at Kewanee, and assigned to the 124th Regiment, before the movement to raise a home regiment had commenced, and it was now too late to raise a regiment composed exclusively of Henry county companies ; and the next best thing to do was to unite the seven Henry and three Stark county companies.
Col. Wheeler B. Sweet, a prominent citizen of Galva-and a gentleman to whom the people of Henry county, and of the State, are greatly indebted for faithful and eff c ent service in behalf of the Union cause in the dark days of the rebellion- visited Springfield and obtained the necessary authority from Governor Yates to organize a regiment from Henry and ad- joining counties. Col. Sweet then returned home and called a meeting at Galva, which was attended by prominent men of Henry and Stark, and by many who had enlisted in the Henry companies ; and after a careful survey of the field and a full discussion of the subject, it was determined to convene the commissioned officers-elect of the seven Henry and three Stark county companies, at Galva, on the 18th of August, for the purpose of uniting them into a regiment.
10
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
Col. Sweet notified the company officers, and on the 18th of August they met at Galva. Every officer was present-ten captains and twenty lieutenants. Capt. J. M. Hostonl, of Geneseo, and Lieut. Thomas F Davenport. of Cambridge, were electel chairman and secretary, respectively, and the meeting proceeded to business. After a long but friendly dis- cussion, it was unanimously votel to organize the ten compa- nies represented into a regiment ; and as the regiment would contain seven Henry county companies, it was unanimously agreed that it should be known as " The Henry County Regi- ment."
The meeting, composed exclusively of officers, then proceed- ed to the election of Regimental Field Officers, by ballo:, with the following result :
Capt. Thomas J. Henderson, of the Toulon company, was unanimously elected Colonel of the regiment ; Cap. Emery S. Bond, of one of the Cambridge companies, was unanimously elected Lieutenant Colonel ; and Capt. James MI. Hosford, of one of the Geneseo companies, was unanimously elected Major.
Col. Sweet was offered a position in the regiment but he de- clined any office-preferring, as he said, to be known as the "Father of the Regiment."
Immediately upon the adjournment of the meeting Col. Hen- derson, Lieut. Col. Bond and Major Hosford left for Spring- field to confer with the Governor and Adjutant General of the State, and obtain authority to complete the organization of the regiment. The gallant War Governor of Illinois was surpris- ed when he learned Col. Henderson's mission to Springfield, and said to him, "Good Lord, Henderson ! we must have some men at home as well as in the army; we can't space you." But when he learned that the Colonel was de ermined to go, he readily yielded the point and issued an or ler for the organ- ization of the regiment, and promised all the aid in his power to secure its rapid muster in and equipment.
The number "112" was assigned to the regiment, and it was entered of record in the Adjutant General's Office as the "112th Regiment of Illinois Volunteers."
At the suggestion of the Governor an election was held in the several companies for the Field Officers of the regiment,
11
ORGANIZATION.
which resulted in the election of Col. Henderson, Lieut. Col. Bond and Major Hosford -- each receiving the unanimous vote of the enlisted men, thus ratifying the unanimous choice of the officers. The regiment was ordered to rendezvous at Peo- ria, and Capt. Albro, with his Galva company, was the first to report ; but by the 18th of September all the companies were encamped in the barracks, on the old fair ground on the bluff.
The regiment was mustered into the United States service, at Peoria, by the United States Mustering Officers, on the 20th and 22nd of September, 1862,-"for three years or during the war,"-and by this simple process free and independent citi- zens became United States soldiers, subject to military orders and discipline.
Col. Henderson appointed the following commissioned Staff Officers, which completed the list of commissioned officers of the regiment :
Adjutant-Lieut. Henry W Wells, of Cambridge.
Quartermaster-Lieut. George C. Alden, of Annawan.
Surgeon-Dr. John W Spaulding, of Galesburg.
First Assistant Surgeon-Dr. Christian H. Gran, of Cam- bridge.
Second Assistant Surgeon-Dr. Luther S. Milliken, of Wy- oming. Dr. Gran, who had enlisted in Major Hosford's com- pany, and been elected Second Lieutenant, and afterwards ap- pointed First Assistant Surgeon, for some reason unknown to the author, was never mustered into the service ; and Dr. Lt- ther S. Milliken was mustered in as First Assistant Surgeon -leaving the office of Second Assistant Surgeon, for the time being, vacant.
Lieut. George C. Alden was mustered into the United States service as Quartermaster, on the 10th of September; and on the following day Dr. Spaulding was mustered in as Surgeon, with the rank of Major.
The letter of each company, and its consequent position in the regiment, and the comparative rank of its officers, were determined by lot, under the direction of Col. Henderson, with the following result :
Capt. T. T. Dow, of the Annawan company, although the
12
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
last to draw, drew the letter A-and the post of honor on the riglit.
Capt. J. B. Doyle, of the Bradford company, drew B, and occupied second place, on the left.
Capt. John J. Biggs, of a Cambridge company-Lieut. Col. Bond's company-drew C.
Capt. A. A. Dann, also of Cambridge, drew D.
Capt. S. F Ofman, of the Wyoming company, drew E.
Capt. William W Wright, of the Toulon company-Col. Henderson's company- drew F
Capt. A. W Albro, of the Galva company, drew G.
Capt. G. W Sroufe, of a Cambridge company, drew H.
Capt. James E. Wilkins, of a Geneseo company -- Major Hosford's company-drew I, and Capt. Joseph Wesley, of the other Geneseo company. drew K.
And the Captains, First and Second Lieutenants, respect- ively, of the companies. started out with rank in the reg- iment in the order named. Each of the companies retained the sa ne letter and the same position in the regiment, no !- withstanding changes in the rank of officers, during the regi- ment's whole term of service-A on the right, and then in the following order from right to left : F, D, I, C, H, E, K. G, B.
On the 3d of October Col. Henderson appointed the follow- ing non-commissioned staff officers :
Sergeant Major -- Joseph C. Baird, of company H.
Quartermaster Sergeant-George Bernard, of company H. Commissary Sergeant-Robert F Steele, of company I.
Hospital Steward-Joseph C. Johnson, of company I.
Principal Musician-Robert Ferman, of company D.
Asa L. Hayden, of company D. was appointe I Drum Major, and served as such until the organization of the Regimental Band, when he became a member of the band and remained in it until mustered out of the service.
Daniel Middaugh, of company H, ("Old Uncle Dan"), was detailed as Wagon Master, and Samuel M. Eldridge, of com- pany F, Regimental Postmaster ; and they held their respect- ive positions, and performed the duties thereof faithfully and well during their whole term of service.
The regimental Field and Staff Officers having been pro-
13
ROSTER.
moted, or appointed, from the company officers, the vacancies thereby occasioned in such companies were filled by other elections and by promotion in the regular line of promotion. The following is a complete roster of the commissioned officers of the regiment as mustered into the United States service :
FIELD AND STAFF.
Colonel-Thomas J. Henderson, of Toulon.
Lieut. Colonel-Emery S. Bond, of Cambridge.
Major-James M. Hosford, of Geneseo.
Surgeon-Dr. John W Spaulding, of Galesburg.
First Assistant Surgeon -- Dr. Luther S. Milliken, of Wyo- ming.
Adjutant-Henry W Wells, of Cambridge.
Quartermaster-George C. Alden, of Annawan.
No chaplain was appointed until the 8th of October -- the day the regiment moved from Peoria-when the commission- ed officers, at the request of the Colonel, voted for a chaplain, and elected Rev. Roswell N. Henderson, a Baptist minister of Geneseo, who had enlisted as a private in company I. He was commissioned by the Governor on the 13th of October, and soon thereafter was mustered in as Chaplain with the rank and pay of Captain.
Mr. Henderson promised by his conduct and courage to make an average private soldier, and it was unfortunate that he was not permitted to remain in the ranks. By his promo- tion the government lost his services, for as a chaplain he was neither useful nor ornamental. And right here it might be well to say that he is no kin whatever to the gallant Colonel of the regiment-a fact for which the latter may be thankful.
LINE OFFICERS.
Company A-
Captain. Tristram T. Dow, of Annawan. First Lieutenant, Asa A. Lee, of Annawan. Second Lieutenant, John L. Dow, of Annawan.
Company F --
Captain, William W Wright, of Toulon. First Lieutenant, Jackson Lorance, of West Jersey. Second Lieutenant, Rob- ert E. Westfall, of Penn.
14
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
Company D-
Captain, Augustus A. Dunn, of Cambridge. First Lieuten- ant, Henry G. Griffin, of Andover. Second Lieutenant, Sam- uel L. Patterson, of Burns.
Company I-
Captain, James E. Wilkins, of Geneseo. First Lieutenant, George W Lawrence, of Geneseo. Second Lieutenant, Hen- ry S. Comstock, of Munson.
Company C-
Captain, John J. Biggs, of Cambridge. First Lieutenant, John B. Mitchell, of Cambridge. Second Lieutenant, Alex- ander P Petrie, of Rivoli.
Company H-
Captain, George W Sroufe, of Cambridge. First Lieuten- ant, Thomas F Davenport, of Cambridge. Second Lieuten- ant, Elisha Atwater, of Munson.
Company E-
Captain, Sylvester F Otman, of Wyoming. First Lieuten- ant, Cranmer W Brown, of Wyoming. Second Lieutenant, Elmer A. Sage, of Essex.
Company K-
Captain, Joseph Wesley, of Green River. First Lieutenant, Christian G. Gearhart, of Atkinson. Second Lieutenant, Ed- ward H. Colcord, of Geneseo.
Company G-
Captain, Alexander W Albro, of Galva. First Lieutenant, James McCartney, of Galva. Second Lieutenant, Thomas E. Milchrist, of Galva.
Company B-
Captain, James B. Doyle, of Bradford. First Lieutenant, Jonathan C. Dickerson, of Penn. Second Lieutenant, John Gudgel, of Bradford.
The number of enlisted men mustered into the service was as follows : Non-commissioned Staff, 5; Co. A, 96; Co. B, 85; Co. C, 96; Co. D, 98; Co. E, 86; Co. F, 95; Co. G, 87 ; Co. H, 75; Co. I, 87; Co. K, 93; total, 903.
Co. H, not having the required minimum number, several men, mostly of Co. F, were mustered in as of Co. H, and af- terwards transferred to their original companies, to which they are credited in the foregoing list.
15
ORDERED TO THE FRONT.
Nothing of special interest occurred while the regiment re- mained at Peoria. It was a new life to all ; officers, as well as men, were ignorant of military affairs, and all had to com- mence at the beginning and learn as they progressed in the art of war. It was some time before the men, accustomed to pleasant rooms and comfortable beds at home, could habitu- ate themselves to the rough barracks and beds of straw and coarse blankets ; but they learned afterwards that life in bar- racks was one of ease and luxury as compared with their ex- perience at the front. Many of the officers and men were vis- ited by their families and friends, who came to bid them a fi- nal farewell ; and some returned to their homes to settle busi- ness affairs and again look upon the loved ones there, before their departure for the seat of war. Some of the boys ran guard and went to town too frequently for their own good; but a majority conducted themselves with becoming dignity and self respect.
On the 4th of October Lieut. John L. Dow, of Co. A, was married in camp, which afforded an interesting social episode in his company, and some of the officers required him to "set 'em up," in honor of the event.
As soon as the regiment had been mustered in, active pre- parations were commenced to equip it for active service in the field. Uniforms were procured, and arms and accoutrements, knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, cooking utensils, camp and garrison equipage, and all the various paraphernalia of war, were provided as rapidly as possible ; but the great number of volunteers in the loyal States. and the sudden emergency which had called them into service taxed the government to its utmost capacity to furnish the necessary arms and equip- ments for their use ; and consequently there was considerable delay in fitting out new regiments-the 112th among others.
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