USA > Illinois > Kane County > History of Kane County, Ill. Volume I > Part 17
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181
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
for a three months' term of service, and proceeded thence to Alton. Captain Greusel was promoted to major of the regiment. The command served its time and was mustered out July 25, 1861, but immediately reenlisted for three years, Major Greusel being promoted to colonel of the Thirty-sixth Illi- nois infantry and E. S. Joslyn, lieutenant colonel.
By this time the great war was fully inaugurated, and people began to realize that the movement on the part of the southern men was not to be crushed in an easy manner; it had been thoroughly organized and only the most strenuous effort could hope to put down the rebellion, which now ap- peared in all its magnitude. But the work went bravely on; men and means continued to come to the aid of the government, and the volume of war swelled to an enormous extent. The adjutant-general of Illinois, in his report upon the filling of the quota of the state under a call for three hundred thousand men. in August. 1862, thus wrote, after explaining that the full quota of the state was to be raised and no credit was to be allowed for the excess of men already in the field :
"To raise either 52.296 or 35.320 volunteers ( with perhaps the exception of one thousand. who had enlisted between July 7 and August 5) but thirteen days were allowed. The floating population of the state who would enlist had already done so. These new volunteers must come, if come at all. from the farmers and mechanics of the state. Farmers were in the midst of their harvests, and it is no exaggeration to say that, inspired by a holy zeal, ani- mated by a common purpose, and firmly resolved on rescuing this government from the very brink of ruin. and restoring it to the condition our fathers left it, over fifty thousand of them left their harvests ungathered, their tools on their benches, the plows in the furrows, and turned their backs upon home and loved ones, and before eleven days expired the demands of the country were met and both quotas were filled. Proud, indeed, was the day to all Illi- noisans when this extraordinary announcement was made-that the enlistment rolls were full.
"And when the historian shall write the record of these eventful days of August, 1862, no prouder record can be erected to the honor and memory of a free people than a plain. full narrative of actual realities."
Pursuant to the call for three hundred thousand troops in the summer of 1862, the board of supervisors of Kane county held a special meeting and took action upon the following resolutions, presented by a committee appointed by a mass meeting of Kane county citizens held at the courthouse :
"Resolved. That we recommend that the board of supervisors of Kane county appropriate and pay to each recruit in Kane county the sum of one hundred dollars until our full quota is made up under the call of the Presi- dent for three hundred thousand volunteers.
"Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to stand by and support the board of supervisors in making such appropriation, and we believe that the interests
182
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
of the country imperatively demand that such action should be immediately taken.
"Resolved, That this war must be vigorously prosecuted and this Union must be preserved."
A committee of the board was appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the board in the matter, and they reported their belief that the board should "appropriate sixty dollars. either in cash or in county orders, bearing interest at seven per cent. to each private and non-commissioned officer. not exceeding five hundred men, who shall enlist before the first day of September next, in the present war. under the President's last call for three hundred thousand men, said sixty dollars to be paid by a committee of the board, who shall hereafter be appointed, on the presentation of proper vouch- ers that such recruits have been organized into a company and mustered into the United States service." The report was adopted. as was also a resolu- tion providing for the payment of the first fifteen thousand dollars of the moneys so appropriated. In addition to the bounty offered by the county, there were township and city bounties amounting to twenty or twenty-five dollars for each recruit.
The report of J. H. Mayborne, of Geneva, enrolling officer for Kane county, dated October 8, 1862, shows that about one-third of the whole able- bodied male population of the county, between the ages of eighteen and forty- five years, was then in actual service. The following table shows the total number enrolled and the number in service from each township at the date of the report :
Townships.
Total number enrolled.
In service.
Aurora
1.845
626
Sugar Grove
225
66
Big Rock
20I
40
Kaneville
283
78
Blackberry
236
64
Batavia
418
IIO
Geneva
271
IOI
St. Charles
352
I3I,
Campton
I86
42
Virgil
244
103
Burlington
167
57
Plato
201
89
Elgin
696
353
Dundee
356
90
Rutland
172
45
Hampshire
230
92
· Total
6,086
2,087
WEST BANK OF FOX RIVER CAMPING SCENE, NORTH OF ELGIN.
FOX RIVER NEAR TROUT PARK, NORTH OF ELGIN.
185
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
The 2,087 did not include men who died or were killed in the service, or those who had been discharged. Had they been included the number at that time, instead of 2,087, would have been at least 2,500. The casualties among Kane county troops had been very great, showing that they had borne the brunt of the battle. A single instance will serve to show how much they had been exposed to the fire of the enemy. The Fifty-second Illinois, at the Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862, lost 28 men killed and 135 wounded, and of these Kane county was represented by 13 killed and 51 wounded. Besides these a considerable number of Kane county boys were reported missing after the battle.
At the time of the last draft in 1864 Kane county was out of its reach, having already furnished, under previous enlistments, 347 men more than her quota. The quota of each township and the number credited to it at that time were as follows :
Townships.
Quota.
Number credited.
Big Rock
105
100
Kaneville
115
126
Virgil
I18
124
Burlington
80
72
Hampshire
97
130
Rutland
76
74
Plato
94
109
Campton
94
94
Blackberry
144
195
Sugar Grove
106
106
Aurora (outside city)
192
204
Aurora (city)-
First ward
199
206
Second ward
334
345
Third ward
210
261
Fourth ward
157
194
Batavia
237
262
Geneva
I3I
154
St. Charles
222
273
Elgin (outside city)
IIO
128
Elgin (city)-
First ward
63
69
Second ward
39
41
Third ward
56
61
Fourth ward
57
63
Dundee
178
200
Total
3,214
3.561
When a new call for recruits was made, in February, 1865, the quota to be raised in Kane county, aside from all credits, was as follows :
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KANE COUNTY HISTORY
Quota.
Townships.
Aurora, city and township.
124
Big Rock 14
Kaneville
I
Virgil 12
Burlington
I2
Rutland
8
Plato
2
Campton
18
Blackberry
9
Sugar Grove
19
Batavia
24
Geneva
7
Elgin, city and township
2.4
Dundee
IO
Total .28.4
Hampshire had an excess of nineteen and St. Charles of five; therefore they had no men to raise under this call. The heavy call on Kane county was owing to the fact that the enrollment lists in the provost marshal's office had not been corrected.
The total enrollment for the county was based upon the population of 1860, and, as shown, was 6,086 men. Of these 4,103 were liable to military service, and the total quota of men required to be furnished by the county amounted to 3,872. It has been figured that the grand total of men furnished by the county was 3,990, or an excess of 118 over the quotas. These were apportioned in the various armies of the service as follows: Infantry. 157 com- missioned officers and 2,989 enlisted men; cavalry, 40 commissioned officers and 600 enlisted men ; artillery, 10 commissioned officers and 194 enlisted men. Of the whole 885 men were in the service 100 days and the remainder for longer terms. The report of the adjutant-general of the state varies slightly from the foregoing in its figures, as the following from said report shows : Population in 1860, 30,024; first and second-class enrollment in 1863, 4,530; ditto in 1864, 4,962; revised enrollment, January, 1865, 5,002. Quotas prior to December 31, 1864: 1861, 842; 1862, 576; call 700.000 February I and March 14, 1864, 1,020; call 500,000 July 18. 1864, 774; total quotas, 3,212; total credits, 3.588; excess, 370. Quotas to December 31, 1865: Assigned quota, 284 ; net quota, 660; total quota. 3.872 : credit, 285 ; total credit, 3,873; excess, I. Aside from any of these credits must be taken into account the men from this county who served during the war in the navy, and probably many others who enlisted in organizations raised in other states, and were possibly never credited on the Illinois report. The entire number who enlisted from Kane county in defense of the flag, in all capacities, could not have fallen short of 4,000, or over 13 per cent of the whole population of the county. The record shines in undimmed luster twenty-two years after the close of the strife, and it is known that Kane county was represented on 107 of the battlefields of the Rebellion.
187
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
By the returns made in August, 1865, by A. B. Coon, captain and provost marshal of the Second Illinois congressional district, which then included Kane county, it is seen that the county paid sums as follows for bounties to volunteers during the war :
Date of call.
Bounty paid.
Number of bounties.
Average.
July 9 and August 5, 1862. . . . $ 60
768
$ 46,080
February I and March 14, 1864. .
100
742
74,200
July IS, 1864.
600
S
4,800
December 19, 1864.
600
270
162,000
Total
1,788
$287,080
$160.56
100-day men
$ 50
489
24,450
2,277
$311,530
$136.86₺
The total amounts paid by other counties in the district were :
Bounties.
Winnebago
1,946
$540,600
Boone
861
295,388
McHenry
1.704
419,660
Lake
1,317
347,410
DeKalb
1,454
357,480
Kane county paid the least average bounty, but divided the sum total among the greatest number of men. The subjoined notes upon the history of the regiments in which Kane county men principally served are from the reports made by the adjutant-general of the state, as republished in 1886, and are in some instances furnished by members of the regiments themselves :
STORIES OF THE BOYS IN BLUE BY A VETERAN OF THE SIXTIES.
(In Aurora Daily News, March II, 1908.) DeKalb, Illinois, February 29, 1908.
Aurora Daily News :
I know my friends in Kendall county are always interested in anything pertaining to the doings of Company C, Fourth Illinois Cavalry, and if my little stories are not fully up to the mark will overlook it.
The old soldiers of the Civil war have always kept a loving remembrance of their comrades who stood shoulder to shoulder with them in putting down the rebellion. Many of those comrades have passed out of our lives. Some of them have been so scattered over this great country that we have lost all trace of them. Others, and the great majority, are peacefully sleeping beneath the sod in our many beautiful cemeteries, where friends have placed white stones to mark their last resting places, and it is gratifying to know that the people , of this busy world of ours have the time to pay a loving tribute to their soldier dead. All surviving comrades of that great struggle know that year by year they are growing older and older and before many years they also will have to answer the last roll call.
188
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
It is very true since the close of the Civil war that the old soldiers have formed many new and valuable friendships which they prize highly. But never in these later years can they make such friendships as they had with the comrades of the long ago.
Those times, the sweet memories the old soldiers kept ever green, and in writing little campfire stories about the happenings of the Civil war I know that there are those who for various reasons were not permitted to show their love and patriotism by fighting for the preservation of the Union and the dear old flag we love so much, are with the old soldiers in thought and sympathy, and know that death only can dissolve the bond of comradeship formed during the '60s.
ACCOUNT OF COMPANY C.
In this little article I will give you a little account of the doings of old Company C in the early part of the war. While at Cairo in the winter of 1861-62 both the Mississippi and Ohio rivers got on a rampage, overflowing their banks and inundating that city so that the streets became vast sheets of water which reached up to the second stories of many of the buildings. The people were obliged to flee from their homes. Rowboats and hastily con- structed rafts were put in requisition to save the women and children from being drowned. At this time, it will be remembered, that Cairo and the greater part of southern Illinois was a hotbed of secession, the people as a general thing being in full sympathy with what afterwards became the lost cause. But our Union soldier boys did not give this matter a thought. They went to the rescue of the unfortunates and did everything they could to help and relieve the suffering caused by that awful flood, and through their efforts much property as well as human lives were saved, and there is no doubt that this was instrumental in changing views of many of the people who had been made to believe that the Yankee soldiers were all hoof and horns, and I wish to say that there is no doubt that the state of Illinois was later indebted to the efforts of General John A. Logan, or the "Black Eagle," as we liked to call him, for changing the views of many of the people of southern Illinois, so that they became Unionists instead of Confederates.
PROTECTED BY BRIDGE.
Shortly after this great flood Company C was detached from the regiment and ordered to a point near Anna, Illinois, for the purpose of protecting the place. As was well known at that time. the Illinois Central was the chief Illinois Central Railroad bridge that spanned the Big Muddy river at that means of transportation the government had of sending supplies to the army at Cairo, where General U. S. Grant was gathering his army to invade the southern Confederacy. If this bridge could be destroyed the Confederates knew that untold damage would result to the Union forces; therefore rebel soldiers were sent over from time to time across the Ohio river from Kentucky with orders to destroy and put this bridge out of commission.
189
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
But old Company C was "Johnnie on the Spot," and soon convinced those raiders that the job could not be done. After numerous attempts, the rebels abandoned the project, but not without several engagements in which they were defeated and a number of them killed. After all danger from those raids was over Company C remained on duty at this point until General Grant was ready to make his forward movement, when it was recalled to join the regiment at Cairo.
I must not forget to acknowledge that while at Cairo we received from the good ladies at Oswego a box containing all kinds of good things to eat. pies, cakes, roast chicken, etc., and if those kind ladies could have seen us dis- pose of their contribution from the dear old home it would have done their hearts good and more than paid them for sacrificing time and labor. God bless those good women who gave so much to lighten the burdens of the Union soldiers.
On January 31, 1862, the captains of the different companies in the regi- ment had a chance to do a little weeding out in their commands. At this time there was a fleet of gunboats just completed and at anchor in the Mississippi river, and men were wanted to man them. The government not wanting to wait to enlist them, called for volunteers. The captains of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry took it upon themselves to send such men as they would rather spare. They told these men they had to go, and they went. These soldiers were nearly all Norwegians and Germans, who could hardly speak the English language. Some few companies, among which was Company C. did not have any unde- sirable soldiers; therefore did not furnish any recruits for the United States navy. Charles Welsh, a private of Company I ( Earlville company), who was under arrest for drunkenness and attempting to kill Lieutenant Hapman. of his company, was given the alternative of taking service in one of the gunboats or standing courtmartial. He chose the former, and the Fourth Illinois Cav- alry was not of the undesirable soldiers. At Pilos Knot, on the opposite side of the Mississippi river. from Cairo, were many swamps in which grew great groves of pecan trees. The nuts from these trees in great abundance simply went to waste, and the hogs, which, owing to their size and shape, were called "Missouri Razor Backs," were turned loose in these groves to fatten. I have mentioned this last to show what great change has taken place in that time. Pecan nuts are now a luxury, and instead of feeding them to the hogs all the Americans take pleasure in eating them.
At last the Fourth Illinois Cavalry was ordered aboard the transports and were soon steaming up the Ohio river. We were compelled to drop anchor at Mound City, Illinois, for the purpose of coaling up. At Mound City, in the national cemetery, are buried three of our comrades of Company C-Julius Brown, Jonathan P. Warner and John S. Burnes.
HISTORY OF SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Illinois having sent six regiments to the Mexican war, by courtesy the numbering of the regiments which took part in the war for the Union began with number seven. A number of regiments which responded to the first call
190
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
of the President for troops claimed to be the first regiment in the field, but the honor of being the first was finally accorded to Colonel John Cook, and hence his regiment was numbered seven. The Seventh Regiment was recruited as follows: Company A from Elgin and vicinity; Company B, Mattoon and vicinity; Company C, Aurora and vicinity; Company D. Litchfield and vicinity; Company E, Atlanta and vicinity; Company F. Bunker Hill and vicinity ; Company G, Springfield and vicinity; Company H. Lincoln and vicinity; Company I, Springfield and vicinity; Company K, Carlinville and vicinity.
The regiment was mustered into the United States service at Camp Yates, April 25, 1861, by Captain John Pope. U. S. A. Was forwarded to Alton, St. Louis, Cairo and Mound City, where it remained during the three months service.
Was reorganized and mustered for three years' service July 25, 1861. by Captain T. G. Pitcher, U. S. A. Proceeded to Ironton. Missouri, and joined the command of Brigadier General B. M. Prentiss. August 23. 1861, marched to Cape Girardeau. Missouri, where it remained some time. Colonel Cook commanding post. The regiment went into winter quarters at Fort Holt, Kentucky, Colonel Cook commanding post. The garrison consisted of a brigade-Seventh and Twenty-eighth Illinois and McAllister's Battery. General Grant commanded the district of Cairo.
Was with the reconnoitering expedition. under General Grant, in the rear of Columbus, Kentucky. During the battle of Belmont was sent to Elliot's Mills, just above Columbus. On February 3, 1862, embarked for Fort Henry. and on the 12th for Fort Donelson, taking part in the investment and siege of that place. February 13. 14 and 15, and was engaged in the last charge on the left of the enemy's works. At Donelson the regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Babcock. Colonel Cook commanding Third Brigade, Sec -- ond Division. Major General C. F. Smith commanding. Loss, three killed, including the gallant Captain Mendell, of Company I, and nineteen wounded.
February 21, 1862, left Fort Donelson for Clarksville, Tennessee. Major Rowett commanding. Lieutenant Colonel Babcock absent. sick. and Colonel Cook commanding brigade. Ordered to Nashville, and afterwards to Pitts- burgh Landing. where it arrived March 22. 1862. Was engaged continually. April 6 and 7. at the battle of Shiloh, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Rowett, Colonel Babcock being absent, sick, and Colonel Cook having been promoted to brigadier general on the 2d of March; was a part of Colonel Sweeny's brigade of General W. H. L. Wallace's division ; went into action between 9 and 10 o'clock April 6th, and first took possession at Duncan's Field and drove the enemy in its front across the field. but was in turn driven back; and when the division commander. General W. H. L. Wallace, was killed and the brigade commander, Colonel T. W. Sweeny, was wounded and taken off the field. Lieutenant Colonel Rowett obtained permission from Gen- eral McClernand to form on his left and become a part of his line, where his horse was killed in a charge on the enemy. The Seventh was in the line that repulsed the last charge of the enemy on the night of the 6th, when it was advanced to a picket line and remained there until relieved by General Buell's
191
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
command near daylight next morning. It went into action before noon on the 7th, and was hotly engaged when the enemy retreated at 3 o'clock p. m. In this battle the regiment lost, in killed, two commissioned officers and fifteen men; wounded, seventy-nine. Lieutenant Colonel Rowett was among the latter.
Was engaged up to May 30 with Third Brigade, Second Division, and in center of right wing, moving upon Corinth-meanwhile having several skirmishes with the enemy. On evacuation of Corinth, May 30, by the enemy the regiment marched to Farmington and Booneville. Mississippi, repairing roads and bridges, and returned to Corinth. June 11, 1862. At the battle of Corinth. October 3 and 4, 1862, the regiment was engaged both days, entire, on right of Third Brigade, and still in Second Division. Colonel Babcock was in command. On the 5th of October marched in pursuit of enemy as far as Ruckerville, and returned on the roth. Loss at Corinth-two commissioned officers and six men killed and forty-six wounded. Also twenty-one prisoners, who have since been exchanged and returned to duty. December 8, marched to Lexington, Missouri, in pursuit of guerrillas.
February 28. 1863. Colonel Andrew J. Babcock resigned and retired from the service, when Lieutenant Colonel Richard Rowett was promoted colonel, to rank from that date.
April 15, 1863, marched with General Dodge's command through Iuka. Glendale and Burnsville to Bear Creek, on the Alabama line. On the 17th deployed as skirmishers, drove the enemy from the creek, and, as soon as the cavalry had crossed, Companies C and K pushed forward at a double quick in support of a battery. The remainder of the brigade then crossed, and, mov- ing forward to Cherokee, engaged the rebels. The Seventh, on the right, killed twelve of the enemy and captured two prisoners. At dark retired, and next morning moved back to Bear Creek.
April 25. again moved forward to Tuscumbia, and the same evening to South Florence, joining the Ninth Illinois ( mounted) Infantry. The next day moved with main column to Town Creek. April 28. crossed Town Creek and drove the enemy three miles, and remained on the ground during the night with the Second Iowa Infantry. On the 29th, recrossed and returned to Corinth with the command. arriving May 2. Loss, during this expedition, one man killed-accidentally shot.
May 12 to June 8, 1863. guarded railroad from Bethel to Jackson, Tennes- see. June 18, mounted, by order of Major General Dodge, and the remainder of the month was scouting through west Tennessee. July 7 to 9. on scout. July 26 to August 5. on expedition under command of Colonel Rowett. of the Seventh, capturing forty-two prisoners, including one colonel and two cap- tains, and many horses and mules. Lost one man. accidentally killed. Again went out, together with one hundred men of the Tenth Missouri Cavalry. Had several skirmishes and captured twenty prisoners. September 26. com- menced a four days' expedition with the Seventh Kansas Cavalry. Colonel Rowett in command. Had some very brisk skirmishes, and captured thirty prisoners and several horses and mules. October 4. relieved Eighteenth Missouri. at Chewalla, and was again relieved on the 28th.
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KANE COUNTY HISTORY
October 26, proceeded to luka. Here guarded approaches until the 6th of November, when marched to Eastport, and. crossing the Tennessee river, moved on flanks of Dodge's command, capturing horses, etc., and fighting guerrillas until November 12. when camped at Pulaski. November 17 to 19. scouted to and beyond Lawrenceburg, capturing thirty prisoners. Novem- ber 21, ordered to Corinth, and returned to Pulaski, capturing twenty-five prisoners. December 10, ordered on scout toward Shreve Creek and Florence, Alabama.
The Seventh Infantry reenlisted as veterans at Pulaski, Tennessee. De- cember 22, 1863, and was mustered in January 6, 1864, and left immediately for Illinois, to receive thirty days' furlough. Arrived at Springfield, January 18, 1864. Received an enthusiastic reception from the citizens. Quartered in Representatives' hall until next day, when furloughed. Reassembled Feb- ruary 18, 1864. reinforced by two hundred recruits. Left Camp Butler for Pulaski on the 23d, under command of Major Estabrook-Colonel Rowett being in command of Camp Butler. Arrived at Pulaski, February 27, 1864, where the regiment was mounted, and left for Florence. Alabama. ninety miles distant, to patrol the Tennessee river and watch Forrest's command, which were just leaving Tuscaloosa, Alabama. on the memorable raid on Paducah and Fort Pillow. The regiment was divided into three detachments-four companies at Florence, two companies at Sweetwater and four at Centre Star.
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