USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois, Volume One > Part 5
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Captain Alexander Bailey; first lieutenant, George Ware; second lieutenant, G. S. Hubbard; sergeants-Noah Sapp, Asa Duncan, Isaiah M. Treat, Ralph Martin; cor-
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porals-Robert Osbern, John Leneeve, Obadiah Leneeve, William Martin; privates-A. P. Andrews, Jacob Angle, William Blair, David Bailey, William Blount, George M. Beckwith, James Bowman, William Burbridge, Feeling Botts, Archibald Crider, William Canady, James Cun- ningham, Watson Canady, Alfred Duncan, John Deck, Jacob Ekler, Joab, Enos, William Foster, John R. Fitch, Michael Gurthery, Othnial Gilbert, Sylvester Gilbert, War- ren Hor, James Hall, Josiah Hinkle, Robert Hill, Soame Jennings, Asahel Kelly, David Knight, James R. King, Thomas Layton, Amos Luman, Joseph R. Loveless, William More, Abraham K. Miller, Bushrod Oliver, Thomas Ogg, John Piper, Samuel Russell, John Skinner, Isadore Sho- bore, James Skinner, Notly C. Scott, John Scott, Enoch Vanvickle, John R. Watson, James White, Robert P. Wil- son, Sanford Wiles, Scott Young, John Young.
Captain Eliakem Ashton; first lieutenant, William Mackin; privates-John Brown, R. H. Bryant, David Best, Jarvas Huntsman, George J. Hays, Hiram Hays, John Kester, Christopher Moner, Samuel Mann, Wilson B. Mc- Cann, Elijah Mills, William Mann, Robert Mansfield, Elias Mackey, Amos Nokes, John Potts, James Riddle, Edw. Roll, Elias Shipp, James Turner, Daniel Turner, George W. Ventiones, William Wilson, David T. Williams.
Captain Morgan L. Payne's company was mustered into the service May 12, 1832, and was not mustered out of the service until July 25, 1832. This company saw the longest service and sustained the only casualty of the Ver- milion County companies when Private William Brown was killed by Indians June 16 on the Indian frontier between Ottawa and Chicago. His home was at Bismarck and he was killed while out looking for supplies. This company was under the command of Major Nathaniel
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Buckmaster, commanding at Fort Payne, on the Du Page River, and was stationed for the protection of the frontier between Ottawa and Chicago, in Cook County, one hundred and thirty-five miles from Danville.
Following is the roster: Captain Morgan L. Payne; first lieutenants-Noah Guymon, served as first lieutenant until June 23, then resigned, and John Black, served as private to June 23, then elected first lieutenant; second lieutenant, Thomas McConnell; sergeants - Jonathan Pratt, served as first sergeant to June 21, then as private; Jacob Glass, served as private to June 23, then as first sergeant; Squire L. Payne, served as private to June 22, then as second sergeant; John Cook, Phillomon Spicer; corporals-Greenville Groves, John Cassel, Joseph Spicer, Joshua Fleming; privates-William Brown, killed by the enemy on June 16, 1832, James Bevens, William Cotten, Randolph R. Coffee, John Collins, Cyrus Douglass, John Elliott, Nathan Elliott, Asa Furguson, William Fisher, Bennett Hays, John Howell, Miram H. Kinny, Presly Lucus, Reason Lucus, John Lucus, John Lyons, Evan S. Morgan, John Morgan, John McBride, Samuel O'Neal, Samuel Parkeson, Leander Rutledge, John Stephens, Solo- mon Stephens, Isaac Stephen, Levi Springer, James Thompson, William Underwood, Joseph Vankirk, John Waters, Hardy Wilson.
Captain James Palmer; first lieutenant, John Light; second lieutenant, Joseph Jackson; sergeants-Bluford Runyon, Marcus Snow, David Macumson, Thomas Fro- man; corporals-Henry Streight, Washington Lusher, Abner M. Williams, David Morgan; musicians-William H. Parkerson, Noah Delay; privates-Jared Allen, Green Atwood, William Bandy, Washington Bandy, John H. Brown, John Bensyl, Solomon Banta, William Currant,
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Martin Currant, Alexander Cloe, James Chandler, Jesse Cline, James C. Cravins, Ferrel Dunn, Henry Delay, Jacob Delay, Isaac Delay, Charles Fielder, Francis Foley, William Fithian, Jona. W. Fry, John Going, Stephen Grif- fith, William Gebhart, Elijah B. Hale, Ely Henderson, Malachi Jenkins, William P. Kinkenon, Franklin Kenedy, Andrew Kizer, David Lewis, William Love, Solomon Lewis, James Lambert, William Lenman, David C. Lizer, D. W. C. Malory, Joseph Morgan, Samuel Macumson, Ely Mendenhall, Abraham Oiler, Jonathan Phelps, Henry B. Payne, Francis Prince, Davis Reynolds, James Rock, Peter S. Rutlage, George Simpson, John Thomas, Elmore Wooden, Jonathan Yount.
Captain I. M. Gillispie; first lieutenant, Barnet Wever ; second lieutenant, Edwin Stanfield; sergeants-George Lewis, James Adams, Andrew Davis; corporals-Locklin Madden, William Nugent, Elza Hoskins, I. B. Prebble; privates-Nicholas Bugely, Martin Brackall, William M. Bosely, John Don Carlens, Archelus Don Carlos, William Don Carlos, Jonathan Evans, Samuel Foster, James Free- man, Abram Gallion, Emanuel Gephart, John Howell, Joseph N. Houghman, John H. Lyons, Baptist Millikan, Thomas Morgan, Achelis Morgan, Levi Morgan, Stephen Mayfield, John Ritter, William Rowe, Isaac Swearengen, Richard Swank, William Swank, David Swank, Anthony Swisher, C. F. Yeager, Charles Yoke.
Captain James Gregory; this company mustered into service May 31, 1832, serving just twenty-four days; first lieutenant, William E. Williams; second lieutenant, James Goodwin; sergeants-James Cunningham, James Har- nies; privates-James Acton, Elias B. Bell, Stephen Cook, James Collins, Luke Conner, Isaac Cook, Thomas J. Evans,
now the site of the First National Bank Building Hotel, formerly the Barnum Building, in which Lincoln and Lamon had their law office, 1
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transferred from Captain Bailey's company, whole time thirty-one days, Harry Eccleston, Enoch Farmer, Bracston M. Fuget, Thomas Goodwin, James Gilbert, James Gilbert, Alexes Jackson, Jesse James, Jacomiah J. Leaman, Daniel Mace, Benjamin McNeal, James Musgrave, Thomas Mc- Coons, Thomas Morris, Edward McCart, John McCart, Jacob Staley, John Stephenson, Zion Smith, George Sigler, Charles M. Watson, David White, Jacob Wilkenson.
Captain Corbin R. Hutt; first lieutenant, William Jeremiah; second lieutenant, John A. Green; sergeants- Levin Watson, Alex. McDonald, Jacob Hammer, Moses Vest; privates-Hiram Anderson, Washington Alexander, Hiram Brown, David Brown, Edward Cole, John Cole, Robert Crusor, Ferguson Chitty, Henry Lee Ellis, William Foley, John Frazier, Isaac Hathaway, Phillip Howard, John Hammer, Isaac Lowdowsky, Moses Lacey, Willie Lacey, John B. McDowell, John Rheuby, Fielding L. Scott, Luke Smith, Samuel Todd, Samuel Williams, William Williams, John Wheat, Joseph A. Yikey.
It is quite evident that some of the names on these muster rolls are misspelled, but the spellings used are those taken from the records of the War Department, with the exception of that of Noah Guymon, which was spelled Guion on the government records.
In the muster roll of Captain Hutt's company, appears the name of Isaac Lowdowsky, which, the writer believes, should be Isaac Sodowsky, and there are several other spellings that are evidently wrong.
However, it is believed by the writer that this is the first time the complete muster rolls of the regiment have been published outside of the volume published by the State and there is only one copy of that in Vermilion
8-Vol. 1
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County as far as can be learned and that is in the pos- session of Clint C. Tilson, of Danville, who recently acquired it.
The importance of the Blackhawk was clearly exag- gerated and there were many more men called to the colors than were needed, but in the pioneer days, the lack of daily newspapers, telegraph and telephone made it impossible to accurately determine the scope of any border trouble and the State of Illinois acted in the best interests of the struggling settlers.
It is possible there were men in this regiment, espe- cially in the companies of Captains Gillispie, Gregory and Hutt, who were not Vermilion County residents, just as Vermilion County men were found in other companies in the State, but on the whole Colonel Moore's regiment was primarily a Vermilion County outfit.
The muster rolls of this regiment do not take into con- sideration the independent company of thirty-one volun- teers who started from Danville on two hours' notice under the command of Captain Dan Beckwith, major of the Ver- milion County Militia, most of whom afterward enlisted in various companies in Colonel Moore's regiment.
ยท CHAPTER VI
THE MEXICAN, CIVIL AND SPANISH-AMERICAN WARS (By Lieutenant Charles H. Crayton)
MEXICAN WAR-TWO COMPANIES ENROLLED FOR SERVICE-ROSTER OF INFANTRY COMPANY FROM VERMILION COUNTY-CIVIL WAR-FOURTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY-TWELFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY-TWENTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY-THIRTY-FIFTH REGIMENT ILLINOIS INFANTRY -THIRTY-SEVENTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY-SEVENTY-FIRST ILLINOIS INFANTRY-SEVENTY-THIRD ILLINOIS INFANTRY-FIFTY-FIRST ILLI- NOIS INFANTRY-ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS IN- FANTRY-ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY- ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY-ONE HUN- DRED AND FIFTIETH ILLINOIS INFANTRY-TWENTY-EIGHTH ILLI- NOIS INFANTRY - SCATTERED ENLISTMENTS - SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR-ENLISMENTS AND ENGAGEMENTS.
When war was declared in Mexico in 1846, two com- panies were enrolled for service-one company of infantry numbering ninety-six men, and a troop of cavalry number- ing eighty-six. However, as no cavalry units were being accepted, the company of infantry was the only one ten- dered to the State. There were but six regiments accepted from Illinois, and, as the Democratic party was in power, Vermilion County, a Whig stronghold, was left out of the call. A roster of this infantry company was recently
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unearthed by Clint C. Tilton, who is an authority on local history, which reads as follows:
Captain, Isaac R. Moores; lieutenants, Theodore Lemon, William A. Jones; sergeants-A. C. Spencer, J. B. Alexander, H. Sodowsky, I. S. Swearingen; corporals- Robert B. Lemon, William Trimmell, J. C. Marsh; pri- vates-N. Thurman, A. Luckey, John Payne, Henry Jones, Jonathan Beesley, Hiram Coleman, Henry Smith, Adam Furow, George Swisher, J. F. Huffman, William Hamil- ton, Lucas Meneely, Abia Luckey, David Finley, B. Run- nien, G. W. Nelson, A. G. Porter, G. W. Lewis, Ebenezer Foster, William Sodowsky, Leven Vincent, John Norris, William Draper, Henry S. Forbes, James Stark, Joseph V. Davis, Ezra Snow, Benj. Young, John Lander, A. D. Groves, John Sheets, Robert Buoy, Levi Patterson, Lewis Anderson, John Bennett, J. W. Chenoweth, Abraham Groom, Stanley Olmsted, Hugh McGlennen, W. M. Rut- ledge, George Stipp, G. F. McGee, A. Herring, John Olehey, George Wiley, P. McCarroll, Edward Rouse, Thomas Pierce, John Peters, William Robinson, Matthew Cole, William Noel, John Martin, John Martin, A. Musgrave, L. L. Madden, H. Stipp, J. Sodowsky, J. B. Trent, Milton Hess, William Parrish, Jefferson Clow, H. Broadwater, N. J. Norris, Ananias Buoy, Benj. Cassell, Shelton Cannon, Jesse Harris, Francis Esley, William Hobbs, G. W. Smith, John Stark, James Price, Joseph Norris, C. McCorkie, Francis Preston, T. Kidney, John Rice, Joseph Wilson, J. Leonard, John W. Acre, S. K. Starr, John Rouse, David Cremer, G. Corbin, W. S. Hammett, E. Coleman, Moses Samuel, musician.
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THE CIVIL WAR
Vermilion County made a remarkable showing in the Civil War, not only in the number of enlistments but in the gallantry of its troops in the field. The population of the county in 1860 was 19,779 and out of that number the county sent 2,596 soldiers into the various military organ- izations, or twelve and one-half per cent of its entire popu- lation. The total number of enlistments were 3,669, show- ing that 1,173 men enlisted the second time. There was no draft in this county. Catlin and Pilot townships paid bounties, the former in the amount of $14,623.01, and the latter, $16,330.00.
The Fourth Illinois Cavalry .- The Fourth Illinois Cav- alry was mustered into Federal service September 26, 1861, and after being equipped at Springfield, was ordered to Cairo. It was commanded by Colonel T. Lyle Dickey, of Chicago.
Troop F was organized in Vermilion County with Anthony T. Search as captain, Raymond W. Handford as first lieutenant and A. W. Loutzenheiser as second lieu- tenant. The Fourth was assigned to General McCler- nand's division and took part in the reconnaisance of Columbus, and in the campaign following was actively engaged at Forts Henry and Donelson. After the capture of these forts, the Fourth was shipped to Pittsburg Land- ing where it was assigned to the front line by command-
ing General W. T. Sherman. The Fourth was hotly engaged in the Battle of Shiloh, and then moved with the army on the march with Corinth as the objective. They were then ordered in pursuit of VanDorn and Price and at Coffeyville engaged the enemy, losing their lieutenant- colonel, William McCullogh. The regiment then proceeded
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
to Vicksburg where it remained a short time, after which it went into winter quarters at the close of 1863. It remained in the Mississippi Valley until November, 1864, when it returned to Springfield, Illinois, and was mustered out.
The regiment left Cairo in February, 1862, with 1,100 men, and returned in 1864 with 340.
Twelfth Illinois Infantry .- The Twelfth Illinois In- fantry was mustered into Federal service August 6, 1861. Company C was recruited from Vermilion County with William J. Allen as captain, and with Robert V. Chesley as first lieutenant and David C. Jones as second lieutenant.
Captain Allen resigned November 13, 1861, and Ches- ley was promoted to the captaincy. The latter resigned November 26, 1862, and was succeeded by David L. Jones, who served until August 6, 1864, when he resigned and was succeeded by Joseph L. Lafferty, who died on the 25th of the following November, when Perry F. Miller, of West- field, became captain and commanded until the regiment was discharged.
When Chesley was promoted captain, Wright Seaman became first lieutenant and served until he was killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862. Oliver Hunt was promoted to the first lieutenancy and acted until he resigned March 4, 1863, after which William Hunt was appointed.
David L. Jones, Perry F. Miller, Frederick Ries and John M. Richardson served successively as second lieu- tenant.
Captain Joseph L. Lafferty was enlisted as a private and rose to the command of the company. The losses of Company C were as follows: killed in action, 5; died of wounds, 10; died in line of duty, 16; missing in action, 1; discharged for disability, 21; total, 53.
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After being mustered into Federal service, the Twelfth was ordered to Cairo where it remained until September 5, 1861, when it was sent to occupy Paducah, Kentucky. As a member of McArthur's Brigade it participated in the capture of Fort Donelson February 15, 1862, in which action it lost 19 killed, 58 wounded and 10 missing. It next proceeded to Clarksville, Tennessee, where it occupied Fort Sevier until February 26, when it was ordered to Nashville. The regiment returned to Clarksville, March 1, and remained there five days, after which it was shipped to Pittsburg Landing. The Twelfth was heavily engaged in the two-day battle of Shiloh where it sustained a loss of 109 killed and wounded and 7 missing. On April 28, it proceeded to Corinth and took part in the siege of that place and on October 3-4, took a brilliant and conspicuous part in the storming of Corinth. Supported by small detachments of the Fiftieth Illinois Infantry and Fifty- second Illinois Infantry, the Twelfth drove the enemy from the works, captured a stand of colors, and turned the cap- tured guns upon the fleeing Confederates. After the fall of Corinth, the Twelfth was transferred to the Atlanta campaign, taking part in the engagements at Lay's Ferry, Rome Cross Roads, Nickajack Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Bald Knob and Decatur, sustaining losses of 106 killed and wounded in that campaign.
On October 5 the regiment engaged in the Battle of Atlanta losing 57 killed and wounded out of 161 men engaged. On November 11, 1864, the Twelfth started with Sherman on his March to the Sea, arriving at Savannah in January, 1865. On the 28th of the same month the regiment began a march of 600 miles to Goldsboro, North Carolina, where it arrived March 24. The regiment took part in the pursuit of Johnson's army and returned to
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Raleigh, North Carolina, from which point it started on April 29 northward, marching 186 miles in six and one- half days. The regiment took part in the Grand Review at Washington, May 24, 1865, and was mustered out at Louisville, July 10, 1865, and received final payment and discharge at Springfield, Illinois, eight days later.
Company C was organized originally as a unit of the Twelfth Regiment under the call for three months service, being organized April 24, 1861, and discharged May 2, 1861. The company officers during the three months' service were: Captain, Samuel Frazier; first lieutenant, William Mann; second lieutenant, Joseph Kirkland.
The Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry .- The Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry was mustered into Federal Service at Saint Louis, Missouri, August 4, 1861. Three companies were from Vermilion County.
Company A was organized in the southern part of the county and went into service with Charles A. Clark, of Ridge Farm, as captain; Theodore A. West, of George- town, as first lieutenant; and Samuel Mitchell, of George- town, as second lieutenant. Captain Clark was killed November 28, 1862. Toward the end of the war, through resignations and promotions, Achilles Martin, of George- town, became captain.
Company B was organized in the northern part of the county and in Danville. Samuel D. Wall was its first captain; Thomas J. Mckibben, first lieutenant; and E. Mosely Wright, second lieutenant. The latter resigned February 17, 1862, and Joseph E. Gundy succeeded him.
Company D was partly from Vermilion and party from Edgar County. The company was mustered in with William Osborn, of Bloomfield, as captain; Allen Varner,
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of Edgar, as first lieutenant; and Lynn L. Parker, of Vermilion, as second lieutenant.
The Twenty-fifth entered active service with General Fremont in his campaign against Confederate General Price in Missouri. The regiment took a prominent part in the Battle of Pea Ridge, where it behaved with great gallantry and was complimented by the commanding gen- eral. After that battle the regiment was assigned to the division under the command of General Jeff C. Davis, and joined General Hallack's army in the siege of Corinth. After the fall of Corinth, the Twenty-fifth was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky, marching nearly five hundred miles in the month of August in the most extreme drouth and heat.
The regiment joined in the pursuit of Bragg, but was held in reserve at the battle of Perryville. The next engagement was the Battle of Stone River, December 30, 31, 1862. The Twenty-fifth was in the right wing of the army in this engagement and suffered severely, losing its colonel, Williams, and one-third of its effective force in killed and wounded. The battle was continued until Janu- ary 2, 1863, when the Confederates retreated. The Twenty-fifth moved with the army in pursuit of General Bragg and took part in the Battle of Chickamauga. Fol- lowing this engagement the Twenty-fifth took part in the battles of Chattanooga and Mission Ridge.
The regiment was then ordered to Eastern Tennessee where it spent the winter of 1863-64, and in the spring rejoined the army of the Cumberland near Chattanooga.
The Twenty-fifth accompanied Sherman in his Atlanta Campaign and took part in the engagements at Noonday Creek, Pinetop Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Chatta- hoochia, Peach Tree Creek, and Atlanta.
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The regiment was mustered out at Atlanta, August 20, 1864.
Thirty-fifth Regiment Illinois Infantry .- This regi- ment, nearly five companies of which were from Vermilion County, was organized at Decatur, on the 3d day of July, 1861, and was one of the very first to go forward to defend the country.
Companies D, E, F, and I were almost wholly from this county, and also a large number of Company A, the last named being under the command of Captain Philip D. Hammond, of Danville. Company D was raised in Catlin, and had for its officers, William R. Timmons, captain; U. J. Fox, first lieutenant; and Josiah Timmons, second lieutenant. Company E was officered by William L. Oli- ver, L. J. Eyman, and George C. Maxon, captain, first and second lieutenants, respectively. This company was raised in the townships of Georgetown and Carroll. Company F was a Danville company, and had for captain, A. C. Keys; first lieutenant, John Q. A. Luddington; and second lieu- tenant, J. M. Sinks. Company I was raised in the vicinity of Catlin and Fairmount. Of this company, A. B. B. Lewis was elected captain; Joseph Truax first, and Joseph F. Clise, second lieutenant.
In the organization of the regiment, W. P. Chandler, of Danville, was elected lieutenant-colonel; and, by the dis- abling of Colonel Smith at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Colonel Chandler was put in command, and was afterward pro- moted to the office.
On the 23d of July the regiment was accepted as Colonel G. A. Smith's Independent Regiment of Illinois Volun- teers, and the 4th of August left Decatur for the theatre of war. The regiment arrived at Jefferson Barracks, Mis- souri, the next day, where it remained one week, and then
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removed to Marine Hospital, Saint Louis, where it was mustered into service. On the 5th of September it was transported by rail to Jefferson City, Missouri, and from thence, on the 15th of October, to Sedalia, to join General Sigel's advance on Springfield, arriving at that point on the 26th of October. From November 13 to 19 the regi- ment was on the march from Springfield to Rolla. From January 24, 1862, the army to which the Thirty-fifth was attached was in pursuit of General Price, and here our regiment began to experience a taste of real war. At the memorable battle of Pea Ridge the regiment took active part, and lost in killed and wounded a number of its bravest men, among the wounded being Colonel Smith. At the siege of Corinth the regiment took an important part, and was at that place upon its evacuation on the 30th of May. At Perryville and Stone River the regiment was also engaged, at the latter place losing heavily in killed and wounded. This was during the first three days of January, 1863. The regiment was the first on the south side of the Tennessee River, crossing that stream on the 28th of August. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Septem- ber 20, the regiment was engaged, and again suffered severely. By the 22d of September the regiment was at Chattanooga.
In the Battle of Mission Ridge, on November 23-25, the regiment was placed in a most dangerous and important position, being in the front line, and displayed great valor and coolness, being led to within twenty steps of the rebel works on the crest of the hill. In the assault all of the color guard were shot down, and Colonel Chandler carried the flag into the enemy's works, followed by his men. By December 7 the regiment was at Knoxville, from which point it was sent on various important and dangerous
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expeditions. The regiment was assigned to duty next in the Atlanta campaign, and to recount all of the incidents, skirmishes, and fights in which the Thirty-fifth took part would be only to repeat what has been said over and over in regard to other regiments. The reader will simply turn to the story as related elsewhere, and appropriate it here. Suffice it to say that at Rocky Face, Resaca, Dallas, Mud Creek, and Kenesaw, the regiment was fully tested in coolness and bravery, and never disappointed its com- mander. On the 31st of August the regiment started to Springfield, Illinois, where it was mustered out on the 27th of September, 1864.
The Thirty-seventh Illinois Infantry .- The Thirty- seventh Illinois Infantry was recruited in the counties of Lake, LaSalle, McHenry, McLean, Cook, Rock Island, and Vermilion, and was mustered into Federal service at Chi- cago, September 18, 1861. It was commanded by Julius White, afterwards promoted to major-general, and its major was John Charles Black, afterwards brigadier-gen- eral and United States Commissioner of Pensions under President Cleveland. General Black organized Company K in Danville and was its first captain.
Company K was known as the "boys" company, as nearly all of its members were under age at the time of enlistment.
After being inducted into Federal service, the Thirty- seventh was assigned to the Department of Missouri and took part in the campaign against Price in Southwestern Missouri, marching to Springfield, and back to Laurine Caulmint. In the winter of 1861 it participated in Pope's Campaign against the Missouri Guerrillas. In the spring of 1862 the regiment was transferred to the eastern part of the State, and on March 6, 7, and 8, 1862, took part in
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