USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois, Volume One > Part 6
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the Battle of Pea Ridge, and at Lee's Town on March 7, repulsed a Confederate charge in which the regiment lost one hundred and twenty men out of an effective force of seven hundred and fifty.
The Thirty-seventh, with one battalion of Missouri Cavalry and one section of a Peoria Battery, remained in that section until the following June, protecting lines of communications and battling with bush-whackers, after which the regiment joined the remainder of the army in Southwestern Missouri. The Thirty-seventh engaged in the brilliant victory at Prairie Grove, Missouri, where in an assault upon the enemy and the capture of a battery, the Thirty-seventh sustained a loss of seventy-eight killed and wounded out of an effective force of three hundred and fifty.
It returned to St. Louis, and then proceeded to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where it participated in the pursuit of General Basil Marmaduke, who was overtaken and defeated at Chalk Bluffs on the Saint Francis River.
This victory drove the Confederates out of Missouri, and the Thirty-seventh was transferred to General U. S. Grant's command and participated in the siege of Vicks- burg.
During the preceding campaign the Vermilion County men serving in the Fourth Cavalry, Twelfth, Twenty-fifth, Thirty-fifth, Seventy-ninth, One Hundred Twenty-fifth, and the Thirty-first had served together in the West, but when the other regiments swung across to Chattanooga and began the campaign which ended in the march to the sea, the Thirty-seventh was ordered south.
It defeated the Confederates at Yazoo City, joined in the campaign against Forrest from Memphis, and after chasing him out of Tennessee and Mississippi, turned west-
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ward and took part in Bank's Red River expedition. From Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas, the regiment was sent via New Orleans to Mobile where it took part in the siege and cap- ture of Fort Blakeley. This was the last battle of the war, as Lee surrendered at 10 A. M. and at 5:45 A. M. the Union forces moved to assault Fort Blakeley. The attack lasted only ten minutes, but the Union loss was six hundred; they captured three thousand prisoners, forty- two cannons, and the city of Mobile.
The Thirty-seventh veteranized in 1864. It was in service five years and marched four times from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. It hiked six thousand miles, and journeyed by land and water transportation nearly ten thousand miles. It took part in thirteen battles and skirmishes and two great sieges.
After the capture of Mobile, the Thirty-seventh was transferred to the Department of Texas, where it remained until August, 1866, when it was mustered out.
The Seventy-first Illinois Infantry .- The Seventy-first Illinois Infantry was mustered into Federal service July 26, 1862, under the call for three months' service with Colonel Othniel Gilbert, of Danville, in command. Com- pany A was recruited from Danville with Jerome B. Fuller as captain, and Edward Lafferty and Charles C. Jameson as first and second lieutenants. The regiment was mobil- ized at Springfield and on July 27 proceeded to Cairo. Two companies were ordered to Big Muddy Bridge on the Illinois Central, two to Mound City, three companies to Moscow, Kentucky, and three companies to Little Obion Bridge, all to guard railroad property. The regiment remained on guard duty until October 29, 1862, when it was mustered out at Chicago, a great many enlisting under the call for three year service.
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Seventy-third Illinois Infantry .- Under the call of the President, July 6, 1862, Illinois was requested to furnish nine regiments. The Seventy-third Illinois was mustered into Federal service at Springfield, August 21, 1862, two companies being recruited from Vermilion County.
Company C was organized from Georgetown and vicin- ity, and went into service with Patterson McNutt as cap- tain, Mark D. Hawes as first lieutenant, and Richard N. Davis as second lieutenant.
Company E was commanded by Wilson R. Burroughs, with Charles Tilton as first lieutenant and David Blosser as second lieutenant. This company was raised in the vicinity of Catlin and Fairmount.
The regiment was commanded by Colonel James F. Jacques, and was known as the "Preachers' Regiment" from the fact that nearly all of the principal officers were ministers of the gospel.
On August 27, 1862, the regiment was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky, where it was equipped. In the middle of September the regiment was ordered to Cincin- nati in consequence of a threatened Confederate invasion of Ohio by General Kirby Smith. They returned to Louis- ville the latter part of the month and incorporated in a division commanded by General Phil Sheridan. On Octo- ber 1, 1862, it moved with Buell's army in pursuit of Con- federate General Bragg, and engaged the enemy at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, where the regiment occu- pied a position in the front line and suffered severe loss. Company C had about seventy men engaged and lost eight ; Company E lost three men.
From Perryville, the army marched to Nashville and went into camp on November 7, 1862. Buell was suc- ceeded by General Rosencranz. During the six weeks
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encampment at Nashville, Company C lost eleven men through death and thirteen were discharged for disability. Company E lost ten men through death and ten were dis- charged for disability.
In December the army moved in pursuit of Bragg and overtook him at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where the Battle of Stone River was fought and the Seventy-third again went into action. The Vermilion County companies suf- fered a loss of two men killed, several wounded, and Lieu- tenant W. R. Lawrence and David Laycott were taken prisoners.
Lieutenants Hawes and Davis, of Company C, had resigned while the troops were in Nashville, and T. D. Kyger and W. R. Lawrence had been promoted to their rank. In August Captain McNutt resigned and Kyger succeeded him in command of the company. Lieutenant Lawrence had in the meantime made his escape from Libby Prison after five months imprisonment and was made first lieutenant.
On September 10, the army advanced on Chattanooga, where Bragg was entrenched. In an engagement at Craw- fish Springs, south of Chattanooga and adjoining Chica- mauga, on September 20, Company C was heavily engaged. Sergeant John Lewis, color bearer, fell wounded, but held the flag aloft until it was taken by Corporal Austin Hen- derson. Henderson carried it a few steps and fell, and every color bearer who took the colors was killed or wounded, but the flag did not go down. Lieutenant D. A. Smith, Artemus Terrill and Enoch Smith were killed, and Sergeants John Lewis and William Sheets, Corporal Aus- tin Henderson and Privates John Burk, Samuel Hewitt, John Bostwick, Henderson Goodwine and H. C. Hender- son were wounded. Sergeant W. H. Newlin, Enoch
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Brown, W. F. Ellis, and John Thornton were taken pris- oners. All died in Andersonville Prison except Sergeant Newlin, who was taken to Danville, Virginia, and escaped six months later to the Union lines. Company E lost William McCoy killed and H. Neville wounded.
The Seventy-third took part in the Battles of Mission Ridge and Lookout Mountain in November, and in the latter battle the flag of the Seventy-third was the first Union colors to be placed on the heights of the mountain. In March the regiment marched to Cleveland, Tennessee, where it camped until the beginning of the Atlanta cam- paign. In this campaign the regiment was engaged at Buzzard's Roost, Dalton, Resaca, Burnt Hickory, Dallas, New Hope Church, Big Shanty, Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek, and the siege of Atlanta.
The regiment took part in the battle at Atlanta, and then moved with the army to Chattanooga, being con- stantly engaged until the enemy was driven from the State of Tennessee.
The regiment arrived at Huntsville, Alabama, January 5, 1865, and remained there until March 28, when it was ordered to East Tennessee. While encamped at Blue Springs, in that portion of Tennessee, the war closed and the regiment marched to Nashville where it was mustered out June 12, 1865, and sent to Springfield for final pay- ment and discharge.
The Fifty-first Illinois Infantry .- The Fifty-first Illi- nois Infantry was organized December 24, 1861, and Com- pany E was composed largely of Vermilion County men, most of whom were from Middlefork Township. The regi- ment participated in the campaigns around Corinth, and in the engagements at Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission
9-Vol. 1
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Ridge, Atlanta, Rocky Face, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw, Franklin and Nashville. The Vermilion County company lost heavily at the Battle of Franklin and had a number of its men taken prisoner. The regiment was mustered out at Camp Irwin, Texas, September 25, 1865.
One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry .- The One Hundred Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry was mustered into Federal service September 3, 1862, at Danville, Illi- nois. Companies A, B, C, D, G, I and K were recruited in Vermilion County, and companies E, F and H from Cham- paign County.
The regiment was organized and the following regi- mental officers were elected: Colonel, Oscar F. Harmon, of Danville; lieutenant-colonel, James W. Langley, of Champaign; major, John B. Lee, of Catlin. William Mann, of Danville, was selected as adjutant, Levi Sanders, of this county, as chaplain, and John McElvoy, as surgeon.
The company officers were as follows :
Company A: Captain, Clark Ralston; first lieutenant, Jackson Charles; second lieutenant, Harrison Lowe.
Company B: Captain, Robert Steward; first lieuten- ant, William R. Wilson; second lieutenant, S. D. Conover.
Company C: Captain, William W. Fellows; first lieu- tenant, Alexander Pollock; second lieutenant, James D. New.
Company D: Captain, George W. Holloway; first lieutenant James B. Stevens; second lieutenant, John L. Jones.
Company G: Captain, John H. Gass; first lieutenant, Ephraim S. Howells; second lieutenant, Josiah Lee.
Company I: Captain, Levin Vinson; first lieutenant, John E. Vinson; second lieutenant, Stephen Brothers.
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Company K: Captain, George W. Cook; first lieuten- ant, Oliver P. Hunt; second lieutenant, Joseph F. Crosley.
Immediately after its organization, the One Hundred Twenty-fifth was ordered to Cincinnati and took up a posi- tion across the river at Covington. A few days later they proceeded to Louisville from whence they took part on the pursuit of Confederate General Bragg, participating in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, where the regiment under- went its baptism of fire. They spent the winter of 1862 doing guard duty at Nashville, Tennessee. The regiment was then ordered to join General Rosencranz at Chatta- nooga where they became a part of General Gordon Granger's corps, and participated in the Battle of Chicka- mauga, September 19-20, 1863. On the retirement of Rosencranz into Chattanooga, the One Hundred Twenty- fifth, as a part of Fighting Dan Cook's brigade, assisted in holding the pass at Rossville, Georgia, known as Ross- ville Gap, while General George Thomas reorganized the union forces to resist a further advance of the Confeder- ates. While in this position the regiment was subjected to heavy fire and suffered severe loss. After nightfall it was ordered to retire and marched to Chattanooga from whence they were transferred to Caldwell's Ford on Chickamauga Creek. The Confederates attacked the regiment on Novem- ber 16, 1863, but were repulsed after a sharp engagement. It was in this engagement that the regiment lost its chap- lain, Levi Sanders, who was instantly killed by a round shot. From Caldwell's Ford the regiment advanced with the first line of the army in the maneuvering which termi- nated in the Battle of Missionary Ridge. After that vic- tory the One Hundred Twenty-fifth was transferred to Knoxville, and after the relief of that post, returned to
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Lee and Gordon's Mill on Chickamauga Creek, where it was incorporated in the Third Brigade, Third Division, Four- teenth Army Corps, and placed under the command of General Jeff C. Davis.
The regiment then entered upon the Atlanta campaign, and in the Battle of Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864, lost half of its number in killed and wounded, among the dead being Colonel Oscar F. Harmon.
Colonel Harmon was an attorney in Danville and had been in a great measure responsible for the organization of the regiment. His loss was keenly felt by his comrades of the regiment as well as his many friends at home.
After the capture of Atlanta, the regiment joined Gen- eral W. T. Sherman in his March to the Sea. They reached Savannah, December 20, 1864, and assisted in the capture of that place. Crossing the Savannah River at Sister's Ferry, the One Hundred Twenty-fifth, as part of the left wing of the army, engaged in its last battle at Bentonville, North Carolina. After Johnson's surrender it marched to Washington, District of Columbia, where it remained for several weeks, after which it was shipped to Chicago where it was mustered out after three years' service.
One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Illinois Infantry .- Early in April, 1864, the state governments of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, believing that the war was nearing a close, tendered to President Lincoln eighty-five thousand one-hundred-day men to relieve veteran forces from duty guarding arsenals, forts and lines of communication. This offer was accepted and Illinois furnished thirty-two regi- ments.
The One Hundred Thirty-fifth was mustered into Fed- eral service at Mattoon on June 6, 1864. Three companies were from Vermilion County.
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Company D was from the western part of the county and was commanded by Captain Thomas H. Dobbs, of Effingham, with John E. Vinson as first lieutenant and Francis M. Young as second lieutenant.
Company E was recruited in the southern part of the county with the following officers: Captain, George W. McClure ; first lieutenant, Daniel S. Dickens; second lieu- tenant, John S. Gerrard.
Company K was organized in Danville with the follow- ing officers: Captain, Edward K. Lafferty; first lieuten- ant, Oliver S. Stewart; second lieutenant, Isaac N. Payton.
The regiment, with a strength of eight hundred and sixty-two men, left Mattoon on June 10, 1864, and reported to General Rosencranz at Benton Barracks, Saint Louis. From thence five companies were detached and stationed at various points along the Iron Mountain Railway, and five companies were stationed along the Missouri Pacific Railway. Later the latter companies were ordered to Jef- ferson City, Missouri, where they remained until the close of the war.
The One Hundred Thirty-fifth was mustered out at Mattoon, September 28, 1864.
One Hundred and Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry .- The One Hundred Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois, February 11, 1865, under the call for one-year service. Company E was recruited from Vermilion County. This company went into service with Edward Lafferty, of Danville, as captain; Wesley Burke, of Danville, as first lieutenant, and William A. McMur- trey, of Potomac, as second lieutenant. Burke died at Cleveland, Tennessee, May 23, 1865, and McMurtrey was promoted to first lieutenant The latter resigned August
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10, 1865, and was succeeded by Ira G. Lawton, of Danville, while William Cage became second lieutenant.
The One Hundred Forty-ninth was first ordered to Nashville where it remained a short time when it was transferred to Chattanooga where it did duty guarding railroad property. On July 6 the regiment was ordered to Atlanta where it remained until January 27, 1866, when it was mustered out at Dalton, Georgia, and returned to Springfield for final payment and discharge.
One Hundred and Fiftieth Illinois Infantry .- This regiment was organized at Springfield, Illinois, February 14, 1865, for one-year service. It was recruited largely from discharged veterans. Two companies were from Vermilion County : Company E, with Lyon L. Parker, of Elwood, as captain, and James H. Wells, of Carroll, as first lieutenant, and Robert Carney, of Georgetown, as second lieutenant. Company K was commanded by Allen C. Keys, of Danville, captain, with Daniel C. Deamude, of Higginsville, as first lieutenant, and Charles Hoffman, of Danville, as second lieutenant.
The regiment left for the front on February 18, 1865, and arrived at Bridgeport, Alabama, February 27, where it garrisoned several forts and blockhouses along the Louis- ville and Chattanooga Railroad. On March 24 it left Bridgeport for Dalton, Georgia, where it began a march to Atlanta, Georgia, over the route being taken by Sher- man in his Grand March, being the first union troops to pass over the road after the Atlanta campaign. From Atlanta it proceeded to Griffin, Georgia, where it occupied the Second Sub-District, District of Allatoona, Third Divi- sion, Department of Georgia. Company E was garrisoned at Griffith and Company K at Greenville.
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The regiment remained as a unit of the army of occu- pation until January 16, 1866, when it was mustered out at Atlanta and ordered to Springfield, Illinois, for final payment and discharge.
The Twenty-eighth (Consolidated) Illinois Infantry .-- The Twenty-eighth Illinois Infantry was strengthened by the addition of two replacement companies in March, 1865. Company D was recruited from southern Vermilion and northern Edgar counties with Isaac Larrance, of Elwood, as captain, and Thomas D. Weems and Thomas Henderson, of Elwood, first and second lieutenants. They joined the Twenty-eighth at Mobile, Alabama, April 17, 1865, and participated in the attack on Spanish Fort. From thence they marched to Fort Blakeley and back to Mobile, which they entered on April 12. They engaged the enemy at Whistler station with victorious results. On July 2 the Twenty-eighth was shipped to Brazos Santiago, Texas, and marched to Brownsville where it remained until mustered out at that place March 15, 1866.
Scattered Enlistments .- In addition to the regiments above named, Vermilion County men were found in at least half of the other regiments of the State. Thirty-six men went from this county to Colonel Richard J. Oglesby's Eight Illinois Infantry. Company F of the Twenty-sixth Illinois was partly recruited from the western part of the county, and went into service with John H. Folks, of Fair- mount, as captain, the remainder of its officers being from Champaign County.
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
Battery A, First Illinois Light Artillery, was made up of Vermilion County men and was mustered into the United States Service May 12, 1898, at Springfield, Illi-
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nois, and was the only battery from Illinois during the Spanish-American War. On May 19, 1898, Battery A left Springfield, Illinois, for Camp George H. Thomas, Chicka- mauga Park, Georgia, and remained there until July 24, 1898, when it marched overland to Rossville, Georgia, and started on its way to Newport News, Virginia. On July 26th it loaded on board the United States Transport Rou- manian and sailed the following day, arrived at Guanico, Porto Rico, August 4, 1898. It disembarked August 6th and pitched camp near Arroyo, Porto Rico, with the Artillery Battalion under command of Major George B. Rodney of the Fourth United States Artillery. On the night of August 12, 1898, the battery broke camp and marched several miles inland near Guayame, Porto Rico, and bivouacked. At 10:00 A. M., August 13, 1898, orders were received to cease hostilities; upon orders from Head- quarters First Army Corps the battery returned to Guayama, Porto Rico, and from there to Ponce, Porto Rico, a distance of thirty-nine miles. On September 7, 1898, the battery loaded on the United States Transport Manitoba and sailed for the United States. Arriving at Weehawken, New Jersey, September 13th, it immediately disembarked and loaded on a train and started for Dan- ville, Illinois, arriving at Danville September 15. The bat- tery was mustered out of the United States Service Novem- ber 25, 1898, pursuant to General Order No. 124, A. G. O., Washington, District of Columbia.
The battery lost two men in the service, Corporal Alden B. Yoho and Private Edward Ashworth.
Battery A was with the invading army in Porto Rico, commanded by Maj. Gen. John R. Brooke, and took part in all the experiences of that arm of the American forces. Battery A was not included in the first call for troops from
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Illinois but thanks to Hon. Joseph G. Cannon and others in authority who were friendly to the Vermilion County boys, the battery was called into service. It was the first volunteer battery to arrive at Chickamauga Park, Georgia, and was the first to have a complete modern equipment. For nearly two months the men were put through training at Chickamauga Park, and all were eager to get to the front. It was first rumored that it would be sent with the invading army to Cuba, with General Shafter, but the hopes of the men fell when General Shafter and his army sailed. It was again rumored that they would be sent to the Philippines with General Merritt, but again the men suffered defeat in their expectations. But finally the order came to "strike tents" and on July 24, 1898, the battery broke camp and started for Porto Rico.
The equipment consisted of four thirty-two- breech- loading guns, seventy-five horses, sixteen mules, four bag- gage wagons, one hundred and seventy-three men and four officers.
The first excitement to arouse the men was on August 3, when the transport Roumanian ran aground on a coral reef. There was a great deal of useless tugging but with- out avail, there was nothing to do but wait for the tide to come in and carry the ship clear of the reef. The ship safely anchored and the troops disembarked and went into camp. On August 12th the Vermilion County boys started on the march inland from Arroyo to Guayama. The main fighting had been done by the infantry so the battery had a comparatively easy journey. The situation now had become serious. The United States soldiers were penetrat- ing into the interior of the island with the intention of driving the Spaniards into San Juan and then laying seige
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to the city. The Division which Battery A belonged was commanded by Major General John R. Brook.
This promised to be the hottest engagement of the war up to that time. The Spanish army was strongly in- trenched upon the mountain side and in the valley, and were in a position to resist any attempt to rout them. Now, there were Illinois troops everywhere in the valley, on the mountain heights, and the signal corps were busy. Bat- tery A with three other batteries were there ready. This indeed was a critical day, and was brought to a most unex- pected conclusion. Battery A's guns were sighted on the blockhouse, the guns were blocked and ready, then all of a sudden like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky came the messenger of peace upon the scene to "cease hostilities."
The battery was commanded throughout its service by Captain Philip H. Yeager; First Lieutenant W. H. Miller resigned while the battery was at Chickamauga, and Ralph B. Holmes, who was mustered in as junior first lieutenant, was promoted. Eddy K. Shutts was second lieutenant, and, after the resignation of Lieutenant Miller, Fred A. Baum- gart, who mustered in as first sergeant, was recommended for promotion, which came through military channels toward the close of the war.
A company of infantry was organized in Danville but owing to enlistments being closed did not get into Federal service.
CHAPTER VII
ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY AND FOUNDING OF DANVILLE
LOCATION DETERMINED-CREATION OF VERMILION COUNTY IN 1826-ITS BOUNDARIES -FIRST COMMISSIONERS - BUTLER'S POINT - DAN W. BECKWITH-FOUNDING OF DANVILLE-SALE OF LOTS-FIRST CITI- ZENS-EARLY BUSINESS HOUSES-PIONEER COURTHOUSE AND PROMI- NENT LAWYERS.
Geographically, Vermilion County has changed from a veritable empire, a component part of New France, to its present limitations. From 1682 until 1763, it had be- longed, by right of discovery and occupation, to France.
For administrative purposes New France was divided into two immense districts-Canada and Louisiana, and at one time prior to 1745, the division line of the Illinois country began on the Wabash River, at the mouth of Ver- milion River, thence northwest to LaSalle's old fort on the Illinois River, a few miles above Ottawa. North of this line was Canada; south of it, and west of the Wabash, was Louisiana.
At that time the county seat for that part of Vermilion County south of the line was Fort Chartres. North of this line the country was governed from the French post at Detroit. If a French trader wished to marry an Indian girl, in the absence of a nearer priest, go either to Detroit
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