USA > Illinois > Military history and reminiscences of the Thirteenth regiment of Illinois volunteer infantry in the civil war in the United States,1861-65, pt 2 > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27
John Kulcer,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was twenty-one years old, and died from wounds received on the same day, December 29th, IS62, at Chickasaw Bayou, Miss.
John Loftus,
Private ; enlisted from the city of Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was eighteen years old, and deserted from the com- pany at Little Piney, Mo., on the day that the regiment finally left Rolla.
Edward D. Minton,
Private ; he was enlisted from Barrington, Cook county, Ill., and was mustered with the regiment. He was nineteen years old, small of stature, about five feet seven inches tall, and would weigh about 130 pounds. He had light complexion, dark brown hair and blue eyes. He deserted at Napoleon, Ark., January 13, IS63. Nothing now known of him.
Joseph Mann,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was twenty-six years old, of English birth, light complexion, brown hair, dark blue eyes, small of stature, about five feet eight inches tall, and would weigh about 130 pounds. An excellent man, and good soldier, and was wounded at the battle of Chickasaw Bayou December 29, 1862. He was mustered out with the regiment. Thomas Tignor McCall,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was twenty-one years old, served the entire three years, and was mustered out with the regiment.
Samuel R. MiMonagle,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was twenty years old, dark complexion, black hair and eyes, small but, compact of stature, about five feet seven inches tall and would weigh about 135 pounds. He was good natured, friendly, and a good soldier. Private McMonagle was mustered out with the regiment.
593
ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Mungo McDonald,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was Scotch by birth, twenty-six years old, light complexion, light hair, hazel eyes, small of stature, about five feet seven inches tall, and would weigh about 140 pounds. Private McDonald re-enlisted as a veteran on January 20, 1864, at Woodville, Ala., where he was mustered on January 29, IS64, by Lieutenant Ronan, and assigned to Company I, Fifty-sixth Illinois Infantry.
A. W. Mckenzie,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was thirty-one years old, and was discharged on surgeon's cer- tificate of disability at Rolla, Mo., September 22, 1861, for con- sumption.
James Nolan,
Private ; enlisted from Detroit, Mich .; mustered with regiment ; he was nineteen years old: deserted from Rolla, Mo., February 15, IS62.
William Henry Phillips,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago ; mustered with regiment ; he was twenty years old ; deserted at Little Piney, Mo., March 7, IS62. Alonso H. Palmer,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago; mustered with regiment; he was twenty-one years old, dark complexion, black hair and eyes, was about five feet ten inches tall, and would weigh about one hundred and sixty pounds. He was a musician, and had a guitar with him in the army ; and the instrument, and its master's skill were in great demand. The teamsters would always find room for Com- rade Palmer's guitar, and safely stow it away in the army-wagons, well knowing that it had concealed in its soul, many excellent tunes which it had to give up when "Ben " got his fingers on it, and the boys had " lit " their pipes and had assembled at the even- ing camp fire. A good soldier, a pleasant companion, and had many friends. He was captured by the enemy, at Madison Station, Ala., May 17, 1864 ; mustered out May 15, IS65. His present resi- dence is at Arnington, Cascade County, Mont.
Orin L. Pierce,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago ; mustered with regiment ; he was twenty-seven years old ; but dishonorably discharged by sentence of a general court martial, by General Order 43, Headquarters First Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, Woodville, Ala., April 28, 1864. His offence is not found on the Official record. Michael Prout,
Private ; enlisted at Chicago; mustered with regiment; he was thirty-seven years old ; discharged February 6, 1862, at Rolla, Mo., for deafness.
594
HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
William H. Post,
Private; enlisted at Chicago ; mustered with regiment ; he was twenty-two years old; died in hospital at Rolla, Mo., February 25, IS62, of typhoid pneumonia.
Robert Rutherford,
Private ; enlisted at Chicago; mustered with regiment ; he was twenty-one years old ; light complexion, light hair and blue eyes, closely approached a gigantic stature ; was about six feet four inches tall, neither heavily nor meagerly built, and would weigh about two hundred and twenty-five pounds.
The circumstances of his enlistment are worth relating here.
[About the first or second day after occupying the old Chicago wig- wam, where company I rendezvoused while completing its organization, Sergeant Hinman was drilling the company in the manual af arms, and the facings, and in short marches around the block where the wigwam was located, and which was bounded by Lake, Market, Randolph and Franklin streets ; in one of the halts and Sergeant saw and accosted a very tall young man, who seemed listless and out of sorts ; and was watching the evolutions of the soldiers. Sergeant Hinman bluntly pro- posed to the stranger to enlist. Hesitating at first, somewhat, he took the Sergeant a little to one side and said that he had no objections . to enlisting, but that he had just come across the lake and the lake- captain had detained his valise which contained all his worldly goods, in default of the passage money which his financial condition would not stand the strain of paying. The sergeant assured him that his valise should be forth coming ; and this assurance decided the young man and he enlisted at once. At the close of the drill, Sergeant Hinman took twenty men, including the recruit, and marched them down to the boat, then lying in the river, summoned the captain, told him their errand, and demanded the valise at once peaceably, or it would be taken by force. These tactics were successful, and the valise was restored to its owner.
The tall recruit proved a valuable accession to Company I, became a prime favorite with the comrades, and between Sergeant Hinman and himself, there sprang up a lasting, and almost brotherly friendship.
Private Rutherford was promoted corporal. July 3, 1861, at Rolla, Missouri ; promoted sergeant . October 2, 1862, at Helena, Arkansas ; promoted second-lieutenant June 2, 1863, in front of Vicksburg, vice Cunniffe promoted, and in that rank he was mustered out with the regiment.
When the Thirteenth regiment was thrust into Ringgold Gap, Geor- gia, to dislodge and drive through rebel General Pat Cleburne's rear guard of the retreating rebel army, it was a very hot place ; and twenty- two men of Companies I and K, seized and held a house in the mouth of
.1
-----
--
------
GEORGE W. SUTHERLAND (1861). Weight 135 lbs. Company I.
1
595
ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. .
the Gap, from which they picked off many rebel gunners from the rebel batteries. So briskly did our men keep up their fire, that the guns would get so hot that it was necessary to wait every little while and let them cool. Lieutenant Rutherford sallied out on to the battle-field and gathered all he could carry of the guns and amunition of the dead men lying there, and took them into the house to increase our scanty arsenal; and this he persisted in doing repeatedly, notwithstanding the remonstrances of his comrades, who feared that his towering form would make too conspicuous a target for the rebel sharp-shooters.
For several years after the war, Lieutenant Rutherford made Chicago his home, where he had settled down to married life, but his present residence is not known. ]
Gilbert Rodgers,
Private ; enlisted from Hanover, Illinois, and was mustered with the regiment. He was 28 years old, and was the first man to desert from the regiment, which he did at St. Louis, Missouri, July 4, 1861. Henry Reinhardt,
Private ; enlisted from Blue Island, Illinois, and was mustered with the regiment. A good soldier, served faithfully the entire three years, and was mustered out with the regiment.
William H. Russell,
Private; enlisted from Chicago, and was mustered with the regi- ment. He was 27 years old, of light complexion, blue eyes, light hair, about five feet nine inches tall, and would weigh about 145 pounds. He was left in hospital at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, October 1, 1863, and for some unknown reason, his record has never been perfected, as to whether he died in hospital, or was discharged cured.
William Sanders,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was 23 years old, of light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, about five feet ten inches tall, and would weigh about one hundred and forty pounds. He was captured by the enemy at Madison Station, Alabama, May 17, 1864, and was mustered out June 2, IS65. Robert Shuster,
Private ; eulisted at Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was IS years old, of light complexion, light hair, hazel eyes, about five feet eight inches tall, and would weigh about one hundred and forty pounds. Served honorably through the entire three years, and was mustered out with the regiment.
George W. Sutherland,
Private ; enlisted from Oswego, Illinois, and was mustered with the regiment. He was 22 years old, of light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, about five feet nine inches tall, and weighed one hundred and thirty five pounds.
596
HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
MILITARY AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE W. SUTHERLAND.
He was born in Little Falls, Herkimer County, State of New York, October 22, IS3S He comes of fighting stock. His mother's father was born in Vermont and fought at the battle of Plattsburgh.
Our soldier-boy settled in Oswego, Kendal County, Illinois, in June, 1852, and was by occupation, a printer, at the breaking out of the war. He was the first man to enlist from Kendall County in IS61. He en- listed in the three years service, and was enrolled and mustered at the age of twenty-two, in Company I, Thirteenth Illinois Infantry, Volun- teers, at Dixon, Illinois, May 24, 1861, by Captain Pope. He served in all the campaigns and battles in which the regiment was engaged, in- cluding the battles about Vicksburg, and its siege of forty seven days ; served with his regiment in the Fifteenth Army Corps, under Sherman ; on the march along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, to join General Grant for the Chattanooga Campaign, shared the disappoint- ment of his regiment in arriving at Brown's Ferry too late to cross in season to join Sherman on the extreme left, but were switched off to Hooker, on the extreme right, where Comrade Sutherland had the good fortune to personally assist some other daring spirits in an attempt to plant the stars and stripes, the first, on the heights of Lookout Moun- taiu, but Colonel Gorgas interfered and spoiled the scheme.
At Ringgold Gap, also, Comrade Sutherland took a hand, and was - one of the twenty-one men of the Thirteenth who made a dash on to the battlefield, where was a house which they seized and held, and from which the rebels suffered extremely by having their artillery gunners picked off by the Thirteenth sharpshooters. At this house, Captain Blanchard of Company K received the wound that caused his death.
The subject of this article was also at Madison Station, twelve miles from Huntsville, Alabama, where on their way home to be mustered out, a part of them having turned over their arms to the quartermaster, their time of service having expired, a remnant of three hundred of them were surprised early one morning, by the rebel general Roddy, with a force of one thousand five hundred, with artillery ; but still our boys had too much fight in them to run or surrender to a well armed force of no more than
FIVE TO ONE,
and so turned in and drove the Roddy rebels from the place and held the field.
He was mustered out with the regiment, June IS, 1864, at Spring- field, Illinois.
Comrade Sutherland re-enlisted on September S, 1864, at Utica, New York, in Company C, Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery. After re-enlistment, the artillery force which he had joined, was sta-
597
ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
tioned at Utica, New York for a month ; during which time he got a pass and went home, aud on September, 16-eight days after re-enlist- ment, was married to Miss Margaret Bedunoh, who was born near Boonville, Oneida County, New York, in 1S42. Her grandfather and grandmother on both sides, were born iu Roxbury, Massachusetts, and her grandfather Bedunoh took a grant of land for his services as a sol- dier in the Revolutionary War, and settled in Rensselaer County, New York, where her parents were born. So comrade Sutherland, his wife, and daughter all inherit a priceless legacy of loyalty, which is conspic- uous in their lives.
On going again to the front, Private Sutherland was captured at Fort Steadman, in front of Petersburg, March 25th, 1865, taken to Rich- mond, where he boarded at Hotel Libby, until paroled among the last batch of paroled prisoners which went out of Libby, and that was on the same day that the Union troops advanced on the city ; the paroled, under a flag-of-truce, meeting General Butler, with his colored troops march- ing in.
Our " bold soldier boy" was mustered out of the United States' service at Delaney House, Washington, D. C., sent to Elmira, N. Y .; where he was paid and his discharge was dated at that place, and so his wife and friends rejoiced to see-
"JOHNNY COME MARCHING HOME."
Well, no more rations from Uncle Sam's Commissary Department, the soldier has to learn a new trade, From the battles of the war, where lead was the principal circulating medium, to the battle of life, where sand is the principal ingredient, and pretty much all that the soldier has to begin life with.
In the fall of 1866, Comrade Sutherland emigrated to Wisconsin. On counting his available means, he found as follows: A wife, (as good as gold)-a one year old child, helpless, but exceedingly helpful. Him- self-(George Sutherland)-with a stout beart and willing hands. Cash, 13 cents. On this he settled down to farming : but there was more than enough good stuff in him for a plodding farmer.
In the army, he had been somewhat reckless as to the morals of sobriety, and his language was too often punctuated by unthinking pro- fanity ; but, happily, this does not always mean a dead conscience, or absence of manliness: and, next to bravery on the battle field, we are proud of the returned veteran when he shows that he has the purpose of making a good citizen.
One of the grandest moral developments in human life, is to see a misused young life arrested by Omnipotence, when God claims His own, reach forth and tear off the ragged husk that imprisons the healthful fruit, and lifts the individual to the full stature of a grand manhood.
1
i
N
598
HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
Of politics, Comrade Sutherland lias had a taste, as seen by the fact that he has been honored with the positions of clerk of the Lumberman's Committee of Wisconsin State Legislature of ISS1, town and city assessor, constable; deputy sheriff, and city marshal. But in Grand Army matters he almost lives, breathes, and has his being : and is one of the most conspicuous figures in the Northwest. He organized, on the 9th of May, ISS2, the "John B. Wyman Post " of Clintonville, Wis., of which he has been three times, Commander : has been junior vice commander, of State Department, Delegate to National encampment, at Columbus, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wis, and Boston, Mass. Together with Colonel E. B. Gray, of the Twenty-eigth Wisconsin Infantry, he organ- ized the "Ledergerter" Post of the Menominee Indian Reservation, which has about forty members, all Indians.
A circumstance as fortunate as curious, has restored to Comrade Sutherland, the gun which he so long carried during the war. The "John B. Wyman Post," which he had established in Clintonville, Wis., needed a few guns for service in mustering recruits and for burial ser- vice, and so sent to Dr. Plummer, who was living at Rock Island, to go to the United States Arsenal, at that place, and procure the guns if. he could. Upon looking about the Arsenal, the doctor discovered a gun- box, marked Company I, Thirteenth Illinois. This was our friend's own regiment and company ; and the doctor was fortunate enough to get a dozen guns from that box ; and they were promptly forwarded, and among that dozen, Comrade Sutherland found his own well-tried gun with his initials marked on it by his own hand ; it was the identical one with which he shot the pig. That gun, it is needless to say, will be treasured in that family for generations to come.
Comrade Sutherland has been strictly temperate now for many years, and has been fairly prosperous. Since 1SS3, he has been eni- ployed in the Land Department of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railroad.
Not long since, the writer found hini the head of a pleasant family- circle, in a beautiful home-not palatial, not grand, not ornate, -but beautiful in the best sense of that word ; where the wife and married daughter fully returned the love and devotion of the husband and father, and heartily joined him in keeping alive, not only the patrio- tism which he inherited, but which he learned and brought home with him from the battle-fields of the war ; and the memories of which he and they will always cherish as the most sacredly precious of life's experi- ences.
At this home, an air of cordial hospitality greets the lately arrived guest, with constantly increasing heartiness until the departure. Com- fort and good taste cover the floors and adorn the walls ; while intelli- gence has loaded the book-shelves with books, periodicals and daily
599
ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
papers, which have been read and re-read. The basket on the center- table contains at least a thousand G. A. R. visiting cards ; while on a banner hanging on the wall, about fifty G. A. R. badges, many of them very beautiful are hanging ; the gifts, many of them, of courrades and posts where he has visited. ]
Comrade Sutherland, at this writing lives at Clintonville, Wis. Long may he wave.
John H. Smith,
Private; enlisted from McHenry, Illinois; mustered with the regi- ment. He was twenty-one years old and served with the regiment until the affair at Madison Station, Alabama, May 17, IS64, where he was captured by the enemy ; mustered out June 20, IS64. If alive, welfare not known.
William Schonburg,
Private ; enlisted from Milford, Illinois, and mustered with regi- ment. He was thirty years old, of light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, spare of build, about five feet eleven inches tall, and would . weigh about one hundred and sixty pounds. He was promoted corporal, before Vicksburg, June 14, 1863, and in that rank, was mustered out with the regiment.
Adam Stadle,
Private ; enlisted from Milford, Illinois, and was mustered with the regiment. He was thirty-two years old, and was discharged for disability, at hospital at St. Louis, Missouri January 22, 1863, disease not stated.
Casper Schultz,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was twenty-one years old, light complexion. blue eyes, light hair, heavy of build, about five feet nine inches tall, and would weigh about one hundred and seventy pounds. Served the entire three years and was mustered out with the regiment.
Henry J. Taylor,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and was mustered with the regi- ment ; deserted at Rolla, Missouri Feburary 16, 1862.
[Henry J. Taylor was about as worthless material from which to construct a soldier as ever stumbled into the drag-net of a recruiting officer. This he did for three years at Dixon, Ill. May 24, 1861, at twenty-two years of age; and when he deserted at Rolla, Mo., on Feb- ruary 16, 1862, it left his company strengthened and purified.
Campaigning with the army of General Curtis. we found ourselves at Batesville, Ark., in June 1862, where the army rested for several days. While there I had occasion to go to the office of the Provost Marshal for some material that I had use for.
600
HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
The Marshal placed at my disposal a desk and writing material and I was soon so absorbed in scribbling, that I did not raise my eyes when I heard the tread of two men, who came in and crossed the floor close to my desk, and commenced a conversation with the Marshal. I ever had a good memory for voices, and would sooner trust my ears to locate the owner of a voice that I had well known than my eyes to recognize the face that went with the voice. Up to the opening of the talk of the two men with the Marshal, I had not looked up. The first voice did nothing towards attracting my attention, but the second voice went through my ears like a gong, and seemed to rasp against every untuned string in the gamut of discord through my whole being. It was the voice of the de- serter, Henry J. Taylor. Following the law of the eternal fitness of things, Nature had given Taylor a voice commensurate with a meager soul, and that voice caused me to look up with much the same feeling that gives warning of the presence of a snake. Our glances met, for he had recognized me. Both were dressed in butternut clothes and wore spurs ; but this I did not notice until later on. When they were through with the Marshal they sauntered out, Taylor passing close enough to me to slightly press my foot, which I took to be a desire to speak with me outside. I followed them out, thinking of plans of arrest all the while that Taylor was filling me with lies as to the reasons for his desertion. All the time we had been slowly approaching two saddle-horses, whose bridles had been thrown over a pin which had been driven through an auger hole in a horizontal bar, which can be found before nearly every store, tavern, or public building in the southern country.
Suddenly, both men vaulted into their saddles, both bridles having been unhitched by Taylor's pal while we had been talking, and, putting spurs to their horses, they were off like the wind, and I left standing with a very foolish look on my face at being so badly outwitted. I hur- ried in and told the Marshall, who laughed heartily at my discomfiture. I also hurried to camp and reported.
A few of the poorest horses that were in the quarter-master's corral, were brought out after awhile and some teamsters mounted on them, and the most conservatively slow lieutenant in the regiment put in com- mand, and Colonel Wyman boisterously gave him his instructions, which were to pursue the deserter and capture him if he had to chase him all over the Indian nation, and wound up with his usual language, breathing out threatenings and slaughter,-"we'll shoot him to-day, and hang him to-morrow." The lieutenant took the opposite direction from that taken by the fugitives, and returned in an hour and a half, and reported having scoured the country for miles, but without success. On a by-road they had discovered the tracks of two horses, which they presumed were those of the fugitives, but the tracks finally led them right back to town. They thought that if the pursuit was to be continued, fresh horses
- .
......
£
٠
601
ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
should be given them, which, considering that the horses seemed fresher than when they started, looked somewhat absurd ; but which was settled by Colonel Wyman, ordering the pursuit abandoned, with the characteristic addition of " damn 'em let 'ein go." That was all. ] Caleb Vliet,
Private; enlisted from Maine, Cook county, Illinois, and was must- ered with the regiment. He was 34 years old, promoted Corporal October 20, 1861, and died March 15, 1863, at Milliken's Bend, Loui- siana, of small pox.
James Whitlock,
Private ; enlisted at Chicago, and was mustered with the regiment. He was 27 years old. He was transferred to the Invalid Corps, Jan- uary 15, 1864.
Thomas J. Whitecraft,
Private ; enlisted from Chicago, and mustered with the regiment. He was 21 years old, light complexion, light hair, hazel eyes, spare build, about five feet nine inches tall, and would weigh about one hundred and thirty-five pounds. He was wounded at the battle of Chickasaw Bayou, and was mustered out with the regiment. Is now at the National Soldiers' Home at Milwaukee, Wis.
Nicholas Wl'oods,
Private ; enlisted from Detroit, Michigan, and mustered with the regiment. He was IS years old, fair complexion, blue eyes, dark brown hair, about five feet seven inches tall, light of build, and would weigh about one hundred and thirty pounds. Promoted cor- poral June 14, IS63, in which rank, after honorable service, he was mustered out with the regiment, returned to Detroit, where, with his family, he now resides, an enthusiastic Grand-Army man, with his latch-string always hanging out so as to be handy to any deserv- ing old Comrade.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.