USA > Illinois > Menard County > Past and present of Menard County, Illinois > Part 20
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and food disagreeing with the men so that death wrought awful havoc among them. Every day's march was marked by a grave. On that short march twenty-one men died and seven were sent home, being so diseased as to be un- fit for service. From Camargo they marched by land to Tampico, a distance of five hundred miles. On this march seven more mon dial. making thirty-seven from the ranks, In death and disease. From Tampico the command sailed to Vera Cruz by the steamship Alabama. This company was in the battle of Vera Cruz and did not lose a man. From there they marched to Cerro Gordo, and entered the bat- tle with forty-two men. and in the battle they had three men killed and three severely wound- ed. The killed were George Yorum, Al Horn- back and Lieutenant Johnson. Robert Scott, John Ritchey and Cornelius Rourke were se- verely wounded. Mr. Rourke fost his left leg. it iwing shot off near his body. He recovered. however, and lived in Petersburg for many years, filling many places of honor and trust. and died at an advanced age, honored and re- spected by all. The command was discharged soon after the battle of Cerro Gordo, their time having expired, and they reached home in the fall of 1817. We can learn of but one of this company who is still living : that is George W. Denton. a resident of Greenview. in this county.
We are not going to write a history of the Civil war, for if we had the time. space and material we would not do so, because there is now much more war literature in the coun- try than is read. But a History of Menard County which did not contain its war record would not be a history of the county. Noth- ing will be of more interest in the future than a record of those four long, dark years. It is a duty that we owe to the soldiers who took part in this bloody struggle, to preserve the leading facts. Especially do we owe it to the long list of the dead, who laid down their lives for their country's honor: we owe it to the
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mamed and crippled living, who were lacerat- the fight. From Donelson they marched to ed and torn by shot and shell; and last, but Fort Henry and went by transport up the Tennessee river to Pittsburg Landing. U'p to this time the regiment had never "smelt gun- powder." but a baptism of tire, in the full meaning of that phrase. awaited them. Here. on the 6th and ith of April, this command lost. in killed and wounded, fully one-half of those engaged. This is no mere surmise, but is taken from the adjutant general's report. On the evening the 7th that grand charge was made which turned the tide of battle in favor of the Union forces. This splendid charge was ied by the Fourteenth, with Colonel Hall at the head of the column. General Veatch. who commanded the brigade to which the Four- teenth was attached, uses the following lan- guage: "Colonel Hall. of the Fourteenth Ili- nois, led with his regiment that gallant charge on Monday evening, which drove the enemy be- good our lines and closed the struggle of that memorable day." If any one has any doubts concerning the storm of lead and iron that this command passed through on that occasion. let him go to Memorial Hall, in Springfield. and count the forty-two ragged bullet holes made in the regimental colors in that one battle, and he will be convinced. This regi- ment took an active and important part in the battles of Corinth, Memphis and Bolivar. It was also in the siege of Vicksburg till its fall on the 1th of July. 1861. In the latter part of 1863 the Fourteenth and Fifteenth regiment, were consolidated into the "Four- teenth and Fifteenth Winois Veteran Brigade." In 1864, while Sherman was on his march. General Hood made his demonstration against Sherman's rear. in the month of October, and a large number of this brigade was killed. and by far the greater part of the remainder were captured and sent to Southern prisons. Those who escaped in this disaster were mount- ed and served as scouts during the remainder of the march to the sea. They were the first to drive the Confederate pickets into Savan- nah. Georgia. In the spring of 1865 the bat- talion organized. was discontinued. and at Goldsboro, North Carolina. the two regiments wore reformed. being filled up by recruits, and Colonel Hall again took command of the old not least, we owe it to the widows and orphans of our soldiers who left home with all its en- dearments. and whose bodies festered in the sun, and whose ashes now fatten the soil of the "sunny South." Menard county had been Democratie in politics for many years, and in the presidential race between Lincoln and Douglas, just at the beginning of the war, not- withstanding the high esteem in which Mr. Lincoln was held by all the people, Mr. Doug- las received a large majority of the votes in the county. A large majority of the people opposed the Republican party and its policy, vet when grim-visaged war cast its shadow over the land and the dag was fired on at fort Sumter, and the blood of American citizens had been actually spilled. the spirit of patri- otism ran high and the pulse of all began to beat full and quick : and when the question of union and disunion became the issue then the Democrats and Republicans forgot their old differences and quarrels, and heart to heart and shoulder to shoulder. they resolved to sac- rifice all for the Union. But we will not take your time to tell all of the story. Ilinois raised six regiments for the Mexican war; for the war of the Rebellion she raised more than one hundred and twenty. So the first regi- ment raised for the Civil war was numbered the seventh. This regiment was mustered in- to service on the 25th of April. 1861. The first regiment that had Menard county men in it was the Fourteenth. Company E. of this regiment. being raised in this county. This regiment was called into the state service for thirty days. under the "Ten Regiment Bill." It rendezvoused in Jacksonville and was mus- tered into the service for thirty days on the Ith of May. 1861. On the 25th of the same month it was mustered into the service of the United States for three years by Captain Pitcher. D. S. A. In July. 1861. it was or- dered to Missouri, and its first service was the capture and parole of a rebel force under James S. Greene, former United States senator from Missouri. This regiment was with Fremont in his campaign to Springfield. Missouri. They arrived at Fort Donelson the day after
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Fourteenth. The regiment was mustered ont of service at Fort Leavenworth. Kansas, on the 16th of September, 1865, and reached Spring- field. Illinois, on the 24. The aggregate of men belonging to the regiment. first and last. was one thousand nine hundred and eighty. and the number mustered out at Fort Leaven- worth was four hundred and eighty. It was in service four years and four months, and during this time it marched four thousand four hun- dred and ninety miles, traveled by rait two thou- "and three hundred and thirty miles, by stam- boat and transport four thousand four hun- dred and ninety miles. making in all eleven thousand six hundred and seventy miles. Its ofli er- in their order were: Colonel ,lohn M. Pabner and Cyrus Hall : lieutenant colonels. Amory K. Johnson and William Cam : majors. Jonathan Morris and John F. Nolte. Com- pany E was raised in Menard county. eighty men of the county joining it. The first cap- tain was Amory K. Johnson, followed by Fred- eric Mead, of Petersburg. and he by Henry M. Pedan, of Shelbyville. The first liontenants, in their order. were: Jacob M. Early. of Pe- tersburg: Ethan H. Norton, also of Petersburg. and Alonzo J. Gillespie, of Bloomington. Illi- mois: second lieutenants. E. H. Norton and 1. . Gillespie. Of this company, John 1. Kin- man. of Petersburg, was killed in action. at Shiloh. April 6. 1862. None of this company deserted and the following were discharged on ac ount of disability: John Murphy. James Wilhite. Joseph Todd and Edwin Worth. All of these statements are from the adjutant gen- eral's report. and are therefore absolutely cor- rect. One company-Company 1-of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Brigade, or properly Batallion, was also composed of Menard conn- to men, but in the eighty mer of Company F. of the Fourteenth. and the twenty-four of Com- pany A. of the Battalion, no man is counted twice. The history of the Battalion is sketched m that of the Fourteenth. hence it is mine(- war's to repeat it here. These men all sill hard service and were true and tried soldiers. This brings us to the history of the Twenty- Figlith Infantry. This regiment was organized " Lieutenant Colonel Louis II. Waters, at Camp Butler, in August. 1861. On the last
day of January, 1862. it was taken to Paducah. Kentucky, and was there assigned to Brigadier General Low Wallace's Division, in Colonel M. L. Smith - Brigade. On April di. 1862. they were in the battle of Pittsburg Landing. Be- fore eight o'clock in the morning they were fed into that part of the battlefield known as the "Peach Orchard." and the enemy. with the design of turning the Union flank, poured a most galling fire upon that part of the field. Stubbornly and doggedly these Hlinoisans hold their position. from eight o'clock in the morn- ing till after three in the afternoon. nor did they then retire till orders came directly from Brigadier General S. A. Hurlbut to do so. On Monday. the cth. they were hotly engaged all day, till victory closed the engagement late in the evening. In all this long and hotly contested battle of two days. this regiment never wavered, nor were its lines ever broken or driven back. During these two days the regiment lost two hundred and thirty nine men. in killed and wounded. In the same year. in May, they were actively engaged in the siege of Corinth. and from there marched to Mom- phis. In the early part of October the regi- mont was in the battle of Hatchie river, or Matemora, where it lost ninety-seven men in killed and wounded and missing. They were in the siege of Vicksburg, from the 11th of June till the surrender. on the Ith of July. During the siege a detachment of about eight hundred men from the Forty-first. Fifty-third and Twenty-eighth Ilinois and the Third lowa In- fantry was ordered to charge across an open field. six hundred yards wide, and carry a line of the enemy's works, from which twelve dark- mouthed cannon frowned. and behind which lay two thousand men eager for the fray. The bugle sounded the advance; not a man fal- tered. not a check blanched. but on. right on "into the jaws of death rode" the eight hun- dr.d. As they came they were met by a piti- less sturm of rifle and minie-balls, while the twelve cannon belched a constant storm of fire. lead and iron. and when they reached the work. their whole line was swept from every side, so that to persist was annihilation. They re treated to their line, leaving more than half their number dead, or rounded. on the field.
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Of the one hundred and twenty-eight men of the Twenty-eighth that were in the charge. seventy-three were killed or wounded and six- teen were taken prisoner -: eighty-nine left behind. to thirty-nine who returned. In 1801. this regiment re-enlisted, as veterans, and after- ward was in the engagements at Spanish Fort and Mobile. During the war this regiment had nine officers killed, nineteen wounded and two died of disease: privates. killed. fifty-two: died of wounds. thirty-four: wounded. two hundred and sixty-live: missing. seventeen; killed by accident. five : died of disease, one hundred and thirty-nine. Of this regiment. F. K and (' were all. or in part. from Menard county. Company F contained. in all, one hundred and seven men from this county. The officers were: Captains. William J. Estill and Thomas Swear- engin. both of Petersburg: first lieutenants. Isaac B. Estill. Thomas Swearengin and John 11. Ewing, all of Petersimiry : second lieuten- ants. Thomas Swearengin and John H. Ewing. There were three of this company who dest ried. There were thirty-nine men from Menard county. in Company K. The officers of Com- pany K were: Captains. William R. Roberts and Albert J. Moses from elsewhere: first lieu- tenants. John Brewsangh. Fred Gerternicht. Albert .1. Mores. John B. Newton and Dennis Pride, the last two from Menard : second lieu- tenants, John B. Newton. from Menard, and A. J. Moses. Company C. of the Twenty- eighth. had forty-six Menard county mon in it. None of the commissioned officers of this com- pany were from Menard. One man of this company. from Menard, was killed in action : this was Deerwester.
We come now to the Thirty-eighth regiment of Illinois Infantry Volunteers. The history of this regiment is one of constant hard work and bloody lighting. Only one company of this regiment had representatives from Menard county, and that was Company 6, and there were only twelve of them. Abram Golden was a member of that company and worked up from the ranks to the position of lieutenant. and then was chosen captain. He lived a number of years in Petersburg, engaged in the grocery business. He was a quiet. unassuming man. with a host of friends. He died bere several
years ago. His family still lives here: Ed. Golden, of the firm of Watkins & Golden. is his son. Of these twelve men from Menard county not one was killed or wounded and none deserted. The next regiment containing men from this county was the Fifty-first Illi- nois Infantry. A> but few of our men were in this regiment. we give but a very brief account of it. This regiment was organized at Camp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois, by Colonel Gilbert W. Cunning, on the 24th of Decrm- ber. 1861. Its first service was at bland No. 10. where, on the 8th of April. 1862. it forerd the surrender of General Macall. with four thon-and men. Afterward it was in the battle of Farmington, and the siege of Corinth. At Mission Ridge, this regiment lost one-fifth of its men that went into action. This regiment took part in the battles of Kendsaw Mountain. Atlanta. Franklin, Tennessee, and other less important engagements. It was mustered out September 25. 1865. In company F. of dis regiment, there were eleven men from Menard county. Of these none were officers and none were killed or wounded. but two of the cleven deserted. The Seventy-first Regiment was en- listed for three months service only. Com- pany G. of this regiment, was partially raised in this county. thirty-seven of the men being from here. Of the officers, only one was from Lere and that was First Lieutenant James C. Tice, of Petersburg. Of these none were killed or wounded and only one died of disease-this was William II. Graham, from the eastern part of the county. We come now to the Seventy- third Infantry, and we can not. more briefly or pointedly give an outline of the work of this regiment than by quoting the report of Lieutenant Colonel James 1. Davidson, a> made to Adjutant General Hayne. This report was dated at Springfield. Ilinois, March 19. 186 ;. "Having no record of the regiment with me a history wonkt be impossible. The regiment was organized at Camp Butler, state of Illi- nois, in Angust. 1862. and immediately bo- came part of General Buell's army: fought nobly at Perixville, finished under General Thomas at Nashville. The Seventy-third Illi- noi- Volunteer Infantry was in every battle fought by the Army of the Cumberland from
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October, 1542, until the rout of General Hood's army at Nashville, and the winding up of the whole matter. The only report that. 1 can make. General. is that our dead are found at Perryville. Murfreesboro. Chickamauga .. Mission Ridge. away in East Tennessee. and then in the succession of battles from Chatta- nooga to the fall of Atlanta. And when Sher- man pushed down south, the Seventy-third re- mained with General Thomas. It formed a part of Opedyke's Brigade, at Franklin. which saved the day and gave him his star. and lost its last man killed in driving Hood's army from Nashville. It has. more than once, been complimented by its general. It lost heavily in Murfreesboro. Chickamauga. Mission Ridge and Franklin. It had two majors and two adjutant> killed. and nearly every officer of the regiment wounded, at some time, several of them several times. but as to the number of killed and wounded. I know not. We left the state one of the largest and returned one of the smallest regiments. Her officers and men, especially her men. have never been sur- passed for bravery. endurance. and devotion to the country. I believe that nearly two- thirds of the organization wasted away. either hy disease. death or battle during the three years service." Such is the simple, unosten- tations record of this devoted regiment. In Company F. of this regiment. were thirty of the citizens of Menard county. Of the officers of this company none were from this county. except the first captain. George Montgomery, and he served only till the 19th of December. Ist2. when he resigned and left the command. Of these three were killed in action. eight died of disease: four were severely wounded. and from this we see that. of this little band that went out from here, to fight the battles of their country. more than one-third of the mim- ber were left to sleep amid the flowers of the southland. undisturbed by the rear of battle or the clash of arms, while half the number were among the dead and wounded. when the final account of the regiment was made up. Their comrades in arms "carved not a line and raised not a stone, but left them alone in their glory." From the Seventy-third to the Eighty-fifth. there are to be found no repre-
sentatives from "Little Menard," save now and then the single name of some one who enlisted among strangers. The writer spent days and weeks in the search for such names, in order that the record might be correct. a labor for which he may not even be thanked. But com- pany F. of the Eighty-fifth Regiment. was largely made up from here. it having no less than seventy-live names on its roll of men from this county. This regiment was organized by Colonel Robert S. Moore, at Peoria, on the 28th day of August. 1862. The corps to which it was assigned was commanded by Me- Cook. and the division by General Phil Sheri- dan. Its first actual experience of war was on October 1. 1862. when it took part in the battle of Champion Hill. at Perryville. Kentucky. After long and hard service it was mustered out Jime 5. 1865, at Washington, D. C. Com- pany E. of the Eighty-fifth regiment. was largely made up of men from this county: its company offers were all from Petersburg. Of the seventy-five men in this company from this county. just one-third were dead or wounded before the time of service expired. No less than ten of this company deserted. Pleasant S. Scott. who was at first captain of this com- pany was promoted to the position of major. served out his time and returned to Petersburg. where he spent the remainder of his life. dying in 1903 or 1901. We come now to the One Hundred and Sixth regiment, which was or- ganized on the 15th of August. 1862. in Lin- coln. Logan county, Illinois, by Colonel Robert B. Latham. It was mustered into service on the 18th of September, of the same year. While this regiment was very useful and did a great deal of very important service. yet it saw but little, if any, of the real tragedy of war. Its service was almost entirely confined to the west, it being west of the Mississippi river nearly all the time it served. The only regimental officer from this county was Lieu- tenant Colonel John M. Hurt, of Athens, who lied at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on the 18th of November. 1861. Company K. of this regi- ment. was made up in this county and con- sisted of one hundred and two men. The first captain of this company was Alonzo E. Cur- rier. of Athens. le resigned June 15, 1863.
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and was succeeded by George Collier, of Peters- burg. But only eleven days after his appoint- ment Captain Collier died of disease and was succeeded by Lieutenant John A. Hurt. of Athens. On the 28th of March. 1865, Captain Hurt was honorably discharged, to be promoted major. Lieutenant Sanmel H. Blane then be- came captain and served to the close of the war. Captain Blane entered the profession of the law after he returned from the war, settled in Petersburg and enjoyed a fine prac- tice during his life. He died in 1901. respected by all. His family still reside in that place. Through a singular providence, or fatality, as some of the members of this regiment put it, they were never permitted to show their prow- ess on the ensanguined field. but we have no doubt that the motives prompting them to en- list were just as pure and just as patriotic as those of any other command in the service. And we have no doubt that if the opportunity had been given them that they would have won as many laurels as any who fought under the stars and stripes. As said before it was no fault of theirs that they did not light. for both officers and men enlisted for the purpose of fighting. Of the regiments named there is not one of which an Illinoisan need be ashamed. but there were some that had better oppor- tunities to write deeds of daring, in crimson letters, than others. Among the Illinois regi- ments which will live in the memory of men we may name the gallant One Hundred and Fourteenth. This regiment was made up of six companies from Sangamon county. B. C. E. G. Il and I: two from Cass. A and D: and two from Menard, F and K. The regi- ment was made up in the months of July and August, 1862, and was mustered into service on the toth of September following. It was at once sent to Memphis, Tennessee, where it slid picket duty until the 26th of November. when it started on the Tallahatchie campaign, as a part of the First Brigade of Brigadier Gen- oral Lanman's Division. During the winter it marched to College Ilill and thence to Jack- son and then back to Memphis, On March 11. 1863, it was transported down the river 10 Young's Point. and afterward went into camp at Duckport. Louisiana. On the 11th of
May. 1863, they were engaged in the battle of Jackson, Mississippi : reached the rear of Vick- burg the 18th and engaged in the siege. On the 4th of August. Colonel James W. Judy resigned. just one month after the surrender of Vicksburg and eighteen days before he had served a year. He was succeeded by Lieuten- ani Colonel John F. King. Samuel N. Shoup acted as colonel after May t1. 1865. The regi- ment was in the engagements at Wyatt. Mis- sissippi. Guntown, Tupelo and Harrisonville . It also marched after General Price from the Arkansas border to Kansas City and back to St. Louis. On the Bd of August. 1865, they were mustered out. Company (' of this regi- ment. though not credited to this county, had thirty men from Menard in its rank and file. Out of the thirty four were killed in battle: two died of wounds; three were severely wound- ed. two of whom died; two died in prison : six deserted. and thirteen died of disease. Company F mastered fifty-six men from Me- nard county. Captain AAbsalom Miller, of Mo- hard : First Lieutenant Willett B. Taylor. of Cass: and Second Lieutenant Joseph T. Work- man. of Menard. were the company officers. Two of this company were killed in action: three were severely wounded. two of whom died; two died in prison : twelve died of dis- case: and two deserted. Company K. of the One Hundred and Fourteenth was also raised in this county, ninety-two of her citizens be- ing enrolled in it. The company officers were. all but one, from this county. They were: Captains, Samuel Estill and Robert Hornback ; first lieutenants. Lucian Terhune and Ezra Fish : second lieutenant, Henry C. Rogge. Of the men, Joseph Denton was killed in action : James Morris and John M. Hart died of wounds: desse Knoles lost a leg at the knee, but recovered : four were taken prisoners-Wil- liam J. Allen. Henry Beckman. Evan MeLean and Sammel S. Knoks. Not long before this S. S. Knoles was hit square over the heart by a minie-ball, but a bunch of letters from his atlianced bride, whom he afterward married. saved his life. (See account in the sketch of his life. in another place.) Eight of the pri- vates died of disease: David F. Estill. Low's P. Moore, William .. Benton. George W. Pow-
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ell. Isaac F. Estill, William Johnson. Harmon Meyer Joseph Oswold. Isaac Snodgrass. Rhodes Snodgrass, John W. Trumbo. Walter Taylor. Arthur Thomas and John Yelkin. Eight of the privates, full of chivalry and patriotism. took French leave and deserted. Menard had one hundred and seventy-eight men in this regiment of brave men. Many of them sloop on the hillsides of the south: and many more have passed. since the war, to the other shore. while the remainder are enjoying the liberties that they fought so bravely for, having been engaged so long in the arts of peace as to have almost forgotten those dark experiences in the field. The One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Infantry will now claim a brief notice. as a number of men from Menard served in it. If there were none from this county in the regiment we would be tempted to speak of it. as no record of Illinois soldiers is complete that does not tell something of the daring deeds of this faithful body of men. This regiment was ordered into the field from Camp Butler, Illinois, on October 4. 1862, having been mus- tered in the 13th of September the same year. Its first active service in the field was when it was ordered to Franklin. Tennessee, in March. 1863. but the mortality in the regiment from exposure, hard marching and bad diet had been fearful. Up to the date just given over two hundred had died or been permanently dis- abled-they died by scores. After driving General Bragg's army across the Tennessee river on the 24th of June. 1863. they had a respite from battle till the 19th of September. On that day they engaged in the bloody con- fliet of Chickamauga and that and the follow- ing day were days never to be forgotten. On the 20th more than half of the brigade. to which this regiment was attached. were out down on the field but they held their ground without wavering. This regiment took part in the battles of Chattanooga. Mission Ridge and innumerable skirmishes. In the campaign around Chattanooga the regiment lost two hun- dred and thirty-five men and ten officers, Aft- er this it fought at Dalton, Roseca. Atlanta and other points and was finally in the pur- suit of Hood from Nashville, On the 11th of June. 1865. it was mustered out of service
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