Iroquois County, Illinois - Chapter 23: Gen. Clark's Conquest of "the Illinois., 1880 (part 2 of 6)

The Fifty-Seventh Regiment Illinois Infantry

The Fifty-seventh, Col. Silas D. Baldwin commanding, was mustered into the United States service at Camp Douglas, December 26, 1861, and the second week in February following it moved to Cairo ; thence to Forts Henry and Donelson, being. assigned to Gen. Lew Wallace's division at Donelson, and taking part in the battle. At Shiloh, in the two-days battle, the regiment lost over 180 men and officers. Afterward the regiment formed a part of the army besieging Corinth, and after its capture formed a part of the garrison, and stubbornly held the place when Yan Dorn assaulted it, losing forty-two men. During the summer of 1863 the regiment was engaged in chasing the bold raider, Forrest, from one place to another, and finally settled back in its old quarters as the garrison of Corinth, and remained there till November 4, when it moved to Louisville, where it reenlisted, and the veterans returned home on a thirty-day furlough, the regiment meantime being strengthened by 250 new recruits while at Chicago on furlough, and with this new levy the regiment returned to the front in March, 1864.

The regiment did duty at Athens, Alabama, until May 1, 1864, when it joined Sherman's grand army en route for Atlanta, and formed a part of the army of the Tennessee, under command of the lamented Gen. McPherson, and did good service in that historic campaign ; and also after the fall of Atlanta, the regiment did good service scouting through North Georgia. After a severe brush with the rear of Hood's army, then marching northward on October 13, in which the Fiftyseventh lost seven men and threw a large force of the enemy into confusion, the regiment, with the rest of the brigade, took up the line of march from Rome to Atlanta, and thence to the sea, forming a part of the Fifteenth Army Corps; and the fortunes of the Fifty-seventh after leaving Atlanta, Georgia, on the famous tramp to Savannah, are identical with those of the Fifteenth Corps, to which, as above stated, it belonged. It made the tour of the Carolinas, and was present at the surrender of Joe Johnston's army, and continued its tramping after the surrender, until it finally brought up with the rest of Sherman's army in the grand review at the national capital. The Fifty-seventh was mustered out July 10, 1865, at Chicago. There were thirteen men from Onarga, in this county, in the Fifty-seventh, four of which number lost their lives.

The Fifty-Eighth Regiment Illinois Infantry

Col. William F. Lynch, a dashing young Irishman, of Elgin, Illinois, organized the Fifty-eighth at Camp Douglas December 25, 1861, and led it to the field the second week of February, 1862, taking a part in the siege and capture of Fort Donelson, and later, a part in the dark drama enacted on Shiloh's field, where the greater portion of the Fifty-eighth was surrounded and captured after a prolonged and desperate resistance, in which the regiment was severely handled by an overpowering foe. Four hundred and fifty were either killed, wounded or captured, and as 218 was the number taken prisoners, it will be seen that the loss in killed was very great. Those taken prisoners were sent to the rebel prison pens at different points in the South, and as a large number of the prisoners were suffering from wounds, and were treated with the inhumanity and devilish brutality which distinguished the boasted " chivalrj' " (?) of the Confederacy, after seven months' suffering in the horrid dens devised by rebel monsters, 130 men of the 218 were exchanged, the rest having died under their tortures. The remnant of the regiment, after the battle of Shiloh, together with remnants of other regiments that had suffered in the same manner a loss of the major part of their men, were consolidated into an organization known as the " Union Brigade," and rendered efficient service at the siege of Corinth, also in its defense still later in the year, and also at luka, Mississippi.

In the early winter of 1862-3 the regiment was reunited at Camp Butler, the prisoners now exchanged and able for duty reported, and the regiment was held at Springfield guarding rebel prisoners until June 28, 1863, meantime it had received a number of recruits and was once more a strong, disciplined and effective force. The regiment spent the rest of the summer of 1863 and the fall of that year in doing garrison duty at Cairo, Mound City, Union City, Padncah and Columbus, Kentucky, up to January 1, 1864, when it veteranized. January 21, 1864, the Fifty-eighth embarked for Yicksburg, Mississippi ; arrived there February 3, and moved across the Big Black, lighting the enemy at Queen's Hill ; participated in the Meridian raid and suffered severely on the raid, by reason of the scarcity of rations, subsisting seventy hours on one day's rations and marching forty-seven miles in the meantime. The Fifty-eighth was the first infantry to enter Meridian. On its return to Yicksburg the regiment accompanied Gen. A. J. Smith in his Red River expedition, and took a part in the siege and capture of Fort De Russey, the Fifty-eighth's colors being the first planted on the captured works.

In the disaster at Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, the Fifty-eighth bore a conspicuous part and a heroic one, in checking the flushed rebel army that was pressing triumphantly back upon Grand Ecore in disorderly retreat, the demoralized army of Gen. Banks. Hoping to check the exultant foe and save the panic-stricken army of Banks, Gen. A. J. Smith threw out his lines in good order, but a brigade of eastern troops on the right of the Fifty-eighth (the latter holding the extreme left), filled with forebodings of defeat from the tales of excited and demoralized stragglers from Banks' column, fell back early in the engagement, leaving the Fifty-eighth alone and cut off, but the dauntless regiment fearlessly charged the pursuing enemy on the flank and rear, and poured in such a deadly enfilading fire as to completely stagger and throw into confusion and retreat the column of rebels that, in the flush of victory, were fast on the heels of the flying brigade of eastern troops. And here the daring Fifty-eighth got in its best work, taking upward of 500 prisoners, many of whom turned out to be the same men they had, the winter before, guarded as prisoners at Camp Butler, in Illinois. The rebels thus confronted and driven back by this gallant regiment, began a retreat. And yet the union forces also continued to retreat, and the boys of the Fifty-eighth, with a re-captured battery and their prisoners, fell back sullenly with and in the rear of the main column to Grand Ecore. The regiment afterward participated in the following engagements with credit: Marksville Prairie, Clouterville and Yellow Bayou, losing heavily at the last-mentioned fight. Nine color-bearers were shot down in rapid succession, and their young and dashing commander, Col. Lynch, here received a severe wound.

The regiment spent the rest of the summer of 1864 in steeplechases after guerrilla bands in north Mississippi, west Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri, and in the fall inarched through Missouri to Kansas, being poorly fed on the route. December 1, 1864, the regiment reached Nashville, Tennessee, and took a part in the two-days battle and the pursuit of Hood, following him to Eastport, Mississippi, where the non-veterans were mustered out, leaving 390 men, that were consolidated into four companies as the Fifty-eighth battalion, and sent to Gen. Canby, at Mobile, Alabama ; and while there the battalion of four companies was joined by six new companies of recruits, and was foremost in the charge upon Fort Blakeley. From Mobile the Fifty-eighth went to Montgomery, Alabama, where it was further recruited by the assignment of recruits from the Eighty-first and One Hundred and Fourteenth Illinois. And it remained at this point, doing garrison duty until April 1, 1866, when it was mustered out. In the old threeyears organization Iroquois county furnished nineteen men to Company C, and Hon. George C. Wilson was at first corporal, and afterward second lieutenant of this company.

Company H, one of the new one-year companies, was almost entirely from this county, and was commanded by Capt. James H. Jaquith, of Chebanse. This company was mustered in, in the spring of 1865, and saw nearly all its service at Montgomery, Alabama, doing guard duty.

The Seventy-Second Regiment Illinois Infantry

The Seventy-second was one of the Chicago Board of Trade regiments, and went into the field, August 23, 1862, under the lead of Col. F. A. Starring, 967 strong, and spent most of that fall in campaigning in western Kentucky, leaving Columbus, Kentucky, for Yicksburg, November 21, 1862; spent the winter of 1862-3 in the movements preparatory to the Vicksburg campaign. At Champion Hills the regiment came into the fight at an opportune moment, and by a bold dash helped turn the left flank of the enemy, and drove him from the field. The regiment was engaged at Big Black, and in all the siege operations up to the fall of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. The regiment then participated in the capture of Natchez. In October, 1863, the regiment returned to Yicksburg, Mississippi, and did duty until the next October, 1864, as provost-guards of the city. The regiment moved to the support of Thomas at Nashville, November 13, 1864, and became a part of Gen. Schofield's forces, and was actively engaged at Franklin, where it lost nine out of the sixteen officers engaged, and 152 men killed and severely wounded. The regiment fought like tigers, and to them and the men of Opdyck's Brigade is largely due the credit of saving the union army from a crushing defeat. The regiment took an active and honorable part in the battles of Nashville, December 15 and 16, and followed Hood's flying army to Clifton, and there embarked and proceeded to Eastport, Mississippi, and went from there to the department of the Gulf, taking a part in the capture of Spanish Fort and Blakeley in the vicinity of Mobile. From Mobile, the Seventy-second marched across the country to Montgomery, a distance of just 200 miles, in just 11 days. The regiment went from Montgomery to Yicksburg, in July, 1865, and August 6 was mustered out at Vicksburg. The regiment came home with twenty-two officers and 310 men out of the 967 that enlisted. Iroquois county furnished Company G with a corporal and one man, one of whom died, and also Company K two men, William and James Shottenkirk, of Onarga, both of whom died. The writer lay in the post hospital, at Franklin, Tennessee, when James Shottenkirk died there of his wounds, and will always remember his piteous cries and prayers for relief from his suffering, and how kindly and tenderly his brother Daniel sought to soothe the terrible agony of the wounded hero, until death's icy hand was laid upon the fevered brow of the young soldier, and his pitiful cry of " Oh, Danny, give me water," was hushed forever.

The Seventy-Sixth Regiment Illinois Infantry

The Seventy-sixth Regiment of Illinois Infantry was raised in the counties of Kankakee, Iroquois, Champaign and Grundy. Iroquois furnished three full companies, to wit : Companies A, E and K, and quite a number to Company D from the French Canadian colonists residing in the north part of this county.

The regiment was mustered into service August 22, 1862, at Kankakee city, with Alonzo W. Mack, of Kankakee city, as its colonel, and Dr. Franklin Blades, of Iroquois county, as surgeon, and also Dr. "William A. Babcock, of this county, as. first assistant surgeon. While the regiment was in camp at Kankakee, and before it was mustered, S. C. Munhall, widely known among his comrades as " Urchin," sent a communication to his home paper, the " Patriot " of Champaign, in which he gives a racy description of the first camp experiences of the Seventy-sixth ; and we here take the liberty of making an extract from it, and are frank to say, in this connection, that to our friend " Urchin " we are largely indebted for the material from which we have evolved this rather imperfect regimental sketch. But to return to " Urchin's " letter ; he wrote, under date of August 20, 1862: "Our camp is situated about one mile nortlrof Kankakee city, in the old fair ground. It is a beautiful situation, well supplied with water, together with plenty of shade trees, which are a fine thing in camp, especially after drilling in the hot sun for a period of two hours. We have an abundance of ' grub,' such as it is, namely, army crackers (thoroughly seasoned), coffee, branded ' pure Rio,' (which resembles red-oak bark, pulverized), sugar, which has the appearance of being half sand), rice, molasses (one pint to every eighteen men for three meals), and other notions, such as candles, soap, etc. But so it goes! We all manage to get enough to eat, drink and wear, besides having plenty of fun. There are now in camp some 1,400 men from the different counties, ordered to rendezvous here. Quite an excitement was created in camp last night by the report that the regiment was ordered to Cairo. A great many companies did not feel disposed to go before receiving their bounty money, but after cooking two days' rations, and a great many of them packing their ' duds ' the report turned out to be a regular h-o-a-x. Our company (G) received the county orders yesterday morning much to our surprise. They jumped around in as good spirits as so many grasshoppers until they received orders to go to Cairo. It is expected our regiment will organize to-day or to-morrow. We are looking anxiously for the time to come as we expect a little $40 in 'greenbacks' when that day rolls round. The principal amusement for evenings is to ' reach ' for chickens. One mess in an adjoining company \vent out Saturday evening and returned with twenty-eight fine pullets, a goose and a couple of fancy ducks, so you can judge how they lived on the following Sabbath."

As they had anticipated, the regiment was sent to Cairo immediately after it was mustered in, and from thence to Columbus, Kentucky, where it remained about a month; and again we will quote from one of.Munhall's letters, describing the camp and camp-life at Columbus. He wrote September 7, soon after arriving there: "This particular locality of the Confederacy is what your correspondent would style a 'seedy country,' and furthermore I will say, and vouch for the truth at the same time, the inhabitants are peculiarly suited to the country. The country surrounding us does not appear to produce anything but contrabands, mules and secessionists. We are encamped on the top of a hill, some two hundred feet above the level of the river, about a quarter of a mile northeast of the town of Columbus. The grounds were evacuated by the rebels before they evacuated this place. Columbus is truly a stronghold. The fortifications extend nearly around the town, and huge breastworks are along the river. Every portion of these fortifications is represented by innumerable mortars, columbiads and cannon, among which there are many sixty-four and one hundred and twenty-eight pounders that now stand grinning and ready to belch forth ' conciliation' by the ton upon the traitor hordes that dare to confront them. Taking everything into consideration, we have a first-rate camp ground. The health of the regiment is good. There are only ten or twelve in the hospital and none seriously ill. The boys are in good spirits and anxious to try the range of their new Enfields the regiment captured. The guns are tip-top. They were captured from the rebel steamer Fair Play, which was taken with a cargo of guns, ammunition, etc., by our troops on the expedition up the Yazoo river. They were designed to be sent to Hindman for his rebel crew, but our boys will put them to a better use. The cartridgeboxes and other accouterments were made in London, and, of course, bear the stamp of the English crown. * * * * In pursuance of orders from headquarters, we are confined to camp much closer than the boys like, but we take it as a ' necessity of war,' and the only way by which proper discipline may be maintained. We have reveille at half-past four o'clock, when Sergeant Miller admonishes us to ' fall in for roll-call' ; next comes breakfast, then drill for two hours ; we are allowed then to make our own amusement till noon. After dinner ' ye soldier goeth where he listeth,' taking care riot to intrude on the sacred soil of the sentinel's beat, lest he might be forced to visit the officer of the guard, who, perchance, may oifer ' extra inducements ' for him to take quarters in the guard-house. At five o'clock we have dress parade, after which comes supper and drill. Tattoo and roll-call at nine, when you would suppose we all retired to rest, but on the contrary then commence the hilarities of the day ; while a few of the staid and sober ones would fain retire to sweet repose, a majority of 'gay and festive cusses' seek to while away the allotted 'half hour' in the most uproarious amusements that can be devised, singing, dancing, speechifying, etc. etc., until from exhaustion, and a hearty exercise of lungs, limbs and muscle, they gradually ' subside,' and a deathly silence pervades the camp until the ominous blast of the bugle awakes the sleepers, and the bustle of the previous day is resumed. Taking all into consideration, 'sogering' here is a gay life, yet there are many of the boys who would gladly exchange it for the comforts of the homes they left, did not duty to themselves and their country demand the sacrifice."

Columbus did not prove so healthy a place as "Urchin" thought it would. Before the close of September the regiment buried several of its members that died there of disease. October 3, 1862, the Seventy-sixth moved by rail to Bolivar, Tennessee, where it remained in camp for several weeks, doing camp and garrison duty until November 3, when it marched to La Grange, Tennessee, and still later in the month, on or about the 24th, it started with other troops under Grant on his famous but rather unfortunate Mississippi campaign, marching as far as Yocona, Mississippi, when the unexpected surrender of Holly Springs, without a proper defense, deranged Grant's plans, and so imperiled his army that he retired again to his base of supplies in Tennessee. But previous to the withdrawal from Yocono, the Seventysixth suffered while encamped there for three weeks from the scarcity of rations, and subsisted almost entirely on corn.

The regiment upon its return to Tennessee encamped at Moscow, at which place Col. Mack resigned, and Lieut. Col. S. T. Busey was commissioned colonel, to rank from January 7, 1863. The Seventysixth remained in camp at Moscow until February 5, 1863, when it marched to La Fayette, Tennessee, remaining there in camp about a month, and here again our inimitable "Urchin " writes a letter, giving so laconic an account of the manner in which soldiers made merry over discomforts and misfortunes, that we cannot forbear republishing a part of it. Under date of February 9, he writes among other things : * * * * " Before closing this epistle I will say a few words in regard to our last march. On the 5th inst. our regiment inarched from Moscow, Tennessee, to this place, over roads that would have been considered impassable in time of peace; the snow was about four inches deep, and the depth of the mud under the snow was without limitation. The day was the most disagreeable of any that we have had since we have been in the service of ' Uncle Sam.' The northeast wind blew cold, and the snow fell thick and fast, but we made the trip without any serious accidents, and camped about 3 o'clock P.M. in the muddiest place we could find near the village of La Fayette, ten miles distant - from Moscow. After we were halted and arms stacked, we commenced work shoveling snow and mud, hoping to discover dry soil enough on which to pitch our tents, but our hopes were blasted and our efforts defeated. To sleep on the frozen ground without fire, or in the mud with fire, seemed to be our destiny. Choosing the latter we pitched our tents, built our fire in the center (Sibley tents), took our little ration of 'hard tack' and 'sow belly,' and wilted down with three rails under us crossways to keep us above board, determined to make the best of a bad bargain. The night proved a severe one, but morning found us above the surface. It was thought by some that one man in our mess had gone under, but on calling the roll was found present. After partaking of 'Uncle Sam's' hospitalities we floated out each man on a rail and commenced to improve our quarters. We now boast of good quarters and stylish living. The mud is rapidly dry ing up, the average depth is now about sixteen inches. We hope to leave here for Memphis soon as we are now well fixed. It spoils soldiers to remain in good quarters long." March 9 the regiment did leave its comfortable quarters at La Fayette, and marched to Memphis, Tennessee, where it remained just thirty days, and then joined in the Hernando expedition, returning to Memphis again April 24, 1863, where it remained until May 13, when the Seventy-sixth took passage on the steamer Fort Wayne, and steamed down the broad Mississippi toward Yicksburg. During the second day's ride down the river, the boat was fired into by guerillas at Greenville, and on the 15th of the month it landed at Young's Point, Louisiana. On the 18th it marched to Bowen's Landing and crossed the river. May 19 the regiment was assigned a position on the extreme union left, and continued in this position until the capture of the city. In the great charge of May 22, the Seventy-sixth bore a prominent part, it being the first real tight the regiment had ever participated in ; notwithstanding the men of the Seventy-sixth demeaned themselves writh all the steadiness and courage of veterans. During the long siege of Yicksburg the regiment lost heavily, and among the number slain was Lieut. Peter I. Williams, of Company E, one of the best and bravest of men, universally loved and esteemed by his comrades and all who knew him before he became a soldier. After the capture of Yicksburg the regiment accompanied Sherman to Jackson, Mississippi, participating in the battle and capture. And after the fall of the boasted Sebastopol of the rebels of Mississippi (Yicksburg) August 12, 1863, embarked and moved to Natchez, Mississippi. September 1 it went on the expedition of Gen. Crocker into Louisiana, returning on the 8th, after which the regiment received the name among the boys of that department of the " Alligator Regiment."

On the 16th of the month the Seventy-sixth again embarked at Natchez and returned to Yicksburg. November 28 the regiment marched to Camp Cowan, and February 1, 1864, it accompanied Gen. W. T. Sherman on the Meridian raid, during which it participated in a number of pretty sharp skirmishes on the march to Meridian. It moved from Meridian to Enterprise city, where the regiment camped two days, and employed the time in tearing up and destroying the railroad, and left Enterprise February 19, 1864, and after marching fourteen days on half rations, reached camp, eight miles east of Yicksburg. The regiment lost but four men on this campaign, two of whom were wounded and the other two were captured near Enterprise, just previous to the departure of the regiment, and were afterward recaptured from the rebels near Hillsboro, February 22, by a foraging party. The Seventy-sixth remained in their camp near Yicksburg, doing picket and camp duty, till May 4, 1864, when it joined the command of Gen. McArthnr in the expedition up the Yazoo river, taking part in the engagements at Benton, Vaughn's Station, and Deasonville. The campaign occupied seventeen days, and the troops suffered many hardships. It returned to Vicksburg May 21, and remained in camp until June 26, when it marched to St. Albans, and thence returned to Vicksburg again by rail. July 1 the regiment marched to Clear creek, and July 3 started with the command of Maj.-Gen. H. W. Slocum on an expedition through central Mississippi, to the capital (Jackson) arriving there on the 5th, after a fatiguing march and almost continuous skirmishing, the Seventy-sixth being in advance. It remained in camp at Jackson until July 6, when marching orders were received at four o'clock P.M., when the regiment moved about three miles and met the enemy, and were fiercely attacked, culminating in a general attack upon the union forces, and continuing until darkness compelled a cessation of active hostilities, which were resumed on the morning of the 7th, lasting till noon, the Seventy-sixth meanwhile taking a prominent part in the battle, being deployed as skirmishers ; were finally cut off, by a flank movement of the rebel forces, from the union army, and forced to fight their way out of the "trap," over a hotly contested field, losing from the regiment nearly 100 men. Capt. Davis, of Company K, left eight of his brave men dead on the field. July 9 the regiment had made the retreat, and was again encamped at Vicksburg. On the 23d the prisoners who had been captured at Jackson were exchanged at Fort Hill, and rejoined the regiment. July 29 the regiment moved to Morganza's Bend, Louisiana, and August 24 moved by steamer to Port Hudson, Louisiana, returning to Morganza's Bend on the 28th of the same month. It embarked on steamer September 3, and was landed at the mouth of White river September 7.

October 18, 1864, it moved from the mouth of White river to Memphis, Tennessee, camping in Fort Pickering, where the regiment remained until October 27, when it reembarked on steamer and returned to the mouth of White river, Arkansas. November 1 it started to Duvall's Bluff, arriving November 9. It remained at this point till November 27, when the regiment again reembarked and returned to Memphis, where it remained until December 31. It moved to Kennersville, Louisiana, arriving early in January, 1865, and lay there in camp until the army was organized for the Florida campaign. During the month of February, 1865, the regiment was transported by ocean steamers to Fort Barrancas, Florida, a portion of the regiment being on the steamer George Peabody, which was almost totally disabled in a storm, and was only saved, with a precious cargo of 800 soldiers, by the coolness of the officers in command and the heroic conduct of the men. All the ambulances, wagons and nearly 200 mules and horses were thrown overboard. The detachment of the regiment on the illfated steamer was returned to New Orleans and went to Lakeport by rail, where it embarked and crossed lakes Ponchartrain and Borgne, reaching the Florida coast nearly a week after the rest of the command.

From Barrancas the Seventy-sixth and other regiments went on an expedition to Pollard, and from thence returned to Pensacola, where it went into camp and remained until the troops set out on the Mobile campaign. During its stay at Barrancas and Pensacola, the Seventysixth was attached to Gen. Steele's division.

In marching out from Pensacola on the campaign against Blakeley, the«union arrny of Gen. Steele passed over the same road upon which Gen. Jackson - " Old Hickory " - moved an army of 3,000 men in 1818, and found it a miserable, sandy road, in spite of its historic association. March 31 Gen. Steele's army took up a position in front of the fortifications of Blakeley, not a little to the surprise of the rebels behind the works, who had just learned from scouts that the union army was moving on towards Montgomery, and had got " stuck " in the Florida swamps after leaving Pensacola. The Seventy-sixth formed a part of Spiceley's brigade, of Steele's division, of the Thirteenth Corps, and in the line of investment held the " right center," to the left of the Stockton road leading into Blakeley, which position, with the Seventysixth in advance of both brigade and division, was held during the eight-days siege operations, and up to the time of the assault and capture of the stronghold, April 9, 1865, - being the last battle of any importance of the war of the rebellion. Throughout the siege in its advanced position the Seventy-sixth behaved with coolness and courage, but particularly distinguished itself in the final assault upon the works. Gen. C. C. Andrews, in his history of the Mobile campaign, gives the following truthful and glowing description of the charge of the Seventy-sixth : " The Seventy-sixth Illinois charged directly on the redoubt in their front - the one north of the Stockton road - and preserved its alignment well until it got to the second line of abattis. One man of that regiment was killed at the first line of abattis and rifle-pits, then at the second line the battle became fierce and bloody. The confederates maintained a bold front from behind their breastworks, and when the Seventy-sixth Mras within fifty yards of the redoubt it suffered severely from the confederate musketry and artillery. While a part of the regiment maintained a spirited fire, the rest crossed the abattis. Lieut. William F. Kenaya was shot through a leg at the second abattis, and nearer the works was hit in the ankle joint of his other leg, then unable to walk he kept upright on his knees and rallied and cheered the men. The color-sergeant (Hussey) was killed within twenty feet of the works; then the colors were taken by the noble and brave Corporal Goldwood, who, as he was planting them on the parapet, received the contents of three muskets so close that the discharge burnt his clothes, and he fell dead inside the works with the colors in his arms. The Seventy-sixth and the confederates fought across the works, and those of the regiment in the rear were coming up as fast as they could pass the obstructions. Col. Busey ran along close to the parapet and with his revolver disabled the gunner of a howitzer about to be fired, and which afterward proved to have a double charge of grape and canister, then turning to the right he exchanged shots with two at short range. Afterward he ordered Lieut.-Col. Jones, Capts. Hughes and Ingersoll and Lieut. Warner, with from twenty to fifty men to charge the right flank of the redoubt, while he with another squad charged the front. They charged with bayonets and drove the confederates from the works. Fifty yards in rear of the redoubt the ground began to slope considerably. It had been cleared of underbrush, and the latter had been piled along the crest. Behind that cover the confederates formed again and gave another volley, wounding among others Col. Busey and Capt. Hughes. Then the Seventy-sixth charged them again, and they threw down their arms and ran into the woods toward the landing. Col. Busey sent detachments in pursuit of them. Upward of 400 prisoners fell into the hands of the Seventy-sixth. It had five men killed inside the works. Its whole number of killed was sixteen, of whom, besides those already mentioned, were Sergeant Perkins and Corporals Hopkins and Tremaine. There were eighty wounded, some mortally, so that its entire casualties were about 100. Among the wounded were Lieuts. Martin and Warner. The Seventy-sixth entered the redoubt over the south salient and over the breastworks extending south. Its national colors were planted on the breastworks. It is claimed by his comrades that Private Eldrick Bronllette, of Company D, was the first one over the works. He was killed fifty yards inside the works by a confederate captain, and the latter was killed by Broullette's comrade. The regiment used the bayonet in the charge and displayed throughout the highest degree of valor. No regiment on the field that day suffered so heavily. None exhibited more intrepid bravery ; and higher praise than that cannot be awarded troops."

The colors of the Seventy-sixth were the first planted on the rebel works in this assault, and of all the regiments that were engaged in the charge, none suffered as did this regiment. It lost 118 men killed and wounded, out of the 260 that advanced to the assault when the signal gun was fired. The graves of seventeen heroic dead mark the spot where the colors were planted by that brave boy, - "Charley" Goldwood.

After the capture of Blakeley the Seventy-sixth marched to Stark's Landing, on Mobile bay, and embarked for Mobile, and steamed across the bay to the captured city, where it encamped for several weeks. It moved from Mobile to Selma, Alabama, by steamer, where it remained but a short time, #nd returned to Mobile. Afterward the regiment embarked on the steamer Herman Livingston for Galveston, Texas, at which place it went into camp, and remained until July 22, when it was mustered out.

The regiment traveled over 12,000 miles, and saw a great deal of hard service. It campaigned in eight different states of the confederacy. During the term of service it received 156 recruits, which on the muster-out were transferred to the Thirty-seventh Illinois. The regiment returned with 471 officers and men, having been more fortunate than many other regiments, who saw no more service, in losing by battle and disease only a little less than half its original number.

On the non-commissioned staff of the Seventy-sixth, Iroquois county was represented by Sergt.-Maj. Joseph P. Schooley, of Ash Grove, and principal musician Isaac D. Courtright, of Middleport. Sergt.-Maj. Schooley was, June 13, 1864, to accept promotion as captain of the 4th Miss. Art., A.D. He was succeeded January 8, 1864, by S. 0, Munhall ("Urchin ") of Company B, then of Champaign, but now the present popular postmaster of the city of Watseka.

Company A was organized at Middleport, in July, 1862, with George C. Harrington as captain, and was composed mainly of citizens of Middleport, Belmont, Iroquois, Concord and Beaver townships. Capt. Harrington, on the resignation of Maj. Dubois, was promoted major, to rank as such from January 7, 1863, and continued with the regiment until June 27, 1863, when he resigned. On the promotion of Capt. Harrington, Lieut. Abraham Andrew became captain, and continued in command of Company A until it was mustered out. Austin W. Hoyle, late county treasurer of this county, enlisted in the Seventy -sixth, and was the first orderly-sergeant of Company A, and was finally promoted to the second lieutenancy of A, a position he well deserved, so his comrades say. James "W. Kay, a private soldier in this company, was elected county clerk of this county in 1865, and made a very efficient officer. Quite a number of the surviv.ors of Company A are respected citizens of Watseka and vicinity.

citizens residing in the eastern half of the county, Company E of the Seventy-sixth, and was commissioned its first captain, with Rev. Peter I. Williams, of Milford, as first lieutenant, and C. L. Hoyle, of Beaver, as second lieutenant. Capt. Irvin was discharged December 10, 1864, and Lieut. Williams having been killed at Vicksburg, Lieut. Hoyle was promoted to the captaincy. James PI. Eastburn, who is now a well-to-do farmer of Sheldon township, was one of the sergeants of Company E, and before the close of the war was promoted to the first lieutenancy of the company. Sergeant Frank Williamson, of Company E, has for several years been the representative of Prairie Green township on the board of supervisors of this county, and Robert W. Foster, a private of the company, has served as supervisor of both Stockland ana Sheldon townships. Many of the solid farmers of Milford, Stockland, Beaver and Sheldon townships were soldiers in Company E, and good soldiers, too.

The majority of Company K were citizens of Ash Grove and Loda townships, in this county, and the remainder belonged in the northern part of Ford county. The officers of the company were all from this county. Capt. Joseph Davis, of Ash Grove, was the first commander of the campany, and continued with it up to February 24, 1865, when he resigned, and was succeeded by William A. Watkins, of Loda, who officiated as captain until the regiment was mustered out. The gallant color-sergeant, Henry B. Hussey, of Ash Grove, who was killed in the charge upon Blakeley while bearing aloft the colors of his regiment, was a sergeant in Company K, and many of the survivors of this company may be found in Ash Grove and Loda townships as hardworking, well-to-do farmers. Many of the men from Iroquois in the Seventy-sixth were either farmers or farmer's sons when they enlisted, and after having manfully assisted in thrashing the rebels, they quietly returned to- their farms, and the same persistent toil and carefulness for which they were distinguished as soldiers, has made them, even in pursuing the arts of peace, both prosperous and useful citizens ; at least such is the case in the majority of instances.

The Eighty-Eighth Regiment Illinois Infantry

This heroic regiment, also one of the Board of Trade regiments, went into the field from Chicago 840 strong during the first week of September, 1862, under the lead of Colonel (afterward general) Francis T. Sherman, and in less than a month gave proof of its excellent fighting qualities at the battle of Perryville, losing four killed and forty-one wounded. Afterward, as a part of the right wing of Rose- crans' army, under Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, it took an active part in the desperate fighting on the banks of Stone river, performing many valorous acts upon that hotly contested field, fighting hand-to-hand with the confident foe. After the battle of Chickamauga, the regiment was assigned to the First Brigade, Second Division of the old " Fighting Fourth Corps," and participated in the assault upon Mission Ridge, being one of the first regiments to plant the national flag upon the captured line of defenses that crowned the ridge. The Eighty-eighth took an active part in the East Tennessee campaign during the winter of 1863-4, and being for the most part shelterless, half clothed and half starved, the regiment suffered severely, and not always uncomplainingly, but always doing its duty in the face of all disappointments and privations, and doing it well. It took a part as a portion of the Fourth Corps, Army of the Cumberland, which formed the center of Sherman's grand army of invasion, under " Pap Thomas," in all of the principal engagements that occurred during the Atlanta campaign, being prominently engaged at Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Adairsville, New Hope Church, Pine Mountain, Kenesaw, Smyrna Camp Ground, Atlanta, Jonesboro and Lovejoy Station.

After the fall of Atlanta the regiment was dispatched to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it did duty, and at Bridgeport, Alabama, until it joined its old brigade at Pulaski. Tennessee, where the Fourth Corps lay waiting and watching for the advance of Hood upon Nashville. The regiment participated in the heavy skirmishing with the enemy at Columbia and Spring Hill.

In the desperate and blood}7 encounter at Franklin, November 30, 1864, the regiment, as a part of Opdyck's immortal brigade, won imperishable renown. The First Brigade, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, under Col. Opdyck, formed on the march from Spring Hill the rear-guard of the retreating union army, and when in the afternoon, in the presence of a hostile army nearly 50,000 strong, Col. Opdyck fell back to Franklin, his command passed into the union lines that environed the little town on the Columbia pike, and finding the rest of the union army in position for battle, he halted his tired troops opportunely in the rear of the two brigades holding the breastworks on the right and left of the Columbia pike. And when an hour or two later the desperate assault was made on the center, and the union lines driven back, and the rebel masses, flushed with their brief success were crowding wildly into the breach, then the heroic old veterans of the Eighty-eighth, Thirty-sixth, Forty-fourth, Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Illinois regiments, the Twenty-fourth Wisconsin, and the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio regiments, comprising the First

Brigade, saw that immediate action was demanded of them as reserves, waited for no word of command, but instantly fixed bayonets, and when their gallant leader turned to his men he saw they were ready for a charge, and the chivalric Opdyck, in his clear, ringing tones, gave the command, " forward First Brigade to the lines," and forward dashed the daring brigade with a line of gleaming steel, that soon struck down in death many an exultant foeman. The conflict was brief but bloody, and assisted by a few of the disorganized masses of the regiments that had been driven out of their works a few moments before, the stout-hearted men of the First Brigade drove the dense, gray masses beyond the lines. Four regimental commanders fell, but every man of that noble brigade was a hero, and fought as if on his own individual prowess depended the fortunes of the imperiled army of the Union, and actuated by such heroism, the daring brigade, inside of twenty minutes, drove back a conquering force vastly superior in point of numbers, recapturing eight pieces of artillery, 400 prisoners and ten battle-flags, and left the disputed ground covered with hundreds of brave foemen, dead, or terribly wounded. It is doubtful if the record of civilized warfare shows fiercer fighting than was done by the Eightyeighth and its gallant companion regiments in this brief but bloody struggle at Franklin. The writer's regiment, on the extreme left of the First Division, Fourth Corps, was lying behind a line of imperfect breastworks, a short distance to the right of where the union lines were forced back, and watched in spite of the fire in their front, as well as they could for the blinding smoke, the terrible wrestle of the men of the west with the impetuous sons of the south, that was taking place to our left, to see who should gain the mastery. The success of the confederates in holding their ground would have cut us off from the bridge across the Harpeth river, and compelled the surrender of the greater part of the outnumbered and nearly exhausted union army. Hence, we watched with bated breath till we saw the " gray coats " falling back ; then our fears were quieted for the time, and thoughts of ANDERSONVILLE were dispelled. At Nashville the regiment behaved in the two-days battle with its usual bravery, and engaged in the pursuit of the flying foe, following on the heels of Hood to the Tennessee river.

The regiment was mustered out in June, 1865. Of the 900 that went into the field 229, all told, returned. Col. Sherman was captured at Atlanta and thrown into prison, and managed to break out, but was hunted down and caught by bloodhounds before he could reach our lines.

Dr. A. C. Rankin, Loda, first assistant surgeon ; Company C, Lieut. Robert O. Crawford, three sergeants, two corporals and thirty-two men ; Company F, one man ; Company K, one sergeant and three men. A sergeant and seven men of the above number died on the field of battle, or in line of duty, and one, James Brett, died in Andersonville.

The Eighty-Ninth Regiment Illinois Infantry

The Eighty -ninth, or " Railroad Regiment," made up mostly of railroad employes, was mustered into the United States service at Camp Douglas, Chicago, August 27, 1862, and in about a week was hurried to Kentucky, where it formed a part of Gen. Nelson's army till October, when it was placed in Gen. Willich's brigade of McCook's corps, and continued in Willich's brigade to the close of the war, and making for itself a good record in the battles fought by the army of the Cumberland. At Stone River it lost Capt. Willett and 142 men. At Chickamauga its loss was very great. Lieut. Col. Duncan J. Hall, three captains and a lieutenant offered up their lives on the altar of their country, and 109 men were killed, wounded and captured. At Mission Ridge a captain and lieutenant were killed, and thirty-five men killed and wounded. During the Atlanta campaign the regiment was engaged at Rocky Face, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro and Lovejoy, losing in the campaign 211 men killed and wounded, one captain and one lieutenant killed and several officers wounded. During the battle of Franklin the Third Division, Fourth Corps was held in reserve across the Harpeth river to cover the retreat of Schofield's army, and the Eighty-ninth belonged to Willich's brigade of this division. At Nashville the Eightyninth was actively engaged, and sustained a loss in the two-days fight of thirty-nine men. After the defeat of Hood it pursued his forces to the Tennessee river. During its term of service the regiment mustered on its original roll and recruits 1,403 men ; out of these 820 men died of disease or wounds, or were killed in action. The regiment was mustered out at Nashville, June 10, 1865. From this county there were nine men and Corporal Oliver Bunker in Company D, four of the nine men were killed or died, and one died in Andersonville prison.

The One Hundred and Thirteenth regiment, known as the "Third Board of Trade Regiment," was made up of volunteers from the counties of Cook, Kankakee and Iroquois almost wholly. This county furnished three full companies, - D, F and I, half of Company B, and about one-fourth of Company H, - and these companies afterward received a large number of recruits, so that this county furnished nearly two-fifths of the rank and file of the One Hundred and Thirteenth regiment. Most of the men for this regiment were enlisted during the month of August, 1862, but the regiment was not mustered until October 1, and from that time till November 5 following, it was employed in guarding rebel prisoners confined in Camp Douglas, and fitting itself by drill and discipline for the active1 duties of the field. At the last mentioned date the regiment left Camp Douglas for Memphis, Tennessee, and on its arrival at the latter place it was placed in Gen. Sherman's corps (the Fifteenth), and accompanied him in his expedition into northern Mississippi, generally designated as the " Tallahatchie expedition." On its return from this campaign it moved against Yicksburg with Sherman, and formed a part of the brigade commanded by Gen. Giles A. Smith, and in the division of Gen. Morgan L. Smith. On this expedition the One Hundred and Thirteenth participated in the fight at Milliken's Bend and the engagement at Chickasaw Bayou. The regiment participated in the assault upon and capture of Arkansas Post ; and the One Hundred and Thirteenth and other regiments of Gen. Giles A. Smith's brigade behaved with great gallantry in the face of a destructive fire from the enemy's rifle-pits at a short range, and suffered a considerable loss in consequence. The One Hundred and Thirteenth especially suffered from the raking fire to which it was subjected. After this battle Gen. Sherman determined to honor the men who had, by their bravery, done so much to insure the capture of the prisoners and fort, by sending them home in charge of the prisoners; and Companies C, D, F, I and K were selected from the One Hundred and Thirteenth, - being just one-half of the regiment, and they were the companies that had suffered the greatest loss, - to guard the prisoners to Springfield. These five companies were to remain north and fill up their thinned ranks with new recruits. The three companies from Iroquois (D, F and I) were in this wing of the regiment sent back, and remained at Springfield for some time. The other five companies, in which there were Iroquois men in two of the companies (B and H), moved from Arkansas Post to Young's Point. Col. Hoge, while the regiment lay at Young's Point, was appointed provost-marshal of the Fifteenth Corps ; and while here the One Hundred and Thirteenth lost many noble men by sickness, as was also the bitter experience of all the regiments in that army while lying in camp at Young's Point, and the place will long be remembered with horror by those who survived, and who helped with trembling hands and

During its camp life at Young's Point the One Hundred and Thirteenth went with the brigade chosen, and led by Gen. Sherman, in person, up the Black Bayou to the relief of Admiral Porter and flotilla,, surrounded by the land forces of the enemy. The admiral was in danger of having his fleet captured and sunk, and was in poor plight in the treacherous, shallow bayou to make any resistance or escape to the Mississippi. On this expedition the brigade, with plucky Gen. Sherman, who went afoot with the boys, made a forced march of twentyfive miles through swamps, over extemporized bridges made of a single log or plank, marching in single file, and suffering many hardships and numberless inconveniences, but finally arriving in time to whip the rebel forces, and let Porter get his fleet back to safer waters. And then the tired brigade had no alternative left but to " coon " their way back again as they came to solid land, consuming ten days in the unpleasant but highly successful and satisfactory task.

That portion of the One Hundred and Thirteenth in the field,, composed of the five companies left, after the detachment of five companies went north in charge of prisoners from Arkansas Post, were under the immediate command of Col. George B. Hoge, and embraced not only the five companies left behind, but the sick and convalescents of the other five companies, as well as all men on detached duty. This detachment in the field will hereafter be designated as "the regiment," and we will here say it was with Sherman in the march to the rear of Vicksburg, and was engaged in most of the hard fighting that culminated in the fall of Vicksburg, and the capture of Gen. Pemberton's army. In this campaign the One Hundred and Thirteenth suffered from both disease and the bullets of the enemy, losing fully one entire third of the force that went into the campaign, including their gallant colonel, who was severely wounded. The regiment was put on provost duty for some little time at Chickasaw Bayou, a very unhealthy locality, and in a few days - during July and August - the greater part of the force was on the sick list, and several died at this post. From Chickasaw Bayou the regiment moved to Corinth in the latter part of August, 18G3, and remained there until the month of January following, being mostly engaged in doing post duty and scouting after guerilla bands. Col. Hoge meantime commanded the post at Corinth, until its evacuation by the federal forces, January 25, 1864, when the colonel and his regiment proceeded to Memphis, Tennessee, where the colonel took command of the second brigade of the post defenses of the city of Memphis. While at Memphis, the five companies that had been doing guard and provost duty in Illinois, rejoined the regiment in March, 1864. The brigade under Col. Hoge accompanied Gen. Sturgis in his unsuccessful expedition against Gen. N. B. Forrest, the daring rebel raider, and cruel butcherer of unoffending and helpless prisoners at Fort Pillow.

In the disastrous expedition of Gen. Sturgis to Guntown, Mississippi, the regiment suffered severely, losing fourteen officers and 135 men killed, wounded or captured. Among the officers captured was Capt. George E. King and Lieut. J. E. Leatherman (then sergeant) of the Iroquois companies. Inasmuch as the regiment was a great sufferer by this disaster to the union arms, it is but fair that we briefly sketch the main incidents of this unfortunate campaign. Gen. Sturgis, in command of about 12,000 troops, including the commands of Gen. A. J. Smith and Griersori's cavalry division, set out from Memphis June 1, 1864, with Tupelo, distant 160 miles to the southeast, as his objective point, - Tupelo being situated on the Mobile & Ohio railroad, and a point of considerable strategic importance. The sultry weather and heavy rains made the marching laborious and slow, and exhausted the whole command so much that they were in a poor condition for a pitched battle when the terrible blow fell upon them. For days the tired army toiled over miserable roads, through mud and rain, until the morning of June 10, when the sun shone out bright, though hot, and the wearied fellows felt rejoiced to think that fair weather had dawned upon them once more, and moved forward with a more buoyant step, when early in the day Gen. Grierson's cavalry rode upon Forrest's troopers, and sharp fighting ensued, Grierson's gallant troopers driving the enemy's horse before them to the banks of Tishomingo creek, where they encountered Forrest's infantry, strongly posted on the steep bank of the creek opposite to the advancing army of Sturgis. At this stage Gen. Sturgis, instead of moving up his troops and forming a strong assaulting column, and then moving forward cautiously, hurried up his infantry on the " double quick," many of the regiment having run several miles in the hot son, were pushed forward singly and without any apparent order against the enemy lying in his strong position, only to be ruthlessly cut down by a well-directed fire from the ranks of Forrest ; and despite the fact that many of the federal regiments went into the fight exhausted and panting with the fatigue of their long run to the battlefield, and were pushed forward in the face of a murderous fire from a foe strongly posted under cover, while the union regiments were without support of any kind, still these brave fellows, under all these disadvantages and discouragements, did nobly under the most trying circumstances that could befall an army; and many regiments, the One Hundred and Thirteenth among the number, behaved splendidly. The fighting began at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon and had become general by one o'clock, and continued with fury till four, when the enemy having turned the union left, and there was danger of the whole force being entirely surrounded, a retreat was ordered, and then a wild scene followed, which cannot be adequately described. Soon after the retreat began night fell upon the panic stricken army, and as if to render confusion confounded, the wagon train became mired in a swamp, blocking up the road so that the artillery could not be got past the obstruction and had to be abandoned ; and the infantry, such as were not cut off and captured, were only saved by the vigilant bravery of Grierson's faithful cavalrymen, who held back the triumphant and plundering troopers of Forrest. Many of the fugitives, cut off from their regiments in the confusion of the retreat, struck singly and in squads across the country for Memphis, and many actually marched a hundred miles before tasting food. The wrhole command, or what was left of it, reached Memphis half starved, footsore and completely exhausted, and all bitterly cursing the heartless, and stupid conduct of Gen. Sturgis, who got off the field that witnessed the death or capture of many a nobler and braver soldier, at the first indication of a rout, and reached Memphis sound and safe. Gen. Sturgis may have been a good soldier and a patriot, but it will be long before the men he led into that fatal trap will be willing to regard him as such.

After the defeat of Sturgis and the retreat to Memphis the One Hundred and Thirteenth did picket and provost duty at Memphis until October, 1864, when it took a part in Gen. Washburne's expedition, and was engaged in the disastrous fight at Eastport, Mississippi, where it lost two officers and fourteen men.

The regiment, on its return from Eastport, continued the rest of its term doing duty as picket and provost-guard at Memphis - Col. Hoge, now a general, its old commander, being provost-marshal of West Tennessee. The regiment was mustered out June 20, 1865. On the regimental staff of the One Hundred and Thirteenth, Iroquois county was represented by Dr. Lucien B. Brown, of Sheldon, who was commissioned first assistant surgeon on the organization of the regiment, and afterward, June 27, 1864, he was promoted surgeon of the regiment, and made a very efficient officer. William A. McLean, of Middleport, was the first quartermaster, and served in that capacity until July 12, 1864, when he was honorably discharged for promotion in another regiment. He was succeeded by William H. Taylor, also of Middleport, who retained the position until the muster out of his regiment.

Company B was composed of men from this and Kankakee counties, in about an equal proportion, and was mustered in with Captain Cephas Williams, of Kankakee, in command, but he was promoted major in about a year, and Lieut. Andrew Beckett, of Martinton, in this county, was commissioned captain, and continued in command until the close of the war and the muster out of the regiment.

Company D was, at its muster in, composed entirely of Iroqnois county men, recruited from Onarga, Oilman, Ash Grove, Spring Creek, Milford and a few from Middleport, and during its term of service it was officered by Iroquois county men. About three-fifths of the recruits to the company in 1863-65 were also from Iroqnois county. The company, during its whole term of service, was commanded by Captain Robert B. Lucas, of Onarga; D. H. Metzger, now of Abilene, Kansas, formerly a resident of, and for several years supervisor of Onarga township, and father of George T. Metzger, late county treasurer, was the first lieutenant of Company D for its whole term of service, and a faithful officer, too. The second lieutenants were George B. Fickle, of Onarga, and after his resignation, in February, 1863, Henry L. Frisbie, also of Onarga, was commissioned. Many of the rank and file of Company D are now hard-working mechanics and prosperous farmers, residing in the western part of the county.

Company F, Captain W. I. Bridges, of Belrnont, commanding, was composed wholly of Iroquois county men, from Middleport, Belmont, Iroquois, Concord and Beaver townships mainly, and the recruits afterward sent to the company were nearly all from this county. Capt. Bridges resigned in February, 1863, and was succeeded by Lieut. George E. King, who had seen service in the old Twentieth as a lieutenant, resigned and enlisted in Company F, and was promoted to the captaincy from the first-sergeancy. Capt. King was captured at Guntown, Mississippi, and sent to Anderson ville prison, thence to Macon, Georgia, and Charleston, and put under fire to prevent our troops firing on their forts, and was sent to Columbia, where he made his escape and reached the union lines, and on his return, at the close of the war, he was breveted lieutenant-colonel for meritorious services. Lieuts. Alfred Fletcher and John E. Leatherman, of Company F, are well known farmers of Iroquois and Middleport townships, respectively, and Lieut. Leatherman was captured at Guntown and a prisoner at Andersonville and other Southern prisons. John S. Dai-rough, Esq., of this city (Watseka), and Wesley Warren of Woodland, were sergeants of this company. T. S. Arnold, the well known druggist of Watseka, Adam Jacob, the tailor, and Capt. B. Braderick, of the Crescent City Guards, Company F, Ninth Regiment I. N. G., were all

Company I was made up entirely of Iroquois county soldiers, and went into the field under command of Capt. George West, a well known and well-to-do farmer of Middleport township, who in consequence of ill health resigned May 25, 1863, and his second lieutenant, Aaron F. Kane, of Concord, became captain, and Sergeant William C. Shortridge, the well known shorthand reporter of this county, became second lieutenant. First Lieut. Anderson Tyler, then as now a resident of Iroquois village, filled the above position for nearly three years, and until mustered out with his company. Daniel Weston, the well known druggist of Wellington, was a sergeant in Company I of the One Hundred and Thirteenth.

In Company H, Iroquois county was represented by Lieut. Harrison Daniels, of Chebanse, the orderly, one duty sergeant, and fifteen privates.

Of the non-commissioned staff of the One Hundred and Thirteenth, Sergeant-Major Hezekiah Storms, was from Onarga, in this county, as was also Commissary-Sergeant Charles A. Newton. The quartermaster-sergeant, William H. Taylor, who was after promoted quartermaster, was from Middleport.

The records show that over eighty men from Iroquois county lost their lives while in line of duty as members of the One Hundred and Thirteenth, several of whom starved to death in Andersonville. This was about one-fifth of all the men that went out from Iroquois county in the ranks of the regiment, and fully as many more were seriously wounded or enfeebled for life by disease, many of whom have since died. Such is the record of this band of upward of 400 brave-hearted patriots. A mere statement of the facts is all the eulogium needed.

Forty recruits from Iroquois county, serving in the One Hundred and Thirteenth at the date of its muster out, June 20, 1865, were transferred to the One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment at that date, and afterward were mustered out with the latter organization at Memphis, Tennessee, September 10, 1865.

Infantry One- Hundred- Days Men

This regiment was organized at Camp Fry, Chicago, and mustered on the last day of May, 1864. -Company B, Capt. N. B. Petts, was from Iroquois county, and was made up of young men principally between fifteen and twenty-one years of age, many of whom belonged to the very best families, and left pleasant homes, and though the service was not so arduous as that required of the veterans at the front, yet it was of such a character as to so impair the constitutions of some of the patriotic youths as to bring them to early graves. These one-hundred-days men relieved veterans needed for active service. And they did good service in garrisoning important posts and guarding prisoners. The regiment, three days after its muster in, was sent to Columbus, Kentucky, where it did garrison duty until ordered to Paducah, and thence to Mayfield ; at which last named post it erected a fort, and served to hold in check unruly spirits in that section by its mere presence. On its return to Chicago for muster out, Price was giving the unionists trouble in Missouri, and at the request of President Lincoln the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth went to Missouri, and did garrison duty at several points until ordered home for discharge; the regiment being mustered out October 25, 18f4.

The One Hundred and Fiftieth regiment, one-year troops, was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois, February 14, 1865, under Col. George W. Keener, and proceeded to Nashville, Tennessee, arriving February 21, and moved from there to Bridgeport, Alabama, where, up to March 25, 1865, it did post duty in the block-houses, extending from Bridgeport to Chattanooga, along the line of the Nashville & Chattanooga railroad. In March it was assigned to the brigade of the Prince Salm Salm, and March 25 was sent to Cleveland, Tennessee, where it did post duty until the first week in May, when it was stationed at Dalton, Georgia, and continued until July 8, when it moved to Atlanta, and there quitted the brigade and did garrison duty at Atlanta, and other towns near Atlanta, until mustered out January 16, 1866. Chauncey H. Sheldon, the adjutant, and the whole of Company D, Capt. H. B. Vennum commanding, was from this county. One man of the company died during the term of service. Richard Carroll, former supervisor of Sheldon, and a resident of Watseka now, was second lieutenant of D, and received a brevet commission in recognition of his efficiency as an officer.

The Thirty-seventh, Fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Sixtieth, Sixty-sixth, Sixty-seventh, Sixty-ninth, Seventy-first, One Hundred and Twentyfourth, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh and One Hundred and Forty-seventh Infantry regiments were also represented from Iroquois county by from one to six men.

The Eighth Regiment Illinois Cavalry

This gallant regiment, under the command of Col. (afterward general) John F. Farnsworth, entered the United States service in September, 1861, and was active from the time it joined the Potomac army until the cessation of hostilities. Six companies of the regiment stubbornly contested "Stonewall" Jackson's advance at Mechanicsville for several hours. The Eighth took an honorable part in the battles of Gaines' Hill, Malverti Hill, Poolsville, South Mountain and Boonesboro, and also in the terrible struggle at Antietam. The regiment led the van of the army of the Potomac most of the time up to the battle of Fredericksburg, in which it also participated with credit. During the campaigns of 1863, the regiment was ever on the alert, and almost universally rendering, in the heavy battles and numerous pitched battles with the enemy's cavalry, a good account of itself. In 1863 the regiment was in twenty-six different engagements, including the bloody battle of Gettysburg, and sustained a loss of twenty-three killed, and over 150 wounded and missing. Up to the close of the war the regiment continued to render effective service and cover itself with glory, and when there was no longer a foeman left in the field with which to try the temper of their sabers, the dashing fellows of the Eighth Cavalry returned to their prairie homes to enjoy the peace their distinguished valor had helped to conquer. The regiment was mustered out at St. Louis, July 17, 1865. Old Iroquois was represented in the Eighth Cavalry by Capt. Joseph Clapp, Lieut. Charles W. Sprague and Private Henry Weaver, all of Loda township. Lieut. Sprague now resides in Artesia township, and is engaged in farming, and several years ago represented his township on the board of supervisors.

The Ninth Regiment Illinois Cavalry

The Ninth Regiment of Illinois Cavalry, Col. Albert G. Brackett, commanding, was organized at Camp Douglas, October 26, 1861. The regiment was composed of twelve companies and divided into three battalions of four companies each, with a major and adjutant to each of the battalions.

The regiment left Chicago in February, 1862, for the seat of war, going first to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, where it remained until the last of the month, when it moved to Pilot Knob in the Iron Mountain district, and from thence marched, - after considerable campaigning in Missouri. - to the command of Gen. Steele at Reeve Station, on the Big Black, afterward inarching to Jacksonport, Arkansas, where it engaged in a number of lively skirmishes in the country adjacent to the last named place. During the month of May, 1862, the Ninth Regiment, forming a part still of Gen. Steele's division of Gen. Curtis' army, engaged in a couple of brisk skirmishes. In one of these skirmishes, at Stewart's plantation, Col. Brackett and Capt. Knight (of Onarga), the commander of Company M, and Adjt. Blackburn were wounded, and two men killed and thirty-three woun'ded ; at Waddell's plantation the regiment lost twelve men wounded.

On June 26 the Ninth started on a march to Helena, where it arrived July 14, after a most fatiguing march, in which the command suffered greatly on account of the scarcity of rations, and the impossibility of procuring water to drink. Five men sank under the hardships of the march, and died at different points along the line of march, and many others died afterward, no doubt principally on account of the hardships endured on this march. The regiment remained at Helena doing outpost duty and skirmishing with the enemy until it joined Gen. Washburne's expedition into Mississippi ; but previous to starting, two twelve-pounder mountain howitzers were assigned to the regiment, and were manned by a detail from the regiment under the command of Lieut. E. G. Butler, of the Ninth. Lieut. Butler, with his volunteer artillerymen and howitzers, at LaGrange successfully repulsed a charge of two regiments of Texan Rangers that essayed the capture of the gallant Butler and his little detachment; but after losing fifty men killed they concluded they didn't want the plucky lieutenant's "bull dogs," and withdrew. The loss to the unionists in the affair was twenty killed and wounded.

The Ninth participated with Washburne's forces in the engagements at Okolona and Coffeeville, Mississippi, November 6 and 7, 1862. In January, 1863, the regiment took a part in the expedition of Gen. Gorman, up White river in Arkansas, marching to Clarendon, on White river, and then marched back to Helena, arriving January 23, at which place it remained until April 7 following, when it moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and on the 12th of the month moved to Germantown, and was there assigned to the cavalry brigade of Col. McCrillis attached to the Sixteenth Army Corps, remaining in the brigade until the following fall, participating in the engagements at Coldwater and Grenada, Mississippi. In the latter part of August the regiment took post at LaGrange, and spent several weeks in skirmishing and reconnoitering, and again skirmished with the enemy at Coldwater, October 6, and also engaged in a keen fight at Salem, Mississippi, in which the rebels were forced out of their position after a very spirited resistance. At Wyatt, Mississippi, the regiment fought the enemy all day on October

13, forcing him to steal away from the battle-field that night as a measure of safety. After the fight at Wyatt the regiment returned to LaGrange, and remained there till the first week in November, when it moved to Corinth, but soon after returned to its old post at LaGrange, and moved from there to Colliersville, Tennessee, the last of November, where it was assigned to the Second Brigade of the Cavalry Division of the Sixteenth Army Corps, and December 3 and 4, under the command of the daring Grierson, the cavalry division engaged and whipped the rebels at Saulsbury and Moscow, Tennessee. The Ninth behaved gallantly at Moscow.

The Ninth, under Grierson, took a part in an expedition into Mississippi in the month of February, 1864, and fought and defeated the enemy at West Point on the 20th of the month, and was engaged at Okolona and Mount Ivy on the 21st and 23d. The Ninth went into camp at Germantown on the 24th. During this raid into Mississippi the Ninth did its full share of the hard marching and fighting, and at one time after the battle at West Point the Ninth, while acting as rear guard for the army, was beset by Forrest, and successfully hurled back his charging troopers.

The regiment, or a greater portion, reenlisted March 16, and received thirty days furlough, returning to the front toward the close of April, and rendezvousing at Memphis, Tennessee. A detachment consisting of 160 men were with Gen. Sturgis on the ill-starred Guntown expedition, and did effective service during the disastrous retreat as a rear guard, losing five killed, twenty-three wounded and twelve taken prisoners, while protecting the rear of Sturgis' army after the battle of Tishomingo creek, June 10, 1864. The regiment formed a part of Generals Grierson and A. J. Smith's expedition to Tupelo, Mississippi, and at Pontatoc, being in advance did heavy skirmishing with the enemy, and succeeded in driving him back at all points. The Ninth took an active part in the two-days battle at Tupelo July 14 and 15 ; also at Old Town Creek. The regiment accompanied Grierson during August in his Oxford, Mississippi, raid, engaging the enemy at Tallahatchie, Oxford and Hurricane creek, losing four men killed and a number wounded in the latter engagement. The regiment was absent on this raid thirty-two days, and returned to camp near Memphis, at White Station, September 4. Taking the field again as a part of Gen. Hatch's cavalry division September 30, inarching to Clifton on the Tennessee river, and thence to Florence, through Waynesboro, and returning to Clifton, it watched the forward movement of Gen. Hood in his advance upon Nashville after the fall of Atlanta. At Shoal creek ford, on the Tennessee river, the Ninth fought the advance of

Hood's army and drove it back. While watching Hood at Shoal creek Gen. Hatch received orders to push the former's cavalry from the fords, and to develop the strength of the enemy in his front ; and accordingly Hatch crossed and attacked Hood's cavalry and drove it back on his infantry, the Ninth Cavalry leading the attack. The rebels threw two divisions against the division of Gen. Hatch, and drove it back and across the creek. A part of the Ninth regiment having been sent on a detour to the right to strike the enemy's cavalry in the flank and rear by the driving back of Hatch's division, was cut off, and the battalion of the regiment thus entrapped cut its way through the rebel line at night, and recrossing the creek, rejoined its brigade the next day after the tight. After Hood crossed the Tennessee Gen. Hatch's division, to which the Ninth belonged, skirmished almost daily with his advance, and sought to hold him in check by so doing until ^Thomas could collect his scattered forces and insure the safety of Nashville and the ultimate defeat of Hood. At Campbellsville, November 24, the Ninth was engaged in a hotly contested fight with a part of Hood's forces that attempted to capture the wagon train of Gen. Schofield. The regiment fought overwhelming odds, but pluckily held its ground and drove the enemy back until the ammunition of the Ninth was exhausted, and nothing daunted, the bold troops of the Ninth, still reluctant to yield their ground, engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter, fighting with clubbed carbines. At Franklin the cavalry under Hatch held the roads leading to the fords, and prevented the enemy's cavalry from crossing the river and getting between the beleaguered and fighting army of Schofield and Stanley at Franklin and Nashville. As a part of Gen. "Wilson's cavalry corps the Ninth regiment behaved handsomely in the assaults upon Hood's left at Nashville, December 15 and 16, which so successfully resulted in doubling back the whole confederate left upon its center on the Franklin Pike, near Brentwood Gap. On the fifteenth Col. Coon's brigade, of which the Ninth formed a part, was ordered to move against a strong rebel redoubt mounting five cannon, and dismounting the gallant troopers, under Hatch's order to " go for the fort," charged up a high and very steep hill, and in three minutes from the time they started were in possession of the fort and 200 prisoners, and finding themselves under a terrible fire from another fort, about 500 yards to their right, the tired but eager cavalrymen dashed against that in an irregular, straggling but determined body, and after a sharp fight possessed themselves of that also, and had they been five minutes earlier would have captured the rebel chief Gen. Hood. Only a few moments before Hatch and his daring trooper.- made the assault upon the works, Gen. Thomas had declared it impos- sible for cavalry to " storm and capture a fort," but the boys taught the old hero that Western troopers could capture a rebel fort when they made up their minds to. After the rout of Hood, the Ninth and other cavalry regiments hung upon and harrassed Hood's rear, and had some lively little encounters and one particularly deserves mention. Gen. Knipe pressed Hood's train so close that the latter was obliged to make a stand to save his train from capture on the banks of the Little Harpeth creek, a few miles from Franklin, and Gen. Hatch moved forward to Knipe's support ; the two divisions then charged grandly forward in the face of a galling fire, presenting a line a mile and a half from right to left, and crossing the creek soon closed with the enemy's infantry in a hand-to-hand struggle, and as marly of the rebels were dressed in blue uniforms, our boys often mistook them for friends, and either fell into their hands or cut their way out. It was so difficult on account of the mist and smoke that Gen. Hatch at one time could not distinguish his own forces, and he sent an aide and his orderly to ride up to the forces and inquire who they were; his aide, Lieut. Crawford, rode up to them and tapped a man on the shoulder and asked him, " What command ? " " Nineteenth Tennessee, Bell's Brigade, rear guard," was the answer. He now knew they were rebels, arid slipped out of their ranks and rode back to Hatch, who opened on them with cannon. At this point Capt. Foster, of the Second Iowa cavalry, galloped a little to the right to see if the flank of his brigade (Gen. Coon's) was safe, when he came face to face with the head of a rebel column, and was greeted with " surrender you d - d yankee." Foster swung his saber and shouted " don't you fire on this column," when, thinking him a rebel, they took down their arms, and the daring unionist put spurs to his horse arid escaped to .our lines in the midst of a shower of rebel bullets. The brigade was thus suddenly attacked, and at first repulsed, but Gen. Coon and his A. A. A. G. Capt. John H. Avery, of the Ninth Illinois, quickly rallied the men and moved forward with their horses on a walk, firing with steady aim as they advanced, until the rebel lines gave way and ran, leaving their artillery unsupported. The gallant Hatch, with but nine men, charged forward and captured the battery. The Ninth Illinois, under Col. Harper, then moved up to the battery, and then the rebels rallied and made several desperate attempts to retake it, but the boys of the old Ninth fired several deadly volleys into their ranks, and night coming on the rebels desisted and moved on, .leaving three brass pieces in the hands of the cavalrymen. The Ninth was warmly complimented for its gallant and stubborn defense of the captured guns. The Ninth still harrassed Hood's rear, engaging him again several times before he crossed the Tennessee river.

After Hood had been driven out of Tennessee the regiment went to Huntsville, Alabama, and from there to Florence, in the same state, and thence to Eastport, Mississippi, and again returned soon after to Florence, and went into camp at Gravelly Springs, January 10, 1865, w4iere it remained until February 9, when it again moved to Eastport and encamped there until June. During the latter part of the month it moved to luka, and from there to Decatur, Alabama, and afterward went to Montgomery and Selma, also to Gainesville, all in the state of Alabama. Finally, returning to Selma, it was mustered out of the service the last day of October, 1865, and soon after returned to Springfield, Illinois, for final payment and discharge.

Company M was composed almost wholly of Iroquois county men, and recruited principally from Onarga and the immediate neighborhood. Capt. Eliphalet R. Knight, of Onarga, commanded the company from November 30, 1861, to November 30, 1864, when his term expired, and Lieut. John H. Avery assumed command as captain, and continued in command to the close of the war. Capt. Knight, after 'the close of the war, removed to the state of Arkansas and died there recently. Capt. John H. Avery entered the service as fourth sergeant of Company M, and was successively promoted second and first lieutenant, and finally to the captaincy. He served, during the last year of the war, upon the staff of his brigade commander, Gen. Coon, in the capacity of acting assistant adjutant general. The captain was a dashing and efficient young officer, and won his promotion by good conduct in the field. After the close of the war Capt. Avery served a number of years as assistant assessor of internal revenue, with his office at Loda in this county. He occupied this position under both Gen. Carnahan and Judge Blades, while they were assessors for this district, and always proved himself a vigilant, careful and efficient officer. Capt. Avery is at present a resident of the state of Arkansas. First Lieut. Jacob C. Shear, who saw nearly three years' service in Company M, held the office of sheriff of this county from 1876 to 1878, and resides at present on his farm near Thawville, in this county. Sergeant John B. Lowe is at present editor of the Onarga " Review," and is also captain of the Onarga Rifles, Company E, Ninth Regiment Illinois National Guards. We might mention among others who acquitted themselves creditably, Serg.-Maj. Curtis, L. Knight, now of Arkansas, and B. F. Price, of Loda, who lost an arm, and a host of good solid citizens now residing in and around Onarga, whom we have not the space to mention individually. Eighteen of the Iroquois soldiers in this company lost their lives fighting for the union.

The Tenth Regiment Illinois Cavalry

The Tenth regiment of cavalry was organized at Springfield, November 25, 1861, with Col. James Barrett commanding. Col. Barrett resigned in the spring of 1862, and Lieut.-Col. Dudley "Wickersham, of Springfield, was commissioned its colonel. The regiment left for the front in April, 1862, and moved to Springfield, Missouri, and soon after was engaged in the battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and subsequently participated in the battles of Little Rock, Van Buren, Milliken's Bend and Yicksburg. Col. Wickersham for a considerable space of time was in command of a cavalry brigade of which the Tenth formed a part; meantime the regiment was commanded by Lieut.-Col. James Stuart, a dashing and brave officer. The regiment took a very conspicuous part in the engagements above mentioned, and also behaved nobly at Richmond, Louisiana, and Bayou Metre. Unfortunately we are not able to give an account of the numerous skirmishes and expeditions in which this grand body of men participated. They were not only a splendid cavalry force, but were well drilled in infantry tactics, and even fought on several occasions a part of them as artillerists. In the siege and assault upon Yicksburg they participated as dismounted cavalry, and did their whole duty. They were, as an organization, a fine body of men, and ready and willing in the face of all difficulties and dangers to perform their part and do it well. On their reenlistment Gov. Yates, in a speech to the regiment, among other things, said : " It is well known that cavalry regiments cannot always be together, but whether you have been placed on duty as a regiment, in companies, in battalions, or in squads, the Tenth cavalry was always where danger was nearest, and wherever duty called you. * * * Now on your return I can say justly that I am proud of you. You have conducted yourselves as patriots and you have never disgraced the noble flag under which you have fought." The regiment operated mainly in Arkansas and Louisiana, and usually formed a part of Gen. Steele's command, and saw a great deal of disagreeable and arduous service.

After the reenlistment of the Tenth the regiment was consolidated to nine companies, and the Fifteenth Cavalry, consolidated to three companies, was consolidated with the Tenth, the consolidated regiment being called the Tenth. At a reunion of the Tenth Cavalry at Springfield, in September, 1878, Lieut.-Col. T. D. Yredenburgh delivered an address, from which we cull the following concerning the history of the Tenth after its reenlistment :

" Here we had a full regiment of well-seasoned veterans, experienced, tried officer?, and all hailed with delight the prospect of an early order to more active fields, feeling assured, should the opportunity be presented, that we would not disgrace our calling. Cheer after cheer echoed through the camp when orders were received in February to move to the Mississippi river, and so anxious were all to be in the anticipated struggle at Mobile that the first detachment, once embarked on that majestic stream, failed to find land before reaching New Orleans, and only stopped there because all means of further transportation failed. The whole regiment finally congregated at Greenville, which was made headquarters, and the high hopes of seeing the last throes of the confederacy were doomed to miscarry, as only a few of our numbers reached Mobile, and that too late to take an active part in its capture. The only exciting times experienced in New Orleans was on the receipt of the news of the death of President Lincoln and the passage of the rebel ram Webb. In the first instance the prompt and energetic action of this regiment undoubtedly saved the city from a scene of bloodshed and confusion, and won from the general commanding a flattering compliment in general orders. In the second instance, the Webb, in her "cheeky" attempt to run the blockade, was recognized, as she passed Camp Paripett, by a member of the Tenth who had good reasons for remembering her; the authorities were apprised of the dangerous stranger's approach, - the timely information enabled the navy to accomplish her destruction, and the Tenth captured every soul on board save one.

u Early in the year 1865, as the tail of the confederacy continued to wag in the trans-Mississippi department, we were ordered up the river and put in an appearance at Shreveport, Marshall, Tyler and several other ' last ditches.'

" Then commenced that long, wearisome march from the Red to the Rio Grande. How different this march from any taken before. Formerly the advanced guard and nightly pickets were wont to be continually on the lookout for prowlers, scouts and ambuscades. Here the very swine knew the meaning of ' General Order No. 2,' and basked in perfect security almost under our horses' feet. This was the last feather, and all felt like laying aside a uniform which had lost its power to inspire awe, - else why should our favorite porker treat us with such contempt. Still, the ride had its pleasures. All enjoyed the varied scenery, the strange grottoes and mysterious rivers with a commencement in a mountain and terminus in the next plain ; the immense herds of half wild cattle, lilliputian donkeys, etc. How captivating old timestained San Antonio looked, hid behind its full tropical foliage, traversed by its crystal river, and full of evidences of age and durability. How pleasant in the cool of the evening to stroll through its wide plazas, luxurious gardens and open churches to be jostled by blackeyed, half-veiled beauties, while the ear was saluted by a hundred voices of joy and laughter. From San Antonio several trips were made to the mountains north and west, some of them quite extended, ostensibly after Indians, but really to accustom the inhabitants to blue-coats, and reestablish Uncle Sam's prestige. When this had been fully accomplished and there seemed nothing more for us to do, the order to prepare for muster-out arrived. Never was an order obeyed with more alacrity. By November 22 we were ready, mustered out, and started home for discharge. But a long stretch of land and water lay between us and that home. Footsore and weary the dismounted cavalryman dragged himself into Columbus after a tramp of 150 miles, thence by rail to Houston and Galveston.

" On a cold, raw afternoon in December, we ' clod-hoppers,' ' landlubbers' and 'cow-boys' found ourselves, with about 500 other cattle, on board the Texas, gradually losing sight of land. Bright prospects of soon seeing friends and home danced through every breast, and joyously all eyes watched (toanany) their first sunset at sea. Suddenly, with a crash suggestive of immediate destruction, the huge steamer lay drifting helplessly on the deep. An anchor was quickly gotten out, and an examination made, which developed nothing more serious than a broken wrist. Still without a new one the vessel was immovable save by wind and tide. Anxiously was the captain watched disappearing through the growing darkness, headed for Galveston, twenty miles away, in the only boat belonging to the steamer. He left with the expectation of returning by midnight with the needed repairs. As darkness closed in, the breeze, which had been fresh all day, increased to a gale, and it soon became evident that the captain would not return that night, as no boat could live in such weather. All hands stowed themselves away as best they could, expecting that daylight would improve the appearance of things. False hope. The morning only revealed to anxious eyes a surging mass of water and angry clouds. Then was the discovery made that the ship was unseaworthy and over- Idaded. The hold was crammed full of merchandise, principally cotton, the main deck crowded with cattle, genuine Texas long-horns, and the upper deck uncomfortably crowded writh soldiers, about 700. As the vessel surged from side to side the soldiers clutched at any object to prevent being washed overboard, while numbers of cattle were crushed and smothered. Squeamish feelings possessed every stomach, salt, junk and hard-tack presented no attractions. The mind naturally reverted to things of the future, and religious sentiments were more prevalent than usual. Old tried soldiers were seen to throw things other than their breakfast overboard. Yonder drifted past the ace of spades, and then the queen of hearts danced by in company with the jack of diamonds. At intervals a well-thumbed, yellow-backed copy of some obscene publication, passing to oblivion, would indicate at least a temporary improvement in its owner's morals. All day long and through the following night the weather was such as to prevent any one from coming to our assistance, save a plucky little revenue cutter sent from Galveston, but she only made the matter worse by knocking a great hole in herself and losing for us our best anchor, then without so much as ' I beg your pardon,' showed us her heels and 'put' for the nearest harbor.

"The night that followed was a time of great anxiety; little sleep was had by any. The next day, the wind subsiding considerably, another attempt on the part of the revenue cutter to tow us to Galveston was successfully accomplished just at night. Taking another vessel, an English screw propeller, as soon as possible, the run to New Orleans was accomplished in about thirty-six hours. The wreather was now glorious, and the trip up the Mississippi on the grand old Missouri was delightful. When we had reached Cairo winter was upon us, and its rigors began to be felt seriously. Four years and over spent in the south had had its effect^upon our systems. In anticipation of an early muster-out new clothes had not been drawn for a long time, overcoats and blankets, for lack of transportation, had been thrown away, and in an almost destitute condition we boarded the cattle cars kindly furnished for our accommodation by the Illinois Central railroad. Then followed thirty-six hours of the most miserable railroad riding ever enjoyed in this lovely state of ours; but all the miseries have an end ; so had this ride : then who cared ? Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, wives and sweethearts were waiting to receive and welcome, while an inward consciousness of having done our whole duty filled each breast with pride and joy.

"One o'clock A.M., January 1, 1866, found us kn,ee-deep in snow, pounding at the gates of Camp Butler for admittance, where, we had been informed, every preparation had been made for our accommodation. These accommodations on inspection proved to be deserted barracks - nothing more.

" All haste was made to be discharged, but red tape detained us until the 6th, when, with thankful hearts, we took our pay and Uncle Sam's honorable discharge, bade an affectionate adieu to old comrades, and hied away to the loved ones longing for our return."

discharge at Springfield, Illinois. The greater portion of Company C was from Loda and vicinity, as was also Capt. Charles H. Jones, its commander.

Iroquois county was also represented by one or more men in the Fourth, Seventh, Twelfth and Fourteenth Regiments of Illinois Cavalry, all of whom did credit to the county and honor to themselves.