Jefferson County, Illinois - Chapter 12: Jefferson County's Military History, 1909

Chapter 12: Jefferson County's Military History

Every state and nearly every county in the Union has had military experience - that is, have furnished men and perhaps means for military service. So our own Jefferson county has had a part in all the wars that have taken place since its formation - and before. While the county may not have had a soldier that served in the Revolutionary war, it has had many descendants of such soldiers. But quite a number of our pioneers took part in the War of 1 8 1 2 - but these wars had passed into history before Jefferson county came upon the stage of action and our greatest interest in them is the fact that without them Jefferson county would never have existed; in fact, none of the states and counties of these glorious United States would have been, had it not been for these wars. The Revolutionary war transferred this magnificent domain to us, and the War of 1812 settled its ownership, perhaps for ever. The result of these wars was the securing to the puny Republic of thirteen feeble American colonies an empire greater than that over which the Roman eagles soared, when it was said: "From her throne of beauty she ruled the world." War is calamity, nay, as General Sherman said, "War is hell," but without it we could never have permanently established this grand empire and made it free for all.

We hardly know where to begin or what to say as regards Jefferson's county war record. Suffice it for the present to say that her sons have always been in the forefront of danger, when duty or patriotism demanded it, and her daughters have always been equally patriotic and faithful to the county in encouraging and ministering to the comforts and wants of her "soldier boys." As already stated, several of the Maxeys, Wilkies and others were in the War of 1812 - long before the county was formed. At the time of that war this part of the country was having "troubles of its own" with the Indians. Then the Black Hawk war sprung up in 1 83 1 , and Jefferson county sent many of her best citizens to quell the disturbance. The Indians were very largely responsible for the war. and those who have read the Indians' characteristics can readily imagine what this means. Jefferson county sent a full company. WTiile we would be pleased to give a roster of all Jefferson county companies that have served in all wars, we know that time and space forbid ; but the patriotic example set by the few pioneers then in the county seems to demand that their names be handed down to posterity. Here they are: Captain - James Bowman; Lieutenants - F. S. Casey, Green Depriest; Sergeants - S. G. Hicks, Eli D. Anderson, J. R. Satterfield and Littleton Daniels; Corporals - George Bullock, James Bullock, Isaac Casey, Isaac Depriest; Privates - S. H. Anderson, G. W. Atchinson, Ignitious Atchinson, Samuel Bullock, WiUiam Bingaman, John Baugh, James Bradford, M. D. Bruce, P. C. Buffington. S. W. Carpenter. Zadok Casey, John Darnell, William Deweeze, Gasaway Elkins, Robert Elkins, Isaac Faulkinberg, W. D. Gaston, W. B. Holder, W. B. Hayes, James Ham, Joel Harlow,

John Isom, John Jenkins, David Kitrell, J. C. Martin, N. Morgan, I. F. Miner. J. E. McBrian, H. B. Newby, J. R. Owens, Peter Owens, Wyatt Parish, George W. Pace, James Rhea, Jacob Reynolds, WilHam and Noe Thomason. They had one man killed and three wounded and two or three died of disease. We give this short roster because it comprises the best citizens of the county, and because these names and their descendants appear in all the later military lists of the county. Each man furnished his own horse and gun - and "waited" for his pay. But the war was soon over and that was the last Indian war in Illinois.

The Mexican War

Early in 1846 war was declared against Mexico and Illinois furnished four regiments. Jefferson county contributed two full companies. The first. Company H, was part of the third regiment. Col. Ferris Foreman, of Vandalia, commanding; Col. Stephen G. Hicks was captain and Lewis F. Casey and William A. Thomas (Bob's father), lieutenants. The company left Mount Vernon on June 1 8, 1 846, marched to Alton and from there embarked to Mexico. They saw hard service, were at Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo and other small battles. The action of this and other Ilhnois companies at Cerro Gordo caused General Twiggs, then in command, to exclaim: "Well, I never saw such fellows as you Illinois men are - with others, it is "go, " but with you it is "come on." After the capture of Jalapa, the term of Company H expired and the men came home in 1847.

The second company was enrolled at Mount Vernon, June 3, 1847, under the second call. The company had in it, also, some of the best men of the county and was officered by Captain James Bowman; Eli D. Anderson (the writer's landlord at the Mount

Vernon Inn, to whom he was a "bound" boy) and Willis Holder, lieutenants. This company suffered heavily from disease, and among the number, Lieutenant Anderson died at Vera Cruz. The company went to Alton, but did not set sail for Mexico until August 1 3th. After reaching Mexico, they were on duty until the close of the war, but were not engaged in big battles as was the first company. The company was A, of the Second Regiment, by Colonel Collins and S. G. Hicks, lieutenant-colonel. When this war came up, eight thousand Illinoisans offered themselves, but only thirtyeight hundred could be accepted. The fields of Beuna Vista, Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo will carry the glory of our Illinois soldiers long after the causes that led to the war have been forgotten. We may state that many considered the "cause" of the war an insufficient "excuse" for war. It brought us the great state of Texas, but increased our slave territory.

War For The Union

But it was reserved till our day for our sons to find a field, a cause and a "foeman worthy of our steel" - that fully brought out and illustrate the true spirit of heroism in all its fullness. Illinois put nearly three hundred thousand gallant soldier boys in the field - far exceeding the number the Federal government had in all the wars of the Revolution, but our present duty is to confine our remarks, as nearly as possible, to the soldier boys of Jefferson county.

When the war for the preservation of the Union was forced upon the country, Jefferson county came to the front and did her whole duty in the glorious work of maintaining the Union, one and indivisible, and upholding the honor of the flag. True, not many of the original settlers went to the front, for they had finished their work and passed on to their reward, but their descendants were largely in evidence and none were more deserving of praise and honor. Speaking of "soldier boys," how literally true the expression: The great war was fought and won by boys. There were two thousand boys in the Union army under fourteen years of age; eighty-six hundred under sixteen years old ; one million one hundred and fifty thousand under eighteen; two million one hundred and sixty-eight thousand under twenty-one - literally a boys' fight. No wonder we call them "our boys," and no wonder we are proud of them and their parents who taught them patriotism. May the country ever be blessed with such parents - and such boys. Were it possible, we should like to individualize the service of each of our Jefferson county boys, but we must content ourself with saying that all - from general to the last private in the rear rank - proved themselves brave and patriotic - entitled to the undying respect and love of every good citizen of our county and state. Like other counties, Jefferson had a few secession sympathizers who allowed their prejudice against President Lincoln and his party to alienate them entirely from all feeling of loyalty and to even hate their loyal neighbors. The most peculiar phase of it was that men who had been driven from the South on account of slavery and had obtained free homes here, were apparently ready to fight for the perpetuation of slavery. Ex-sheriff John Bagwell organized a small company of these "mistaken spirits" and took them into the service of the Jeff Davis oligarchy. Many of them never came back - Bagwell himself was killed in the battle of Shiloh. Some parties of this kind who remained in Jefferson county, caused more ui^easiness among the loyal women and children, than the "braves" who went to the front - on the wrong side. And even today, after the war feeling has entirely subsided, the boys in blue persist in saying that they have more respect for the boys that went and fought on the other side, than they had for those who were not brave enough to fight as they talked.

When the war became inevitable, Jefferson county was no laggard in taking the right side. When the stars and stripes were hauled down from Fort Sumpter and the rebel rag displayed in its place, it set our best people ablaze with patriotic zeal and many rushed off and joined the first squad they could find - ready to die, if need be, for the flag and the Union. Part of Noleman's Cavalry was the first organized squad to leave the county.

THE FORTIETH REGIMENT was soon organized, principally from Wayne, Hamilton and Franklin counties, but with enough Jefferson county boys to fill some of the most important offices. Col. S. G. Hicks was made its colonel, John W. Baugh its adjutant, Albion F. Taylor its quartermaster, and S. H. Watson one of its captains, but he was soon placed on the commander's staff. Also several privates from the county helped the Fortieth to be one of the very best regiments in the service. At the battle of Shiloh, while leading the Fortieth in the thickest of the fight Colonel Hicks was wounded and fell from his horse, but he pointed for the regiment to sweep on and he crawled to water, half mile away, and washed his wounds with his own hands. After he recovered. General Sherman put Colonel Hicks in command of Paducah, Kentucky. The rebel General Forrest sent in a demand for the unconditional surrender of the place and Colonel Hicks sent him word he would have to "come and take it. " They came and the battle was fierce, while it lasted. The rebel had about twelve hundred killed and wounded, while Hick's force, being protected by the fort, lost only seventeen killed, and a number wounded. Hicks died in 1869, Mrs. Albion Taylor being his surviving child. The Fortieth with forty other Illinois regiments, marched with Sherman to the sea and home again and made an unexcelled record for duty and bravery.

Partridge was made captain, Russell Brown and Jesse Bliss, lieutenants, with the writer as first sergeant, which was supposed to be in the line of promotion; but at the end of three years the above officers still held their commissions - a thing that did not occur with any other company in our knowledge. Company F, organized at Ashley, also contained many Jefferson county men, and these two companies went to Chicago and joined an organization calling itself the Northwestern Rifle Regiment, but which was numbered the Forty-fourth Illinois when finally mustered into service. This act almost caused a mutiny in the regiment from the fact that there were two full companies from Ohio and two from Michigan in the organization. This mutiny did finally break out when at the St. Louis arsenal the regiment, company by company, refused to be armed with old wire-locked muskets, instead of rifles as we had been promised. The regiment was ordered locked up in the arsenal and after two days, the authorities, seeing that the regiment was full of American grit, finally issued the promised guns and the regiment went "flying" after "Pap" Price. We finally caught up with him and McCullough, VanDorn and Albert Pike, with his half-breeds (more than double our number) at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, fought the whole outfit for three days and won the most signal victory. The guerrillas had captured our supply trains and being too hundred miles from our base of supplies (there being no railroads), we then foraged as we went through South Missouri and Arkansas under General Osterhouse, and finally went to Tennessee, then to Mississippi, then to Cincinnati, then to Louisville, where we joined the army of the Cumberland and were in all the battles southward. In the terrible battle of Stone River, the writer was badly wounded and taken prisoner, taken south and enjoyed the hospitality of Confederate prison fare at several points - especially at Libby in Richmond. After passing through all the battles of the Atlantic camwall's history of JEFFERSON CO., ILL. 125 paign - Buzzard Roost, Rocky Face, Resaca, Dallas, New Hope, Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochie, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, etc., came back and participated in the battles of Nashville and Franklin. This reminds us that forty-four years ago this 30th of November, the Forty-fourth and a few other Illinois organizations were engaged in the sanguine battle of Franklin, which was the culmination of sixty-nine days of anxiety, both North and South. Buoyed by hope. Hood sacrificed Joe Johnson's veterans in useless assaults upon Sherman's troops before Atlanta. He fancied he could fall back on Sherman's line of supplies, defeat Thomas, and draw Sherman's army back into Middle Tennessee. But on that could November morning, he found the Union troops entrenched on Harpeth river, near Franklin, and tried to roust them from their breast-works, with the result that Hood's army lost seven thousand men and our troops suffered a loss of three thousand. The battle was proportionately more desperate, ferocious and destructive than was Gettysburg. It was, in fact, the critical battle of the war, for Grant had troubles of his own in Virginia, and decided victory over "The Rock of Chickamauga" at this time and place, would have recalled Sherman's army and the war "between the states" would have been indefinitely prolonged. It was truly a case of "when Americans meet Americans, then comes the tug of war."

After the fragment of Hood's army had left Tennessee, the Forty-fourth went to New Orleans and to Texas, and finally got back to Illinois in October, 1865, having seen more than four years' service. A Jefferson county man, William J. Stephenson, was the first lieutenant colonel of the Forty-fourth and William Stephenson, a lieutenant of Company F.

THE FORTY-NINTH ILLINOIS was another regiment that had Jefferson county material. Company IC being made up here. B. F. Wood was captain, then Joseph Laur, James Lcfi^nion and John S.

Brooks were lieutenants. Col. W. R. Morrison was colonel. He was wounded at Fort Donelson and saying his wound ought to send him to Congress, he went home, then to Congress. It was assigned to various commands, always doing its full duty, and being mustered out of the service with honor inscribed upon its banners.

THE SIXTIETH REGIMENT contained more Jefferson county boys, and its second colonel was William B. Anderson, a Jefferson county boy. Its last colonel, George W. Evans, was a Jefferson county farmer and banker for many years, and a public-spirited man, whom Mount Vernon missed greatly when he died and was buried here some years ago. Three companies were composed of Jefferson county men, besides some of the other companies had some of our "own raising." Colonel Anderson was born in Mount Vernon in 1830, a son of Governor Anderson, was educated in the Mount Vernon schools and at McKendree College, studied law and was admitted, but preferred farming and did not practice. In 1856 he was elected to the Legislature and re-elected. He was the first to introduce the idea of a constitutional amendment prohibiting special legislation and making all laws general in their nature. He fought for the idea until he became a member of the constitutional convention, and had it engrafted into that instrument. As a soldier. Colonel Anderson was both noble and brilliant, and it was said by many that Gen. John A. Logan and Col. (after general) W. B. Anderson, were two of the best volunteer officers in the army. After the war, General Anderson was sent to Congress and served as Pension Agent for years. He died full of years and well-merited honors. He was a brave and efficient soldier. As a general he would have won a name and fame surpassed by none. He went into the army as a private and came out as a brigadier-general, but this promotion camr ^oo near the close of the struggle to avail him anything i'^ '^' .,din jf an active general. We never met a Sixtieth regiment member that did not almost worship "Col. Bill Anderson," he was so kmd and human to his men - often letting some tired boy ride while he trudged along with the rank and file. He was a loved comrade and an ideal officer and Jefferson county may well be proud of the life and services of general, colonel, comrade William B. Anderson.

Col. G. W. Evans of the Sixtieth, was a brave, gallant, faithful soldier. He never missed a march or a battle in which the regiment participated. He was in all the battles to the sea and was at the surrender of Gen. Joe Johnson, and led his regiment in triumph through Richmond to Washington, where it participated in the Grand Review and then to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were mustered out. The colonel then came to Jefferson county to live and die.

Company C, of the Sixtieth, had John R. Moss as captain first, then Capt. Simeon Walker, then Capt. Rhodam Allen, but he modestly declined the promotion and Frank L. Ferguson was made captain. Company D, mostly from Jefferson county, had Alfred Davis as captain; he resigned and Luke S. Wilbanks was chosen; he also resigned and John B. Coleman (one of Mount Vernon's best citizens) was made captain. He was killed at the battle of Peach Tree Creek. Company G had the following officers from our county: Jehu J. Maxey, Cornelius N. Breeze, John Frizell, Asa Hawkins, J. W. Moses and John A. Johnson. The Sixtieth went everywhere it was ordered to go, did everything it was ordered to do - ate all the "hard tack and sow-belly" in sight, "busted" the black coffee kettle, wore out all the uniforms they had and came home to be good citizens and die in peace - and the most of them have -succeeded.

T. Strattan, captain; Newton C. Pace, first and C. W. Pavey, second lieutenant. After the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, Captain Strattan resigned and Pace was made captain. William C. Maxey was first lieutenant. Lieutenant Pavey was promoted to a captaincy, but was on detached service when the regiment was mustered out. John R. Cunningham was made captain of Company H, and Robert Milburn, lieutenant. Rev. John W. Lane, of Mount Vernon, was the chaplain of the regiment. The Eightieth was organized at Centralia in August, 1 862, and joined the army then organizing at Louisville. At the battle of Perryville, which occurred a few days after they were mustered in, they fought like veterans, but lost fourteen killed and fifty-eight wounded. Lieut. N. C. Pace was wounded. The next battle was at Dug's Gap on Sand Mountain, and Lieutenant Pavey was wounded. The next May the regiment, while out scouting, was captured by a superior force, the men paroled and the officers sent to Libby prison. After the men were exchanged, the regiment had a varied experience - but generally varied from bad to worse - only four of the captured officers ever got back to the regiment. During its term of service it traveled over six thousand miles and took part in over twenty battles. It was an ideal Illinois regiment.

THE ONE HUNDRED TENTH REGIMENT also contained many Jefferson county boys. Thomas S. Casey was its colonel ; Thomas H. Hobbs, its quartermaster; Dr. Hiram S. Plummer, its surgeon. Company B had for its officers: Charles H. Maxey, captain; Samuel T. Maxey, first lieutenant; John H. Dukes, second lieutenant; Charles Maxey resigned in 1 863 and S. T. succeeded him as captain, but he was mustered out under the consolidation of the regiment. The regiment was consolidated into a battalion of four companies, and E. H. Topping made commander, Casey, Hobbs and Plummer being mustered out. The One Hundred Tenth saw less service than some other lUinois regiments, but had good material for good soldiers, but it is said, were not properly trained and cared for. The battalion did excellent service under good military rule. Dr. W. C. Pace as surgeon and J. P. Watson, captain, both of Ashley, were members of the battalion. Many Jefferson county men besides these, scattered in various commands, were good and faithful soldiers. Nearly every regiment recruited in Southern Illinois caught one or more Jefferson county boys and it is sufficient to say that not one of them ever disgraced themselves or the county they so faithfully represented.

Many Jefferson county boys served in cavalry regiments, notably the Sixth and Thirteenth Cavalry, but we have not the record at hand and can only say they were brave soldiers - like the rest. Capt. Fred Boswell commanded a company in the Thirteenth, and some few were in the artillery.

It would have been a pleasure to have been more thorough in giving the service of those we have mentioned and many we have not spoken of. The story of Jefferson county soldiers is already known far and wide. A perusal of the Black Hawk and Mexican wars and the Civil war tells the story. The hundreds of battlefields, and the broken ranks of the home-coming regiments attested that they had met brave men like themselves. And now that they have fought their last battle and sleep their last sleep, let us revere their memories, drop a tear and a posy on their sleeping dust, knowing that their spirits - their real selves - are basking in the sunlight of eternal peace and joy.

But the noble, patriotic, loving women who suffered even more than the soldiers in the field, who cheered us with kind words and often with delicacies from their own dear hands, and who always held us up with their prayers - let us not forget them. While soldiers are receiving eulogies and encomiums of a grateful people, let not the blessed women of the war be forgotten. Brave, noble, generous loving women. Your deeds deserve to be written in letters of shining gold. Your gentle ministrations to the unfortunate and your loving kindness to the poor, war-worn soldiers will never be forgotten, while even one of our number survives ; and your noble, selfsacrificing devotion to your country will ever live bright and imperishable as the sun and as eternal as the "Words of Life."

Jefferson county sent two companies of splendid soldier boys to the Spanish- American war in 1 898 - one was part of the Fourth and the other part of the Ninth Illinois Regiments. Each of these came home with the consciousness of having performed well their duties and having their names placed on the roll of honor. Some of them~we now recall Bert Reid, Arthur Easly and Bert Watsonwere brought back as dead heroes, and, with the flag they loved wrapped about them, sleep the sleep that knows no waking this side of the "grand review" above. Although this last war was not a "breakfast spell" as compared with the "Great War" still these boys "kept the faith, fought the good fight" and henceforth there is laid up for them crowns of honor. The Spanish war fully demonstrated the fact that the North and the South are now perfectly united in upholding the Union and the flag forever. The contest was brief but glorious. Never since old Commodore Noah landed his only boat in the world on Mount Ararat, with the stars and stripes proudly floating before her, while the band played : "God bless the whole 'capoodle,' Hail Columbia Yankee Doodle," has there been such a triumphant victory on the waters of the world, as was achieved by Admiral Dewey and his gallant lads in Manila bay at their early morning May-party - when the entire Spanish fleet disappeared beneath the waves. And never since Sampson of old slew his thousands of Philistines with the jaw-bone of a jack-rabbit, has there been a more decided "scoop" than when Admiral Sampson's fleet

"pulled off" another world-renowned American victory, by sending the balance of the Spanish fleet to the bottom of the sea, while Old Glory waved over Cuba. Our American fleet is not only the mistress of the seas, but is the admiral of all the world, as has been fully demonstrated by the honors and compliments paid it in its recent visit to foreign nations, and its trip around the world - having returned (February 22, 1909) with not a scratch on any of the sixteen ships.