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11th Illinois Cavalry
in the American Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Eleventh Cavalry. — Cols., Robert G. Ingersoll, Lucien
H. Kerr, Otto Funke; Lieut. -Cols., Bazil D. Meek, Lucien H. Kerr, Otto
Funke, Aquilla J. Davis; Majs., Sabin D. Puterbaugh, David J. Waggoner,
James H. Johnson, Lucien H. Kerr, Otto Funke, Simon C. Burbridge,
Charles E. Johnson, Philip E. Elliott, Dennis S. Shepherd, Aquilla J.
Davis, George W. Hunter, Theophilus Schearer. This regiment was
recruited from the counties of Peoria, Fulton, Tazewell, Woodford,
Marshall, Stark, Knox, Henderson and Warren. Recruits commenced going
into camp at Camp Lyon, Peoria, about Nov. 1, 1861. Twelve full
companies were recruited and mustered into the U. S. service on Dec. 20,
1861, for three years, when they were mounted. They remained at Camp
Lyon until Feb. 22, 1862, when they broke camp and marched to Benton
barracks, Mo., where they arrived on March 3 and were shortly afterward
armed with revolvers and sabers, one battalion receiving carbines. The
regiment's first experience under fire was when the fighting commenced
at the battle of Shiloh on April 6, and early on the morning of that day
it lost several men in killed and wounded. During the second day of the
battle it met with severe loss in killed and wounded. It then operated
in Tennessee and North Mississippi; was in the fight at Bolivar, Tenn.;
met with a severe loss in a fight at Davis bridge on the Hatchie river;
and was also in the 3 days' fight at Corinth and Iuka in October. During
the winter of 1862-63 it was stationed at Jackson, Tenn., and met
Forrest's advance at Lexington on Dec. 18, the loss in killed and
wounded being heavy and about 100 men were taken prisoners. The captured
officers and men were paroled by Gen. Forrest the next day. The
remainder of the regiment was in the fights at Jackson, Humboldt and
Parker's cross- roads, and followed Forrest to the Tennessee river at
Clifton. It moved from Jackson to Grand Junction, Tenn., and was
stationed along the Memphis & Charleston railroad, making numerous raids
into the country south, and again met with severe loss in killed,
wounded and prisoners at Hudsonville, Miss., in an engagement with Gen.
Chalmers' cavalry. In October it took part in the expedition under Gen.
McPherson to Canton, Miss., and had several skirmishes with the
Confederates on the Big Black river. Most of the regiment reenlisted for
three years and were mustered in as veterans at Vicksburg, Miss., Dec.
20. They left Vicksburg about the last of March, 1864, for home on a
veteran furlough of 30 days and again returned to Vicksburg, where the
regiment was engaged in scouting through the spring and summer,
destroying the railroad track north of Jackson for a long distance, and
burning all bridges of any size. It was in the fight at Yazoo City in
July, where it cooperated with Elliott's marine brigade to relieve Col.
Coats with the 11th Ill. infantry, who was besieged in that city by the
Confederates under Gen. Wirt Adams. The regiment was engaged in a fight
at Woodville, La., in which a battery of 6 guns and about 100 prisoners
were captured. During the following winter it was absent in Arkansas on
one trip of 20 days; on returning took part in a raid from Memphis in
Jan., 1865, by way of Grand Junction south, destroying the railroad; had
a sharp fight at Egypt Station, losing several in killed and wounded;
then continued south until it reached Vicksburg; returned by boat to
Memphis, and moved out along the line of the Memphis & Charleston
railroad between Memphis and Grand Junction, with headquarters at
LaGrange, holding this line until ordered to Memphis, where it was
mustered out on Sept. 30, 1865. It started on Oct. 2 for Springfield,
Ill., where it was paid and discharged about Oct. 20. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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