| If this website has been useful to you, please consider
making a Donation.
Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do
more research. Thank you for your support! |
85th Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
85th Illinois Infantry Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant
General of the State of Illinois, Volume 5, Revised by Brigadier General J.N.
Reece, Adjutant General, 1900
View
Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Eighty-fifth Infantry.— Cols., Robert S. Moore, Caleb
J. Dilworth ; Lieut.-Cols., Caleb J. Dilworth, James P. Walker, James R.
Griffith; Majs., Samuel P. Cummings, Robert G. Rider. This regiment was
organized at Peoria about Sept. 1, 1862, at a time when the government
was in need of troops, as the Federal forces had been beaten back at
Bull Run a short time before and Bragg was threatening Louisville, Ky.,
Gen. Nelson being driven back to that point. The regiment was one that
was ordered to Louisville immediately after its organization, hence the
members left their work, families and friends, and were hurried
immediately to the forefront of the battle. Before they knew what dress
parade meant they opened the battle of Perryville by making a bayonet
charge early on the morning of that bloody day. When the army advanced
on Bragg at Murfreesboro the regiment was stationed at Nashville and
remained there doing train, police and post duty, but was called on to
guard a train to the army during the battle of Stone's river, which it
succeeded in doing in time to take a hand in the fight there for one
day. During the remainder of the time that it was at Nashville but
little occurred worthy of historical notice, but from the time it was
relieved at that city it was always found in the active part of the Army
of the Cumberland until the close of the war, being one of the last
regiments to leave the field at Chickamauga; in the lead in crossing the
Tennessee in pontoons when the stars and bars were lowered from
Missionary ridge ; from there, with 100 rounds of cartridges in
haversacks instead of bread, it was with the command that hastened to
the relief of besieged troops at Knoxville; then returned to its camp at
North Chickamauga, to remain until New Year's, 1864, when it moved to
McAfee's cross-roads, near the battlefield of Chickamauga. During the
winter of 1863 and 1864 it was stationed at or on that battle-field and
was in the detail that made the reconnoissance against Rocky Face ridge,
where it met with considerable loss in killed and wounded. It took an
active part in the battles of Resaca, Rome, Dallas, Kennesaw mountain,
Peachtree creek, Atlanta and Jonesboro. The members of the regiment are
deserving of special mention for their conduct at Rome, where they swam
the Etowah river, floating their accouterments over on rafts of rails,
formed a skirmish line, drove the enemy from the city and raised the
Stars and Stripes over the courthouse before all the enemy had crossed
the other river and burned the bridge. At Kennesaw mountain and
Peachtree creek the regiment lost half of its available force. The 2nd
division of the 14th army corps was detailed to drive Forrest from the
line of communication back in Tennessee, and marched after him until it
crossed the river at Florence, where there was a skirmish in which the
regiment was again in front and met with slight loss. It accompanied
Sherman on his march to the sea and up through the Carolinas, was
present at the battle of Bentonville, the capture of Goldsboro and
Raleigh, and was doing picket duty when Sherman met the Confederate
delegates to arrange the conditions of surrender of Johnston's army. It
then marched to Washington, took part in the grand review at that place,
rested a few days and was mustered out on June 5, 1865. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us
|