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87th Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
87th 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
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Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Eighty-seventh Infantry. — Col., John E. Whiting;
Lieut. -Col., John M. Crebs; Maj., George W. Land. This regiment was
enlisted in Aug., 1862, and was composed of Cos. A and E, from Hamilton
county, H from Edwards, D from Wayne, and B, C, F, G, I and K, from
White. In the latter part of August the companies went into camp at
Shawneetown, Ill., where the organization of the regiment was effected,
and it was mustered in Oct. 3, the muster to take effect from Aug. 2. On
Jan. 31, 1863, it embarked on the two transports Freestone and May Duke
for Memphis, Tenn., arriving there on Feb. 4. While at that city the
87th and 63d Ill. regiments made a raid on Hernando, Miss., capturing a
great deal of property and putting a stop to the incursions of Col.
Bligh's partisan Confederate cavalry. These two regiments joined in the
Vicksburg campaign and on May 22 closed up the gap on the extreme left
of the line of investment, where they remained for 6 hours under a
steady fire of shot and shell from the enemy's works. On the night of
July 4 the regiment moved out on the road to Jackson, Miss., and
participated in the battles before and after reaching that place. During
September and October it was engaged in the movements along the
Atchafalaya river and Bayou Teche, being in the affairs at Grand Coteau
and Vermillionville, La. In April, 1864, it was actively engaged at the
battle of Bayou de Paul, losing about 30 men in killed and wounded. It
took part in the battle of Sabine cross-roads and was the only regiment
in that disastrous defeat that left the field in regimental formation.
On the following day it was in the battle of Pleasant Hill, and on the
retreat to Alexandria it was either in the front, flank or rear of the
retreating column, constantly engaged with the enemy's skirmishers. In
May it was in the advance and continually under fire in the movement
from Alexandria to Simsport, being in the battle of Marksville. On May
21 it went into camp at Morganza bend, La., where it remained during the
summer and fall, engaged in scouting and fighting along the network of
bayous between the Mississippi on the east and Atchafalaya on the west,
Red river on the north and Bayou Plaquemine on the south. It captured
more prisoners, horses and stores, and destroyed more Confederate
property, than all the combined forces camped at Morganza. Early in
August a detachment of about 50 men from the regiment was surrounded and
captured by a largely superior force of the enemy near Williamsport, La.
In Jan., 1865, the regiment moved to Helena, Ark., where it remained
doing scouting service until mustered out, June 16, 1865, and ordered to
Springfield, Ill., where it arrived June 24. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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