The Volunteers Of Lee County
On an office wall in the old Lee County Courthouse hangs a
picture of a reunion of members of the Illinois Volunteers -
Thirteenth Infantry which was held in 1888 and is shown in a picture
taken in front of the Nachusa House. As your eyes catch that picture,
you can't help but look out the nearby window and observe the pigeons
that only visit the structure today, and to what is now a bleak
resemblance of a historic structure and but a memory of those days of
celebration.
The call for volunteers was made in Lee County at the beginning
of the conflict between the North and South in the Civil War. The
Thirteenth Infantry Illinois Volunteers was organized under the
Ten-Regiment bill, at Dixon, Illinois on May 9, 1861. The unit went
into camp located o the fair grounds in Dixon. On the next day after
going into camp, the following regimental officers were elected: John
B. Wyman, colonel; B. F. Parks, lieutenant-colonel and A. B. Gorgas,
major.
The regiment was organized with 870 men and was composed of 10
companies which were from Dixon (A), Sterling (B), Amboy (C), Rock
Island (D), Sandwich (E), Sycamore (F), Morrison (G), Aurora (H),
Chicago (I) and DuPage (K). The regiment was organized for the three
months service, but the call being made soon thereafter for
three-year volunteers. The regiment was mustered into the United
States service under the last call, May 24, 1861 and became the first
regiment mustered into the three-years service.
Company A was the first company of volunteers raised at Dixon,
and on April 22, 1861, they met at their armory and elected company
officers. Elected were: A. B. Gorgas, captain; Henry T. Noble, first
lieutenant; Henry Dement, second lieutenant; Benjamin Gilman, first
sergeant and O. M. Pugh, second sergeant.
Two other companies, the Dixon Cadets and the Dixon Blues were
organized within a few days, but their services were not needed on
account of the regiments under the first call being full. Most of the
members of these companies afterward enlisted and went to the war in
other companies and regiments. On June 1, 1861, the ladies of Dixon
presented Company A with uniforms made by their own hands.
Company C was organized at Amboy, electing company officers as
follows: Henry M. Messinger, captain; Nathaniel Neff, first
lieutenant; and George B. Sage, second lieutenant.
These two companies, A and C, were of Lee County, while the other
companies were from other various parts of the state. This regiment
remained in camp at Dixon until Sunday, June 16, when they were
ordered to Caseyville, Illinois and then forwarded to Rolla, Missouri
by rail on July 6. They remained there until October 10, 1861, when
they were ordered to Springfield, Missouri.
Thirty days later they were ordered back to Rolla. Here they went
into winter quarters and remained until March 16, 1862, when they
were ordered to Arkansas. The unit marched via Springfield to Pea
Ridge, Arkansas and later passing through Kietsville, Balesville and
ultimately arriving at Helena, Arkansas on July 14, 1862.
On Dec. 27, 1862, they reached Chickasaw Bayou, being the first
regiment to reach that battleground and lead in the assault against
the enemy, two days later. On Jan. 11, 1863 they participated in the
battle of Arkansas Post. Then followed the battle at Jackson,
Mississippi on May 22. The same month they participated in the
assault on the rebel works before Vicksburgh.
The regiment then returned to Jackson, Mississippi and
participated in the siege of that city in July 1863. They were also
involved in the battles of Tuscumbia on Oct. 26 and 27, 1863. From
there to Lookout Mountain, November 24; thence to Mission Ridge on
the following day and two days later, they were in the battle of
Ringgold, Georgia. In the following spring, May 1864, they were in
the battle of Madison, Alabama.
Their term of service having expired, they returned to
Springfield, Illinois and were mustered out of the service of the
United States on June 18, 1864. Veterans were transferred to the 56th
Illinois Volunteers, among them were some of the original Lee County
soldiers.
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and education. These pictures may not be used without the expressed
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