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THE FIFTY-FIRST INFANTRY.

FIFTY-FIRST ILLINOIS INFANTRY.

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The 51st regiment was organized at Camp Douglas, Chicago, and mustered into the service on the 24th of December, 1861. The following is the original roster:

Colonel, Gilbert W. Cumming; Lieutenant-Colonel, Luther P. Bradley; Major, Samuel B. Raymond; Adjutant, Charles W. Davis; Quartermaster, Henry Howland; Surgeon, William C. Hunt; 1st Assistant Surgeon, John S. Pashley; 2d Assistant Surgeon, Thomas L. Magee.

Co. A-Captain, Henry F. Wescott; 1st Lieutenant, James E. Montandon; 2d Lieutenant, Antonio DeAnguera.

Co. B-Captain, Isaac K. Gardner; 1st Lieutenant, Henry W. Hall; 2d Lieutenant, George J. Waterman.

Co. C-Captain, Nathaniel B. Petts; 1st Lieutenant, Albert M. Tilton; 2d Lieutenant, Albert Eads.

Co. D-Captain, Ezra L. Brainard; 1st Lieutenant, Theodore F. Brown; 2d Lieutenant, James S. Boyd.

Co. E-Captain, John C. McWilliams; 1st Lieutenant, Thomas T. Lester; 2d Lieutenant, Augustus B. Sweeney.

Co. F-Captain, George L. Bellows; 1st Lieutenant, Robert Houston; 2d Lieutenant, Andrew H. Frasier.

Co. G-Captain, George H. Wentz; 1st Lieutenant, Merritt B. Atwater; 2d Lieutenant, Orin S. Johnson.

Co. H-Captain, John T. Whitson; 1st Lieutenant, William H. Greenwood; 2d Lieutenant, Charles B. Whitson.

Co. K-Captain, Rufus Rose; 1st Lieutenant, Otis Moody; 2d Lieutenant, Albert L. Coe.

The regiment left Chicago for Cairo February 14, 1862, and was engaged there in guarding the prisoners from Fort Donelson, and sending them north. On the 27th it crossed the river and camped on the Kentucky shore. March 4th it went to Bertrand, Missouri, where General Pope was collecting troops for a movement down the river. On the 9th of April it went to the vicinity of New Madrid, and took part in the movements which resulted in the capture of that place. It then joined in the movement upon Island No. 10, and actively participated in the capture of the rebels who fled from that post. It next went down the river to Osceola, and on the 27th was ordered to Hamburg, and took part in the battle of Farmington and other movements upon Corinth. After the evacuation of the town, the 51st took part in the pursuit of the retreating enemy. Returning to Corinth, it was detailed for guard duty on the Memphis and

Charleston Railroad. On the 15th of September it reached Nashville, to join Buell in his pursuit of Bragg. On the 6th of November a rebel attack on Nashville was made, but without success. After doing post duty for some time at Nashville, the 51st joined in the movement against Bragg, and was in the thickest of the fight at Stone River. The three brigade commanders of the division were killed, and early in the day the command of the brigade fell upon Colonel Bradley, of the 51st. On the 6th of January, 1863, the regiment marched three miles south of Murfreesboro and encamped. On the 4th of March it marched to Eagleville, and two days later started for Franklin, to aid in the pursuit of Van Dorn, who was followed to Duck River, when the pursuit was abandoned. On the 24th of June it joined in the Tullahoma campaign, which resulted in driving Bragg out of Tennessee. On the 30th of July it camped at Bridgeport, Alabama, the rebel army being on the other side of the river. September 2d it crossed the Tennessee and marched to Alpine, Georgia, and took part in the various movements of the Chickamauga campaign. At Chickamauga, on the first day of the battle, it did gallant service, losing nearly one third its number in a single half hour. On the second day, the whole division to which it belonged became involved in confusion, but was skillfully extricated by General Sheridan. At the battles of Mission Ridge and Lookout Mountain the 51st was in the reserve. On the 28th of October it marched to the relief of Burnside at Knoxville, reaching there December 9th. On the 26th of January, 1864, the regiment reached Chattanooga, where it re-enlisted in the veteran service, and was sent home on furlough, reaching Chicago on the 17th of February. On the 28th of March the regiment left Chicago for Nashville, and marched thence to Chattanooga. It then joined in the Atlanta campaign, taking part in the battles of Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta and Jonesboro. It afterward took part in the campaign which ended with the battles of Franklin and Nashville, in both of which it did good service. It then followed the retreating rebels till the pursuit was abandoned, when it marched toward Huntsville, Alabama, and was placed on "outpost" duty at Decatur till March 31, 1865, suffering great hardships. It then went to Greenville, East Tennessee, and

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on the 15th of April to Nashville, where it remained till June 15th. During this time the men whose term of service expired prior to October 1, 1865, were mustered out and sent home. The remainder of the regiment then left for New Orleans. July 28th it embarked for Texas, camping, August 1st, at Placidor. On the 25th of Sep tember, 1865, it was mustered out at Camp Irwin, Texas, and was sent home for final payment and discharge, arriving at Camp Butler on the 15th of October

CHAPTER XV.

REGIMENTAL AND PERSONAL.

THE THIRTY-SEVENTH ITS MISSouri Campaign-THE FIFTY-SECOND-ITS VARIOUS COMMANDERS GENERAL SWEENEY-THE FIFTY-THIRD-"CUSHMAN'S BRIGADE "THE FIFTY-FOURTH-Re-enlistment as Veterans-THE FIFTY-SEVENTH--AT SHILOH and CORINTH-THE FIFTY-EIGHTH-CAPTURE AT SHILOH-GENERAL W. F. LYNCH-THE FIFTY-NINTH A MISSOURI REGIMENT CHANGE OF DESIGNATION-THE SIXTIETH— CONCLUSION OF ITS RECORD-THE SIXTY-THIRD-A VETERAN REGIMENT-THE SIXTYFOURTH " YATES SHARPSHOOters "-BrigadIER-GENERAL JOSEPH S. REYNOLDS— MAJOR FRED. W MATTESON-THE SIXTY-FIFTH-THE "SCOTCH REGIMENT "THE THREE MONTHS' REGIMENTS OF 1862-THE SIXTY-SEVENTH THE SIXTY-EIGHTH THE SIXTY-NINTH THE SEVENTIEth-The SevenTY-FIRST.

W

THE THIRTY-SEVENTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY

AS organized in the fall of 1861, and took the name of "Fremont Rifles," in honor of General J. C. Fremont, then a favorite among the radical Union men of the West. Companies A and H were enlisted at Rock Island; C and F, at Waukegan, Lake County; Company D, in part in Michigan, and the balance in Chicago; Company K, at Danville; Company E, at Mendota, LaSalle County; Companies G and I, in and about Chicago; Company B, in Stark County. On the 18th of September, 1861, the regiment was mustered into the United States service at Chicago, with the following roster:

Colonel, Julius White; Lieutenant-Colonel, Myron S. Barnes; Major, John Charles Black; Adjutant, A. Neiman; Quartermaster, John H. Peck; Surgeon, L. F. Humeston; Assistant Surgeon, E. A. Clark; Chaplain, Edward Anderson.

Co. A-Captain, J. A. Jordan; 1st Lieutenant, Hervey Curtis, Jr.; 2d Lieutenant, Charles W. Hawes; Orderly Sergeant, L. B. Morey.

Co. B-Captain, Charles V. Dickinson; 1st Lieutenant, Cassimer P. Jackson; 2d Lieutenant, Fracis A. Jones; Orderly Sergeant, W. B. Todd.

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Co. C-Captain, Eugene B. Payne; 1st Lieutenant, Judson J. Huntley; 2d Lieutenant, Chauncey C. Morse; Orderly Sergeant, Arthur Whitney.

Co. D-Captain, John W. Laimbeer; 1st Lieutenant, Wells H. Blodgett; 2d Lieutenant, Wm. O. Mazell; Orderly Sergeant, Wm. M. Johnson.

Co. E-Captain, Phineas B. Rust; 1st Lieutenant, Orville R. Powers; 2d Lieutenant, Charles W. Day; Orderly Sergeant, W. M. Smith.

Co. F-Captain, Erwin B. Messer; 1st Lieutenant, Andreas Greve; 2d Lieutenant, Gallis Fairman; Orderly Sergeant, W. W. Doty.

Co. G-Captain, Henry N. Frisbee; 1st Lieutenant, George R. Bell; 2d Lieutenant, Manning F. Atkinson; Orderly Sergeant, D. McCarty.

Co. H-Captain, J. B. Frick; 1st Lieutenant, Herman Wolferd; 2d Lieutenant, Joseph Eaton; Orderly Sergeant,- - Hinckley.

Co. I-Captain, Ransom Kennicott; 1st Lieutenant, Isaac C. Dodge; 2d Lieutenant, Frederick J. Abbey; Orderly Sergeant, George Kennicott.

Co. K-Captain, Wm. P. Black; 1st Lieutenant, Wm. H. Pithian; 2d Lieutenant, Wm. M. Bandy; Orderly Sergeant, N. B. Hicks.

On the 19th of September, the regiment, then 1,035 strong, received from the Chicago Board of Trade two magnificent silk banners-one a national ensign and the other their battle flag-and on the same day embarked for St. Louis, which city it reached on the 21st. On the 30th, the regiment was sent to Booneville, Mo., where it joined General Pope's expedition to Springfield. From the latter place, eight companies proceeded to Ottersville, where they remained during the winter.

On the 25th of January, 1862, the "Grand Army of the West," under Major-General Curtis, took up its line of march for Southwest Missouri, in search of General Price and his crew. On this memorable march the 37th took part in the battle of Pea Ridge [vide Vol. I., p. 222], in which its loss was 153 officers and men. It was next stationed at Cassville, a small town in Southern Missouri, where it did garrison duty until the fall of 1862, when it was transferred to General Schofield's command, under whom but little active service was experienced. The regiment next joined General Herron at Prairie Grove, where it participated in the battle which bears that name, and under him again entered Arkansas. Again it was ordered back into Missouri, being stationed for a brief period at Raleigh. It afterward took part in the battle of Chalk Bluffs, near Cape Girardeau. It again returned to St. Louis, whence it embarked for Vicksburg, to join the forces under General Grant. After the capture of that city it went to New Orleans,

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