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116th Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
116th Illinois Infantry Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant
General of the State of Illinois, Volume 6, Revised by Brigadier General J.N.
Reece, Adjutant General, 1900
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Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Infantry. — Col., Nathan W.
Tupper; Lieut. -Cols., James P. Boyd, Anderson Froman, John E. Maddux;
Majs., Anderson Froman, Austin McClurg, John S. Windsor. This regiment
was recruited almost wholly from Macon county, numbering 980 officers
and men when it started from Decatur for the front on Nov. 8, 1862. Co.
F was from McLean county. Co. H from Christian and Shelby counties. The
regiment went into Camp Macon near Decatur and was mustered into the U.
S. service on Sept. 30, 1862. On Nov. 8 it was ordered to Memphis via
Cairo, to join Gen. W. T. Sherman's 15th army corps, and was assigned to
the 1st brigade, 2nd division. In December the regiment received its
baptism of fire in the battle of Chickasaw bluffs, the officers and men
fighting so gallantly as to receive the highest compliments from the
veterans of the older regiments in the brigade. It then passed down the
Yazoo to the Mississippi river and up that and the Arkansas river to
Arkansas Post, where in Jan., 1863, it fought its second battle,
sustaining heavy losses. The casualties in Co. B were particularly
severe, the company coming out of the battle with but 25 men. In March
the regiment went up the Black bayou and Deer creek in company with the
8th Mo. to save Admiral Porter's fleet from the clutches of the
Confederates, which was done after a hard fight. The regiment engaged in
the battles of Champion's hill and Black River bridge, and in the bloody
charges on the Vicksburg fortifications in May, losing heavily. Being
transferred to eastern Tennessee, the 116th Ill. and 6th Mo. regiments
floated down the Tennessee river in pontoon boats to the mouth of
Chickamauga creek, on the night of Nov. 23, capturing the Confederate
pickets and holding the position until the whole corps had crossed over.
The brigade formed the extreme left of Gen. Sherman's army, and obtained
the credit of turning the enemy's right flank at the great battle of
Missionary ridge. In May, 1864, with the rest of the Army of the
Tennessee, the regiment moved against the enemy and became hotly engaged
at Resaca, Ga., losing heavily, but driving the enemy across the river
and planting its colors on the Confederate works. It was repeatedly
attacked, but could not be driven from the position gained. It lost
heavily in the assault on Kennesaw mountain. Upon reaching Savannah Gen.
W. B. Hazen selected nine regiments, including the 116th, to carry Fort
McAllister, and within 15 minutes after the bugle sounded "Forward" the
regimental colors were on the works and the garrison captured. The
regiment then participated in the campaign of the Carolinas, at
Bentonville, N. C, encountered for the last time its old foe, Gen. Jos.
E. Johnston's army, and fought its last battle. From Goldsboro it
started for Washington, via Raleigh, Richmond and Alexandria,
participated in the grand review before the president, and was finally
mustered out near Washington on June 7, 1865. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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