CIVIL WAR INDEX
Primary Source Material
on the Soldiers and the Battles
Home The Armies The Soldiers The Battles Civilians Articles
 
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!

11th Illinois Cavalry
in the American Civil War

Regimental History
Eleventh Cavalry. — Cols., Robert G. Ingersoll, Lucien H. Kerr, Otto Funke; Lieut. -Cols., Bazil D. Meek, Lucien H. Kerr, Otto Funke, Aquilla J. Davis; Majs., Sabin D. Puterbaugh, David J. Waggoner, James H. Johnson, Lucien H. Kerr, Otto Funke, Simon C. Burbridge, Charles E. Johnson, Philip E. Elliott, Dennis S. Shepherd, Aquilla J. Davis, George W. Hunter, Theophilus Schearer. This regiment was recruited from the counties of Peoria, Fulton, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, Stark, Knox, Henderson and Warren. Recruits commenced going into camp at Camp Lyon, Peoria, about Nov. 1, 1861. Twelve full companies were recruited and mustered into the U. S. service on Dec. 20, 1861, for three years, when they were mounted. They remained at Camp Lyon until Feb. 22, 1862, when they broke camp and marched to Benton barracks, Mo., where they arrived on March 3 and were shortly afterward armed with revolvers and sabers, one battalion receiving carbines. The regiment's first experience under fire was when the fighting commenced at the battle of Shiloh on April 6, and early on the morning of that day it lost several men in killed and wounded. During the second day of the battle it met with severe loss in killed and wounded. It then operated in Tennessee and North Mississippi; was in the fight at Bolivar, Tenn.; met with a severe loss in a fight at Davis bridge on the Hatchie river; and was also in the 3 days' fight at Corinth and Iuka in October. During the winter of 1862-63 it was stationed at Jackson, Tenn., and met Forrest's advance at Lexington on Dec. 18, the loss in killed and wounded being heavy and about 100 men were taken prisoners. The captured officers and men were paroled by Gen. Forrest the next day. The remainder of the regiment was in the fights at Jackson, Humboldt and Parker's cross- roads, and followed Forrest to the Tennessee river at Clifton. It moved from Jackson to Grand Junction, Tenn., and was stationed along the Memphis & Charleston railroad, making numerous raids into the country south, and again met with severe loss in killed, wounded and prisoners at Hudsonville, Miss., in an engagement with Gen. Chalmers' cavalry. In October it took part in the expedition under Gen. McPherson to Canton, Miss., and had several skirmishes with the Confederates on the Big Black river. Most of the regiment reenlisted for three years and were mustered in as veterans at Vicksburg, Miss., Dec. 20. They left Vicksburg about the last of March, 1864, for home on a veteran furlough of 30 days and again returned to Vicksburg, where the regiment was engaged in scouting through the spring and summer, destroying the railroad track north of Jackson for a long distance, and burning all bridges of any size. It was in the fight at Yazoo City in July, where it cooperated with Elliott's marine brigade to relieve Col. Coats with the 11th Ill. infantry, who was besieged in that city by the Confederates under Gen. Wirt Adams. The regiment was engaged in a fight at Woodville, La., in which a battery of 6 guns and about 100 prisoners were captured. During the following winter it was absent in Arkansas on one trip of 20 days; on returning took part in a raid from Memphis in Jan., 1865, by way of Grand Junction south, destroying the railroad; had a sharp fight at Egypt Station, losing several in killed and wounded; then continued south until it reached Vicksburg; returned by boat to Memphis, and moved out along the line of the Memphis & Charleston railroad between Memphis and Grand Junction, with headquarters at LaGrange, holding this line until ordered to Memphis, where it was mustered out on Sept. 30, 1865. It started on Oct. 2 for Springfield, Ill., where it was paid and discharged about Oct. 20.

Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3

Whats New
Bibliography
About Us


 

Copyright 2010 by CivilWarIndex.com
A Division of Pier-Pleasure.com