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131st Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
131st 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 Thirty-first Infantry. — Col., George
W. Neely; Lieut. -Col., Richard A. Peter; Maj., Joseph L. Purvis. This
regiment was composed of men from the counties of Hamilton, Gallatin,
Hardin, Pope and Massac. They were enlisted during the months of July
and Aug., 1862. By order of Gov. Richard Yates the regiment was
organized and went into camp at old Fort Massac, Massac county, in
September, and remained there until Nov. 13, when it was mustered into
the U. S. service. The regiment then numbered 815 men, excluding
officers. While at Fort Massac it was without tents, camp equipage or
arms, except a few inferior guns borrowed for use in guard duty and
squad drill, but notwithstanding its limited outfit the guard duty and
squad drill were kept up. During this time the measles broke out in camp
and about 100 of the men were prostrated therewith, nearly all of whom
either died or were afterwards discharged for disability. After the
regiment was mustered into the service it was ordered to hold itself in
readiness to proceed to Memphis, Tenn., which order was received with
joy by all the men, notwithstanding quite a number of them were sick at
the time. On Dec. 2 it embarked on the steamboat Iowa and proceeded to
Cairo, where the men were furnished with guns of inferior quality, being
the Harper's Ferry flint-lock guns altered for caps, three different
sizes in caliber and were received under protest. The regiment then went
on the same boat to Memphis, arriving there Dec. 7. From there it went
to Milliken's bend, La., where it was engaged in picket duty until Dec.
27, when it again embarked on the same boat and with a portion of the
fleet moved up the Yazoo river to near Haynes' bluff, where it took part
in an engagement. It remained on duty in the vicinity of Vicksburg until
Sept. 16, 1863, when, in compliance with a general order, it was
consolidated into a battalion of four companies. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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