80th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment

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80th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment

80th-Illinois-Battle-Flag-v02.jpg

Recruiting flag
Active 25 August 1862 to 10 June 1865
Country Flag of the United States (1863-1865).svg United States
Allegiance Flag of the United States (1863-1865).svg Union
Branch Union Army
Type Infantry
Engagements

American Civil War

Commanders
Initial Colonel Thomas G. Allen
Initial Lt. Colonel Andrew Rodgers
Initial Major Erastus Newton Bates

The 80th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of ten companies that drew primarily from eight southern Illinois counties. Over the course of the war the regiment traveled approximately 6,000 miles, and was in over 20 battles.

Infantry military service branch that specializes in combat by individuals on foot

Infantry is the branch of an army that engages in military combat on foot, distinguished from cavalry, artillery, and tank forces. Also known as foot soldiers, infantry traditionally relies on moving by foot between combats as well, but may also use mounts, military vehicles, or other transport. Infantry make up a large portion of all armed forces in most nations, and typically bear the largest brunt in warfare, as measured by casualties, deprivation, or physical and psychological stress.

Regiment Military unit

A regiment is a military unit. Their role and size varies markedly, depending on the country and the arm of service.

Union Army Land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War


During the American Civil War, the Union Army referred to the United States Army, the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. Also known as the Federal Army, it proved essential to the preservation of the United States of America as a working, viable republic.

Contents

History

Organization and early service

In the summer of 1862 President Lincoln issued calls for more volunteers in the war effort. In July he requested 300,000 men for three years of service, and the next month, on 4 August 1862, he issued a call for 300,000 more men for nine months of service. In part as a patriotic response to these calls, the 80th Illinois Infantry was organized by Colonel Thomas G. Allen at Centralia, Illinois and mustered into service on 25 August 1862.

Abraham Lincoln 16th president of the United States

Abraham Lincoln was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. He preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy.

Centralia, Illinois City in Illinois, United States

Centralia is a city in Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 as of the 2010 census, down from 14,136 in 2000.

CompanyPrimary County of RecruitmentEarliest Captain
A Jackson and Randolph James L. Mann
B Madison George W. Carr
C St. Clair Henry Zeis
D Randolph Carter C. Williams
E Jefferson Stephen T. Stratton
F Randolph Edmund R. Jones
G Perry and Randolph Andrew Wilson
H Marion and Jefferson James Cunningham
I Washington Daniel Hay
K Madison Alexander Hodge

The regiment was ordered to Louisville on 4 September 1862, and assigned to the 33rd Brigade, Tenth Division, of the Union Army of the Ohio. Brigadier General William R. Terrill commanded the brigade, Brigadier General James S. Jackson commanded the division, and Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCook commanded the I Corps.

Louisville, Kentucky City in Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 29th most-populous city in the United States. It is one of two cities in Kentucky designated as first-class, the other being Lexington, the state's second-largest city. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, located in the state's north and on the border with Indiana.

The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.

William R. Terrill Union Army general

William Rufus Terrill was a United States Army soldier and general who was killed in action at the Battle of Perryville during the American Civil War. His Confederate brother James was also killed during the same war, making the Terrills one of the few sets of American brothers killed in action while commanding brigades.

Battle of Perryville

I was in every battle, skirmish and march that was made by the First Tennessee Regiment during the war, and I do not remember of a harder contest and more evenly fought battle than that of Perryville. If it had been two men wrestling, it would have been called a "dog fall." Both sides claim victoryboth whipped.

Private Sam Watkins, 1st Tennessee [1]

In its first principal action of the war the regiment participated in the Battle of Perryville (also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills) and suffered extensive casualties. The group set out from Louisville on 1 October 1862 under the direction of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell and marched in pursuit of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, passing through Taylorville, Bloomfield and Mackville before engaging in the Battle of Perryville on 8 October 1862. The 80th Illinois fell under the command of Brig. Gen. William R. Terrill (33rd Brigade) and Brig. Gen. James S. Jackson (10th Division). Both Terrill and Jackson were ultimately killed in the battle.

Battle of Perryville battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Perryville was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi initially won a tactical victory against primarily a single corps of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell's Union Army of the Ohio. The battle is considered a strategic Union victory, sometimes called the Battle for Kentucky, since Bragg withdrew to Tennessee soon thereafter. The Union retained control of the critical border state of Kentucky for the remainder of the war.

Don Carlos Buell Union Army General

Don Carlos Buell was a United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered Confederates after Perryville, or to secure East Tennessee. Historians generally concur that he was a brave and industrious master of logistics, but was too cautious and too rigid to meet the great challenges he faced in 1862. Buell was relieved of field command in late 1862 and made no more significant military contributions.

Confederate States Army Army of the Confederate States

The Confederate States Army (C.S.A.) was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting against the United States forces. On February 28, 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress established a provisional volunteer army and gave control over military operations and authority for mustering state forces and volunteers to the newly chosen Confederate president, Jefferson Davis. Davis was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, and colonel of a volunteer regiment during the Mexican–American War. He had also been a United States Senator from Mississippi and U.S. Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce. On March 1, 1861, on behalf of the Confederate government, Davis assumed control of the military situation at Charleston, South Carolina, where South Carolina state militia besieged Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, held by a small U.S. Army garrison. By March 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress expanded the provisional forces and established a more permanent Confederate States Army.

Parsons' battery position on the Open Knob, 2007. Perryville Parsons Battery.jpg
Parsons' battery position on the Open Knob, 2007.

The 33rd Brigade, including the 80th Illinois, were initially charged with guarding the artillery, called Parsons' battery, on the Open Knob, a prominent hill on the northern end of the battlefield facing the Confederate's right flank. [lower-alpha 1] After some Confederate infantry snuck up the hill undetected in the woods, Terrill ordered the 123rd Illinois to mount a bayonet charge down the hill, with the raw and outnumbered troops suffering heavy casualties. At about 3:00 p.m., the 80th Illinois were sent in as reinforcements and resulted in a brief stalemate. Eventually the group was forced to retreat to the next ridge in a disjointed manner that led to much friendly fire.

The battle was the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign). Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi [lower-alpha 2] arguably won a tactical victory, having fought aggressively and pushed his opponent back for over a mile. However, the battle is still considered a strategic Union victory, sometimes called the Battle for Kentucky, since Bragg withdrew to Tennessee soon thereafter. The Union retained control of the critical border state of Kentucky for the remainder of the war.

Confederate Heartland Offensive military campaign during the American Civil War

The Confederate Heartland Offensive, also known as the Kentucky Campaign, was an American Civil War campaign conducted by the Confederate States Army in Tennessee and Kentucky where Generals Braxton Bragg and Edmund Kirby Smith tried to draw neutral Kentucky into the Confederacy by outflanking Union troops under Major General Don Carlos Buell. Though they scored some successes, notably a tactical win at Perryville, they soon retreated, leaving Kentucky primarily under Union control for the rest of the war.

Braxton Bragg Confederate Army general

Braxton Bragg was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who was assigned to duty at Richmond, under direction of the President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, and charged with the conduct of military operations of the armies of the Confederate States from February 24, 1864, until January 13, 1865, when he was charged with command and defense of Wilmington, North Carolina. He previously had command of an army in the Western Theater.

There were three organizations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Relative to the number of troops involved, [3] the Battle of Perryville was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. It was the largest battle fought in the state of Kentucky. [4] The 80th Illinois lost 14 killed and 58 wounded, including Lieutenant Von Kemmel killed, Lieutenant Andrews mortally wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Rodgers and Lieutenant Pace severely wounded. Eye witness reports suggest that three days after the fight there was still dead bodies lying on the field. [2]

Streight's Raid and capture

Map of locations involved in Streight's Raid Streight's Raid route.png
Map of locations involved in Streight's Raid

In the spring of 1863 the 80th Illinois took part in Streight's Raid in northern Alabama. The raid, led by Colonel Abel D. Streight, was intended to destroy parts of the Western and Atlantic railroad, which was supplying the Confederate Army of Tennessee. But due to poor supplies and poor planning it ended with the defeat and capture of Streight and his men at Cedar Bluff, Alabama, by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Streight was additionally hindered by locals throughout his march, while pursued by Forrest, who had the advantage of home territory and the sympathy and aid of the local populace, most famously Emma Sansom.

The actual capture of the forces was achieved by a clever ruse, when Forrest paraded his much smaller force back and forth in front of Streight, convincing Streight that he was opposed by a superior force. After surrendering and being informed of the deception Streight reputedly demanded his arms back for a proper fight, a request cheerfully declined by Forrest.

In addition to arms, Forest's men stole the regiment's blankets, watches and money. The regiment was taken to Rome, Georgia, where they were paroled and then sent in coal cars to Atlanta. From here the officers were sent to Libby Prison while the enlisted men were sent, via Knoxville and Lynchburg, to Richmond, arriving on 13 May 1863. While the officers largely remained imprisoned for the remainder of the war, the enlisted men were sent to City Point before being exchanged for Confederate prisoners.

With Col. Thomas G. Allen having resigned and Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Rodgers and Major Erastus Newton Bates still being prisoners of war, the regiment received a new leader in the form of Lieutenant Herman Steincke.

Chattanooga Campaign

National cemetery at Chattanooga with a view of Lookout Mountain in the distance. Chattanooga Cemetery with Lookout Mountain.jpg
National cemetery at Chattanooga with a view of Lookout Mountain in the distance.

In October and November 1863 the regiment took part in the Chattanooga Campaign, [lower-alpha 3] a series of maneuvers and battles designed to give the Union control of the state of Tennessee, including Chattanooga, known as the "Gateway to the Lower South." During this campaign they were part of the 3rd Brigade (commanded by Colonel Friedrich Hecker), 3rd Division (commanded by General Carl Schurz), and the XI Corps (commanded by General Oliver O. Howard).

On 22 November, the 80th Illinois set out toward Chattanooga and arrived in the evening east of town. The next day, on 23 November, the regiment engaged with the enemy and took the first line of rifle splits as part of the XI Corps, driving on the left flank in the enemy's skirmishers. The 80th Illinois laid in line of battle all night. This advance was part of the Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman maneuvering to launch a surprise attack against Bragg's right flank on Missionary Ridge. Meanwhile, on 24 November, Eastern Theater troops on the opposite side of the line under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker defeated the Confederates in the Battle of Lookout Mountain and began a movement toward Bragg's left flank at Rossville.

On 25 November, Sherman's attack on Bragg's right flank, which included the 80th Illinois, made little progress. Hoping to distract Bragg's attention, Grant authorized Thomas's army to advance in the center of his line to the base of Missionary Ridge. A combination of misunderstood orders and the pressure of the tactical situation caused Thomas's men to surge to the top of Missionary Ridge, routing the Army of Tennessee, which retreated to Dalton, Georgia, fighting off the Union pursuit successfully at the Battle of Ringgold Gap.

Bragg's defeat eliminated the last Confederate control of Tennessee and opened the door to an invasion of the Deep South, leading to Sherman's Atlanta Campaign of 1864, of which the 80th Illinois also took part.

Atlanta campaign

During the summer of 1864 the regiment participated in the Western Theater's Atlanta Campaign throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta. The campaign under the ultimate direction of Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman involved a large invading force into Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was opposed by the Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston.

Johnston's Army of Tennessee withdrew toward Atlanta in the face of successive flanking maneuvers by Sherman's group of armies. In July, the Confederate president replaced Johnston with the more aggressive John Bell Hood, who began challenging the Union Army in a series of damaging frontal assaults. Hood's army was eventually besieged in Atlanta and the city fell on September 2, hastening the end of the war.

The 80th Illinois was heavily involved in all of the heavy battles of the Atlanta campaign and was constantly exposed to the enemy's fire for about three months. The 80th Illinois commenced its involvement on 3 May 1864 and participated in the battles of Dalton, Resaca, Adairsville, Cassville, Dallas, Pine Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesborough and Lovejoy's Station. During the campaign, the Regiment captured about 150 prisoners, and lost 25 killed and 60 wounded.

End of service

The regiment was mustered out on 10 June 1865 and proceeded to Camp Butler, Illinois, for final pay and discharge.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered the loss of 6 officers and 52 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 160 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 218 fatalities. [5] Only four of the captured officers ever returned to the Regiment. The remainder were held as prisoners until 1 March 1865, when they were paroled for exchange.

Command history

Thomas G. Allen26 August 1862 21 April 1863
Andrew Rodgers 21 April 1863 3 May 1863
Herman Steincke3 May 1863
James Monroe Stookey7 June 1864
Erastus Newton Bates 10 May 1865

See also

Citations

  1. Watkins, Sam. Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the Big Show. Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1882. pp. 80-81. OCLC   43511251.
  2. 1 2 Crawford, p. 31.
  3. Kennedy, p. 127.
  4. Eicher, p. 367.
  5. Dyer.

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References

Notes

  1. Companies G and B were not engaged in the fight. [2]
  2. During the battle, correspondence referred to the army as the Army of the Mississippi, deviating from the general rule that only Union armies were named after rivers. It was also sometimes referred to as the Army of the West. The army was activated on March 5, 1862, just before the Battle of Shiloh, and was renamed by Bragg as the Army of Tennessee in November. See Army of Mississippi.
  3. The National Park Service's Civil War Sites Advisory Commission classifies two campaigns for this period: Reopening the Tennessee River (Battle of Wauhatchie) and Chattanooga-Ringgold (the Third Battle of Chattanooga, frequently known as the Battles for Chattanooga, and the Battle of Ringgold Gap).
  4. This reference lists battles and campaigns for Union regiments and also gives the composition of corps and armies, i.e., such as the 80th Illinois Volunteer Regiment. Take note, however, that regimental battle lists cannot be considered proof that any particular soldier fought in various battles since different companies in the regiment may have had different assignments, or an individual soldier may have been absent due to sickness, desertion, temporary assignment to other duties, or other causes.