Donovan's Erie History Pages
Erie Area Civil War Regiments
Exerpts from the Bent-Wilson History of Whiteside County, 1877
75th Illinois Regiment
This noted regiment was recruited in Whiteside and Lee Counties. Com-
panies B, C, D, H and I being from Whiteside County. Company B was
recruited by Captain John Whallon, of Lyndon, Lieut. James Blean, of Newton,
and others. Company C at Morrison by John E. Bennett, E. Altman and Geo.
R. Shaw. Company D was recruited under the auspices of the Chicago Board
of Trade, but owing to a misunderstanding joined the regiment at Dixon.
Company H was enlisted by efforts of John G. Price and J. W. R. Stambaugh. Company
I, the "Reaper Company," was principally recruited in Sterling, Erie, Fulton
and Ustick, by efforts of Col. Kilgour and others. The regimental officers from
Whiteside County were:
Col. John E. Bennett, promoted Brevet Brigadier General,
Wm. M. Kilgour, Lieutenant Colonel, promoted Brevet Brigadier General,
Henry Utley, surgeon, and Wm. H. Smith, chaplain.
Company B -- Captains John Whallon, C. B. Hubbard and Chas. R. Richards; First Lieutenant:
Albert M. Gillett; Second Lieutenants: James Blean and Elisha Bull.
Company C -- Captains: Ernst Altman, Geo. R. Shaw; First Lieutenant: P. S. Bannister;
Second Lieutenants: Thomas G. Bryant and Henry C. Parrott.
Company D -- Captain: Andrew McMoore; First Lieutenants: Joseph E Colby and Francis A.
Caughey; Second Lieutenants: Edward H. Barber, R. .L. Mangan and John
Stauffer.
Company H -- Captains: John G. Price, Joseph W. R. Stambaugh and
Frank Bingham; First Lieutenant: John L. Newton; Second Lieutenants:
Abner R. Hurless and Flavius M. Wolf.
Company I -- Captains: Robert Hale
and Amos B. Segur: First Lieutenants: Joel A. Fife and Lewis E. Chubbuck;
Second Lieutenants: Ezekiel Kilgour and James H. Woodburn.
The regiment was organized at Dixon, September 2, 1862, and September
27th, ordered to Louisville, Kentucky. October 8th a little more than a month
after the organization of the regiment, it was engaged in the bloody battle of
Perryville or Champlin Hills. Loss 47 killed, 166 wounded and 12 missing.
The men of the regiment were fresh from their homes, but fought like veterans.
Gen. Mitchell officially said: "The 75th Illinois, having a reputation to gain as
soldiers, nobly did the work before them." In this battle Lieut. Blean was
killed, and Lieut. Col. Kilgour so severely wounded that it was supposed his wound
was mortal. The regiment with other troops pursued the retreating enemy into
Tennessee. December 31, 1862, the 75th was engaged at Murfreesboro and
lost heavily; also in the sanguinary struggle at Liberty Gap.
The winter was spent in inactivity, but the spring and summer brought
stirring times for the regiment. In September the 75th was at the battle of
the Chickamauga, and from thence moved to Chattanooga. The organization
bore an honorable part in the hard fought battles of Lookout Mountain, Missionary
Ridge and Ringgold. The winter was passed at Whiteside, the monotony
being broken by a reconnoisance in front of Dalton. At Resaca the regiment
was engaged and participated in the fights at Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain,
Kenesaw, Adairsville, Culp's farm, Peach Tree Creek, Jonesboro and Lovejoy
Station; also in the series of battles and skirmishes before Atlanta.
After the fall of this rebel stronghold the regiment moved hastily to Nashville,
fighting Hood before that city, and being engaged at Franklin and in the
defence of Pulaski. After the defeat of Gen. Hood went upon an expedition
in eastern Tennessee.
The 75th was in service two years and nine months. Lost 64 men killed
31 died of wounds, and 91 of disease. 216 were discharged for disability; 184
men were wounded. Total casualtIes, 586. No regiment in the service has a
brighter or more deserving record.
93d Illinois Infantry
The regiment was organized in September, 1862, 998 men, by Col. Holden
Putman, of Freeport, afterwards killed at Mission Ridge, November 29 1863.
Company F: 99 men were recruited in Whiteside County, from Garden Plain,
Fulton, Mt. Pleasant, Newton, Albany, Erie and Fenton. Captains of the Company:
Alfred F. Knight, who died April 29,1863, Wm. A. Payne and Wm. M.
Herrold; First Lieutenants: John Dyer and Henry M. Eddy; Second Lieutenant:
Robert A. Adams, who died of wounds. Dr. C. A. Griswold of Fulton
was surgeon. The regiment was assigned to Gen. Grant's army and went
through the Northern Mississippi campaign; went through on the "Yazoo Pass
Expedition." The next April commenced the Vicksburg campaign, was at
Jackson, Mississippi, May 14th, being in the advance at the battle. On the
16th participated in the fight at Cbampion Hills, and suffered severely.
During the same month was engaged in the assaults upon Vicksburg until the middle
of June. The regiment went from Vicksburg to Jackson and back, thence to
Helena, Arkansas, thence to Memphis, Chattanooga and Bridgeport, Alabama.
Was next engaged at Mission Ridge, losing a large number of men. Pursued
the rebels to Grayson. Moved to Huntsville, Alabama, and in December was
at Dalton. In the spring and summer of 1864 the 93d marched over much of
the soil of Alabama, and in the autumn moved to Allatoona. In October the
regiment was a part of the force of 2,100 that "held the Fort" against 7,000
confederates through a desperate fight, signally beating them. November 12,
1864, the regiment started upon the memorable "march to the sea," and reached
the enemy's lines before Savannah, Georgia, December 10, 1864. The 93d
skirmiBhed with the rebels about the city until December 21st, when it marched
into the city, where it remained until January 19, 1865. Went through the
"Campaign of the Carolinas," and arrived at Columbia February 17, 1865.
From Columbia the march was continued to Raleigh, that town being reached
April 14th. The march was then continued via Petersburg and Richmond to
Washington, where the regiment participated in the grand review May 24th,
and was mustered out, receiving final pay and discharge July 7,1865. The
93d was in service two years and seven months. The official report says:
"The casualties in battles of the 93d lllinois Regiment were 446 killed, and one
officer and 31 men accidentally wounded. The regiment has marched 2,554
miles, traveled by water 2,296 miles, by rail 1,237 miles. Total, 6,087 miles."
Company F lost by death: Joseph A. Wilbur, July 13, '63, wounds; Chas.
Doty, May 23, '63, wounds; Henry E. Allen, disease, July 13, '63; Edward P.
Bliss, May 17, '63, wounds; Francis M. Baird, May 23, '63, wounds; John H.
Brightman, killed at Vicksburg, May 23, '63; Wm. Bennett, killed at Champion
Hills, May 16, '63; M. K. Booth, died, AuguBt 25, '63; Henry Hawk, October
5, '63, wounds; Henry Lewis, died, July 13, '63, wounds; Patrick Marren, killed
at Champion Hills, May 16, '63; John McCline, killed at Champion Hills, May
16, '63; Asa W. Mitchell, killed at Mission Ridge, November 26, '63; Ira A.
Payne, killed at Mission Ridge, November 26, '63; L. S. McAllister, died, Jan-
uary 28, '63; Russell S. Park, killed at Allatona, Georgia, October 5, '64;
Thomas Say, killed at Champion Hills, May 16, '63; James M. York, died,
March 2, '63.
