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i.»ww4wiiihiiwwimwtwwfWtiM:11 n111m111CHAPTER 112 r“DECATUR’S OfN”The Brilliant Record of the 116th Was Not Surpassed by That of Any Other Civil War Regiment;The roster of the One Hundred Sixteenth Illinois reads like an 1862 directory of Macon county. Apparently there was represented in it every well known family in the county. Each of the seven regiments that had gone before had drawn from one to three companies from Decatur and vicinity but the enlistment of the One Hundred Sixteenth at this day has the appearance of a popular uprising of everybody of military age and physical fitness that had not previously entered the service.The regiment was .organized at the crisis of the war when It tram seen that tl\e union would haw to put forth every ounce of Its strength to crush the rebellion. It drew Into it many met* who had felt that their duties at homo were of paramount importance and tUeir services would not be needed on the fighting line. Typical of these was Use gallant Col* onel, Nathan W. Topper. He had the family of a brother stain at Shiloh whom he was nnder solemn promise to take care of, besides a family of his own. This regiment also drew into tlie service many young men who were not of military age at the beginning of the war. The regiment numbered #80 officers and men, 730 of whom were from Macon county.Companies A. B, C, D, E, G, I, and K were made up almost exclusively from Macon county. The others in these companies were drawn frtan bordering territory in Piatt, Moultrie* Shelby, Christian, Sangamon and Dewitt Counties. F company was the only one that haiTno Macon county men In it. It was mainly recruited from McLean. H. company had three from Decatur.There were twenty Maoon county men among the field and staff officers. Included in the latter were Col. Nathan W. Tupper, Lieutenant Col. James P. Boyd, Majors Anderson Froman. Austin McClurg, John S. Windsor and Nicholas Geschwlnd. Adjutants Charles H. Fuller. William E. Crissey and Myron Holcomb, Quarter Masters Lyman King and Charles P. Emory, Surgeons Ira N. Barnes, John A* Heckiemau and Joseph Hostetler, Chaplain N. M. Baker, Sergeant Majors Rufus C. Crocker and Thomas J. Ward and others. Nineteen Maoon county men served as captains. Two of the Macon county captains wero~ killed In battle and three of them died of wounds.CAMP MACON.The One Hundred Sixteenth was»mobilized at the fair grounds, now Fairview park, then known as Camp Macon. The regiment was mustered In to U, S, service Sept 30, 184?, started from Decatur to the front Nor. S, was attached to Sherman’s army and had its baptism of fire on Dec. 29 at Chickasaw Bayou. In that brief period did these young Macon county men step from civil1 life into the thick of war. From that time on the regiment war constantly in the war_ It waa never on detached service but always moved and fought with the main column.IN TWENTY BATTLES.The regiment fought at Chickasaw Bayba, Arkansas Post, Black River Bridge, Champion Hills, Vicksburg, Chiokamaugtt, Missionary Ridge Chattanooga, Tune I Hill, Lookout Mountain, Rescca, Dall^vBIg Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Stone Mountain, Atlanta. Jonesboro and Fort McAllister and Bentonville. That was Its last battle. It then started on it* long and leisurly march lo Washington by way of Raleigh, Richmond and Alexandria, arriving in time to take part in the grand review before the president In May, 1865. It was mustered outAt Arkansas Post, Jan. 10 and 11, ISftC, Captain Lewis Byman and Lieutenant John S. Taylor were killed. B company suffered especially severely In this action, coming out with only twenty-five men under the command of Fifth Sergeant Christian niebsamen. who later became captain.COL. BOYD SHOT THROUGH LUNG. •At Champion Hills, May 18-22. 1863, Lieutenant James P. Boyd was shot through the lungs and died from the effect of the wound soon after the war. Captain G. F. Hardy was killed in this action. Lieutenant Nathan Wheeler was wounded and died at home. Captain Ltngle waa killed. Captain Grason was shotthrough the breast hot Awmtl and Captain Austin McClurg wmdesperate)y wounded. * _ONE HUNDRED DUD IN DITCH.The One Hundred Sixteenth help* ed dig the historic canal at VIA*-burg, losing 100 men In tire mouths from sickness. Their bed tot were burled on the levee, that being fth* only available ground.TUPPER COMMANDS BRIGADE.The great battle of Missionary Ridge, Tunnel HU1 and Lookout Mountain waa fought Nev. 25. General Giles A. Smith, commanding the brigade in which the One Hundred Sixteenth belonged waa voanM In in preliminary skirmish and Col. Tupper took command. The brigade is credited with turning the enemy’s flank on that bloody day. The ability and courage displayed by Colonel Tupper practically assured his promotion to brigadier general. But he broke down with disease contracted in the service and oa Marti 10 left the eervlce and came home te die. WORST SUFFERING FOLLOWED VICTORY.After the victory at Chattanooga and without being perm Red to return to camp tor blankets and overcoats the regiment waa hurried fe the relief of Knoxville, searching from twenty-five to thirty miles a day. The weather was very cold end the men suffered Intensely at night. The rations were aloe short and when this campaign waa ended the men were of one mind that It wee the hardest of the war.TOLL OF ATLANTA CAMPAIGN*.The series of battles from Chattanooga to Atlanta took heavy toll of the One Hundred Sixteenth. At Resaca Major Andrew Thomas Fro* man was wounded and he died In the field hospital. At Dallea Captain Thomas White of C company was killed on the skirmish line and Captain James N. Clore wan wounded. At Keneeaw Mountain IJeuton* ant John H. Miller waa wounded. Captain George H. M limine of I company and Lieutenant Samuel R. Riggs of F company were wounded in the battle before Atlanta. Lieutenant Isom Slmmona of H oempanv was killed In the assault on Fort McAllister.LAST BATTLE.At Bontonville the regiment for the last time faced lta old enemy. General Joe E. Johnstons army, and fought its last baUe, At Goldsboro the regiment wan reequipped gad faced towards home. In the official chronicle the regiment Is camvtl* mented for Its fine spirit Streee Is also laid on the fact that lta efficient medical staff remained Intact from the organisation of the regiment till Its muster out.(To Be Continued)
Newspaper Details
Decatur Daily Review
Decatur, Illinois, US
Sun, Mar 23, 1924
Page 29
Full Page
Clipped by
Muskingum C.
OH, USA 11 Feb 2020
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