Civil War Veterans - 85th Illinois Infantry

History of the 85th Illinois Volunteers
Illinois Volunteer Infantry
by
Henry J. Aten

Biographies - A

ABRAM W. ACKERSON, aged thirty, enlisted from Fulton county, and deserted January 15, 1863. (Company B, Chapter 28, page 367)

JOHN B. ACKERSON, aged thirty-one, enlisted from Fulton county, and deserted September 22, 1862. (Company B, Chapter 28, page 367)

JAMES P. ADDIS was born at Tecumseh, Lenawee county, Michigan, February 25, 1845, and enlisted from Astoria, Ill. under the name of James T. Toler. When a child too young to know his own name his father died and he was left with a neighbor's family. This family removed to Indiana, and from there the boy was taken by another family in Illinois, and for several years lived with Dr. W. T. Toler, of Astoria. Here he was known as Toler, and here he enlisted under that name. He served with his company to the close of the war, and was mustered out with the regiment. While the command was at North Chickamauga, during the siege of Chattanooga, he learned his real name, and that his mother was still living. He obtained a furlough and visited her during that winter. He was wounded in the fight at Buzzard Roost, Georgia, February 25, 1864, receiving a gun shot wound which carried away the index finger of his left hand. Since the close of the war he has been engaged in farming in Illinois, Colorado and Oklahoma. Now resides at Lindon, Cleveland county, Oklahoma. (Company H, Chapter 34, page 468)

SERGEANT JOHN G. AKERSON enlisted as a private from Fulton county at the age of thirty-three, and was chosen sergeant at the organization of the company. He served with his company through the Kentucky campaign, and was discharged for disability at Nashville, Tenn., February 8, 1863. He returned to Fulton county, and now resides at Lewistown, Ill. (Company B, Chapter 28, page 362)

JOHN M. ALBIN was born in Carroll county, Indiana, in 1839, and was a married farmer when he enlisted from Spring Lake. He served with his company to the close of the war and was mustered out with the regiment. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 349)

SERGEANT ISRAEL J. ALDEN enlisted as a private at the age of thirty-three years, and was honored by his comrades by being chosen sergeant at the organization of the company. But their confidence in his loyalty was misplaced, and he appears to have made a business of "leaping of the bounty." He deserted and enlisted in the Eighth Missouri, deserted and joined the Sixtieth Illinois, was arrested and returned to Company B, and finally deserted again May 13, 1865. His subsequent career is unknown to the writer, but it has doubtless been downward, if he ever found lower depths for his peculiar genius to explore. (Company B, Chapter 28, page 362-363)

CORPORAL WILLIAM D. ALKIRE was born in Menard county, Illinois, August 23, 1838, and was a married farmer when he enlisted from Mason county. He served with his company through all the campaigns in which the regiment was engaged until captured at the battle of Peach Tree creek, Georgia, July 19, 1864; was held prisoner until April 28, 1865, when he was exchanged. He was slightly wounded in the assault of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, June 27, 1864, was promoted corporal and honorably discharged June 27, 1865. He removed to Iowa in August, 1865, has been justice of the peace in Cass county; is farming, and resides in Thurman, Fremont county, Iowa. (Company C, Chapter 29, page 380)

SERGEANT MAJOR WILLIAM S. ALLEN was born in La Porte, La Porte county, Indiana, January 27, 1840, and removed with his parents to Illinois in 1854. He enlisted as a private from Havana, and was chosen first sergeant at the organization of Company B and promoted to be sergeant major in 1863. He served with the regiment until wounded in the battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, June 27, 1864, and was honorably discharged June 21, 1865. After his return to Illinois he served as deputy circuit clerk, removed to Oregon, where he spent some years and was postmaster at Hood River. Returning again to Illinois, he is now a railway postal clerk, and resides at No. 333 South Clay avenue, Jacksonville, Ill. (Chapter 26, page 342)

FRANCIS M. ALYEA was born in Porter county, Indiana, in 1839, and was a married farmer when he enlisted from Mason county, Illinois. He served with his company in all the campaigns in which the regiment was engaged, and was mustered out with the regiment. He removed to Oklahoma in 1889, and engaged in farming until his death, which occurred at Kingfisher, February 26, 1900. (Company A, Chapter 27, pages 349-350)

JOHN W. ALYEA was born in Porter county, Indiana, April 15, 1842, and removed with his parents to Illinois in 1851, and was a farmer when he enlisted from Spring Lake. He served through the Kentucky campaign, and while at Nashville, Tenn., was detailed as gunner in Fort Negley some three months. He participated in the battles of Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree creek and Jonesboro, and was a mounted forager on the march to the sea and through the Carolinas. He was captured in North Carolina, and held in Salsbury, Danville and Libby prisons until the close of the war. He was honorably discharged June 17, 1865. He removed to Oklahoma in 1889 ,where he is engaged in farming, his address being Kingfisher, Oklahoma. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 349)

ADJUTANT CLARK N. ANDRUS, son of Cyrenus W. Andrus and Lucy Rockwell, was born in Havana, Ill., February 21, 1843. His parents removed from Watertown, N. Y., to Havana in 1836, and Clark N. was the only living child when he enlisted in Company K. At the organization of the regiment he was appointed sergeant major and participated in the battles of Perryville, Ky., and Stone River, Tenn. He was promoted to be second lieutenant of Company E, January 20, 1863, and to be adjutant on the 23rd of the following February. He participated in all the battles and campaigns in which the regiment was engaged until severely wounded in the assault on Kennesaw mountain, Georgia. His arm was amputated in the field hospital, after which he was taken to Hospital No. 3 at Nashville, Where gangrene set in and his arm was reamputated. But medical and surgical skill was of no avail, and this promising young officer died on July 23, 1864. His father was with him when the final summons came, and brought his remains back to Havana, where they were buried by the side of his devoted mother. (Chapter 26, pages 337-338)

JOHN F. ANNO was born in Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio, in 1830, and was married and a farmer when he enlisted from Mason county. He served in all the campaigns in which the regiment participated, was wounded at the battle of Peach Tree creek, Georgia, July 19, 1864, in the right arm, side and back, and died of wounds July 25, 1864. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 349)

CORPORAL LEVI S. ANNO was born in Petersburg, Menard county, Illinois, January 1, 1837, and was married and a mechanic when he enlisted as a private from Mason county. He was promoted to be corporal, served to the close of the war and was mustered out with the regiment. He is a wagonmaker and has served as school director. He had four brothers in the Union army, one of whom was a member of the Eighty-flfth, and was mortally wounded at the battle of Peach Tree creek Georgia. Levi A. removed to Texas in 1878, and now resides at Kingston, in Hunt county. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 348)

CORPORAL PLEASANT ARMSTRONG, aged thirty-three, born in Menard county, Illinois, was married and a farmer when he enlisted from Mason county. He was chosen corporal at the organization of the company, served through the Kentucky campaign, was transferred to the marine brigade at Nashville, Tenn., and died in the service. Date and place unknown. (Company C, Chapter 29, page 380)

WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, aged twenty-nine, born in Menard county, Illinois, was single and a farmer when he enlisted from Mason county. He was discharged at Louisville, Ky., for disability, but no date appears on the record. He returned to Mason county, resumed farming, and died near Easton, Ill., May 5, 1899.

Note – A few years before the war this soldier was tried for murder; defended by Abraham Lincoln, and acquitted by the jury without leaving their seats. Armstrong had been present at an evening meeting where a man was killed, and although entirely innocent, a conspiracy was formed to convict of the entire crime. At the trial, each of the prosecuting witnesses testified to see the knife glitter in Armstrong’s hand when he struck the fatal blow, by the light of the moon. Whereupon Mr. Lincoln introduced an almanac in evidence, which showed that the murder was committed in the dark of the moon. (Company C, Chapter 29, page 383)

JAMES P. ARNETT was born in Menard county, Illinois, in 1841, and was a farmer when he enlisted from Mason county. He served through the Kentucky campaign, and died at Nashville, Tenn., February 17, 1863. His remains are buried in No. 50 in the national cemetery near that city. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 349)

JOHN H. ATCHINSON, aged twenty-three, born in St. Clair county, Illinois; was single and a farmer when he enlisted from Mason county. He served through the Kentucky campaign, and was discharged for disability January 17, 1863. Last heard from at Shawneetown, Ill. (Company C, Chapter 29, page 382)

MICHAEL ATCHINSON, aged twenty-two, married and a farmer when he enlisted from Mason county. He served with his company until captured at the battle of Peach Tree creek, Georgia, July 19, 1864; was held in rebel prisons until the close of the war, and was honorably discharged June 17, 1865. He returned to Illinois; resumed farming, and died near Shawneetown, April 6, 1898. (Company C, Chapter 29, page 382)

COMMISSARY SERGEANT THOMAS J. AVERY was born in Lexington, Fayette county, Kentucky, in 1836, and enlisted from Bath, in Mason county, Illinois, as a private in Company D. He was appointed commissary sergeant at the organization of the regiment, served to the close of the war, and was mustered out with the regiment. (Chapter 26, pages 342-343)

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