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

Biographies - R

     WAGONER WALTER RANDALL, aged thirty-nine, born in Lexington, Ky., married and was an engineer when he enlisted from Petersburg, Ill.; was appointed wagoner. Served until the close of the war, and was mustered out with the regiment. (Company E, Chapter 31, page 413)

     THOMAS J. RATCLIFF enlisted at the age of twenty-two, served through the Kentucky campaign, and was discharged for disability October 18, 1863. He died at Lincoln, Ill., before the close of the war. (Company B, Chapter 28, pages 372-373)

     CORPORAL ALEX C. RATLIFF, aged twenty-three, enlisted from Fulton county as a private, was promoted corporal and served with the company to the close of the war, and was mustered out with the regiment. He returned to Fulton county and died in about 1880. (Company B, Chapter 28, page 365)

     CHARLES W. REAGAN was born in Vigo county, Indiana, in 1814, and enlisted as a farmer from Manito, Ill. He served with his company until killed at the battle of Peach Tree creek, Georgia, July 19, 1864. His remains are buried in No. 1909 in the hallowed ground of the national cemetery at Marietta, Ga. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 357)

    HIRAM D. REAGAN was born in Nelson county, Kentucky, in 1819, was married and a wagonmaker when he enlisted from Manito, Ill. He served to the close of the war, and was honorably discharged from the hospital at Quincy, Ill., June 22, 1865. He resides at Mason City, Ill. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 357)

     FRANKLIN RICHARDSON enlisted from Fulton county at the age of thirty-five, and served to the close of the war, but was absent (sick) at the muster out of the regiment. He was honorably discharged August 30, 1865, and returned to Fulton county, where he died soon after the close of the war. (Company B, Chapter 28, page 373)

     SERGEANT ANDREW RICHEY was born in Donegal, Ireland, in 1824; emigrated to Illinois, and was a harness maker when he enlisted from Mason City. He was chosen sergeant at the organization of the company, served through the Kentucky and Murfreesboro campaigns, and was discharged for disability August 18, 1863. He returned to his family at Mason City, Ill., where he died soon after. (Company C, Chapter 29, page 377)

     MAJOR ROBERT G. RIDER was born in Ravenna, Portage county, Ohio, March 14, 1831, attended Jefferson college at Cannonsburg, and studied medicine at Washington college, Washington, Pa. He removed to Illinois in 1855 and the following winter attended a course of lectures at a medical college, Dubuque, Iowa. He began the practice of his profession at Mobile, Ala., but returned to Illinois some three years later, and at the beginning of the War of the Rebellion was practicing medicine at Havana, in Mason county.
     He enrolled Company K and was elected captain of that company at its organization, commanded the company at the battle of Perryville, through the Kentucky and Murfreesboro campaigns, and was promoted to be major of the regiment April 6, 1863. He was appointed provost marshal when the brigade was assigned to garrison duty at Murfreesboro, Tenn., but returned to duty with the regiment when the brigade was ordered to Nashville to prepare for an active campaign at the front. When in the assault on Kennesaw mountain Colonel Dilworth was called to command the brigade, the command of the Eighty-fifth devolved upon Major Rider. He retained command of the regiment until disabled by a gun shot wound in the head at the assault upon the enemy's lines at Jonesboro, Ga. Recovering, at least partially, from his wound he resumed command of the regiment, which he led in the march to the sea. He resigned at Savannah, Ga., December 19, 1864.
     Returning to Havana he resumed the practice of medicine, which he continued until 1880, when he removed to Mount Ayr, Iowa. In 1884 he retired from the active practice of his profession, but resided in Mount Ayr to the time of his death, which occurred on November 14, 1899. (Chapter 26, pages 336-337)

     CAPTAIN THOMAS R. ROBERTS was born in Howard County, Missouri, in 1820, and had been a soldier in the war with Mexico. He enlisted from Tazewell county, and was elected first lieutenant at the organization of the company. He was promoted captain January 11,1863, and served with the regiment until April 15, 1864, when he resigned and returned home. He resumed farming, but has been dead for a number of years, the date of his death being unknown to the writer. His widow, Mrs. Lucy Roberts, resides at Manito, Ill. (Company A, Chapter 27, pages 344-345)

     FIRST LIEUTENANT JOHN M. ROBERTSON was born in Woodland, Fulton county, Illinois, in 1839, was married, and enlisted from his native township. He was elected second lieutenant at the organization of the company, and promoted to be first lieutenant November 12, 1862. He participated in all the campaigns and battles in which the regiment was engaged, until severely wounded by a gunshot through the thigh, in the assault on Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, June 27, 1864. This ended his service with the company, as upon recovery he was assigned to duty in the commissary department, where he remained until the close of the war. He was mustered out June 5, 1865, and returned to his former home in Illinois. His health began to fail a few years later, and he made a trip over the old battlefields, going as far south as Florida, in 1880. But his search for health availed not, and he died near Astoria, Ill., February 20, 1881. (Company G, Chapter 33, pages 434-435)

     CORPORAL JOSEPH F. RODGERS was born in Scott county, Illinois, in 1841, and was a farmer when he enlisted as a private from Spring Lake. He was chosen corporal at the organization of the company, was present at the battle of Perryville, but his health failed, and he died in the hospital at Bowling Green, Ky., November 13, 1862. (Company A, Chapter 27, page 347)
 

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