Jackson County, Illinois
History of 27th IL Inf
Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois 1861-1866, Vol. 2, pages 413-416
Donated by Sandy Vansickel
The Twenty-seventh Infantry
Illinois Volunteers was organized with only seven companies, at Camp Butler,
Illinois, August 10, 1860, with Napoleon B. Buford for Colonel, Fraziel R.
Harrington, Lieutenant Colonel, and ordered to go into camp at Jacksonville,
Ill, as part of Brigadier General John A. MeClernand's Brigade.
September 1, it was ordered to Cairo, where its organization was
completed by the addition of three more companies, and the appointment of Hall
Wilson as Major, and Henry A. Burt, Adjutant.
At the battle of Belmont, Mo., November 7, 1861, under General McClernand, it
received its first baptism of file, when it formed the right wing of the
attacking force. Under the inspiration of its brave Colonel it drove, in
the midst of a perfect hail of bullets and canister shot, the enemy from his
camp in utter rout, capturing two brass field pieces which it immediately manned
and turned upon the retreating enemy. It lost severely in the engagement
and was the last Regiment to leave the field after the enemy had been reinforced
from Columbus.
March 4, 1862, the Regiment formed part
of the forces sent to occupy Columbus, which point had been evacuated by the
Rebels.
March 14, in company with the Forty-second Illinois, Fifteenth Wisconsin, and
parts of the Second Illinois Light Artillery and Second Illinois Cavalry, it
formed the "Mississippi Flotilla" and started down the Mississippi
River, taking an active part in the siege of "Island No. Ten."
March 30, it left its moorings above the
Island and proceeded to Hickman, Ky., where it disembarked, and in company with
the Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantry, three companies of Second Illinois Cavalry,
and three pieces of Houghtaling's Battery, all under command of Colonel N. B.
Buford, made a forced march to near Union City, Tenn., where at daylight on the
morning of the 31st, it attacked a Rebel force that was being concentrated at
that point, capturing and burning the enemy's entire camp and garrison equipage.
Accomplishing all that the expedition was sent out for, it returned with a
few prisoners to Hickman, re-embarked on its transport boat and returned to its
position above Island No. 10 without any casualties.
April 8, the Regiment was the first to land on Island No. 10, where it took
charge of the captured forces, consiting of over 200 prisoners, including four
companies of Rebel Artillery, thirty siege guns and a large quantity of camp and
garrison equipage.
April 13, it moved down the Mississippi River, forming part of the squadron for
attacking Fort Pillow, anchoring at a point about 6 miles above the fort, where
it awaited developments.
April 16 it steamed up the river under an
order from General Halleck to join his forces at Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., where
it landed on the 22d, and was immediately formed with Twenty-second,
Forty-second and Fifty-first Illinois Regiments, into Second Brigade under
Brigadier General John M. Palmer, of General Paine's Division, then advancing on
Corinth, Miss. May 3, it advanced to near Farmington and skirmished
for several hours with the enemy with but few causalities. May 9, it
engaged the enemy in force at Farmington in a pitched battle, losing a good many
men.
May 17 it again encountered the enemy,
drove him from his position and occupied Farmington. May 30, advanced in
pursuit of the enemy beyond Corinth towards Booneville. The enemy having
"skedaddled" the Regiment went into camp near Corinth, where it
remained till the last of July, when it removed its camp to Iuka, Miss., where
it did service by foraging off the enemy and bringing into Union lines
confiscated cotton, returning from one expedition with 60 bales of fine cotton
besides large quantities of corn and other supplies. In August, 1862, the
Regiment was distributed along the line of the Memphis & Charleston
Railroad. September 5, it crossed the Tennessee river at Decatur, Alabama,
and rejoined the other Regiments of general Palmer's Brigade and made a rapid
march for Nashville, Tenn., arriving September 12, where it remained during
September, October, and November, while the city was cut off from communication
with the North. Engaged in foraging off the enemy and watching the
movements of Forrest's and Morgan's guerrilla Cavalry.
October 7, 1862, it took part in the
skirmish with the enemy at LaVerne, Tenn., where quite a Rebel force was routed,
part captured with a large supply train. The Regiment was highly
complimented by the commanding officer, General Palmer, for its efficiency
during the expedition. November 5, it took a prominent part in repulsing
General Forrest's attack upon Nashville.
Early in December, 1862, the
Twenty-seventh was assigned to General P. H. Sheridan's Division under Colonel
Roberts of the Forty-second Regiment as Brigade Commander, forming a part of the
right wing under General McCook, of
Rosecrans' "Army of the Cumberland."
On the morning of December 26, the great
army moved toward Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Twenty-seventh, deployed as
skirmishers, soon took the advance of the Brigade on the "Nolensville
Pike;" quickly discovering that enemy, it pushed forward in the midst of a
drenching rain so steadily that the enemy was soon in full retreat toward
Nolensville, from which place he was also quickly driven, falling back toward
Murfreesboro.
December 30, it marched in line of
battle, supporting the Twenty-second and Forty-second Illinois Regiments as
skirmishers, the enemy giving away slowly and very reluctantly. That night
(30th), the Regiment slept on its arms expecting a conflict in the morning.
It finished its breakfast-the last of its five days' rations-before
daylight of the morning of the 31st and stood to arms.
The two right companies, A and B,
relieved the pickets in our front the previous night. Soon heavy fighting
commenced away to the right of the Regiment, followed by the driving in of the
picket line in our front, and soon the whole Regiment was under fire.
The position of the Regiment was the left
Regiment of the Brigade, Division and right wing of the army.
Finding the right wing of the army giving
way and driven back under the galling fire of the enemy massed on its front,
Colonel Harrington, in command of the Regiment, changed front and formed line of
battle in the point of timber to its left, where, supported by Houghtaling's
Battery on the left and the Twenty-second Illinois Regiment in its rear, the
Colonel gave orders to lie low and not fire till he gave the order.
The enemy flushed with success advanced
rapidly, when the Twenty-seventh opened and gave him volley after volley which
sent him reeling back. Three times he rallied and advanced only to be
repulsed by the terrible fire which the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-second were
pouring into his ranks. Here the Regiment suffered terrible losses, being
in position where it drew the fire of two Rebel Batteries, besides the fire of
the advancing infantry columns. Every horse of Houghtaling's Battery was
killed, its Brigade Commander (Colonel Roberts) killed, its Colonel (Harrington)
taken from the field mortally wounded. Its ammunition nearly all fired
away, and being warned that the enemy was getting into its rear, tho Regiment
began to look to see who was in command. Finally Major William A. Schmitt,
who had been too intently interested in the successful repulse of the enemy to
fully realize that the command of the Regiment devolved upon him, said:
"Boys, we must get out of this! To the rear, march."
It was now near 12 o'clock as we commenced a line of retreat through the
thick cedars toward the center of the Union line of battle. Coming out on
the Murfreesboro and Nashville pike near General Rosecrans' headquarters, it was
at once ordered into line of battle to check the Rebel advance upon
headquarters. The Regiment clamoring for ammunition advanced to near the
brow of the hill, where the enemy was approaching in hot haste with overwhelming
numbers. Feeling unequal to the task it fell back to the pike. Again
orders came that the Regiment must advance and charge bayonets.
About-facing, the Regiment fixed bayonets and rushed upon the foe with a
most unearthly yell, driving him back, capturing a large number of prisoners and
saving the day to the Union forces, as acknowledged by General Rosecrans in a
general order issued immediately after the battle.
Emboldened by success, it pursued the
enemy for a full half mile until ordered to fall back. Tremblingly, but
not disheartened, did it await the going down of the sun on that day of fearful
carnage.
At daylight Jan. 1, 1863, the Regiment
stood to arms awaiting an attack. None came till about one o'clock P.M.,
when a Brigade of the enemy drove in the pickets and approached where the
Regiment had thrown up breastworks. Withholding its fire till the enemy
was within short range, it opened a most murderous file, compelling the enemy to
retreat double-quick, leaving his dead and wounded, besides one or two hundred
prisoners. This was the last of the hard fighting by the Regiment at the
battle of "Stone River."
It soon went into camp beyond
Murfreesboro, where it performed picket duty with an occasional skirmish with
the enemy until June 24, 1863, when it moved with the army-being a part of the
Twentieth Army Corps-against Shelbyville, Tullahoma and Stevenson; thence to
Bridgeport, Alabama, where it was stationed for some time.
It crossed the Tennessee River with its
Corps at Bridgeport, on September 2, 1863, and moved toward Rome, Ga. This
movement was kept up till the 17th inst., when it commenced a forced march over
the almost impassable hills of that region, to rejoin the main body of Rosecrans'
forces at Chickamauga. September 19, after partaking of an early
breakfast, it was moved at a double-quick step from early dawn till late in the
evening, making but one halt for a hasty dinner. Soon after four o'clock
it was suddenly hurled into action-left in front-where it had a desperate
encounter with some of the rebel forces under General Longstreet.
Advancing under a murderous fire, it retook two pieces of the Eleventh
Indiana Battery of General Woods, which had just been captured from our forces,
and held the ground gained notwithstanding the enemy made several attempts to
retake it, losing heavily in the short engagement. It held the position
until near daylight the following morning, when it was ordered to the rear for
breakfast and a little needed rest. By eleven o'clock on the morning of
the 20th it was again called into line of battle and went immediately into
action, but was unable to check the advance of the enemy, who was moving forward
with a line six or eight columns deep. After suffering great loss from the
enemy's fire, the line was broken and the Regiment moved to the rear in good
order, where it served as train guard during the remaining days of the battle,
until ordered into camp at Chattanooga.
Was in Chattanooga during its investment,
and was engaged in storming Mission Ridge, as a part of Harker's Brigade,
Sheridan's Division, and Thomas' Corps, where it was particularly noticed for
its good conduct.
From Mission Ridge it went upon a forced
march to the relief of Burnside at Knoxville, Tenn., then closely pressed by
Longstreet's Corps. The march, 115 miles, was a severe one, many of the
command being without shoes before it ended. The Regiment was obliged to
live on what could be picked up by foraging off the enemy.
Reaching Knoxville the enemy had been
repulsed by Burnside and was retreating. It returned to Louden, Tenn., on
January 25, 1864, remaining until April 18, when it was ordered to Cleveland,
Tenn. From thence it moved with the Army of the Cumberland on the Atlanta
campaign, during which there was scarcely a day the Twenty-seventh or some part
of it was not under fire more or less severe. It occupied the summit in
the engagement at Rocky-faced Ridge, where, during the nights spent upon it with
no shelter, the command had to las itself with withes to the saplings growing
among the rocks for fear of rolling down the ridge. Engaged with the enemy
there May 9; at Resaca, May14; near Calhoun, May 16; Adairsville, May 17;
new Dallas, May 26 to June 4; Pine Top Mountains, where Confederate
General Bishop Polk was killed, June 10 to 14. On June 18 the Regiment was
in a desperate fight from noon till night, at what the soldiers called the
battle of Muddy Creek, because of the muddy creek which ran between them and the
enemy's works, caused by the heavy rains. In the assault on Kenesaw
Mountain, June 27, the Twenty-seventh, Twenty-second, Fifty-first and
Forty-second Illinois formed General Harker's Brigade which made the centre
assault, during which General Harker received his death wound. The
Regiment went into the assault with seventeen officers, coming out with only
seven, and the loss of men was in about the same proportion. Color
Sergeant Delaney, a brave soldier of Company K, from Jacksonville, Ill., planted
the colors of the Twenty-seventh on the rebel earthworks, had a bayonet run
through his breast, and fell backward, while the Regimental colors fell inside
the works. Delaney died next day, mourning the loss of his colors.
Skirmished around the vicinity of the Chattahoochie River. July 20,
was in the battle of Peach Tree Creek, and took part in the investment and
skirmishes about Atlanta.
The Regiment was relieved from duty at
the front August 25, 1864, and ordered to Springfield, Ill., for muster out.
Was detained at Nashville several days on account of apprehension of an
attack by Wheeler. Was then conveyed by steamer down the Cumberland River
and up the Mississippi to Alton, Ill., thence by rail to Camp Butler, near
Springfield, where it was mustered out September 20, 1864, after three years and
three months constant service at the front.
During its term of service the Regiment
had the following casualties: Killed or died of wounds, 102; died of
disease, 80; number of wounded, 328; discharged for disability and
resignation, 209; transferred, 39.
Its veterans and recruits were
consolidated with the Ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry.