The 81st ILL Inf was recruited from Perry, Jackson, Wmson, Union, Pulaski and Alexander Counties, and was mustered into the service at Anna, 26 Aug 1862, with the following field and staff officers, viz: Col James J Dollins of Benton; Lt Col Franklin Campbell of DuQuoin; and Maj Andrew W Rogers of Carbondale. Soon after its organization, the regiment joined Grant's army, at Humboldt, TN; where it arrived 01 Nov 1862, and then moved to Abbeyville, MS, and then to Memphis, where it arrived 19 Jan 1863. It then moved to Lake Providence, where it arrived 23 Feb 1863, and remained there until 17 Apr following. On the 21st a call for volunteers was made to run the Vicksburg and Grand Gulf batteries, with 7 common transports loaded with supplies for the army. From the 81st, Capt George W Sisney and Pvt George W Winfield of Co G; Edward Hoxsey of Co K, Uriah Butler, William T Green, Eli J Lewis and Frank Mayo, all of Co I were accepted. Capt Sisney was assigned the command of the transport "Horizon" and carried her through safely, but somewhat disabled. One boat, the "Tigress," was sunk before passing the Grand Gulf batteries. The regiment crossed the Mississippi at Bruinsburg, 01 May, and went thence to Port Gibson, and participated in that battle in the division commanded by Gen Logan; was in the battle of Raymond, 12 May, and helped to capture Jackson, MS, 14 May, and Champion Hill, 16 May, and was at Black River bridge on the 17th. It engaged in the siege of Vicksburg, and on the 22nd assaulted the enemy's works, losing 11 killed and 96 wounded, including Col JJ Dollins, killed. 16 Oct it was in the battle of Brownsville, MS, and then returned to Vicksburg, whence it departed 09 Mar 1864, to participate in the Red River campaign, in which it met with considerable loss, and arrived at the mouth of the Red River 21 May on its return to Vicksburg, where it arrived 24 May. It was in the battle of Guntown, MS 10 Jun 1864, where it lost 9 men killed, 18 wounded and 126 prisoners, out of a total of 371 men. Of the number captured 6 were line officers, who were placed under the fire of the Union batteries at Charleston, SC and the enlisted men confined in the Andersonville prison. In Aug 1864, the regiment moved to Duvall's Bluff, where it broke camp 17 Sep, and marched in pursuit of Gen Price on his last raid into Missouri. It arrived at Warrensburg, MO 25 Oct, and remained there until 08 Nov and then moved via St Louis to Nashville, TN under Gen AJ Smith.
It participated in the battle of Nashville 15 & 16 Dec 1864, and then went in pursuit of Hood's Army to Eastport, TN, thence to Corinth, MS; thence via New Orleans to Mobile; held the advance in the investment of Spanish Fort; opened the fire 27 Mar 1865, and continued under fire from that date intil the close of the siege on 08 Apr, when the works were captured by a charge, the 81st being the second regiment inside the enemy's works, capturing 83 prisoners and losing 6 men killed and 14 wounded. The regiment then moved to Montgomery, AL, where it remained until ordered home by way of Meridian and Vicksburg, and arrived in Chicago 05 Aug 1865, where it was mustered out of the service. The total enlisted men mustered into the regiment was 1144; 54 were killed or died of wounds; 287 died of disease; 274 resigned or were discharged and 529 were mustered out at Chicago. A splendid regiment with a noble record.
Company D of the 109th IL Inf, organized in Aug 1862, contained 6 men and Co H of the same regiment, 2 men from Wmson Co. Co C 110th IL Inf, was organized at Marion in Aug 1862 and contained 64 men of this county. The first commissioned officers were Capt Francis M Norman, who resigned 26 Nov 1862; 1st Lt Richard T McHaney, who resigned 19 Dec 1862 and 2nd Lt James L Parks, who was promoted 1st Lt 19 Dec 1862, and Capt 26 Nov 1863, and died afterward. George M BUrnett of Marion, became 2nd Lt 30 Mar 1863. For regimental sketch see Franklin Co. Co G 120th IL Inf, was raised in Pope, Johnson and Wmson Counties, in Aug 1862, and contained 29 men from this county. The only commissioned officer from this county was 2nd Lt William J Hal, who was promoted from Sgt 22 Jun 1862 and dismissed from the service 20 Dec 1864