A Shelby County Company in the Civil War
This 170-page thesis was written in 1963 by Richard R. Ellinger.
Your help transcribing additional excerpts for this website would be
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Shelby County - Home of Company B page 1
The Mustering In of Company B of the Fourteenth page 9
Camp Scenes and Duty in Missouri page 19
The Battle of Shiloh page 28
The Hatchie River Engagement page 44
The Return Home and Conclusion page 52
Appendix A (Quotas per County) page 56
Appendix B (Bounty Paying) page 59
Appendix C (Company B - Mustering In) page 61
Appendix D (Company B - Later Enlistments) page 64
Appendix E (Occupations of Company B) page 65
Appendix F (Colonel Hall’s Report on Shiloh) page 66
Appendix G (Return of Casualties and Discharges) page 70
Appendix H (Mustering Out Roll page 72
Bibliography page 76
SHELBY COUNTY - HOME OF COMPANY B [page 1]
After Illinois was carved out of the Northwest Territory, many counties
originated as the population increased. Several counties were created before
Illinois became a state in 1818. With the regular progress of settlement
from north to south, Fayette County was established in 1821. Shelby County
later originated to the north, being carved from the territory formerly
belonging to Fayette County. It was organized by an act of the State
Legislature on January 22, 1827.
The area of Shelby County, as defined by the act of the Legislature, is
as follows:
North thirty miles from the northwest corner of Section 19, Town 9
North, Range 1, East of the Third Principal Meridian, to the northwest
corner of Section 19, Town 14 North, Range 1 East; thence east thirty-six
miles to the northeast corner of Section 24, Town 14 North, 6 East; thence
south thirty miles to the southeast corner of Section 13, Town 9 North, 6
East; thence west thirty-six miles to the place of beginning.
The area covered was thirty congressional townships, five townships from
north to south by six townships east to west. This was a total of one
thousand eighty square miles.
In February of 1839 three and one-half townships were taken away from
the northern end of the western tier of townships in Shelby County to form a
part of the new county of Dane, later called Christian County. In 1843
another piece of land almost six survey townships, were taken from the
north-eastern part of this county to form a part of Moultrie County. This
reduced Shelby County to twenty-one and one-tenth governmental townships or
a total of seven hundred seventy square miles.
The county is situated just a little south of the center of the state.
It is made up of twenty-two townships. They are:
Ash Grove, Big Spring, Cold Spring, Dry Point, Flat Branch, Herrick,
Holland, Moweaqua, Oconee, Penn, Pickaway, Prairie, Richland,
Ridge, Rose, Rural, Sigel, Todd's Point, Tower Hill, Windsor
Shelby County has been highly agricultural as the geography has
dictated. Most of the county is a fairly smooth plain, with the exception of
a few places such as the hilly areas along the Kaskaskia and Little Wabash
Rivers. The county is drained by the Little Wabash and Kaskaskia Rivers,
plus several small and wandering creeks such as Mud Creek in Flat Branch and
Moweaqua Townships, or Possum Creek -which drains Oconee Township.
Shelby County was named after Isaac Shelby -who served in the American
Revolution and was noted for his ability in fighting Indians north of the
Ohio River. He served as a captain of a Virginian military company during
the American Revolution. In 1779 he was elected to the House of Delegates of
Virginia. In 1792 he "was chosen Governor of Kentucky and served a second
term from 1812 to 1816. In 1813 Shelby joined General Harrison at the head
of a group of Kentuckians, and served in the Battle of the Thames. He so
gallantly displayed bravery that Congress awarded him a medal. The people of
Shelby County thought that Shelby would be a fitting name to place upon
their new county. Shelbyville was selected as the county seat of Shelby
County in April 1827, heaping additional honors upon the former Governor of
Kentucky, Isaac Shelby.
Shelby County was a very prosperous county and grew rapidly. From the time
Shelby County was formed in 1827 until 1861 it had grown to have a
population of 14,590.
By 1880 the county had grown to 30,270, in 1890 it had a population of
31,191, and by the turn of the century it was over 32,000. Many factors
contributed to this fast rise in population. It was a rich fertile prairie
and watered by the Little Wabash and Kaskaskia Rivers. It later was
penetrated by four railway lines.
The first settlers to appear in Shelby County came from Kentucky, Tennessee,
and North Carolina. In later years they "were to come in from northern
states. The first permanent settlement in this area was made "by the
Wakefield family. Charles Wakefield, Sr., wife, and family settled in what
is new Cold Spring Township, in March 1818. This was the same year that
Illinois became a state. Charles Wakefield was a true frontiersman. He could
communicate with the Indians in this area and got along with them quite
well. The Indians located in this area were a remnant of the Kickapoo tribe.
After the Black Hawk War most of them had left the area, and only returned
occasionally for a period of hunting.
The dress of the men of the Wakefield family and their neighbors was the cap
made from squirrel or coon skin, with the tail dangling at the back together
with fringed buckskin shirts and trousers and usually moccasins.
The early means of making a living came from hunting and fishing, thus the
rifle was an important item. The people would also plant some small patches
of corn, in the spring of the year, which would help supplement their food
supply. During this period of history it was nothing to go out and in one
hour, kill a dozen squirrels for food.
The people who settled in Shelby County had their own means of punishment
for wrongdoers. They had public whipping posts, to which prisoners would be
fastened while the sentence of the court was being carried out. This was
done in the presence of onlookers.
Shelby County has a good record of being patriotic during crucial periods.
Men were mustered in to fight in the Black Hawk War and the Mexican War. In
the Black Hawk War, the Governor made a call on the militia of the State for
seven hundred men. This call was met immediately. The men rendezvoused at
Beardstown, on the Illinois River. They then joined General Gaines’ army and
helped end this Indian War. In the Mexican War the pioneers of Shelby County
mustered to the call just as in the Black Hawk War. Illinois furnished six
regiments. Shelby County furnished one company, Company B, under the command
of Captain James Freeman. This company made up part of the third regiment
under the command of Colonel Ferris Forman. They fought honorable for the
State of Illinois.
When President Lincoln asked for each state to submit troops to participate
in the Civil War, Shelby County responded very quickly and with a patriotic
feeling. From 1861 to 1865 the total requested quota for Shelby County was
2,231. A total of 2,070 men were mustered in. This was a deficit of one
hundred sixty-one men, only two percent of the total number asked for. There
were some sixty counties in the State of Illinois which failed to fulfill
their assigned quotas. Deficits ran anywhere from fire upward to three
thousand seventy-one. There were some twenty-eight counties who failed to
supply as great a percentage as did Shelby County, which supplied
ninety-eight percent of its quota.
Several counties in Illinois paid out money in bounties. Shelby County did
not participate in this practice, although the people did give it some
consideration. Most likely some of Shelby County's men did join elsewhere to
claim the bounty they could receive for enlisting. There were only
twenty-one other counties failing to pay bounties for enlistment.
The Fourteenth Regiment containing Company B from Shelby County participated
for the most part in the Western area of fighting. They traveled from Fort
Henry to Vicksburg and from there on to Atlanta, Georgia. In the latter part
of 1864 they joined Sherman in his march to the Sea exploits. In many
battles in the Western campaigns Shelby County men played an important and
heroic part, and many gave their lives for their gallant efforts. Many men
left their work to fight for a just cause, to save the Union from the Johnny
Rebs . . .
APPENDIX C (Company B - Mustering In) [Page 61]
Name * Rank * Age * Occupation * Town
Hall, Cyrus * Capt * 48 * Hotel Keeper * Shelbyville
Smith, Dudley C * 1st Lt * 27 * Merchant * Shelbyville
Harbough, Henry * 1st Lt * 25 * Carpenter * Shelbyville
Webster, Milton L * 2nd Lt * * *
Ewing, Henry A * 2nd Lt * 21 * Student *
Poteet, George A * Sergt * 24 * Plasterer * Shelbyville
Hinds, Jerome * Sergt * 23 * *
Harding, Fred P * Sergt * * *
Durker, James J * Sergt * 22 * Merchant * Shelbyville
Steinly, Frederick * Sergt * 39 * *
Lowe, George E * Sergt * 23 * Carpenter *
McPeden, Henry * Sergt * * Saddler * Shelbyville
Chittenden, Eli F * Cpl * 28 * Printer * Shelbyville
Slocum, Eleazer * Cpl * 22 * Clerk * Shelbyville
Sinclair, William M * Cpl * 23 * Butcher * Shelbyville
Huson, Samuel * Cpl * 23 * Lawyer * Shelbyville
Ridgeway, Richard H * Cpl * 32 * *
Collins, Hiram * Cpl * 26 * Blacksmith * Shelbyville
Keiffer, Cornelius W * Cpl * 22 * Student * Shelbyville
Richmond, Stephen W * Cpl * 26 * Sheperd * Renick
Bugh, John W * Mus'c * 28 * Chairmaker * Shelbyville
Conrad, John D M * Mus'c * 22 * Painter * Shelbyville
Stilgebouer, Solomon * Mus'c * * *
Altman, Joseph * Pvt * 23 * *
Anderson, Jesse * Pvt * 27 * Shoemaker * Windsor
Baker, Daniel B * Pvt * 18 * Farmer *
Baker, George W * Pvt * 21 * Farmer *
Bradley, William M * Pvt * 27 * Farmer *
Burrus, Cass * Pvt * 19 * Farmer *
Beck, John * Pvt * 19 * Farmer *
Bacon, Martin E * Pvt * 23 * Mechanic * Moweaqua
Bechtel, Frederick * Pvt * 24 * Mechanic * Moweaqua
Cowan, Henry S * Pvt * 18 * Laborer * Beardstown
Clark, James M * Pvt * 24 * Plasterer * Moweaqua
Conrad, Charles A * Pvt * * *
Day, Thomas * Pvt * * *
Dill, John * Pvt * * *
Davis, John S * Pvt * * *
Dugan, James * Pvt * * *
Frost, James A * Pvt * * *
Fegan, Richard * Pvt * * *
Graham, Morgan H * Pvt * * *
Grady, Patrick * Pvt * * *
Harshey, Samuel * Pvt * * *
Hartman, Henry * Pvt * * *
Holten, Frederick * Pvt * * *
Hopkins, William G * Pvt * * *
Hadley, Levi P * Pvt * * *
Hoppe, Julius * Pvt * * *
Kepcha, George S * Pvt * * *
Kripner, John * Pvt * * *
Keissler, John * Pvt * * *
Knight, Elsa P * Pvt * * *
Kelly, Miles C * Pvt * * *
Livingston, Alexander * Pvt * * *
Laughlin, William W * Pvt * * *
Lapitz, Isaac S * Pvt * * *
Lyons, Richard * Pvt * * *
Martin, Thaddeus K * Pvt * * *
Milligan, David G * Pvt * * *
Munger, Augustus W * Pvt * * *
Miller, Charles E * Pvt * * *
Milligan, Beverly W * Pvt * * *
Morgan, Allen H * Pvt * * *
Mars, Jonathon * Pvt * * *
Mars, Simon * Pvt * * *
Murphy, John * Pvt * * *
Neal, William H * Pvt * * *
Parker, Lewis H * Pvt * * *
Phepps, William G * Pvt * * *
Parker, Henry * Wagoner * * *
Prentice, William S * Pvt * * *
Quinlivan, John * Pvt * * *
Rhodenhamlen, Louis * Pvt * * *
Richardson, William S * Pvt * * *
Richardson, John * Pvt * * *
Robins, William W * Pvt * * *
Reid, Joseph * Pvt * * *
Rose, William S * Pvt * * *
Robnitt, Amos * Pvt * * *
Robinson, Elam H * Pvt * * *
Roberts, Henry * Pvt * * *
Shields, Jacob * Pvt * * *
Shaw, James H * Pvt * * *
Steen, Daniel R * Pvt * * *
Sahoen, Henry * Pvt * * *
Spicer, John * Pvt * * *
Sherlock, Andrew W * Pvt * * *
Underwood, Reuben * Pvt * * *
Underwood, John * Pvt * * *
Unger, Henry * Pvt * * *
Wanderpool, James C * Pvt * * *
Wright, John Q * Pvt * * *
Woodling, Max * Pvt * * *
Wright, William W * Pvt * * *
Weiman, Philip * Pvt * * *
Wright, George * Pvt * * *
Wilson, Arthur * Pvt * * *
Woodward, Charles S * Pvt * * *
Williams, John A * Pvt * * *
Woof, William * Pvt * * *
