One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Infantry.-Cols., John Van
Arman, Hamilton N. Eldridge; Lieut.-Cols., Hamilton N.
Eldridge, Frank S. Curtiss; Majs., Frank S. Curtiss, Thomas W.
Chandler, Frank C. Gillette. This regiment was raised under
the call of President Lincoln for 500,000 volunteers in the
summer of 1862. Co. A was recruited in Kendall county, B, in
and around Chicago, C, at Elgin, D, in Grundy county, E, at
St. Charles, F, at Plano; G, in Chicago; H, about Lyons; I, at
Elgin, and K, at Aurora and Big Rock. The regiment was
mustered into the service at Camp Douglas Sept. 6, 1862. It
performed a considerable amount of guard duty in Camp Douglas,
where the Harper's Ferry prisoners were sent in the fall of
1862. The command drew a full complement of English Enfield
rifles in the beginning of November and on the 9th, of that
month departed over the Illinois Central railway for Cairo,
where it went on board the steamer Emerald, and landed at
Memphis, Tenn., on the 13th. It reached the Yazoo in
December, and was engaged in the operations on the Chickasaw
bluffs during which its losses were 1 man killed and 7
wounded. It was with the expedition which captured Arkansas
Post and was one of the first to plant its colors on the
enemy's works. Its losses in the assault were 2 killed, 20
wounded and 9 missing. It was in the bloody assaults upon the
Vicksburg lines in May, 1863. 0n the first day planting its
colors on the glacis of the Confederate works and maintaining
its position until nightfall, when the troops were withdrawn.
The losses of the regiment in the two engagements were about
15 killed and 60 wounded. It took part in the series of
battles around Resaca, Ga., in the spring of 1864, notably the
one on the evening of May 14, when the brigade to which it was
attached carried the fortified line along the slope of
Conasine creek by a desperate assault with the bayonet, in
which the regiment bore a conspicuous part and captured a
number of prisoners. In the operations in front of Resaca the
regiment lost 1 man killed and 3 wounded. In the sharp
fighting among the Dallas hills it was almost constantly under
fire, showing conspicuous gallantry in the actions of May 27,
and 29. In the assault upon Kennesaw mountain the regiment
stood up grandly under the most terrible fire it had ever
encountered, and in the bloody engagement of July 22, east of
Atlanta, it was in the thickest of the fray. On Aug 3, it
took part in an attack on the Confederate skirmish line to the
west of Atlanta, in which it displayed its usual gallantry and
lost a number of men, and it was hotly engaged in the battle
of Jonesboro, its officers and men displaying the greatest
gallantry and inflicting severe loss upon the enemy. The
regiment accompanied Sherman's army on its grand march through
Georgia and the Carolinas, and at the battle of Bentonville it
was for 24 hours on the skirmish line but escaped without
loss. After the surrender of Johnston it marched to
Washington, took part in the grand review, and was specially
complimented for its fine discipline and military bearing. It
was finally mustered out on June 17, 1865, after an arduous
service of almost three years, the actual number of men
finally discharged being about 240, all that remained of the
900 with which the regiment left Camp Douglas in Nov., 1862.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 3
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Report of Col. Hamilton N. Eldridge, One hundred and twenty-seventh
Illinois
HDQRS. 127TH REGIMENT ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Chickasaw Bayou, Miss., May 28, 1863.
CAPT.: In accordance with instructions from you, I have the honor
to submit the following report of the operations of my regiment since
crossing the Big Black River on the 17th of the present month:
On the morning of May 18, my regiment was ordered to march on the main
road to Vicksburg, which was said to be about 16 miles distant.
About 3 o'clock in the afternoon, musketry, apparently from skirmishers,
was heard in the advance, and soon after I was ordered to halt and throw
out two companies of skirmishers, to connect with the line of skirmishers
of other regiments of the brigade. I immediately detached Companies H and
I, and, under the direction of Adjutant Keyes, they made the connection
as above ordered, and moved about 600 yards in advance of the main body,
at which point the timber was cut away, and the skirmishers were in plain
view of the enemy, his works some 300 yards ahead. Having a good position
to observe any advance of the enemy, my skirmishers were ordered to remain
in their position that night, acting as a picket.
On the 19th, about noon, orders were received for an advance, with the
intention of charging and 'carrying the enemy's works by storm. About
1 o'clock the skirmishers were called in, and at 2.30 the advance was
ordered in line of battle on the double-quick, my regiment following the
Eighty-third Indiana. In crossing the brow of the hill, just beyond the
point from which we started, we received a murderous fire from the enemy,
which killed and wounded many of my men. The unevenness of the ground,
added to the fact that it was thickly covered with brush and fallen trees,
soon broke our lines and scattered to a considerable extent the men. The
most of them, however, worked their way up close under the enemy's works,
where the regiment's colors were planted. We maintained our position,
under a galling fire, until after dark, when orders were received for us
to fall back, which I did without losing a man.
I had 14 officers and 202 enlisted men when I advanced--one company (D)
of 36 men, which had been out skirmishing, not having returned in time to
advance with us--and out of these 8 were killed and 30 wounded.
Among the killed I have to regret the loss of First Lieut. Hiram
McClintock. Of Company H, a brave and meritorious officer, who was
killed about 2.40 o'clock in the afternoon, and Sergeant [Jesse] Curran,
of Company E, a young man of great promise, and one of the most competent
non-commissioned officers in the regiment. First Sergeant [Henry] Newby,
of Company H, has since died of his wounds, another brave and excellent
officer. Capt. J. S. Riddle, of Company C; Capt. T. W. Chandler, acting
major; Lieut. Sewell, of Company G; First Sergeant [Harvey L.] Mason,
of Company B; First Sergeant [Ora B.] Douglass, Company I, and Color-Sergt.
F. S. Shemmerhorn are among the wounded.
On Friday, the 22d, another advance was ordered. Before falling in for the
advance, volunteers to the number of 11 were called for from my regiment,
to form a part of the storming party which was to precede the main body
and be the first to scale the works of the enemy. It would have been an
easy matter to have raised quadruple the number called for, so anxious
were the men to distinguish themselves and be of service to their country
The names of these brave volunteers I have already forwarded to you in
another report, and I would most earnestly suggest, what I have no doubt
will be done, that suitable notice be taken of their gallant action.
At 2.30 a.m. The order came for us to advance; this time by the right
flank, we following the Fifty-seventh Ohio. We advanced this time to the
left of the Vicksburg road, and then around through a sheltered ravine to
a hill to the left and close to the enemy's works, where we lay until the
morning of the 23d, when we were ordered to Chickasaw Bayou, to guard the
commissary stores and furnish details for unloading boats. My loss in the
engagement on the 22d was slight--3 men killed and 8 wounded.
In both engagements officers and men, with very few exceptions, behaved
with great coolness and courage, and, I think, fully sustained their
reputation as Illinois volunteers. Where all did so well, it is impossible
to discriminate.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant,
H. N. ELDRIDGE,
Col., Commanding.
Capt. G. MOODIE WHITE,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen., Second Brigade.
Source: Official Records
CHAP. XXXVI.] THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG, MISS. PAGE 274-37
[Series I. Vol. 24. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 37.]
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Report of Capt. Charles Schryver, One hundred and twenty-seventh Illinois
Infantry.
HDQRS. 127TH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Near Jonesborough, Ga., September 6, 1864.
SIR: Pursuant to Special Field Orders, No. 117, headquarters Department
and Army of the Tennessee, September 4, 1864, I have the
honor to forward the following report of the operations of the One
hundred and twenty-seventh Regt. Illinois Volunteer Infantry
since leaving Chattanooga, Tenn., May 3, 1864, up to the present
time:
With 212 men, under Lieut. Col. F. S. Curtiss, the regiment
marched to Resaca, Ga., via Snake Creek Gap, participating in the
assault and fight of May 14, losing 1 killed, 4 wounded, and 1 missing.
From hole we proceeded to Dallas, Ga., crossing the Oostenaula
River one mile and a half from Calhoun Ferry. Were engaged in
the fight of the 28th of May at Dallas, and suffered a loss of 1 killed
and 3 wounded. The regiment next took route for New Hope
Church, from there to Big Shanty, and the line in front of Kenesaw
Mountain. Were in the assault of June 27 against the rebel works,
under the command of Capt. A. C. Little, Lieut.-Col. Curtiss
being sick and other senior officers absent.
On the 6th of July Capt. F. A. Raymond, Company I, was dishonorably
discharged the service of the United States for "leaving
his command without authority whole advancing on the enemy June
19, 1864, going to the rear and remaining until sent for, and again
on the 27th of June, during the assault on the enemy's works." July
11, 1864, the resignation of Maj. T. W. Chandler was accepted by
Special Field Orders, No. 154, headquarters Department and Army
of the Tennessee. In the various flank movements following the
One hundred and twenty-seventh shared the fortunes of the brigade,
finally crossing the Chattahoochee River at Roswell July 14. Marching
thence in a southeasterly direction to the Atlanta and Augusta
Railroad, striking it near Stone Mountain, we assisted in its destruction.
On the 26th of July, in the advance upon Atlanta, the loss
was 3 wounded, and in the battle of the 22d the regiment had 2
killed and 8 wounded, with 6 missing. Included in this list was
Color-Sergt. Alexander Dennis, mortally, and Lieut. E. Percival,
severely, wounded. In the engagement of the 28th of July the One
hundred and twenty-seventh was detached from the brigade and
placed upon the extreme right of the division. Here we lost 4 killed,
8 wounded, and 4 missing.
August 3, in a charge upon the rebel skirmish line, made by order
of Gen. Lightburn, our loss was 1 killed and 5 wounded. On
the 6th of August, by General Orders, No. 8, issued from department
headquarters, Lieut. Col. F. S. Curtiss was dismissed the service
of the United States for disobedience of orders and misbehavior
before the enemy August 3, 1864.* Command then devolved
upon Capt. Charles Schryver, Company F. While in the works to
the west of Atlanta, on the Baker's Ferry road, there were 2 men
wounded, and on the night of the 26th of August, while leaving
them, Sergt. Maj. W. W. Lawton was killed by shell. On the 28th
instant reached the Montgomery and West Point Railroad, and aided
in the work of its destruction. On the morning of the 36th started
out in a southeasterly direction, and at night took station in the line
near Jonesborough. In the fight of the next day the one hundred
twenty-seventh lost 1 killed, 7 wounded, and 1 missing.
__________
* By direction of the President, on the recommendation of the
Judge-Advocate-Gen., the dismissal of Lieut.-Col. Curtiss was (October 4, 1864)
revoked, and he was restored to his command with a view to his trial by
court-martial. A board of officers having subsequently reported that there were
no grounds for charges against this officer, he was restored to duty. (Vide
Special Orders, No. 36, headquarters Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps,
April 1,1565.)
In the skirmishing of September 1 we again suffered a loss of 2
killed and 3 wounded. On the 2d of September joined in the pursuit
of the enemy to near Lovejoy's Station, returning to the works
previously occupied near Jonesborough on the night of the 5th instant,
which position we now occupy.
The total loss of the regiment up to date since May 3, 1864, has
been: Officers-wounded, 4. Enlisted men-killed, 14; wounded,
49; missing, 12. Aggregate, 79. At this time there are for duty,
present with the regiment, 10 officers and 81 enlisted men.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
CHARLES SCHRYVER,
Capt., Comdg. 127th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
Capt. J. T. McAULEY,
A. A. A. G., 1st Brig., 2d Div., 15th Army Corps.
Source: Official Records
CHAP. L.] REPORTS, ETC.--ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE. PAGE 203-74
[Series I. Vol. 38. Part III, Reports. Serial No. 74.]
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