CIVIL WAR SERVICE
Alexander County/Illinois Genealogy Trails
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Alexander Jordan, son of Solomon Jordan, enlisted with the Illinois 109th Infantry Company B, which later consolidated with the Illinois 11th Infantry Company G. Alexander was age 18, light hair, hazel eyes, 5'7"; Nativity-Alexander Co. IL. Joined for service and enrolled August 15, 1862, Alexander County, Illinois. Mustered into service September 11, 1862 at Jonesboro, Illinois. Mustered out July 14, 1865 in Baton Rouge, LA.
Moses Jordan, son of Solomon Jordan, enlisted with the Illinois 109th Infantry Company B, which later consolidated with the Illinois 11th Infantry Company G. Moses was age 27, light hair, hazel eyes, 5'9", Nativity-Rowan Co., NC. Moses joined for service and enrolled August 15, 1862 at Union County, Illinois. He Mustered into service September 11, 1862 at Jonesboro, IL and died April 8, 1864 at Hospital #2 in Vicksburg, Mississippi and is buried in the Vicksburg, MS Civil War Cemetery.
The One Hundred and Ninth Infantry was recruited chiefly of residents of Union County except Company K, which was from Pulaski County. The Regiment was mustered into the United States service September 11, 1862, at which time it was armed with a very inferior gun.
The Regiment remained in camp drilling until the 20th of October, when it was ordered to Cairo; thence it moved to Columbus, KY, where the companies were separated and assigned to guard duty for two or three weeks. The Regiment was moved to Bolivar, TN and reported to General Brayman. They remained there about two weeks drilling and performing guard duty. The next move was to Moscow, TN where they reported to General Quinby. They remained there one week. They moved thence in the direction of Holly Springs with Quinby's Division and at Lumpkin's Mill the Regiment was detached and left there on account of the bad condition of their guns, which were deemed unfit for use in battle. The Regiment was moved back to Holly Springs to guard railroad bridges between there and Waterford, a distance of about 10 miles.
On the first day of January 1863, the Regiment moved into Holly Springs and reported to General GRANT. Soon afterward it was moved to Memphis, where it remained until the last of March performing guard duty. It moved to Lake Providence, arriving there April 1. By this time the Regiment was greatly reduced in numbers and because of this it was consolidated with the Eleventh Infantry.
Levi Jordan enlisted in the Nineth Illinois Infantry, Company D on April 25, 1861 and was mustered out July 26, 1861. The Nineth Illinois Infantry Volunteers were mustered into the service in Springfield, Illinois on the 26th day of April 1861 for the term of three months. It was one of the six regiments organized under the first call of the President, at the commencement of the war of the rebellion. The regiment was ordered to Cairo, where it was stationed, doing garrison duty until the close of the term of service, July 26th, 1861, when it was mustered out. During that time the garrison at Cairo was composed of 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th Infantry. The brigade was commaned by General Prentiss. During the three months' service the work of the soldier was made up of fatigue duty, building barracks, clearing off parade grounds, building fort defenses and the redan earthwork where the Ohio River is wedded to the Mississippi, and which guarded the confluence of these rivers from the possible advance of rebel gunboats. The monotonous work of this period was broken only by one incident, a march into the swamps of Missouri, back of Commerce, after Jefferson Thompson. The marching column was composed of battalions from several regiments, including one from the Ninth.
Contributed by J. C. McNelly
Issac McEnelly, know as
"Mit," had black hair, dark eyes, dark complexion and
was six foot two inches and weighed 210 pounds. He enlisted in
the Civil War on July 14, 1862 and served approximately two years
at Fort Defiance in Cairo, IL. He left there with General Grant
and went to Corinth, Mississippi, where they were surrounded by
Confederate troops. It was said that they killed a mule, cooked
it over hot coals, shaved the hide and cooked it over hot coals
and ate it also.
During his time in the Civil War, he had been admitted to several
hospitals including at Cairo, Fort Butler, Illinois, Corinth,
Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. In July of 1862 while at
Cairo, he contracted typhoid fever which affected his back. In
December 1863 he contracted smallpox which affected his eyes,
making them cross. In January 1864 he received a rupture of the
left side from lifting wounded and dead men. Issac was honorably
discharged on May 30, 1865. He was a private in Company C, 128th
Regiment of Illinois Volunteers.
Daniel Miller joined the confederate army July 11, 1962 at Burnsville, North Carolina, enlisted by Capt. Peek. He was a private in Co. C G, 58th North Carolina Infantry. He was captured December 25, 1864 at Pulaski, Tennessee and confined at Rock Island Barracks, Rock Island, Illinois. He was discharged February 15, 1865. Daniel was the father of Lucinda Miller Thompson. He is buried in the Marion West Cemetery in the Delta area in an unmarked grave.
Contributed by Barbara Porterfield
John Wesley Porterfield - Enlisted Aug.8, 1862 and served for three years. He was a Pvt, Co.C.130 Reg't Illinois infantry. He served at Camp Butler. He became sick on the march from the Mississippi River to Port Gibson. He died Aug.1,1863 in Div.Hospital, Memphis, Tenn. John was born in Sangamon County, Illinois and lived in Clear Creek, Alexander County, Illinois. His wife was Nancy Phillips Porterfield. His burial place has not been located.
Contributed by Dean Williams, great-grandson.
Charles J. O. Roussel entered the Union Army as a Corporal with the 29th Missouri Infantry, Company G and ranked out as a Sergeant. He was born Jan 19, 1837 and died July 10, 1879 of complications from a wound he received near the end of the war. He is buried in Lindsey Cemetery near McClure.
Contributed by J. C. McNelly
George Thompson joined the army to serve in the civil war January 20, 1865 at the age of 19. He had blue eyes, light hair, fair complexion and was 5ft. 5 in. tall. He was a private in Company E, 60th Reg. Illinois Infantry Volunteers. While in the service he was absent March and April when he was sent to a hospital near Raleigh, NC. He contracted typhoid fever and was treated on a hospital ship, June 1865 while on a voyage from Morehead City to Portsmouth Grove. He said that he was out of his mind most of the time. He was then treated from typhoid while in the Portsmouth Grove Hospital. The disease left him paralyzed on his right side. He carried his right arm and dragged his right foot while walking.
Contributed by Frank Beasley
John T. Thompson joined for duty and enrolled on August 10, 1861 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri for a three year period, as a private, in Company A, 15th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry Volunteers. His Muster In Roll shows that he furnished a horse and saddle complete at the time of his enrollment. Company A, 15th Regiment of Illinois Volunteers shows thirty-seven recruits. The ages of these recruits ranged from 18 to 49, with most of them being in their early twenties. All of the recruits, except one-John Brown, age 20 from Tennessee, who was enrolled at Cairo, Illinois, by Captain Phillips, were enrolled at Cape Girardeau, Missouri by Lt. Col. Erwin. All the recruits were farmers except for two brick masons and one saddler. Eleven of the recruits were married. Five of the recruits were born in other countries-two in France, two from Germany and one from Europe. Thirty-three of the recruits were from Alexander County, Illinois, and the other four were from Missouri-three from Cape Girardeau County and one from New Madrid County. Nineteen of the thirty-seven died during the war while in Company A, 15th Calvary, Regiment of Illinois Volunteers; four while engaged in action; two at Savannah, Tennessee on March 23, 1862; one at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee on April 28, 1862; and one near Corinth, MS on August 26, 1863; two as a result of wounds received while engaged in action; one at Corinth, MS on January 30, 1863 and one at Corinth, MS on August 26, 1863; five from diseases; one at Cape Girardeau on September 2, 1861, one from measles at Cape Girardeau on September 10, 1861, one at Cairo on December 25, 1861, one at Corinth, MS on May 10, 1863 and one at the Union Hospital in Helena, AR on December 2, 1863. Ten recruits were transferred in 1864; five to Company F, four as privates and one as a sergeant; three to Company D, two as privates and one as a corporal; and one at Helena, AR on May 15, 1864. One was discharged by order of the Secretary of War on August 18, 1862 for "absent over 60 days." The remaining ten were Mustered Out of Service at Springfield, IL on August 25, 1864 by Lt. Harding. John T. Thompson's "Guide Line Number-15" shows: entered service as a private, was 28 years of age, was 5'7" tall, hair was black, eyes were dark, complexion was dark, he was single, occupation was a farmer, was from Thebes, Alexander County, IL, joined the service and enrolled on August 10, 1861, at Cape Girardeau, MO, by Lt. Col. Erwin for three years and was mustered out on August 25, 1864 in Springfield, IL, as a Corporal.
John T. Thompson re-enlisted in Company E, 60th Illinois Infantry Volunteers as a private on April 5, 1865. He was mustered out of the service again as a private on August 1, 1865.
Notes from researcher: John was a widower after his first wife Marriah (Heck) Thompson died in 1856 in Alexander County. Prior to enlisting in the Union Army, he acquired a Model 1854 Volcanic, 31 caliber, 8" barrel lever action repeating pistol, serial number 501. He bought this now historical lever action repeating pistol for a gold pocket watch and $20.00 in gold coin. The Volcanic Model 1854 lever action repeating pistorl was the first U. S. firearm to use self-contained cartridges and was the forerunner to Oliver Winchester's Model 1866 repeating rifle. In 1958 in Tamms, Alexander County, Illinois John T. Thompson's pistol along with his cavalry epaulets were purchased for $300 by Franklin D. Beasley from William Logan Thompson, John T.'s son, who was born on June 12, 1877. John T. reportably shot three Confederate cavalrymen; two in the back in mounted pursuit, using this pistol. As of April 2006 this Volcanic Model 1854 repeating pistol is valued at around $15,000.
©2006-2008 Anna
Newell, Illinois Genealogy Trails
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