85th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Regiment History
from Illinois Adjutant General's Report on Illinois Civil War Regimental and Unit Histories
Muster Roll
Summery:
The 85th Regiment, Illinois volunteers was organized at Peoria, in
Aug., 1862, by Col. Robert S. Moore, and was mustered into service
August. 27th, 1862. On the 6th of September, 1864, it was ordered to
Louisville, Ky., and assigned to the Thirty-sixth Brigade, Eleventh
Division, Third Army Corps, Col. D. McCook, commanding Brigade, Brig.
Gen. P. H. Sheridan commanding Division, and Maj. Gen. Gilbert,
commanding corps. October 1st, 1862, the regiment marched in pursuit of
the enemy under Gen. Bragg, and was engaged in the battle of Chaplin
Hills, at Perryville, Kentucky, Oct. 8th, and moved with the enemy to
Nashville, Tennessee, arriving Nov. 7th, 1862.
It was
mustered out June 5, 1865, at Washington, D. C., and arrived at Camp
Butler, Illinois, June 11th, 1865, where they received final payment
and discharge.
Full History:
The Eighty-fifth Regiment was organized at Peoria, about the first of
September, 1862, at a time when the Governor was in need of troops, as
the Union troops had been beaten back at Bull Run a short time before
and Bragg was threatening Louisville, Ky., General Nelson being driven
back to that point. The Eighty-fifth Regiment was one that was ordered
to that point immediately after its organization, hence the members
left their work, families and friends, and were hurried immediately to
the forefront of the battle, for before they knew what dress parade was
they opened the battle of Perryville by making a bayonet charge at 3
o'clock in the morning of that bloody day. After the battle the
Regiment followed up Bragg's retreat to, and beyond Nashville, Tenn.,
to Mill Creek, where the Regiment was attached to General Sheridan's
Division. When the army advanced on Bragg at Murfreesboro the
Eighty-fifth was placed on post duty at Nashville and remained there
doing train, police and post duty, and was called on to guard a train
to the army during the battle of Stone River, which they succeeded in
doing in time to take a hand in the fight for one day there. During the
remainder of the time that the Regiment staid at Nashville but little
occurred to or with it worthy of historical notice; but from the time
the Regiment was relieved at Nashville, it was always found in the
active part of the Army of the Cumberland until the close of the war,
being one of the last regiments to leave the field at Chickamauga, and
in the lead in crossing the Tennessee in pontoons, when the stars and
bars were lowered from Missionary Ridge; and from there, with 100
rounds of cartridges in haversacks instead of bread, they were with the
command that hastened to the relief of besieged troops at Knoxville,
Tenn., returning to their camp at North Chickamauga, to remain until
New Year's, 1864, when the Regiment moved to McAfee's Church, on the
battlefield of Chickamauga.
During the winter of 1863 and 1864, the Regiment was stationed at or on
the battlefield; they were in the detail that made the reconnoissance
against Dalton, Ga., at Rocky Faced Ridge, where we met with
considerable loss in killed and wounded. After accomplishing the work
assigned there, moved back and awaited the opening of spring and with
it the campaign against Atlanta, where the Regiment every day for four
months was in hearing of the rattle of musketry and the boom of cannon.
It took active part in the battles of Resaca Rome, Dallas, Kenesaw,
Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta and Jonesboro, (the last fight of the Atlanta
campaign), when the Regiment was detailed to escort 1,600 prisoners
back to Atlanta.
The Regiment is deserving of especial mention at Rome, where they swam
the Etowah river, floated their accoutrements over on rafts of rails,
formed a skirmish line, drove the enemy from and run the stars and
stripes on the court house before all the enemy had crossed the other
river and burned the bridge. Also at Kenesaw and Peach Tree Creek,
where the Regiment lost half of its available force.
After returning with the above mentioned prisoners, but a few days
elapsed until the Second Division of Fourteenth Army Corps, (commonly
called by the boys Jeff. C. Davis cavalry,) was detailed to clear
Forrest from the line of communication back in Tennessee and marched
after said command until it crossed the river at Florence on Mussel
Shoals, at which place there was a skirmish in which the Eighty-fifth
was again in front and met with slight loss. Then marching I don't know
how many hundreds of miles, and wading rivers cold as ice, the command
of which the Eighty-fifth was a component part, reached Kingston, Ga.,
just in time to tear up the railroad to Atlanta, and start on the left
wing of the march to the sea.
Was at Milledgeville at the session of the mock Legislature. Marched to
Savannah and took part in the capture of that city of revolutionary
notoriety, where the noble Pulaski fell.
Then, still occupying the left of Sherman's Army, started on the
Carolina Campaigns, wading swamps covered with ice, where the tears
were made to flow from the bravest of men by the severity of the cold
water.
The Eighty-fifth Regiment was a part of the Fourteenth Army Corps from
its organization until the close of the war, and performed its full
share of duties, marches and battles of that Corps, wbich duties
history will show no Corps in the service excelled and few equalled.
Was present at the battle of Bentonville, the capture of Goldsboro and
Raleigh and was doing picket duty when Sherman met the Confederate
delegates to arrange the conditions of surrender of Johnston's Army,
which act, when finally concluded, was followed by one of the grandest
and most trying marches that any army ever made, from Raleigh to
Richmond. The Eighty-fifth with the Fourteenth Army Corps, being on
outside, made a march of something more than 35 miles per day for seven
successive days, from there to Washington, and took part in the grand
review at that place, rested a few days and was mustered out on the 5th
day of June. A. D. 1865. Was sent to Springfield, Ill., and was paid
off and sent back to friends and home on the 20th day of the same month.
