SUMMARY
The Colonel of this
regiment was Eugene Carr of the regular army. A portion of company H
from Schuyler county and one whole company (G) from Brown county,
composed part of it. The regiment was organized at Camp Butler, in
August 1861. Its first movement was to St. Louis, Sept. 25th, and
thence up the Missouri river to Jefferson City, and thence to Warsaw,
in the direction of Springfield, Mo. Under Gen. Hunter, it reached
Rolla, Nov. 19, where it remained till the 29th of Dec. 1861, when it
moved in advance of Gen. Curtis' army for the south-west. On the 13th
of Feb. 1862, near Springfield, the Third cavalry fought the first
engagement, and won the first victory of Gen. Curtis' campaign.
On the 14th of February, 1862, occupied
Springfield, Mo. On the 15th came up with Gen. Price's retreating army,
and took some prisoners. On the 18th, at Sugar creek, Ark., the Third
battalion participated in a cavalry charge, routing the enemy. Had
various skirmishes and short marches during the summer and fall in
Arkansas and west of the Mississippi river, when, on the 23d Dec. 1862,
it reported to Brig. Gen. Steel, at the mouth of the Yazoo river,
formed part of the force, and did good service in the disastrous attack
on Vicksburg, Miss., under Gen. Sherman. It was among the last to leave
the field and embark on boats, after the battle.
The Battalion of which the regiment
formed a part, under Col. McCrillis, of Springfield, Ill., took part in
the Western Louisiana campaign under Gen. Banks. In Dec. 1864, Major
O'Connor, of Pana, took command of the Battalion, and it moved to Port
Hudson, and from thence to Memphis, Tenn., rejoining the regiment,
which had been separated into three divisions. In the month of July, a
large portion of the regiment re-enlisted as veterans. The non
veterans, under Major O'Connor, were stationed as garrison at
Germantown, Tenn. On the 21st of August, the regiment participated in
the repulse of Gen. Forrest, in his attack on Memphis. On the 24th of
August, 1864, the non-veterans having been mustered out, the veterans
were consolidated into a Battalion of six companies.
The Battalion operated below and around
Nashville, and took part in the battles with Gen. Hood's army in Dec.
1864. In May, 1865, it embarked for St. Louis, Mo., thence to St. Paul,
Minnesota, reporting to Major Gen. Curtis. On the 4th of July, 1865, it
was ordered on an Indian expedition over the plains of Minnestora and
Dakota, north to the British lines, and then returned to Fort Snelling,
Oct. 1st, arriving at Springfield, Illinois, Oct. 13th, 1865, and was
mustered out of service. Such are some of the leading movements of the
Third Cavalry Regiment, in which these men largely participated.
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3rd Illinois Volunteer Cavalry
