Company K, Twentieth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry Part 8

RALPH PRATT.

May, 1861-November 27, 1861. Discharged for disability. Became a pensioner. Is now dead. Date of death not ascertained.

REMARKS.

The names of those who served thirty days with Company K in the State service but who declined to join the Company for three years in the United States service do not appear in this roster; neither do the names of drafted men and subst.i.tutes who were a.s.signed to the Company during the last few months of the war.

The dates after a name indicate the time when the soldier first volunteered and the time when he was mustered out or discharged. Those who did not enlist for a second term of three years were nearly all mustered out July 14, 1864. Those who re-enlisted were mustered out July 16, 1865, on account of the close of the war. Those discharged at other dates were discharged for disability resulting from wounds or sickness.

The names of 108 Company K men are herein given; 56 are living, 52 are dead. 4 are missing; of these four I have not been able to obtain any information whatever. I know not whether they are living or dead.

Of the 56 men living, 41 receive pensions; 7 receive no pension. In regard to the others, it is not ascertained whether they are pensioners or not.

32 receive pensions for disabilities incurred in the army; 9 for disabilities not incurred in the army.

Of the 56 men here reported as living, 23 at least were wounded in battle; 13 draw pension for wounds.

Eight Company K men were buried at Raymond--Shoger, Barrows, Waters and Mitch.e.l.l were buried in the same grave with others of the Regiment on the battlefield, near the rail fence. Adams was buried near the field hospital. Taylor, Reed and Woodruff were buried in the graveyard near the town. Crellen and Wann were buried on the battlefield of s.h.i.+loh. None of these graves are now marked or known.

For courtesy, and for information furnished to a.s.sist me in tracing lost members of Company K, I am under special obligations to the Hon. WILLIAM LOCHREN, Commissioner of Pensions, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C. I also acknowledge my indebtedness to many postmasters, to newspaper editors, to pension agents and others.

If any Company K man dies or changes his place of residence I desire to be informed of the fact. In this way we will know where every man of the Company is located. Remember, please.

A more lengthy sketch is given of some Comrades than of others. The reason is I have had more information in regard to some than in regard to others.

In many cases what is said about each one of the living is his own letter to me re-cast and abridged. I have not intentionally slighted or misrepresented any. I may have made errors. If so, I hope they are few and not of a grievous nature.

A BIT OF HISTORY.

When the news of the President's first call for volunteers reached Newark the people were wild with excitement. "That night," writes Dr. Dyer, "I could not sleep. The next morning I was out very early. I went into Fowler's drug store and there with pen and ink drew up a company muster-roll and signed it, and united with others in calling a war meeting for that evening. I was called to make a long ride in the country and upon my return found five names on the muster-roll in addition to my own. I wish I had that paper now." This was the beginning of our Company.

Volunteers continued to come forward and in a few days the requisite number had signed the roll. April 24, 1861, is on record as the date of our Company organization. We were not accepted under the President's call and were sorely disappointed. However, most of the boys continued to meet in Newark and were drilled by Lieutenants Watson and McKean. On May 11, 1861, our Company left Newark for Joliet and went into camp. The 20th Illinois Regiment was there organized and the Kendall county boys became Company K of that organization. After that the history of the Company became part of the history of the Regiment. June 13, 1861, we were mustered into the United States service for three years, if not sooner discharged. About the 17th of June we took the cars for the South. Stopped three weeks at Alton, Illinois, and drilled constantly. Early in July we went into camp for a short time in the United States a.r.s.enal at St.

Louis, Missouri, and were here armed with Enfield rifles and received new blue uniforms. We now had a very extravagant opinion of ourselves, of our fighting qualities in particular, and did not take the least pains to conceal that opinion from others. This is what a St. Louis paper said of us:

ARRIVAL OF COLONEL MARSH'S REGIMENT FROM ALTON.

At 11 o'clock a. m., of Sat.u.r.day, the steamer, "City of Alton," from Alton, landed at the a.r.s.enal the Twentieth Illinois Regiment, Colonel C. C. Marsh commanding. The boat brought also the entire camp equipage and stores of the Regiment. The spontaneous greeting tendered by our Missouri soldiers was hearty and enthusiastic. Cheers upon cheers of welcome rent the air and were responded to by the Illinoisans in magnificent style. The guests were a.s.signed the western lawn of the a.r.s.enal grounds for their camping site. Tents were speedily pitched, baggage distributed, and the newly arrived volunteers were soon perfectly at home. They are aching for active service wherever desired, and, we understand, are already under orders for "a forward movement." Other Regiments in Illinois are also in eager antic.i.p.ation of lively "business" in Missouri or Arkansas.

Colonel Marsh's Regiment is evidently in first-cla.s.s condition and consists of strikingly vigorous and hardy men. They are brim full of health and energy and fun. The Regiment numbers nine hundred and sixty-one men rank and file. Success and joy to them.

We left the a.r.s.enal in a few days and for six months were engaged in "business" in southeast Missouri. On October 21 we met the Confederates in force, under Jeff. Thompson, at Fredericktown and succeeded in thoroughly convincing them that they were whipped.

February 6, 1862, we entered Fort Henry and ten days later marched in triumph into Fort Donelson. April 6 and 7 we had position in the Union lines at s.h.i.+loh and after that took a hand in the siege of Corinth.

September 1 were engaged in the sharp little battle of Britton's Lane. In the winter of 1862-3 were in the campaign in the mud in northern Mississippi. Were at Oxford when General VanDorn took Holly Springs and burned our supplies. In the spring and summer of 1863 we partic.i.p.ated in all the battles of the Vicksburg campaign and in the siege of that stronghold.

Were out on the Meridian expedition for twenty-nine days in the month of February, 1864, without tents or other protection from the elements except what every man carried on his back.

In the spring and summer of 1864 were in the Georgia campaign and siege of Atlanta. In the fall went from Atlanta to the sea.

In 1865 was in the campaign in the Carolinas and marched through Virginia to Was.h.i.+ngton after the Confederate armies had surrendered.

On the 16th of July, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky, the Twentieth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was mustered out of the United States service and disbanded, and the boys went home.