History 31st Regiment: Illinois Volunteers Organized by John A. Logan (Shawnee Classics) - Softcover

Morris, W. S.; Kuykendall, J.B.; Hartwell, L.D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 080932184X ISBN 13: 9780809321841

Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press, 1998

Synopsis

The story of John A. Logan’s famed 31st Regiment Illinois Volunteers, told by three veterans, follows the regiment from the battles of Belmont, Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Kenesaw Mountain, and Atlanta through the March to the Sea and into North Carolina. "Few regiments," notes historian John Y. Simon in the foreword, "fought longer or more fiercely, suffered more casualties, or won more victories."

Logan proved a valiant and valuable Union commander, yet when the Civil War first began, it was far from clear whether he would lead Union or Confederate troops. In dramatic fashion, however, he broke what Simon calls an "ominous silence ... interpreted by many as sympathy for the South." Speaking from a wagon platform in Marion, Illinois, Logan proclaimed: "[The] time has come when a man must be for or against his country." Logan accepted a commission from Illinois governor Richard Yates, recruited heavily in southern Illinois, and formed the 31st Regiment Illinois Volunteers.

The 31st became a prime component in Grant’s western campaigns, fighting for the first time at Belmont, Missouri. In February of 1862, the 31st foiled Confederate general Gideon J. Pillow’s dramatic escape from the Union siege at Fort Donelson. Although this is often listed as one of the proudest moments for the 31st, casualties ran high (fifty-eight killed), with Logan so severely wounded that at first he was reported dead. Logan’s valor at Fort Donelson won him promotion to brigadier general.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The story of John A. Logan's famed 31st Regiment Illinois Volunteers, told by three veterans who enlisted in the Union Army in their teens and recounted their experiences in their fifties, follows the regiment from the battles of Belmont, Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Kenesaw Mountain, and Atlanta through the March to the Sea and into North Carolina. "Few regiments", notes historian John Y. Simon in the foreword, "fought longer or more fiercely, suffered more casualties, or won more victories".

Logan proved a valiant and valuable Union commander, yet when the Civil War first began, it was far from clear whether he would lead Union or Confederate troops. In dramatic fashion, however, he broke what Simon calls an "ominous silence during the first two months of the Civil War, a silence interpreted by many as sympathy for the South". Speaking from a wagon platform in Marion, Illinois, Logan proclaimed: "[The] time has come when a man must be for or against his country".

This pro-Union decision by the Democratic congressman and enthusiastic antiabolitionist ran counter to the hopes of his friends and relatives, many of whom had expected him to lead a Confederate regiment out of southern Illinois. Instead, he accepted a commission from Illinois governor Richard Yates, recruited heavily in southern Illinois, and formed the 31st Regiment Illinois Volunteers.

Under the command of Colonel Logan, the 31st became a prime component in Grant's western campaigns, fighting for the first time at Belmont, Missouri. In February of 1862, the 31st foiled Confederate general Gideon J. Pillow's dramatic escape from the Union siege at Fort Donelson. Although this is often listed as one of the proudestmoments for the 31st, casualties ran high (fifty-eight killed), with Logan so severely wounded that at first he was reported dead. Logan's valor at Fort Donelson won him promotion to brigadier general.

This regimental history is illustrated by twenty-nine contemporary black-and-white photographs.

About the Author:

W. S. Morris enlisted at age nineteen on the day Logan delivered his dramatic address in the Marion, Illinois, town square.

L. D. Hartwell enlisted at seventeen, one of six Williamson County brothers who served in the Union Army.

J. B.Kuykendall enlisted at nineteen from Vienna, Illinois.

About this edition

• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 080932184X
• ISBN 13: 9780809321841
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304