Franklin J. Cooper, my great-grand
uncle, and Wm. Edward Cooper, my great-grandfather, fought with the Illinois
16th Infantry, Company K. Below is a history of that regiment's involvement in
the Civil War, and the locations and dates of battles in which they were
involved. As my grandfather was not of 'fighting age' at the beginning of the war, he did not enlist until January of 1864, so was not in any of the battles previous to that date. Also fighting in the Civil War from this family was Francis Marion Cooper, who served as a Private in Co. H in the 137th Illinois Infantry. I am sure there were letters between he and his mother, but I do not have them, and am not sure any of them survived.
Civil War
Regimental History
Illinois
Sixteenth Infantry
(Four years)
Quincy, IL - May
24, 1861 - Mustered in with Capt. T. G.
Pitcher
Grand River, - June 12, 1861 - Railroad Guard
Macon City, MO - June
24, 1861 - Fought
Monroe Station, MO - July
10, 1861 - Col. Smith's forces attacked
by 1,600 mounted rebels
Caldwell Station - July
16, 1861 - Lost 2 men killed and 2
wounded (discrepancy in dates - battle list says 16 Aug, 1861)
Kirksville, MO - August
20, 1861 - Gen. Hurlbut - in pursuit of Gen. Green
Hanneywell, MO - September
1, 1861 - Arrived at Hanneywell
St. Joseph, MO - September
10, 1861 - Ordered to St. Joseph along with Third Iowa Infantry
Platte City, MO - September
14, 1861 - Skirmish
St. Joseph, MO - September
17, 1861 - Returned to St. Joseph
St. John, MO - January
22, 1862 - Fought here
Bird's Point, MO - January
27, 1862 - Ordered to here
New Madrid, MO - March
3, 1862 - Attached to Army of Mississippi, Second Brigade - Col. James D.
Morgan; 1st Div., Brig. Gen. E.A. Paine
March
12, 1862 - 10th and 16th Illinois Volunteers erected a line of earthworks (4
heavy guns) within 1/2 mile of enemy's works
March
13, 1862 - Battle of New Madrid fought. 16th supported siege guns.
April
7, 1862 - Were landed across Mississippi River, with 10th Illinois; followed
retreating army to Tiptonville, TN - captured 5,000
prisoners, large amount of artillery, small arms, and ammunition.
April
9, 1862 - Returned to New Madrid, MO
April
13, 1862 - Embarked for Hamburg, TN - arrived April 22, 1862
Corinth, MS - April
22, 1862 - Participated in Siege of Corinth; after evacuation, pursued
retreating army to Booneville, MS
Big Springs, TN - June
12, 1862 - Returned to Big Springs and camped
Tuscumbia, AL - July
20, 1862 - Moved to Tuscumbia
Florence, AL - July
29, 1862 - Crossed Tennessee River
Columbia, TN - September
10, 1862 - Fought at Columbia, TN
Nashville, TN - September
15, 1862 - Arrived after 17-day march with continual guerilla fighting - 1
killed; 5 wounded. Guarding railroad bridge.
Edgefield, TN - October
27, 1862 - Fought at Edgefield, TN
November
5, 1862 - Attacked by Rebel Gen. Morgan - he was repulsed, leaving many dead on field - 1 killed; 5 wounded
Murfreesboro, TN - Mid-July,
1863 - Marched from Edgefield, TN to Murfreesboro, TN - Stayed 1 month
Columbia, TN - Mid-August,
1863 - Marched to Columbia, then to Athens, AL; Huntsville, AL; and Stevenson,
AL
- Camped a few days at Stevenson - Made a
forced march to Bridgeport, where, with the Brigade, guarded ordnance stores and a
pontoon bridge against a threatened attack at Battle of Chickamauga - Rebel officer
Bragg was threatening the rear of Rosecran's army.
September 30, 1863 - Immense quantity of ordnance stores,
lying directly to right of the regiment exploded - 14 men killed and
wound. (Listed as having 'fought' on this date.)
Sequatchie Valley, TN - Early
October, 1863 - 40 mile march to Anderson's Gap (16th had been in First
Brigade, First Division, Reserve Corps of the Army of the
Cumberland) - at Anderson's Gap, orders were received transferring the 16th and the entire
brigade to First Brigade, Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, commanded by Gen.
James D. Morgan, the Division commanded by Gen. Jeff C. Davis, and the Corps by Gen.
John M. Palmer.
Waldross Ridge, TN - Marched
here from Anderson's Gap (north of Chattanooga, TN), and for a few weeks,
guarded a line of transportation up the Tennessee
River.
Kelly's Ferry, TN - Camped
here until January, 1864
- engaged in duty of unloading rations,
forage, and ammunition from boats sent forward to Thomas' army (which was by Chattanooga),
60 miles north
Re-Enlistment - December
20 - 31, 1863 - Re-enlisted as veterans
Illinois Furlough - New
Year's Day, 1864 (began 30-day furlough)
Rossville, GA - Latter
part of February, 1864 - Went into camp with rest of the brigade and division
Atlanta Campaign
- May 5, 1864 - Moved with
Sherman's army; was in advance of division.
Buzzard's Roost - May
9, 1864 - Sharp fight kept up for 1 day; regiment lost 18 killed and wounded;
Withdrew from Buzzard's Roost with Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Corps - latter under the command of Gen. Logan.
May 14 & 15, 1864 - Made a night march through Snake
Creek Gap, fighting Battle of Resaca, and 'Battle of Resaca' flanking rebels
from Dalton.
Rome - Regiment
moved from Resaca with the Division which was sent by Sherman to capture Rome; taken in sharp fight; no losses sustained
by the 16th.
Lost Mountain - Regiment
moved from Rome to Lost Mountain
Dallas, GA - May
28 & 29, 1864 - Fought at Dallas, GA
Kennesaw Mountain - June
27, 1864 - Moved to Kennesaw Mountain; four days fierce cannonade of hundred
guns (impregnable, natural fortress) - after
fierce fight above, was afterwards reserve line of the charging column - in a few minutes, the
Army lost 3,000 men; the Regiment lost some 10 - 15.
Marietta, GA - July
4, 1864 - Fought at Marietta.
Smyrna, GA - July
4, 1864 - Wm. Edward Cooper injured by shot in both legs above his knees.
Brother Franklin J. Cooper carried him to the back of the
lines, propped him against a tree to wait for a horse-drawn ambulance to take him to hospital.
While he was waiting, maggots kept his wounds clean, and he suffered no infection.
Chattahoochie River - July
4, 1864 - Fought at Chattahoochie River - Sixteenth was first to cross, driving
back heavy picket line of enemy - lost over 20 men.
Fought again on July 17, 1864 at Chattahoochie River.
Battle of Peach Tree Creek - Regiment
participated - lost number by wounds, and prisoners marching into line of enemy while making a night reconnoiter to
the front.
Investment of Atlanta - August
8, 1864 - Regiment held position on front line, engaging in skirmish firing for
30 days.
Withdrew from Front - August
25, 1864 - Swung around city to the west
Jonesboro, GA - August
30, 1864 & September 1, 1864 - In thickest of the fight
-
In famous charge of the Fourteenth Army Corps at Jonesboro, Hardee's line was
broken, a large portion captured, and Atlanta won.
-
Due to the depression of ground over which the Regiment charged, its loss was
less than 30, while Regiments to the left and right
lost twice that number.
After Capture of Atlanta - Regiment went into camp for
nearly a month.
-
While Hood was making his raid to the rear, the Regiment was sent with the
Division back to Chattanooga, Huntsville, and as far as
Athens. (Hood had gone further west, which changed plans of Sherman, and the Regiment &
Division returned to Atlanta.)
-
Corps was taken from the Army of the Cumberland, and, with the 12th Corps,
became the Army of Georgia. With this army, they
participated in the famous march through Georgia to the sea. Being on the most advanced
post at the evacuation of Savannah, the Regiment had the honor of being the representative
regiment of the 14th Army Corps to take formal possession of the City.
Nashville, TN - December
13, 1864 - Fought at Nashville
December
15, 1864 - Fought at Nashville
Carolinas - February
and March, 1865 - Marched through the Carolinas; assisted in capture of
Columbia and Fayetteville; was in fierce fight at
Averysboro.
March
8, 1865 - Fought (battle not named)
Bentonville, NC - March
16, 1865 - Fought at Bentonville, NC
March
19, 1865 - Fought at Bentonville, NC
March
20, 1865 - Fought at Bentonville, NC
March
22, 1865 - Fought at Bentonville, NC
The 16th was a part of the Division -
withstood 5 hours during the first day's battle (the 6 times
repeated onslaught of Johnson's entire army), the 16th, being in the front
line, while repelling
a charge - saw the Rebels who had been successful at another point, swing
around it, and
drive the supporting regiments from their works and into the swamp. Having
repelled the assault
from the front, the Sixteenth climbed over the temporary breastworks and opened
fire on
what five minutes before had been its rear. After a few shots, with the
assistance of the Fourteenth
Michigan, charged the rebel line, capturing some 800. The second day of battle,
the Sixteenth,
in conjunction with the Fourteenth Michigan, through a mistake order of the colonel
of the latter, made a charge into the center of the rebel forces, and for over
a quarter of an
hour was under as murderous a front and flank fire as ever rained on troops. In
this brief space
of time, a third of the Regiment fell, having less than 300 in line in going
into the fight. Company
A, with twenty-seven men, lost ten, seven of whom died on the field, or soon
after. This
was the last battle of the war the Sixteenth was engaged in, and it was the
most terrible of them
all.
Goldsboro, NC - Marched
to Goldsboro where the Regiment encamped a month; thence to Raleigh and Durham Station,
where Johnson surrendered his army to Sherman.
Richmond & Washington, D.C. - Marched
with Sherman's army to Richmond and Washington, participated in the Grand
Review at Washington D.C. on May 24, 1865. The
Regiment proceeded to Louisville, KY, where it was four years and three months, and a week
later, at Springfield, IL, where it received its final pay and discharge papers.
Source: Illinois
Adjutant General's Report, vol. 2, p. 35.
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