The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Illinois, December 1861-- Part 2

On December 10th, Fuller reported to Governor Richard Yates the numbers and locations of Illinois regiments in service.

17,400 were still in camps in Illinois training
60,540 overall were in service, most of whom that were already in the field were stationed in Missouri.

He was not happy about an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Illinois men who had enlisted in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa regiments, giving those states the numbers.

Yates wrote Dec. 12th, that during the past two weeks, the state had received 6,000 "new and superior arms and had distributed them to Illinois units "most exposed to the enemy."

The state had also taken delivery of a number of James rifled cannons. I imagine these were going to Illinois artillery units.

By the end of December, most every Illinois county had had one or more casualties in national service. The fourth-largest Illinois town, Springfield, had lost two in battle.

I was always of the opinion that the national government provided weapons to the state regiments.

The War Comes to Illinois. --Old B-Runner

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