The July 1st Chicago Daily Herald had an article about Peoria, Illinois' Civil War connections.
Col. William Augustus Thrush is buried in Peoria's Springdale Cemetery. He was Peoria's first major officer killed in the war. While attending Oberlin College in Ohio, he joined the 7th Ohio and later became a battlefield correspondent for his native Peoria. He wrote of a clash with Confederate cavalry, but 6 months later, at age 24, he was wounded March 23, 1862 and died April 7th.
His body was returned to Peoria and placed in a vault until cemetery trustees made good on a promise to set up a burial plot for soldiers. Col. Thrush was either the first, or among the first to be buried in the section known as Soldiers Hill.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the GAR Hall, and, of course, Lincoln's 200th of his birth. Lincoln visited Peoria at least 17 times before the war. Springdale Cemetery was founded in 1854.
The Peoria Historical Society now has a trolley tour that focuses on the city's Civil War aspects. They have a focus on the 77th Illinois regiment formed by men from the city and surrounding area. They fought at Vicksburg and Mobile Bay.
Always Good When a Northern City Gets Involved With Its Civil War Heritage. We All Know That Southern Towns Do. --B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
