Untitled Document

THE ROCKFORD ZOUAVES

The war record of Winnebago county has never been fully written. and no com plete history can be assured in the future. Owing to failures to make proper returns at Sprin gfield. even the adjutant-general's reports are only approximate l y correct. The late General Fuller did much to complete the records. but he could not achieve the impossible. Some enlisted in regiments organized in other states, and in many instances credit was not properly given. The scope of this work does not admit a full treatment of even the available sources of information, but the brief outline is believed to be correct.

Ten days after the fall of Sumter the first company of Rockford volunteers marched to the front to the "wild, grand music of war." They bore the name of the Rockford Zouaves. The story of their origin may be briefly noted. During the Lincoln campaign a "Wide-Awake marching club was organized, in command of Captain Garrett L. Nevins. When the presiden tial campaign was over they were reluctant to abandon the organization, and when Captain Nev is proposed a military company, it met with general favor. A meeting was held December 26, 1860, at the photograph gallery of Barnes, Nevius 8:: Company, when preliminary steps were taken, and January 3, 1861, the Rockford Zouaves were formally organized. They had, of course, no idea of the future before them.

Garrett L. Nevius was chosen captain; R. A. Bird, first lieutenant W. D. E. Andrus, second lieutenant R. S. Norman, ensign F. F. Feats, orderly sergeant ; H. H. Dean, second sergeant; J. H. Manny, third sergeant : C. B. Hull, fourth sergeant : Randolph D. Hobart, first corporal E. Lugrin, second corporal Thomas Anon, third corporal : 0. C. Towne, fourth corporal ; I. S. Hyatt. secretary, and C. T. Jellerson, treasurer.

Meetings for drill were held during the winter. January 17. 1861, resolutions were adopted to the effect that they should hold themselves in readiness to respond to any possible call for troops.

At a meeting held Februar y 2d the South Rockford band was admitted to membership. This band consisted of F. M. Needham and J. A. Hobart. drummers, and C. H. Marsh, fifer. They entered with the understanding that they were to have no more privileges than any of the other members. Needham and Hobart entered the service as drummers, and Needham is now drumming for Nevins post.

April 13th there was an impressive meeting of the Zouaves. Captain Nevins made a stirring speech. The last meeting noted in the record book was held April 16th. By that time the company had received orders to report at Springfield. A subscription paper had been circulated to raise money to furnish uniforms for the Zouaves, and by April l0th $1,200 had been pledged, with the promise of more if it should be needed. Men. women and children bent their efforts toward get ting the Zouaves in shape for service. The women sent their sewing machines up to concert hall. and gathered there to make the uniforms out of bolts of blue flannel secured as donations from the merchants and with mone y subscribed b y the men. Those were busy days in concert hall.

Women worked as they had never worked before, willingly, yet reluctantly : tearfully, and yet cheerfully, as each tried to encourage the other and remove the fears that they were preparing for a final parting from their loved ones. There was much to do. and a discussion arose on the subject of working on Sunda y. April 21st. The citizens were a Sunday keeping people then, perhaps more so than now, but it was resolved that the work justified it, and the women labored all that bright and beautiful day in early spring.

Wednesday. April 24, 1861, the Rockford Zouaves left Rockford for the capital of the state. Business was generally suspended, and between four and five thousand people were at the train to bid them farewell.

The Zouaves first enlisted for three months' service, and became Company D, of the Eleventh Illinois Infantry, of which W. H. L. Wallace was colonel.

This company, with two recruits in the follow ing June, and one member of the noncommis sioned regimental staff, numbered exactly one hundred men. They were the vanguard of the army furnished b y Winnebago county. They belong to the first roll of honor, and for this reason their names are given in full as follows :

Captain, Garrett L. Nevins

First lieutenant, Rhenodyne A. Bird

Second lieutenant, William D. E. Andrus

First sergeant. Henry H. Dean

Sergeants. Randolph D. Hobart, Tames H. Manny, Charles B. Hull

Corporals. Edward F. Lugrin, Thomas Amon, Orin C. Towne, Frederick Brown

Musicians. John A. Hobart, Mills F. Needham

Privates, Charles E. Arnold, William Atkins. Leander Bauder. Alfred Barker, Thomas J. Bryan. David 0. Butolph. Henry L. Brown, Tohn Beatson. Alpheus D. Brown, Alpheus M. Blakesley. George C. Brown, Benjamin Bentson

Thomas Beddoes. Thomas W. Cole, Orin W. Cram. Andrew Clark. Bradford A. Champlain, Henry W. Cooling. Ervin E. Clark, William W. Clark. Richard A. Compton. Philip Crooker, Charles D. Clark. George W. Darling, George E. Dolphin.

Elisha S. Daggett. Charles L. Dunham, John L. Davis. Alexander N. Davis, Charles B. Eaton, Itid A. Ellison. Tohn E. Elliott, Peter Engalls. William D. Frost. Almond Gifford, Harvey Hemenway

Derastus Holmes, Simon Hosmer. Charles Hawkinson. Tereon R. Hest, Frederick I. Horsman, George J. Hitchcock, Herrington Love, Daniel E. Lee.

Neri R. Mosher, George W. Maguire. John McGuire. Edward E. Magee. J. George Manlove. George H. Manchester, William L. Mesick, Charles Pittinger, Charles N. Price, Levi Pitney.

Frederick L. Posson. Luman G. Pierce, Floyd B. Penoyer, Rudolph W. Peake, William M. Putman. Charles N. Roberts, Walter Reckard. Shepard P. Strunk, Louis Schlunt

Joseph R. Shields, Erastus T. Stevens, William H. Skeed. Henry P. Strong, Ambrose Stearns, J. Murray Southgate, Christopher C. Shank, James M. Stevens

Thomas A. Stevens, Edward S. Smith. Edwin Swift. Edward P. Thomas, Riley Van Patten, John Wagner, Rufus L. Whitney, Tohn W. Warfield

John W. Warner, William Winter, George Wilkin, William G. D. Weed, Francis B. Wakeman : recruits. Marion E. Delany, Louis Houston.

Twenty members of the Zouaves were subsequently sent home from Springfield, under an army regulation that companies must not exceed ninety-seven men, including officers. Some of these promptly enlisted in other companies.

The first soldier from Rockford to die for his country in the Civil war was Neri R. Mosher, one of the first Zouave volunteers. He died June 8th of typhoid fever, at Camp Hardin, near Villa Ridge, Illinois, and his remains were sent to Rockford for interment.

August 8th, after three months of service, the Zouaves returned to Rockford. Man y of them promptly reenlisted, and eight days later, August 16th, they again went to the front. Captain W. D. E. Andrus was detailed as recruiting officer, and it was not until November 13th that the ranks were filled, when the recruits joined the company at Bird's Point. The Rockford City band entered service with the Zouaves and became a part of the Eleventh regiment. The following named musicians constituted the regimental band :

Leader, M. H. Baldwin musicians, Robert Alchin, Rufus B. Artz, Prolia Ariz, Charles B. Eaton (No. 1), Charles B. Eaton (No. 2), James Eaton, Augustus Dedrickson, Thomas Gray, Charles W. Halcum, Charles P. Henrick, Daniel Kipp. Isaac Lame, Horace Nettleton, John P. Nettleton. Henry C. Sullivan.

The total number of men enrolled in Company D, of the Eleventh Regiment, including recruits for the three years, was one hundred and four. With the field and staff, non-commissioned staff, musicians and nine unassigned recruits in Company K, the total enlistments for this county in the Eleventh Regiment were one hundred and thirty-three.

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