Cpl. Richard R. Parkin
Attended Elgin High School.
Listed on the 1860 Federal Census #299/2219 as a 15 year old Laboring at home from England living in Elgin, Ill.
The Elgin Company
Enlisted April 11, 1862.
I Co. 127th Ill. Vol. Inf.
Elgin Sharpshooters
Mustered in at Camp Douglas in Chicago, Ill's. Sept. 5, 1862.Home of record listed as Elgin, Ill's.
Issued .577 1857 P-53 Enfield rifled musket.
Wounded in Action at Jonesboro in the Chest. This wound was thought to be mortal but he recovered.
Took part in the Grand Review in Washington, DC, at the end of the war.
Mustered out June 5, 1865 at Fort Slocum in Washington, DC.
Known actions;
Chickasaw Bayou, Miss. Dec. 26, 1862
Arkansas Post, Ark. Jan. 11, 1863
Tuscumbia. Ala. May 13, 1863
Vicksburg, Miss. May 19, 1863
Miliken's Bend, La. June 13, 1863
Collierville Oct. 11, 1863
Resaca, Ga. May, 13, 1864
Conasine Creek, Ga. May 14, 1864
Dallas Hills, Ga. May 26, 1864
Kennesaw Mt., Ga. June 27, 1864
Peach Tree Creek, Ga. July 20, 1864
Atlanta, Ga. Aug. 13, 1864
Jonesboro, Ga. Aug. 31, 1864
Marietta, Ga. Sept. 15, 1864
Post war;
Worked at the Watch Factory.
Volunteer Fireman.
Fire Chief from 1878 to 1881.
Awarded a Pension of $4 per month for his chest wound.
Superintendent of the Elgin Water Works.
Member of Monitor Lodge #522.
Member of Loyal L. Munn chapter #96.
Member of the Bethel Commandery.
Joined GAR Veteran's Post #49 July 15, 1884.
Resided at 369 St. Charles St.
From Elgin Days Gone By by E. C. Alft
The Accident Man
Richard R. Parkin was a leading citizen in the Elgin of his day. He was a watch factory worker for more that 20 years, and also served as the city's fire chief, 1878-1881. Widely respected, he was elected alderman from the old Fifth Ward in 1887 by a vote of 250-36.Parkin resigned his seat on the city council to accept an appointment to head Elgin's newly completed water system. During his more than 25 years as superintendent, he was responsible for its steady expansion and conversion from pumping river water to an artesion well supply. Parkin also was a commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and was active in Masonic orders.
In addition to his civic prominence, Parkin led a charmed life. He had so many narrow escapes from death over the years his friends marveled at his ability to survive.
During the Civil War, he enlisted in Elgin's Co. I, 127th Illinois Infantry, at the age of 17. At the Battle of Jonesboro in the Atlanta campaign, he was shot through the right lung, the bullet piercing his body and coming out his back. For three days he lay on the field, bleeding from the wound with the air escaping through the hole in his chest. "When they finally picked me up," he recalled, "I thought it was all over with. The boys afterward told me they did everything they could to stop the air from oozing out. They even ran a handkerchief through me from one side to the other." Was this the end of his military service? No, he recovered in time to be captured by the Confederates in the Carolina campaign.
Home from the war, the young veteran was a shortstop and crippled his fingers (there were no gloves in those days) playing for Elgin's first formally organized baseball team.
While fighting fires and supervising water department construction, Parking "would never let anyone do any work that he considered dangerous until he had inspected it himself." Remembered a city employee. "He was not afraid of anything."
Once he eye was injured when struck b a piece from a broken chisel; on another occasion he was hit by a stray shot fired by a hunter and when he was in a ditch being dug, the earth caved in and nearly buried him. He was helping to unload huge timbers when the mass of them fell on him. His thigh was broken, his head, arms, and body were bruised and mangled, and he suffered internal injuries.
Anson L. Clark, who had attended him while a surgeon in the 127th, was once asked by a reporter if he had any news. "No," the doctor replied, "only I tied up another arm for Parking. I imagine if he stayed at home to avoid injury, the roof would fall on his head."
Dick Parkin's last accident was one of Elgin's more spectacular. In 1912 a streetcar was heading south on Douglas avenue at a fast clip when an express wagon drove out of an alley onto the tracks just south of Franklin street. The motorman applied the airbrakes about 250 feet away, but the tracks were slippery and the streetcar his the wagon broadside. The wagon was loaded with old boiler. iron pipes and scrap. The boiler was hurled against the front of the streetcar, caving it in, while the loose iron pipes were driven through the windows.
Three men on the wagon lost their lives, and the motorman and several streetcar passengers were severly injured. Among them was Parkin, who had been standing on the front platform. His left side was badly crushed, his back strained, and his face and hands were badly cut by flying glass. But parking recovered and was soon back on the job.
How did this man of accidents and close calls finally meet his end? Why in bed, naturally, in his 70th year.
Obit; May 14, 1915 issue of The Elgin Daily Courier.
Richard R. Parkin, organizer of the Elgin waterworks and its superintendent since the beginning, died at his farm at Hume, North Dakota, last night. Telegrams announcing his death were received this morning. The gave no details, but it is supposed that Mr. Parkin was stricken with an attack of heart trouble, to which he was subject.
The death of his wife in Oct., 1912, was remarkably similar to that of her husband. She was stricken with heart trouble while at a gathering at the home of prof. and Mrs. W.H. Brydges and died there.
Mr. Parkin left Elgin for his farm three weeks ago. He was not feeling well and thought that a rest would do him good. His son, Ralph, was working the farm for him and was with him at the end.
Mr. Parkin was a man of numerous remarkable escapes from death. He was wounded several times in the war. His most serious wound was received at the battle of Jonesboro, Ga., where the army surgeons said he was mortally wounded. He recovered and never suffered ill effects.
In 1912 Mr. Parkin's hip was crushed when the Cook special car crashed into an express wagon in Douglas avenue. He was standing in the front vestibule. Two men died as a result of this crash.
Later, Mr. Parkin narrowly escaped being his by a hunter's stray bullet.
Some time after his wife's death he was stricken with a severe attack of heart trouble and the outcome was in doubt for some time.
Mr. Parkin was born in England Sept. 8, 1849, and was brought to America in 1849 by his parents, who settled in Plato township. His boyhood and youth were spent in that township, where he attended the district schools. Later he attended the public schools of Elgin, working on teh farm nd assisting his parents at the same time.
At the age of 17 years, he left the farm at the call of his country in 1862, enlisting in Co. I, 127th Illinois volunteer infantry. He saw hard service in many battles. He was present at the surrender of Vicksburg and was in the Atlanta campaign and Sherman's march to the sea near the close of the war. He won the appointment of corporal of his company.
Returning from the war, he entered the employ of the watch company in 1867, where he continued to work until 1888. In the meantime, however, he was active in the city volunteer fire department, serving as fire chief from 1878 to 1881. In the latter year all the volunteers resigned and several hose companies were formed. Mr. Parkin organized the R.R. Parkin Hose company and was its foreman. this was in 1882. There were six companies organized in Elgin.
In 1887 Mr. Parkin was elected alderman from the Fifth ward, but resigned April 1, 1888, to accept the superintendency of the Elgin water works. He had charge of the construction of the plant and had been superintendent ever since. All of the work of extending the system was under his direct charge and he was given credit for the succes of the enterprise.
Mr. Parkin was a member of Monitor lodge, A.F. and A.M., no. 522; Loyal L. Munn chapter, no. 96, and Bethel Commandery. He was also an active member of Veteran Post, no. 49, G.A.R.
Mr. Parkin is survived by three sons and one daughter. They are; Attorney Harry Parkin, former assistant United States district attorney in Chicago; Ralph Parkin of Hume, N.D.; Carl of Elgin, and Mrs. Harry C. Gillard, of Elgin.
Funeral arrangements have not been made but it is believed that the body is now being brought to Elgin. Plans are being made for a Masonic funeral.
Mr. Parkin's home was at 369 St. Charles street.
GAR records show him as wounded more than once. However the Jonesboro wound is the only one documented.
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| Used with permission Dan Mallett |
Members Post 49 sewed watch faces to their ribbons to show they were from Elgin.
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