Capt. John Murphy

Capt. John Murphy

   Listed in the 1859-1860 Elgin Directory as a Laborer living on Milwaukee St.
   Member of St. Mary's Parish.
   Listed on the 1860 Census #290/2150 as a 15 year old Student living in Elgin, Ill.

Elgin Continentals

   Enlisted April 22, 1861.

A Co. 7th Ill. Vol. Inf.

Fremont Rifles

   Armed with .69 US Altered musket taken in the Geneva Raid
   Mustered In for 3 months service at Camp Yates in Springfield, Ill's. April 25, 1861 as a Pvt.
   Home of record listed as Elgin, Ill's.

   Notice: July ?, 1861 issue Elgin's Weekly Gazette.

FROM CAIRO.

(Correspondence of the Chicago Times.)

Cairo, Ill., June 29,

   If the troops of this brigade are not paid off before the expiration of the three months for which they enlisted, a very large number of them will refuse to be sworn in for further service.  A considerable number of them will go home anyhow, but the per cent will be largely increased by further neglect in the matter in question.  Few of them, indeed, can communicate with their families or friends for want of three cents wherewith to buy a postage stamp.
   At Camp Joslyn yesterday, Col. Cook's regiment, I learn, stacked their arms and declared that they would neither drill nor parade again until they got their money.  Their wants, in a thousand ways, are exceedingly pressing, but not a single dollar have they to relieve them.  The men became satisfied with fair promises however, and reconsidered their rather hasty determination.

   Mustered Out at Mound City, Ill. July 25, 1861.

A Co. 58th Ill. Vol. Inf.

Three Years Service

Lyon Color Guard

   Enlisted Sept. 8, 1861
   Commissioned Feb. 11, 1862 at Camp Douglas in Chicago.
   Unarmed the regiment is placed on the train south for Fort Donelson were the battle has started that day.
   At Cairo, Ill. Issued M-1808 & M-1816 Common Muskets Feb. 12, 1862.  These muskets have been rejected by the regiments before and are accepted only because the battle at Fort Donelson is in progress.
   Re-armed with acceptable muskets on April 1, 1862 at Pittsburg Landing, Tenn.
   Captured at Shiloh during the retreat from the Sunken Road.
   Paroled in Oct. of 1862
   Exchanged in Dec. 1862, the regiment reforms at Camp Butler in Springfield, Ill.
   Mustered Out Dec. 10, 1864

Known Actions;
Fort Donelson, Tenn. Feb. 13, 1862
Shiloh, Tenn.             April 6, 1862
Meridian                  Feb. 14, 1864
Pleasant Hill                 April 9, 1864
Nashville, Tenn.           Dec. 15, 1864

Post war;
   Listed on the 1870 Illinois State Census #237/437 as aged 20 years living in Rutland.

From the collection of Ken Gough

US Altered Musket

Model 1816 Springfield / dated 1827

Used with permission Dan Mallett

Elgin Continentals in their grey Illinois style uniforms made for them by the Ladies of Elgin just before mustering in as A Co. 7th Ill.  Photo taken at either Camp Yates in Springfield or Camp DuBois in Altin.