Honorable Discharge, Columbus J. Craycroft, Columbus J. Craycroft enlisted June 6, 1862, from Marion County, Illinois, for three months, and was mustered into the United States Service June 20, 1862, as a Private in a company not designated of the 68th Illinois Infantry Volunteers, under Colonel Elias Stuart, but was transferred before leaving Springfield, Illinois, to the 70th Illinois Infantry.

The said Columbus J. Craycroft was taken sick while on the road from Springfield, Illinois to Washington, D.C., with Typhoid Fever. He was in a hospital at Alexandria, Virginia, thence removed to Washington, D.C., and late sent to hospital camp in Rhode Island, between Providence and Newport, going from there to Springfield, Illinois, in time to be mustered out with his regiment at the expiration of his term of service.

He re-enlisted December 16, 1863, at Camp Butler, Illinois, for three years, as a Private in Company "F" 62d Illinois Infantry Volunteers, under Captain Jesse Crooks later Captain George B. Everingham and Colonel M. True. He enlisted as a Recruit and joined the Regiment at Little Rock, Arkansas, and was in all the engagements of the 62d regiment except while ill with Pneumonia fever, and in hospital at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was promoted to Corporal November 10, 1865.

The 62d left the state for Paducah, Kentucky, in June 1862, and was ordered to Tennessee, where it remained during the summer and autumn of 1862. In August 1863 it was transferred to Arkansas and on September 10th met the enemy near Little Rock driving him back and compelling the evacuation of the place. On January 9, 1864, the regiment re-enlisted as a veteran organization. On April 10, 1865 the veterans and recruits were consolidated into seven companies, and remained on duty at Pine Bluff until July 28th, excepting an expedition it made to Monticello, Arkansas, where it was on duty reconstructing the County Civil Affairs, after which it returned to Pine Bluff. Then it moved by river to Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, where it was stationed as a part of Brig. General Bussey's command in the District of the Frontier.

Columbus J. Craycroft received his final discharge March 6, 1866 at Little Rock, Arkansas.

Columbus Craycroft