ILLINOIS EIGHTY-FOURTH INFANTRY (Three Years)

Eighty-fourth Infantry. Col., Louis H. Waters; Lieut.Cols., Thomas Hamer, Charles H. Morton ; Majs., Charles H. Morton, Caleb B. Cox. This regiment was organized at Quincy, in Aug., 1862, and was mustered into the U. S. service Sept. 1, for three years, with 939 men and officers. It was ordered to Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23 and was assigned to the 1Oth brigade of the 4th division. It was at the battle of Perryville and on the march with Buell through Kentucky in the pursuit of the Confederate army under Bragg ; participated in the battle of Stone's river, where it lost 228 men and officers killed and wounded, out of a total of 350 engaged ; was in the Tullahoma campaign and at the battle of Chickamauga, in Chattanooga during what was called the "siege," and with Hooker at Lookout mountain, in the "fight above the clouds." It participated in the Atlanta campaign, the battles at Franklin and Nashville, and was mustered out at the expiration of its term. Its total casualties in battle were 558 ; killed by accident, 7 ; died of disease, 124 ; total casualties, 689. Source: The Union Army, vol. 3 Stone's River after battle report: Report of Col. Louis H. Waters, Eighty-fourth Illinois Infantry. HDQRS. EIGHTY-FOURTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, Near Murfreesborough, Tenn., January 6, 1863 SIR: Early in the morning of December 31, by direction of Col. Grose, commanding Third Brigade, my command took position on the left of the brigade front perpendicular to the pike, with the Twenty-third Kentucky on my right and the Twenty-fourth Ohio in my rear. In a short time it became evident that the division on our right was being rapidly driven in, whereupon I changed front to the right, and got my command under the protection of a ledge of rocks. The enemy soon appeared in the cedar woods in our front, and we opened fire upon him. We here had 5 men severely wounded. Lieut. Parsons' battery having changed position from our left to the pike in its rear, I retired my left to support the battery, moving my right to the position before occupied by my left. About 12 o'clock, the battery having moved forward on the pike nearly to the cotton-field in front, by direction of Col. Grose we moved forward to support the battery on the right and immediately commenced firing upon the enemy lying across the cotton-field and meadow in our front. During this time there were two regiments of some other division upon my right, engaging the enemy somewhat to their right, and Stevens' Pennsylvania battery was in rear of my center. Both these regiments gave way, and left the field in considerable confusion, leaving Stevens' battery, without any support. I immediately retired the right of my regiment, so as to protect this battery as far as possible until it could be taken from the field. It had done excellent service, and was not to be lost without a struggle. As soon as it was started from the field, I again retired my right, so as to have the protection of a ledge, some 60 paces to the rear. From this ledge we kept up a steady fire upon the enemy, now occupying the skirt of the cedar woods in our front, until Lieut. Parsons' battery, for wanton ammunition or support on his left, was compelled to retire beyond the pike. While occupying this position we suffered terribly from the fire of stragglers, who had sought cover behind some cabins in our rear, and were firing wildly at the enemy over our line. Capt. Higgins and others of my command called to me that their men were being wounded by the firing from the cabins. I reluctantly withdrew my command to the railroad, some 350 yards distant, and from thence, by Col. Grose's direction, to some woods to the left, where we rested for the night. At the ledge where we made our last stand we left 24 of our dead. In the fight on the 2d instant we were posted by Col. Grose on the left of his brigade line, and I cannot report anything that did not occur under the observation of Col. Grose, who on this occasion, as on the 31st, was wherever duty called him, regardless of danger. After the enemy commenced retreating, I advanced my command to the corn-field in our front, and there learned, to my surprise, that our ammunition was exhausted. We had fired 50 rounds. My command, on the morning of the 31st ultimo, consisted of 3 field and staff and 21 company officers and 336 enlisted men. Lieut.'s Ball and Abercrombie, two as gallant gentleman as ever fought beneath the stars and stripes, fell at their posts in the first engagement. On the 31st we lost in killed 35 officers and men, and had wounded 121. On the 2d we had 5 wounded. On both occasions my command, as well as the other regiments of Col. Grose's brigade, was nearly crushed by the herd of officers and men of other divisions, as they fled, panic-stricken, before the enemy; yet it stood like a "human wood," and officers and men vied with each other in beating back the fugitives. To the coolness and fearlessness of Lieut.-Col. Hamer, Maj. Morton, and my company officers, and the bravery of our men, are we indebted for whatever of credit the regiment may deserve. In this connection I cannot omit the opportunity of bearing testimony to the gallantry of Lieut. Parsons and the efficiency of his battery. I herewith inclose a list of my killed and wounded,* which is as nearly correct as I can now make it. Many slightly wounded are not included in the list. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, L. H. WATERS, Col., Cmdg. Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteers. Capt. R. SOUTHGATE Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen. Third Brigade. Source: Official Records PAGE 566-29 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. [CHAP. XXXII. [Series I. Vol. 20. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 29.] Chickamagua after battle report: Report of Col. Louis H. Waters, Eighty-fourth Illinois Infantry. HDQRS. EIGHTY-FOURTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, Chattanooga, September 26, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to report for the information of the colonel commanding, the part taken by the Eighty-fourth Regt. Illinois Volunteers in the recent engagements with the enemy. On the 3d instant, we crossed the Tennessee River at the mouth of Battle Creek, and proceeded from thence with the Third Brigade to Chattanooga, via Shellmound, Whiteside's Hawkins' Station, and Summertown, on Lookout Mountain, arriving at the latter place in the forenoon of the 9th instant, and in time to see the rear guard of the enemy leaving Chattanooga. During the afternoon we moved to Rossville and encamped for the night. At daylight on the morning of the 10th, in pursuance of orders received about midnight, I moved my command down the La Fayette road for the purpose of guarding the pass or gap near McFarland's house. About 1 1/2 miles from camp we came upon an outpost of the enemy, consisting of two companies of cavalry, which were soon driven beyond the point I was to occupy, and with a loss to the enemy, as I have since learned of 1 killed and 1 wounded. Our skirmishing had scarcely ceased when we could distinctly hear numerous drums in the direction the outpost had retreated. These facts were promptly reported to Lieut. Livezey, who about this time came to me with orders for me to return to the Ringgold road and follow the brigade. On the morning of the 19th, we arrived a second time at Gordon's Mills, and marched thence out the road leading to Chattanooga, to the position assigned our brigade (the Eighty-fourth being on the left of the second line) composed of the Thirty-sixth Indiana and Eighty-fourth Illinois. The steady advance of the enemy on our right made it necessary for that regiment to change front to the right, and most gallantly did it go into the fight, soon checking the enemy on that flank. I moved my command to the front, relieving the Twenty-third Kentucky, and was soon engaged with the enemy advancing upon the angle formed by the Eighty-fourth Illinois and Thirty-sixth Indiana, the former regiment fronting the east, the latter the southeast. The regiments on our right as their ammunition was exhausted, withdrew, and soon the Eighty-fourth and Thirty-sixth were left alone, the enemy meanwhile steadily pushing around our right. We maintained this position until the ammunition of the Thirty-sixth was entirely exhausted and it was withdrawn. This isolated my regiment and left me the alternative of withdrawing or having my command, as I then believed, captured, and I accordingly withdrew. Both regiments behaved splendidly, and Lieut.-Col. Carey and Maj. Trusler are entitled to much credit for their conduct during the engagement. My command, although much broken by the retreat, was soon reformed, and without water or supper we rested for the night in the woods near the road, and took arms next morning but little revived by the night's rest, and suffering much from thirst. WE moved early inn the morning to support Gen. Beatty, who held the left and was having a brisk skirmish. Our entire brigade moved in a single line, and by the left flank, to position in rear of Gen. Beatty's brigade, on Gen. Baird's left, my regiment in advance, and scarcely had I reached Gen. Beatty's right before the enemy, now engaging his brigade in front and flank, sent into my ranks a galling fire, under which we had to advance the length of the battalion and to form, and we had but just formed when the enemy appeared well around our left flank, and the brigade at the works in our front as promptly disappeared leaving the works in the hands of the enemy and our men in a slaughter pen. The other regiments had formed in my rear. To enable me to change front obliquely to the left and to avoid the useless sacrifice of my men, I ordered my command to retire. In our rear was a dense growth of brush, around which I was compelled to ride, and by the time I had done so, something more than half of my regiment-but as I then thought all of it-thrown into confusion by passing these obstacles, had passed on to the woods beyond. I gathered them up, soon reformed them (another officer added some men thereto), and then I left them in charge of my adjutant near some troops that seemed to be a part of Gen. Negley's command, and rode back to report to Col. Grose. In the meantime, his brigade had so changed its position that I could not find, and I hastened back to my men, determined to take them into the fight whenever I should see a good opportunity, of which there seemed to be no scarcity, and found when I had returned that they had been ordered to Chattanooga to guard a train, the order coming, as I was informed, through Maj.-Gen. Negley. Left without a command, I co-operated with several gentleman of the staffs of Maj.-Gen. Palmer and Col. Grose, in getting together such portions of our division as had been separated from their commands, and with them assisted in getting off two pieces of artillery that otherwise would have been lost. Our party being entirely cut off from the division, upon consultation, we concluded to follow that portion of the army with which we then were to Rossville, which place we reached at dusk and found Gen. Negley in position. Here I found that portion of my command and portions of the other regiments of our brigade, which had been sent in at the same time, and at about 10 o'clock I had the pleasure of joining the rest of the brigade. Capt. Ervin, with a portion of the regiment that passed to the left of the brushwood when we fell back in the morning, stopped with the Thirty-sixth Indiana, and deserves much credit for the manner in which he conducted himself during the day. I herewith inclose a list of the casualties* of the Eighty-fourth Illinois. I have to regret the loss of Capt. Thomas D. Adams, a brave Christian gentleman and an efficient officer. My command lost 13 killed, 83 wounded, and 9 missing. All of the missing I am satisfied are in the hands of the enemy. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, L. H. WATERS, Col., Comdg. Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteers. Lieut. BOICE, Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Third Brigade.

Source: Official Records CHAP. XLII.] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 786-50 [Series I. Vol. 30. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 50.]

Illinois 84th Volunteer Infantry (Union)

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