The regiment was ordered to Cairo, Illinois, where it was stationed, doing garrison duty until the close of the term of service, July 26th, 1861, when it was mustered out.
During this period of service two prominent men from Belleville served and later both became president of the First National Bank (now Magna Bank). Joseph Fuess, born in Baden, Germany, March 10th, 1842, died in June of 1909, served in both the 9th and the 43d Regiments. After the war, he entered the dry goods business, which became the Fuess-Fischer Company; and was president of the bank from 1870 'till 1909. The second man was Casimir Andel, who served in both the 9th Illinois and later in the 12th Missouri Infantry. He was born at Woellstein on the Rhine, Germany in 1840. He served as president of the bank from 1909 'till 1916, and died in Belleville in 1918.
During this three-month period, the regiment was not issued uniforms, and the men wore costumes as their fancy suggested or whatever their patriot friends at home supplied. The time was principally spent drilling and fitting the men for active service.
While at the end of this enlistment some men went home, the majority immediately re-enlisted. Captain Pritcher U.S.A. mustered the 9th into United States service for three years on July 26th, 1861.
From September 1861, until February 1862, the regiment remained at Paducah, Kentucky, under General C. F. Smith, reconnoitering the surrounding countryside and drilling. Picket duty, with the steady demand for fatigue parties for the construction of fortification, prepared the 9th soldiers for duty in the field.
Companies B, H, and I of the 9th, each filled up by volunteers to 100 men, under Major J. J. Phillips, went by steamer up the Cumberland River and marched to Saratoga, Kentucky, where, in a skirmish with a force of 200 Southern Cavalry, they won a victory and captured 20 prisoners. This was the "first fight" in which any company of the 9th Regiment had engaged.
Meanwhile, Colonel Paine had been promoted to be Brigadier-General; Lieutenant-Colonel Mersy, as Colonel; Major Phillips, Lieutenant Colonel; and Captain Kuhn, Major.
On February 4th, 1862, the 9th ascended the Tennessee River for Fort Henry: February 5th, landed 5 miles below the Fort; February 6th, marched up on the opposite side of the river and helped capture the Fort; February 12th, crossed the Tennessee and joined the army in the march against Fort Donelson. Colonel McArthur's Brigade, to whom the 9th Regiment belonged, formed a part of General C. F. Smith's Division; and, supporting the First Division under Brig. General McClernand, was engaged, February 15th, on the right of our Army, when the fighting was most severe. This regiment had eight companies in the action (about 600 men).
After the fort had surrendered to General Grant, the 9th, together with the 2d Iowa Regiment, were given the honor of first entering the Confederate stronghold. The Regiment lost in this battle 38 men killed on the field, and 179 men wounded.
February 22d, the 9th with part of the victorious army went up the Cumberland to Clarksville and Nashville then back to Paducah, to start the expedition against Corinth, Mississippi. It went by steamer to Pittsburg Landing, 30 miles from Corinth and camped on the West Side of the river.
With all reinforcements, Grant's army numbered 40,000. Early Sunday morning, April 6th, 1862, the enemy attacked the camp. The 9th did not know of the attack until 8 a.m. Then the brigade was formed under General McArthur and hurried up to the front, and went into action where the exposure was the most serious and the fighting was the fiercest. This part of the Battle of Shiloh was known as "The Hornets Nest" and the 9th was in the thick of it. Only about one-third of the 9th came out unscathed; and this third fought bravely in different positions all during the rest of the battle of Shiloh. Out of twenty-six officers and 520 enlisted men that went into battle, twenty officers and 324 men were either killed or wounded, and only eleven missing. This was the worst loss of any Regiment up until this time of the Civil War and attested to the gallantry of the Ninth. After Shiloh, the 9th became known as
"The Bloody Ninth".
9th
Illinois
at Shiloh
Through a successive number
of changes in command, the 9th was placed under command of Gen. Richard
J. Oglesby - later to become Governor of Illinois, and General Holleck,
who superseded General Grant.
During the summer of 1862,
the 9th remained in camp near Corinth and near Rienzi; in September it
was recalled to Corinth, where on October 2d it rejoined its old brigade
and the next day met the enemy northwest of Corinth. In the fray the regiment
lost 19 men killed and 82 wounded. The
9th remained near Corinth 'till March 15th, 1863, when General G. M. Dodge
commanding left wing, 16th Army Corps, which comprised the army then stationed
at Corinth, ordered the 9th Infantry to be mounted on mules; and was, therefore,
employed as Mounted Infantry. During the remainder of the war it was nearly
always in the saddle, scouting, skirmishing, reconnoitering, and raiding,
almost invariably successful, and becoming well known and a favorite of
the Army of the Tennessee. From mid-April, 1863, until December 1864, the
9th was involved in scouts through north Alabama. On the 12th of August,
1863, the 9th formed a part of a column of cavalry concentrated at Oxford,
Mississippi, and made a raid to Grenada, where there was destroyed 60 locomotives,
450 cars, and a large supply of Confederate stores. The 9th returned to
camp at Pocahontas, August 24th, having been engaged on a most arduous
march and in several slight skirmishes. During the months of September
and October, the regiment was constantly moving in west Tennessee and north
Mississippi, with occasional skirmishes, one at Salem Mississippi being
a hot fight, and another at Wyall, Mississippi, was a spirite encouter.
The Mounted 9th
Illinois near Resaca, Georgia
This Regiment, by re-organization
and re-enlistment, remained in service until the surrender of all of the
Confederate armies. It served longer than any other Illinois regiment and
participated in some of the most memorable and sanguinary battles of the
War. It led in advance of Sherman's March to the Sea, and thence to the
Confederate surrender in North Carolina; and it took part, in all, in one
hundred and ten engagements:
The 9th Regiment was mustered
out on July 9th, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky, and arrived at Camp Butler
July 12th, 1865, for final payment and discharge.Curiously, the 9th was
one of about 16 Regiments across the country that were considered "German",
General Mersy, The Commander, had been a Brigadier General in the Prussian
Army, and eventually commanded troops under Frederick Hecker during the
revolution of 1848.
Colonel August Mersy
Mersy had come to this country
along with other '48er's in the search of freedom. No sooner had they settled,
but their freedom was threatened by the south. Their participation was
intense and their resolve, beyond question. Apparently this resolve appears
in their choice of the Star Pattern on the American flag they carried,
which was in the shape of the American Shield. They also wore this red,
white, and blue shield with a "9" on it over their heart, either
to show love and patriotism or it was meant as a challenge to the Confederates,
as it was something to aim at, if you could.
Now
again
lives!
In October, 1991, about
20 members of another local reenactment group, wishing to portray their
ancestors more authentically, and with more respect to their bravery and
truer to their historical past, formed the "Ninth Regiment Illinois
Volunteer Infantry Historical Society"
with the 9th Regiment, Company
"B",
a part of that group. This reenactment unit participated in six reenactment
battles in 1992, including the reenactment of the battle of Perryville,
Kentucky, 130th anniversary. It also presented a number of living histories
in southern Illinois, the Commander, Major Mark Westhoff, lectured on the
Civil War in over 30 schools and organizations, with help at times from
other members.
The 9th has established
an annual lecture series that is extremely well attended.
Thirteen wives, mothers,
sons, and daughters also belong to the 9th and dress in period clothing
to further teach the public about the period known as the American Civil
War.
The 9th presently is preparing
to publish its history with funds made available by a gift from the St.
Clair County Bicentennial Commission.
While looking for photos
or any memorabilia on the original 9th Illinois, long-time Society member,
Ethelyn Boyd of Mascoutah said that she had a picture of her grand uncle,
Rudolph W. Heimberger, whom she thought had been in the 9th. She searched
until she found it, and sure enough, he had been a member of Company "F"
and was also the flag bearer, or "ensign" as was written on his
photo. On his uniform is the American shield of which I spoke earlier.
Mr. Heimberger spent most of the rest of his life as postmaster in Fayetteville,
Illinois. Mr. Heimberger was wounded at Shiloh during the "Hornets Nest"
battle!
The original 9th Regiment, although long gone, lives again through the
efforts of present-day historians again known as the 9th Regiment Illinois
Volunteers, Company "B", one of the finest, most authentic reenactment
groups in the Midwest!
