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6th Illinois Cavalry
The flag of the Union once more gleams.
There’s a curse on the air, but in underbreath,
As the troopers go on their work of death.
Like lightning flashes each loyal blade
To light the path of Grierson’s raid.
The Sixth Illinois Cavalry was organized at Camp Butler during November 1861. The men of the Regiment volunteered from the following counties in Southern Illinois—Company A from Massac and Pope Counties, Company B from Johnson and Pope Counties, Company C from Cass, Morgan and Scott Counties, Company D from Hamilton County, Company E from Edwards and Richland Counties, Company F from Gallatin and Saline Counties, Company G from Pope County, Company H from Hamilton County, Company I from Perry County, Company K from Hamilton and Saline Counties, Company L from Gallatin County, Company K from Alexander and Union Counties. On November 25, 1861 the Regiment was ordered to Camp Yates, Shawneetown, Illinois. Following training, in February, the Sixth Cavalry first moved to Paducah, Kentucky and then on to Columbus, Kentucky where the Regiment was divided with 5 companies (A, C, D, E and F) going to Trenton, Tennessee, 5 companies remaining at Columbus (G, H, I K and L) and two companies guarding Paducah and Bird’s Point (B and M). In June the companies Stationed at Columbus were ordered to Coldwater Station, Mississippi and saw action at White Oak Bayou. The Regiment was reunited at Memphis in the fall of 1862 and in November led the advance of Sherman’s expedition towards Grenada, Mississippi. In December the Regiment was part of the Union force that pursued Confederate General Earl Van Dorn’s forces after their raid on Holly Springs, Mississippi. The Sixth Cavalry went into winter quarters at La Grange, Tennessee in January 1863 and operated against local partisans during the next three months. On March 9 the Regiment attacked Colonel Robert Richardson’s First Tennessee Partisan Rangers near Covington, Tennessee and captured in addition to prisoners, stores, ammunition and company records. On March 29 Richardson attacked a detachment of the Sixth Cavalry at night; although outnumbered the Sixth repulsed the attack. On April 17, 1863, the Sixth and Seventh Illinois Cavalry and the Second Iowa Cavalry departed La Grange for a raid through Mississippi. The Second Iowa fought Confederate Colonel Barteau’s Second Tennessee Cavalry south of Pontotoc, Mississippi allowing the Sixth and Seventh Illinois Cavalry to move south on Grierson’s Raid. The Illinois Regiments arrived safely at Baton Rouge, Louisiana on May 2, 1863. In the actions against Port Hudson, Louisiana between May 24 and June 9, the Regiment saw action at Clinton and Jackson Cross Roads while a detachment of the Sixth skirmished near Holly Springs, Mississippi. Following the fall of Port Hudson the Regiment moved by steamer up the Mississippi River to Memphis arriving in late July 1863. The Sixth Cavalry encamped at Germantown, Tennessee, east of Memphis until November 1863. During that time detachments of the Regiment scouted and skirmished in the nearby area of west Tennessee and Mississippi. On December 4, the Sixth Cavalry engaged the enemy at Moscow, Tennessee, routed the enemy and returned to Germantown until February 17, 1864. In early February the Regiment was part of General William Smith’s expedition against the enemy at West Point, Mississippi and engaged in a three days’ battle with Forrest’s command. In March the three-year tem of the Regiment expired, many of the Regiment re-enlisted as veterans and were ordered back to Illinois on furlough. The returning men rendezvoused at Mattoon, Illinois and then moved back to Memphis where they remained until July 1864. A detachment of the Regiment was ordered to Colliersville, Tennessee in August to guard the Memphis & Charleston RR. Later in August the remainder of the Regiment joined in Smith’s expedition to Oxford, Mississippi and engaged Forrest’s command at Hurricane Creek. The Regiment encamped at White Station, Tennessee until October 1, 1864 when it joined Hatch’s march through west Tennessee to Clifton on the Tennessee River. There the Regiment joined Washburn’s Infantry and served as the advance guard to Lawrenceburg and then on to Savannah, Tennessee and then back to Clifton; with base at Clifton the Regiment scouted between Clifton and Pulaski, Tennessee. In the Nashville Campaign of November and December the Sixth marched down Shoal River to Florence, Alabama and skirmished daily with Confederate General Hood’s forces. The Regiment then fell back to Lawrenceburg on Hood’s advance. In late November the Sixth Cavalary was ordered to Shelbyville, Tennessee, crossed the Duck River, moved down river and crossed again at Pike Ford and returned to Columbia. En route the Regiment encountered Forest’s entire command and escaped by swimming the Duck River and rejoined the command at Franklin, Tennessee in time to fight in the Battle of Franklin on November 30. Following the Battle the Regiment marched to Nashville. The Sixth Cavalry was ordered on an expedition to Glasgow, Kentucky on December 5-13 and then returned to Nashville and fought in the Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Following the repulse of Hood at Nashville, the Sixth joined in the pursuit of Hood’s forces to Florence, Alabama on the Tennessee River, then abandoned the pursuit and marched to Gravelly Springs, Alabama. In February 1865 the Sixth Illinois Cavalry moved to Eastport, Mississippi and remained there until ordered to Nashville and then Decatur and Montgomery, Alabama. On November 1, 1865 the Regiment was ordered to Selma, Alabama and was mustered out on November 5, 1865.
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6th; Illinois Cavalry National Flag
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Summary:
The holdings of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois do not contain any
Federally issued flags carried by the Sixth Regiment Illinois Cavalry. The only flag in the collection ascribed to the Regiment is a homemade 34-star national flag. The flag measures 3’ x 4’, does not bear any inscriptions and the origin of the flag is unknown.
Details
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