CIVIL WAR LETTER - 60th Illinois Infantry - Burned Rebel Railroad near Atlanta !

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CIVIL WAR LETTERCIVIL WAR SOLDIER LETTER - 60th Illinois InfantryThis Civil War soldier letter was written by John Quincy ("Quince") Adams (1836-1866) of Du Quoin, Perry county, Illinois who served from 17 February 1862 to 5 April 1865 in Co. E, 60th Illinois Volunteers , rising in rank from Private to 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant.Quince was born on 9 April 1836 in Troy, Rensselaer county, New York, the son of Sylvester Adams (1809-1879) and Susan Phelps (1811-1878). In the 1860 US Census, Sylvester and his wife and daughter, Ann Mariah Adams (1849-1916), were residing in Old Du Quoin, Illinois, where he was employed as a lawyer. Ten years earlier, the census taker had enumerated the three of them with sons John Quincy Adams and Isaac Barber Adams (1838-1917). Isaac's birthplace is given as Franklin county, Illinois, so the family must have moved from New York to Illinois about 1839. Like his brother, Isaac ("Dike") served in the Civil War too. He enlisted at the age of 23 as a bugler in Co. I, 6th Illinois Cavalry in November 1861 and was not mustered out of the service until December 1864. Isaac's occupation was wagon maker.In the July 1860 US Census, "John Q. Adams" was enumerated as a 24 year-old farmer in Township 6, Range 1 W of Perry county, Illinois. Residing in the household with him was his wife "Sarah C.," age 20, a native of Missouri, and their 4 month old son, George Melvin Adams. From Quince's letters, we know that he called his wife, "Kate" and his son, "Mel" when he did not simply refer to him as "the Boy." Illinois Marriage records reveal that Quince and Kate were married on 14 January 1857 in Randolph county.Sylvester Adams--the earliest magistrate in the precinct--and his sons, Quince and Isaac, all resided in what became know as "Old Du Quoin" which became defunct after the Illinois Central Railroad passed through Perry county in the 1850s, causing most of the business men to relocate to a new location near the tracks which was called "New Du Quoin."REGIMENTAL HISTORYSixtieth Illinois Infantry. -- Cols., Silas C. Toler, William B. Anderson; Lieut.- Cols., William B. Anderson, Samuel Hess, George W. Evans; Majs., Samuel Hess, George W. Evans, James H. McDonald. This regiment was organized at Camp Dubois, Anna. Ill., Feb. 17, 1862, on the 22nd was ordered to Cairo, and moved to Island No. 10 on March 14. It was in the siege of Corinth, and in pursuit of the enemy beyond Boonville, Miss.; was engaged in repelling the attack of Gen. Morgan on Edgefield in November, and on Jan. 5, 1863, had a skirmish with Wheeler's cavalry between Nashville and Murfreesboro, repulsing them. In Nov., 1863, the regiment was assigned to the 1st brigade, 2nd division, 14th army corps, and participated in the battles about Chattanooga and the memorable march to Knoxville, Tenn. On Feb. 22, 1864, three-fourths of the regiment were mustered as veteran volunteers, and on the 26th took part in the reconnoissance toward Dalton, Ga., which resulted in the battle of Buzzard Roost, losing in this battle 42 killed and wounded. On March 6 it was ordered to Illinois on veteran furlough, and the men were furloughed from Centralia on March 15. Returning to the front, it entered upon the Atlanta campaign and participated in the battles of Ringgold, Dalton, Resaca, Rome, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kennesaw mountain, Nickajack, Peachtree creek, Atlanta and Jonesboro. It had a skirmish with the enemy at Florence in September, driving him across the Tennessee. It participated in the march to the sea, and during the campaign of the Carolinas was engaged in the battles of Averasboro and Bentonville, the latter being as severe as any in which the regiment was engaged. At one time the regiment was surrounded on all sides, but it behaved gallantly. It participated in the grand review at Washington and then proceeded to Louisville, Ky., where it performed duty as provost guard at the headquarters of the 14th army corps until July 31, 1865, when it was mustered out and proceeded to Camp Butler, Ill., for final payment ... read more

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