Friday, November 23, 2007

Following My Roots


For many years I have been studying the Civil War in the United States.
While reading an old newspaper I was stunned to read John Madderom (58th Illinois Infantry) of Roseland Illinois went down to Camp Douglas Illinois to enlist.He was a great grandfather,or a cousin of my great great father.
John went with 2 friends to enlist for 3 years.He was just 18.The 3 friends decided to tell their parents after they got home from Camp Douglas.Imagine the parents fear then in 1861 when the war was just starting.
John was captured,sent to Libby Prison in Richmond.His weight went to 90 pounds.
He was beat up by a drunken Confederate guard and lost the use of his left arm for a time.
In 1864 he was involved in a prisoner exchange.He was sent home but reenlisted for the until the end of the war.
When he finally came home again he married and had 10 children.
Many years ago I dragged by family down south to follow John.s trail.
We went to Perrysville Kentucky and walked the battlefeild where old John fought.It was a feeling of connection,a feeling of pride when the wonderfull National Guide people looked up John Madderoms name and verified his presense thier.
Someday I hope to go farther and follow his trail further.
Below is the history of the 58th.Organized at Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill., February 11, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill., thence to Fort Donelson, Tenn., February 11-13. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, District of Cairo, February, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, District of West Tennessee, and Army of the Tennessee, to May, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1862 (Detachment). 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Corinth, Miss., to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Corinth, 13th Army Corps (Old), Department of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. Springfield, Ill., to June, 1863. District of Columbus, Ky., 6th Division, 16th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to January, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 16th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to March, 1864, and Dept. of the Gulf to June, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 16th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 16th Army Corps, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division (Detachment), Army of the Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 16th Army Corps (New), Military Division of West Mississippi, to March, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 16th Army Corps, to August, 1865. District of Alabama to April, 1866.

SERVICE - Investment and capture of Fort Donelson, Tenn., February 14-16. Occupation of Fort Henry February 18 - March 6. Moved to Savannah, thence to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., March 6-25. Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7. Mostly captured. Regiment consolidated into four Companies and organized with remnants of the 2nd, 7th, 12th and 14th Iowa Infantry into a body known as the Union Brigade, Army of the Tennessee. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29 - May 30. Pursuit to Booneville May 31 - June 6. Duty at Corinth till October. March to Iuka September 18-20. Battle of Corinth, Miss., October 3-4. Pursuit to Ruckersville October 5-12. The several detachments of Regiment concentrated at Camp Butler, Ill., in December, 1862, and on duty guarding prisoners till June, 1863. Ordered to Cairo, Ill. Garrison duty at Cairo and Mound City, Ill., Paducah and Mayfield, Ky., till January, 1864. Action at Mayfield November 2, 1863. Skirmish Obion River, near Union City, Tenn., November 19, 1863 (Cos. "G," "H," "I," "K"). Ordered to Vicksburg, Miss., January 21. Meridian Campaign February 3 - March 2. Red River Campaign March 10 - May 12. Fort DeRussy March 14. Occupation of Alexandria March 16. Battle of Pleasant Hill April 9. Natchitoches April 20-21. About Cloutiersville April 22-24. At Alexandria April 26 - May 13. Retreat to Morganza May 13-20. Mansura May 16. Yellow Bayou May 18. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss.; thence to Memphis, Tenn., May 22 - June 10. Lake Chicot, Ark., June 6. Defeat of Marmaduke. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., July 5-21. Near Camargo's Cross Roads July 13. Harrisburg, near Tupelo, July 14-15. Old Town (or Tishamingo Creek), July 15. Smith's Expedition to Oxford, Miss., August 1-31, Tallahatchie River August 7-9. Abbeville August 23. Mower's Expedition to Brownsville, Ark., September 2-10. March through Arkansas and Missouri in pursuit of Price September 17 - November 19. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., November 21 - December 1. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Eastport, Miss., and duty there till February, 1865. Expedition from Eastport to Iuka January 9, 1865. Movement to New Orleans, La., February 8-26; thence to Dauphin Island, Ala., March 6. Campaign against Mobile and its defenses March 17 - April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26 - April 8. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Duty at Montgomery and in the District of Alabama till April, 1866.

Mustered out April 15, 1866.

Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 75 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 211 Enlisted men by disease. Total 298

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, you sell books, and you had an ancestor in the 58th Illinois. Do you sell copies of the recently published book on Fort DeRussy - "Earthen Walls, Iron Men: Fort DeRussy, Louisiana and the Defense of Red River" (U of Tenn Press, 2007)? Seems like that would be a good fit. The 58th Illinois was involved in the bayonet charge on the fort, and took casualties there.

Det, Wm Kazupski Chicago Police said...

John Madderom's Memorial Page

Includes photos of his grave marker and his family members grave markers.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=72170639

Or just go to:
www.findagrave.com

and search Madderom