Private CYRUS C. CLARKE, Co. C, 86th Illinois
Cyrus C. Clarke was born on __________ __, 1832 in East Troy, Albany County, New York, the son of __________ Clarke and __________ (__________) Clarke. Very little is known of Cyrus C. Clarke/Clark. He can be identified in any census prior to the Civil War, so his parents remain unknown. All that is known is where he was born and that by the summer of 1862, he was living in the city of Chillicothe, Illinois in Peoria County.
On August 9, 1862, Cyrus, who was a Mason by trade, went into town and volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, Cyrus gave his residence as Saratoga Township in Marshall County.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report from the Illinois State Archives
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name CLARKE, CYRUS C
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence CHILLICOTHE, PEORIA CO, IL Age 30 Height 5' 10 1/2 Hair BROWN
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status SINGLE Occupation MASON
Nativity EAST TROY, ALBANY CO, NY
Service Record
Joined When AUG 9, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out N/A
Muster Out Where N/A Muster Out By Whom N/A
Remarks KILLED IN ACTION AT KENESAW MOUNTAIN GA JUN 27, 1864
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in Union General Buell's army in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the years to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp. They would remain in the Nashville area though the late summer of 1863..
During the next two years, Private Cyrus C. Clark served faithfully in Co. C as the men of McCook's Brigade served in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. During this time, Edson was a witness to and a participant in some of the bloodiest fighting of the Western Theatre. During 1863 and 1864, Cyrus was most likely there and a participant in the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia and Rome, Georgia, to name a few, and in numerous skirmishes. Near the end of June of 1864, the Union Army under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman was nearing the important railroad hub of Atlanta, Georgia.
As the men of the 86th lay in the trenches on the morning of June 27, 1864 across from Cheatham Hill on Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, little did they know that when the sun set on that day, the 86th Illinois would look drastically different. As the men made preparations for the assault on the Confederate fortifications on Cheatham Hill that morning, Co. C most likely fielded about 40 to 45 officers and men fit for duty. The five regiments of McCook's Brigade were stacked one behind the other. It was hoped that in this formation that each regiment would give some protection for the ones behind it and as the lead regiments suffered casualties that the next regiment would pass through it and continue to lead the way.
The men of McCook's Brigade made it to the Confederate breastwork, where the fighting was hand to hand. Men fought with their fists, threw rocks and used their bayonets and their rifles as clubs. Colonel Daniel McCook made it to the breastworks, climbed on top and while trying to rally his men over the top, was shot off of the breastworks, mortally wounded. The Brigade just didn't have enough left when it got to the breastworks and the order was finally given to fall back, leaving the dead and many of the wounded behind as they fell back. The surviving members of McCook's Brigade fell back about 50 yards and tried to dig in, not wanting to cross the open ground that they had come across. While half of the men kept up the firing, trying to keep Conferate heads down, the other half dug. Before long, they had decent breastworks of their own. When night finally fell, giving the men some releaf, it was found that McCook's Brigade had lost over 500 men in those 30 minutes, over 30% casualties.
The 86th Illinois had over 100 men wounded or missing, most of the missing, of course, were laying there between the two lines. Company C lost 10 men during the charge, nine are believed to have come back wounded, though three of they died shortly afterward, Private Cyrus C. Clarke was missing and was believed to have been killed and laying among the dead. For two days, those missing laid there bloating and rotting in the hot Georgia sun as the men in opposing lines sniped back and fourth, neither side willing to try to push the other off of the hill. Finally neither side could stand the smell of the rotting corpses any longer and a truce was called.
On June 29, 1864, as the men lay in the trenches, Henry Nurse, another member of Co. C penned a letter to his father, hoping he would live long enough to mail it. Of the situation, Henry wrote, "I improve the opportunity of writing to you to let you know how I am a getting along. I am not very well but am better than I have been for a few days back but am quite weak yet but am with the Regt. Our briagde made a charge on the rebs works but did not take them. Our regiment lost the heaviest of any in the brigade, 110 in all. Our company lost five killed, and 8 or 9 wounded but three very slight. Benjamin Prentiss was killed yesterday, shot through the head. I was not with the regiment. I started on the charge with them but as I was weak I gave out and the Lieutenant told me to go back to the knapsacks, so I did. I do not claim any part in the battle."
Henry continued, "We had a cessation of hostilities today while the men went to get off our dead for they smelt so bad that they could not stand it any longer. Stephen Easton and A. J. Rutherford, Cyrus Clark and a Sergeant was killed. Cyrus Root was wounded in the arm and head but not serious. John Shane wounded in the side. With extra care will get well. J. B. Selders, of Chillicothe, wounded in the knee and J. C. Lanstrom, of Rome, wounded in the arm, just slight."
Henry closed the letter by saying, "Colonel McCook wounded quite serious. Colonel Harmon of the 125th was killed. Lieutenant Colonel of the 52nd Ohio wounded slightly in the leg. I never was at a field hospital in the time of battle. It is awful. The doctors cut and slash among the wounded just as though they were Butchering hogs. It is the only way they can do in the time of Battle."
As the men in the burial details worked the among the fallen, Cyrus C. Clark's body was identified by one of his tentmates or messmates and his body was among those buried right there on the battlefield. The graves of those that could be identified were marked the best they could. After the dead were buried, the order went out to "git your heads down" and both sides west back to sniping. This went on for another few days, before the Confederates finally withdrew from their breastworks and continued to fall back toward Atlanta. The following day, the men of McCook's Brigade looked on the graves of their fallen comrades one last time, before they too continued their drive to Atlanta.
One of the wounded of Co. C was Cyrus Root. As he was taken to a field hospital after being wounded, he did not find out all of the details about Cyrus C. Clark's body being located several days after the battle.
On July 3, 1864, Cyrus Root sat down in Ward 6 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, Tennessee and penned the following to his father, Erastus Root, after the typical greetings and opening remarks about the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. "On the morning of the 27th of June we was told that we was to charge the rebel brestworks that morning and about tenn oclock our brigaid was formed reddy for the charge. The 125 Ills was ahead and the 86 next. We started and marched about half a mile in line of battle whare we come in site of the rebel brestworks and then was ordered to fix bayonets and dambed quick. We charged up to their works but they wer rather too strong for us. We stopt and gave them thunder fore a while but we had to fall back a ways. I was within tenn steps of the rebel brestworks when I was shot and then I limbered to the rear. The rebs threw stones over the works at us. They dasent rais up to shoot. our Regiment built brestworks within fifty yards of the rebel works. They were thare the last time I hurd from them. Our Regiment lost one hundred and tenn men that day in killed woundid and missing. That was the rufest time the 86 ever had I guess. Liut. McDonald was nocked down with a stone but did not hurt him mutch. The killed in our Company was Sargeant Sirlott and Steaphen Easton and Jackson Rutherford and the wounded was John Solders John Loudstorm John Sahne Ralph Gallop and my self. Cyrus C. Clark was missing. He was eather killed or taken prisoner. John Shane was wounded very bad and I am afraid that he will never get well. The rest are not very bad............"
About the three weeks later, on July 21, 1864, while now sitting in Ward 7 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, after the normal greetings to his brother, J. Perry Root, and after telling that he did not need him to make a trip to Nashville to look after him, Cyrus wrote the following. "I am still here in the Hospital and a getting a long first rate. I have got well again except one place in my arm that runs a little yet but it dont hurt mee any more. I think that I was very lucky to get off as well as I did fore thare wer a great many that faired a grate deal worse than I did. It was the first time that I was ever in a field hospital during an engagement and I hope it will be the last time. I can tell you that it is a hard site to see the woundid come in. Their was woundid in all shapes that you could mention and then to see them laid on the table and saw their legs and armes off is not a very pleasant site but it all has to be dun. Thare was a man killed on each side of me. Sirlott was on my rite and Rutherford was on my left. So you see that they shot clost too a fellow. Well about Ben Prentice. I did not know that he was killed when I wrote. He was not killed untill the next day after I was woundid. He was on picket when he was killed. I did not hear off it until dayes ago and then I did not know sertain that he was killed but I expect that it is so. I was very sorry to hear it fore Ben was a good boy and a first rate soldier but they kill a good soldier as quick as they will a poor one........."
Several years after the war, the graves of the Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, as well as other Atlanta Campaign battlefields, were exhumed and moved to the Marietta National Cemetery located in Marietta, Georgia, not far south of Kennsaw. Today the mortal remains of Private Cyrus C. Clarke lie in Grave #9261 in Section I of the Marietta National Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III
Cyrus C. Clarke was born on __________ __, 1832 in East Troy, Albany County, New York, the son of __________ Clarke and __________ (__________) Clarke. Very little is known of Cyrus C. Clarke/Clark. He can be identified in any census prior to the Civil War, so his parents remain unknown. All that is known is where he was born and that by the summer of 1862, he was living in the city of Chillicothe, Illinois in Peoria County.
On August 9, 1862, Cyrus, who was a Mason by trade, went into town and volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, Cyrus gave his residence as Saratoga Township in Marshall County.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report from the Illinois State Archives
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name CLARKE, CYRUS C
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence CHILLICOTHE, PEORIA CO, IL Age 30 Height 5' 10 1/2 Hair BROWN
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status SINGLE Occupation MASON
Nativity EAST TROY, ALBANY CO, NY
Service Record
Joined When AUG 9, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out N/A
Muster Out Where N/A Muster Out By Whom N/A
Remarks KILLED IN ACTION AT KENESAW MOUNTAIN GA JUN 27, 1864
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in Union General Buell's army in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the years to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp. They would remain in the Nashville area though the late summer of 1863..
During the next two years, Private Cyrus C. Clark served faithfully in Co. C as the men of McCook's Brigade served in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. During this time, Edson was a witness to and a participant in some of the bloodiest fighting of the Western Theatre. During 1863 and 1864, Cyrus was most likely there and a participant in the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia and Rome, Georgia, to name a few, and in numerous skirmishes. Near the end of June of 1864, the Union Army under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman was nearing the important railroad hub of Atlanta, Georgia.
As the men of the 86th lay in the trenches on the morning of June 27, 1864 across from Cheatham Hill on Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, little did they know that when the sun set on that day, the 86th Illinois would look drastically different. As the men made preparations for the assault on the Confederate fortifications on Cheatham Hill that morning, Co. C most likely fielded about 40 to 45 officers and men fit for duty. The five regiments of McCook's Brigade were stacked one behind the other. It was hoped that in this formation that each regiment would give some protection for the ones behind it and as the lead regiments suffered casualties that the next regiment would pass through it and continue to lead the way.
The men of McCook's Brigade made it to the Confederate breastwork, where the fighting was hand to hand. Men fought with their fists, threw rocks and used their bayonets and their rifles as clubs. Colonel Daniel McCook made it to the breastworks, climbed on top and while trying to rally his men over the top, was shot off of the breastworks, mortally wounded. The Brigade just didn't have enough left when it got to the breastworks and the order was finally given to fall back, leaving the dead and many of the wounded behind as they fell back. The surviving members of McCook's Brigade fell back about 50 yards and tried to dig in, not wanting to cross the open ground that they had come across. While half of the men kept up the firing, trying to keep Conferate heads down, the other half dug. Before long, they had decent breastworks of their own. When night finally fell, giving the men some releaf, it was found that McCook's Brigade had lost over 500 men in those 30 minutes, over 30% casualties.
The 86th Illinois had over 100 men wounded or missing, most of the missing, of course, were laying there between the two lines. Company C lost 10 men during the charge, nine are believed to have come back wounded, though three of they died shortly afterward, Private Cyrus C. Clarke was missing and was believed to have been killed and laying among the dead. For two days, those missing laid there bloating and rotting in the hot Georgia sun as the men in opposing lines sniped back and fourth, neither side willing to try to push the other off of the hill. Finally neither side could stand the smell of the rotting corpses any longer and a truce was called.
On June 29, 1864, as the men lay in the trenches, Henry Nurse, another member of Co. C penned a letter to his father, hoping he would live long enough to mail it. Of the situation, Henry wrote, "I improve the opportunity of writing to you to let you know how I am a getting along. I am not very well but am better than I have been for a few days back but am quite weak yet but am with the Regt. Our briagde made a charge on the rebs works but did not take them. Our regiment lost the heaviest of any in the brigade, 110 in all. Our company lost five killed, and 8 or 9 wounded but three very slight. Benjamin Prentiss was killed yesterday, shot through the head. I was not with the regiment. I started on the charge with them but as I was weak I gave out and the Lieutenant told me to go back to the knapsacks, so I did. I do not claim any part in the battle."
Henry continued, "We had a cessation of hostilities today while the men went to get off our dead for they smelt so bad that they could not stand it any longer. Stephen Easton and A. J. Rutherford, Cyrus Clark and a Sergeant was killed. Cyrus Root was wounded in the arm and head but not serious. John Shane wounded in the side. With extra care will get well. J. B. Selders, of Chillicothe, wounded in the knee and J. C. Lanstrom, of Rome, wounded in the arm, just slight."
Henry closed the letter by saying, "Colonel McCook wounded quite serious. Colonel Harmon of the 125th was killed. Lieutenant Colonel of the 52nd Ohio wounded slightly in the leg. I never was at a field hospital in the time of battle. It is awful. The doctors cut and slash among the wounded just as though they were Butchering hogs. It is the only way they can do in the time of Battle."
As the men in the burial details worked the among the fallen, Cyrus C. Clark's body was identified by one of his tentmates or messmates and his body was among those buried right there on the battlefield. The graves of those that could be identified were marked the best they could. After the dead were buried, the order went out to "git your heads down" and both sides west back to sniping. This went on for another few days, before the Confederates finally withdrew from their breastworks and continued to fall back toward Atlanta. The following day, the men of McCook's Brigade looked on the graves of their fallen comrades one last time, before they too continued their drive to Atlanta.
One of the wounded of Co. C was Cyrus Root. As he was taken to a field hospital after being wounded, he did not find out all of the details about Cyrus C. Clark's body being located several days after the battle.
On July 3, 1864, Cyrus Root sat down in Ward 6 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, Tennessee and penned the following to his father, Erastus Root, after the typical greetings and opening remarks about the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. "On the morning of the 27th of June we was told that we was to charge the rebel brestworks that morning and about tenn oclock our brigaid was formed reddy for the charge. The 125 Ills was ahead and the 86 next. We started and marched about half a mile in line of battle whare we come in site of the rebel brestworks and then was ordered to fix bayonets and dambed quick. We charged up to their works but they wer rather too strong for us. We stopt and gave them thunder fore a while but we had to fall back a ways. I was within tenn steps of the rebel brestworks when I was shot and then I limbered to the rear. The rebs threw stones over the works at us. They dasent rais up to shoot. our Regiment built brestworks within fifty yards of the rebel works. They were thare the last time I hurd from them. Our Regiment lost one hundred and tenn men that day in killed woundid and missing. That was the rufest time the 86 ever had I guess. Liut. McDonald was nocked down with a stone but did not hurt him mutch. The killed in our Company was Sargeant Sirlott and Steaphen Easton and Jackson Rutherford and the wounded was John Solders John Loudstorm John Sahne Ralph Gallop and my self. Cyrus C. Clark was missing. He was eather killed or taken prisoner. John Shane was wounded very bad and I am afraid that he will never get well. The rest are not very bad............"
About the three weeks later, on July 21, 1864, while now sitting in Ward 7 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, after the normal greetings to his brother, J. Perry Root, and after telling that he did not need him to make a trip to Nashville to look after him, Cyrus wrote the following. "I am still here in the Hospital and a getting a long first rate. I have got well again except one place in my arm that runs a little yet but it dont hurt mee any more. I think that I was very lucky to get off as well as I did fore thare wer a great many that faired a grate deal worse than I did. It was the first time that I was ever in a field hospital during an engagement and I hope it will be the last time. I can tell you that it is a hard site to see the woundid come in. Their was woundid in all shapes that you could mention and then to see them laid on the table and saw their legs and armes off is not a very pleasant site but it all has to be dun. Thare was a man killed on each side of me. Sirlott was on my rite and Rutherford was on my left. So you see that they shot clost too a fellow. Well about Ben Prentice. I did not know that he was killed when I wrote. He was not killed untill the next day after I was woundid. He was on picket when he was killed. I did not hear off it until dayes ago and then I did not know sertain that he was killed but I expect that it is so. I was very sorry to hear it fore Ben was a good boy and a first rate soldier but they kill a good soldier as quick as they will a poor one........."
Several years after the war, the graves of the Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, as well as other Atlanta Campaign battlefields, were exhumed and moved to the Marietta National Cemetery located in Marietta, Georgia, not far south of Kennsaw. Today the mortal remains of Private Cyrus C. Clarke lie in Grave #9261 in Section I of the Marietta National Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III
Private CYRUS C. CLARKE, Co. C, 86th Illinois
Cyrus C. Clarke was born on __________ __, 1832 in East Troy, Albany County, New York, the son of __________ Clarke and __________ (__________) Clarke. Very little is known of Cyrus C. Clarke/Clark. He can be identified in any census prior to the Civil War, so his parents remain unknown. All that is known is where he was born and that by the summer of 1862, he was living in the city of Chillicothe, Illinois in Peoria County.
On August 9, 1862, Cyrus, who was a Mason by trade, went into town and volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, Cyrus gave his residence as Saratoga Township in Marshall County.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report from the Illinois State Archives
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name CLARKE, CYRUS C
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence CHILLICOTHE, PEORIA CO, IL Age 30 Height 5' 10 1/2 Hair BROWN
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status SINGLE Occupation MASON
Nativity EAST TROY, ALBANY CO, NY
Service Record
Joined When AUG 9, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out N/A
Muster Out Where N/A Muster Out By Whom N/A
Remarks KILLED IN ACTION AT KENESAW MOUNTAIN GA JUN 27, 1864
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in Union General Buell's army in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the years to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp. They would remain in the Nashville area though the late summer of 1863..
During the next two years, Private Cyrus C. Clark served faithfully in Co. C as the men of McCook's Brigade served in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. During this time, Edson was a witness to and a participant in some of the bloodiest fighting of the Western Theatre. During 1863 and 1864, Cyrus was most likely there and a participant in the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia and Rome, Georgia, to name a few, and in numerous skirmishes. Near the end of June of 1864, the Union Army under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman was nearing the important railroad hub of Atlanta, Georgia.
As the men of the 86th lay in the trenches on the morning of June 27, 1864 across from Cheatham Hill on Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, little did they know that when the sun set on that day, the 86th Illinois would look drastically different. As the men made preparations for the assault on the Confederate fortifications on Cheatham Hill that morning, Co. C most likely fielded about 40 to 45 officers and men fit for duty. The five regiments of McCook's Brigade were stacked one behind the other. It was hoped that in this formation that each regiment would give some protection for the ones behind it and as the lead regiments suffered casualties that the next regiment would pass through it and continue to lead the way.
The men of McCook's Brigade made it to the Confederate breastwork, where the fighting was hand to hand. Men fought with their fists, threw rocks and used their bayonets and their rifles as clubs. Colonel Daniel McCook made it to the breastworks, climbed on top and while trying to rally his men over the top, was shot off of the breastworks, mortally wounded. The Brigade just didn't have enough left when it got to the breastworks and the order was finally given to fall back, leaving the dead and many of the wounded behind as they fell back. The surviving members of McCook's Brigade fell back about 50 yards and tried to dig in, not wanting to cross the open ground that they had come across. While half of the men kept up the firing, trying to keep Conferate heads down, the other half dug. Before long, they had decent breastworks of their own. When night finally fell, giving the men some releaf, it was found that McCook's Brigade had lost over 500 men in those 30 minutes, over 30% casualties.
The 86th Illinois had over 100 men wounded or missing, most of the missing, of course, were laying there between the two lines. Company C lost 10 men during the charge, nine are believed to have come back wounded, though three of they died shortly afterward, Private Cyrus C. Clarke was missing and was believed to have been killed and laying among the dead. For two days, those missing laid there bloating and rotting in the hot Georgia sun as the men in opposing lines sniped back and fourth, neither side willing to try to push the other off of the hill. Finally neither side could stand the smell of the rotting corpses any longer and a truce was called.
On June 29, 1864, as the men lay in the trenches, Henry Nurse, another member of Co. C penned a letter to his father, hoping he would live long enough to mail it. Of the situation, Henry wrote, "I improve the opportunity of writing to you to let you know how I am a getting along. I am not very well but am better than I have been for a few days back but am quite weak yet but am with the Regt. Our briagde made a charge on the rebs works but did not take them. Our regiment lost the heaviest of any in the brigade, 110 in all. Our company lost five killed, and 8 or 9 wounded but three very slight. Benjamin Prentiss was killed yesterday, shot through the head. I was not with the regiment. I started on the charge with them but as I was weak I gave out and the Lieutenant told me to go back to the knapsacks, so I did. I do not claim any part in the battle."
Henry continued, "We had a cessation of hostilities today while the men went to get off our dead for they smelt so bad that they could not stand it any longer. Stephen Easton and A. J. Rutherford, Cyrus Clark and a Sergeant was killed. Cyrus Root was wounded in the arm and head but not serious. John Shane wounded in the side. With extra care will get well. J. B. Selders, of Chillicothe, wounded in the knee and J. C. Lanstrom, of Rome, wounded in the arm, just slight."
Henry closed the letter by saying, "Colonel McCook wounded quite serious. Colonel Harmon of the 125th was killed. Lieutenant Colonel of the 52nd Ohio wounded slightly in the leg. I never was at a field hospital in the time of battle. It is awful. The doctors cut and slash among the wounded just as though they were Butchering hogs. It is the only way they can do in the time of Battle."
As the men in the burial details worked the among the fallen, Cyrus C. Clark's body was identified by one of his tentmates or messmates and his body was among those buried right there on the battlefield. The graves of those that could be identified were marked the best they could. After the dead were buried, the order went out to "git your heads down" and both sides west back to sniping. This went on for another few days, before the Confederates finally withdrew from their breastworks and continued to fall back toward Atlanta. The following day, the men of McCook's Brigade looked on the graves of their fallen comrades one last time, before they too continued their drive to Atlanta.
One of the wounded of Co. C was Cyrus Root. As he was taken to a field hospital after being wounded, he did not find out all of the details about Cyrus C. Clark's body being located several days after the battle.
On July 3, 1864, Cyrus Root sat down in Ward 6 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, Tennessee and penned the following to his father, Erastus Root, after the typical greetings and opening remarks about the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. "On the morning of the 27th of June we was told that we was to charge the rebel brestworks that morning and about tenn oclock our brigaid was formed reddy for the charge. The 125 Ills was ahead and the 86 next. We started and marched about half a mile in line of battle whare we come in site of the rebel brestworks and then was ordered to fix bayonets and dambed quick. We charged up to their works but they wer rather too strong for us. We stopt and gave them thunder fore a while but we had to fall back a ways. I was within tenn steps of the rebel brestworks when I was shot and then I limbered to the rear. The rebs threw stones over the works at us. They dasent rais up to shoot. our Regiment built brestworks within fifty yards of the rebel works. They were thare the last time I hurd from them. Our Regiment lost one hundred and tenn men that day in killed woundid and missing. That was the rufest time the 86 ever had I guess. Liut. McDonald was nocked down with a stone but did not hurt him mutch. The killed in our Company was Sargeant Sirlott and Steaphen Easton and Jackson Rutherford and the wounded was John Solders John Loudstorm John Sahne Ralph Gallop and my self. Cyrus C. Clark was missing. He was eather killed or taken prisoner. John Shane was wounded very bad and I am afraid that he will never get well. The rest are not very bad............"
About the three weeks later, on July 21, 1864, while now sitting in Ward 7 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, after the normal greetings to his brother, J. Perry Root, and after telling that he did not need him to make a trip to Nashville to look after him, Cyrus wrote the following. "I am still here in the Hospital and a getting a long first rate. I have got well again except one place in my arm that runs a little yet but it dont hurt mee any more. I think that I was very lucky to get off as well as I did fore thare wer a great many that faired a grate deal worse than I did. It was the first time that I was ever in a field hospital during an engagement and I hope it will be the last time. I can tell you that it is a hard site to see the woundid come in. Their was woundid in all shapes that you could mention and then to see them laid on the table and saw their legs and armes off is not a very pleasant site but it all has to be dun. Thare was a man killed on each side of me. Sirlott was on my rite and Rutherford was on my left. So you see that they shot clost too a fellow. Well about Ben Prentice. I did not know that he was killed when I wrote. He was not killed untill the next day after I was woundid. He was on picket when he was killed. I did not hear off it until dayes ago and then I did not know sertain that he was killed but I expect that it is so. I was very sorry to hear it fore Ben was a good boy and a first rate soldier but they kill a good soldier as quick as they will a poor one........."
Several years after the war, the graves of the Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, as well as other Atlanta Campaign battlefields, were exhumed and moved to the Marietta National Cemetery located in Marietta, Georgia, not far south of Kennsaw. Today the mortal remains of Private Cyrus C. Clarke lie in Grave #9261 in Section I of the Marietta National Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III
Cyrus C. Clarke was born on __________ __, 1832 in East Troy, Albany County, New York, the son of __________ Clarke and __________ (__________) Clarke. Very little is known of Cyrus C. Clarke/Clark. He can be identified in any census prior to the Civil War, so his parents remain unknown. All that is known is where he was born and that by the summer of 1862, he was living in the city of Chillicothe, Illinois in Peoria County.
On August 9, 1862, Cyrus, who was a Mason by trade, went into town and volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, Cyrus gave his residence as Saratoga Township in Marshall County.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report from the Illinois State Archives
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name CLARKE, CYRUS C
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence CHILLICOTHE, PEORIA CO, IL Age 30 Height 5' 10 1/2 Hair BROWN
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status SINGLE Occupation MASON
Nativity EAST TROY, ALBANY CO, NY
Service Record
Joined When AUG 9, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out N/A
Muster Out Where N/A Muster Out By Whom N/A
Remarks KILLED IN ACTION AT KENESAW MOUNTAIN GA JUN 27, 1864
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in Union General Buell's army in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the years to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp. They would remain in the Nashville area though the late summer of 1863..
During the next two years, Private Cyrus C. Clark served faithfully in Co. C as the men of McCook's Brigade served in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. During this time, Edson was a witness to and a participant in some of the bloodiest fighting of the Western Theatre. During 1863 and 1864, Cyrus was most likely there and a participant in the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia and Rome, Georgia, to name a few, and in numerous skirmishes. Near the end of June of 1864, the Union Army under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman was nearing the important railroad hub of Atlanta, Georgia.
As the men of the 86th lay in the trenches on the morning of June 27, 1864 across from Cheatham Hill on Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, little did they know that when the sun set on that day, the 86th Illinois would look drastically different. As the men made preparations for the assault on the Confederate fortifications on Cheatham Hill that morning, Co. C most likely fielded about 40 to 45 officers and men fit for duty. The five regiments of McCook's Brigade were stacked one behind the other. It was hoped that in this formation that each regiment would give some protection for the ones behind it and as the lead regiments suffered casualties that the next regiment would pass through it and continue to lead the way.
The men of McCook's Brigade made it to the Confederate breastwork, where the fighting was hand to hand. Men fought with their fists, threw rocks and used their bayonets and their rifles as clubs. Colonel Daniel McCook made it to the breastworks, climbed on top and while trying to rally his men over the top, was shot off of the breastworks, mortally wounded. The Brigade just didn't have enough left when it got to the breastworks and the order was finally given to fall back, leaving the dead and many of the wounded behind as they fell back. The surviving members of McCook's Brigade fell back about 50 yards and tried to dig in, not wanting to cross the open ground that they had come across. While half of the men kept up the firing, trying to keep Conferate heads down, the other half dug. Before long, they had decent breastworks of their own. When night finally fell, giving the men some releaf, it was found that McCook's Brigade had lost over 500 men in those 30 minutes, over 30% casualties.
The 86th Illinois had over 100 men wounded or missing, most of the missing, of course, were laying there between the two lines. Company C lost 10 men during the charge, nine are believed to have come back wounded, though three of they died shortly afterward, Private Cyrus C. Clarke was missing and was believed to have been killed and laying among the dead. For two days, those missing laid there bloating and rotting in the hot Georgia sun as the men in opposing lines sniped back and fourth, neither side willing to try to push the other off of the hill. Finally neither side could stand the smell of the rotting corpses any longer and a truce was called.
On June 29, 1864, as the men lay in the trenches, Henry Nurse, another member of Co. C penned a letter to his father, hoping he would live long enough to mail it. Of the situation, Henry wrote, "I improve the opportunity of writing to you to let you know how I am a getting along. I am not very well but am better than I have been for a few days back but am quite weak yet but am with the Regt. Our briagde made a charge on the rebs works but did not take them. Our regiment lost the heaviest of any in the brigade, 110 in all. Our company lost five killed, and 8 or 9 wounded but three very slight. Benjamin Prentiss was killed yesterday, shot through the head. I was not with the regiment. I started on the charge with them but as I was weak I gave out and the Lieutenant told me to go back to the knapsacks, so I did. I do not claim any part in the battle."
Henry continued, "We had a cessation of hostilities today while the men went to get off our dead for they smelt so bad that they could not stand it any longer. Stephen Easton and A. J. Rutherford, Cyrus Clark and a Sergeant was killed. Cyrus Root was wounded in the arm and head but not serious. John Shane wounded in the side. With extra care will get well. J. B. Selders, of Chillicothe, wounded in the knee and J. C. Lanstrom, of Rome, wounded in the arm, just slight."
Henry closed the letter by saying, "Colonel McCook wounded quite serious. Colonel Harmon of the 125th was killed. Lieutenant Colonel of the 52nd Ohio wounded slightly in the leg. I never was at a field hospital in the time of battle. It is awful. The doctors cut and slash among the wounded just as though they were Butchering hogs. It is the only way they can do in the time of Battle."
As the men in the burial details worked the among the fallen, Cyrus C. Clark's body was identified by one of his tentmates or messmates and his body was among those buried right there on the battlefield. The graves of those that could be identified were marked the best they could. After the dead were buried, the order went out to "git your heads down" and both sides west back to sniping. This went on for another few days, before the Confederates finally withdrew from their breastworks and continued to fall back toward Atlanta. The following day, the men of McCook's Brigade looked on the graves of their fallen comrades one last time, before they too continued their drive to Atlanta.
One of the wounded of Co. C was Cyrus Root. As he was taken to a field hospital after being wounded, he did not find out all of the details about Cyrus C. Clark's body being located several days after the battle.
On July 3, 1864, Cyrus Root sat down in Ward 6 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, Tennessee and penned the following to his father, Erastus Root, after the typical greetings and opening remarks about the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. "On the morning of the 27th of June we was told that we was to charge the rebel brestworks that morning and about tenn oclock our brigaid was formed reddy for the charge. The 125 Ills was ahead and the 86 next. We started and marched about half a mile in line of battle whare we come in site of the rebel brestworks and then was ordered to fix bayonets and dambed quick. We charged up to their works but they wer rather too strong for us. We stopt and gave them thunder fore a while but we had to fall back a ways. I was within tenn steps of the rebel brestworks when I was shot and then I limbered to the rear. The rebs threw stones over the works at us. They dasent rais up to shoot. our Regiment built brestworks within fifty yards of the rebel works. They were thare the last time I hurd from them. Our Regiment lost one hundred and tenn men that day in killed woundid and missing. That was the rufest time the 86 ever had I guess. Liut. McDonald was nocked down with a stone but did not hurt him mutch. The killed in our Company was Sargeant Sirlott and Steaphen Easton and Jackson Rutherford and the wounded was John Solders John Loudstorm John Sahne Ralph Gallop and my self. Cyrus C. Clark was missing. He was eather killed or taken prisoner. John Shane was wounded very bad and I am afraid that he will never get well. The rest are not very bad............"
About the three weeks later, on July 21, 1864, while now sitting in Ward 7 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, after the normal greetings to his brother, J. Perry Root, and after telling that he did not need him to make a trip to Nashville to look after him, Cyrus wrote the following. "I am still here in the Hospital and a getting a long first rate. I have got well again except one place in my arm that runs a little yet but it dont hurt mee any more. I think that I was very lucky to get off as well as I did fore thare wer a great many that faired a grate deal worse than I did. It was the first time that I was ever in a field hospital during an engagement and I hope it will be the last time. I can tell you that it is a hard site to see the woundid come in. Their was woundid in all shapes that you could mention and then to see them laid on the table and saw their legs and armes off is not a very pleasant site but it all has to be dun. Thare was a man killed on each side of me. Sirlott was on my rite and Rutherford was on my left. So you see that they shot clost too a fellow. Well about Ben Prentice. I did not know that he was killed when I wrote. He was not killed untill the next day after I was woundid. He was on picket when he was killed. I did not hear off it until dayes ago and then I did not know sertain that he was killed but I expect that it is so. I was very sorry to hear it fore Ben was a good boy and a first rate soldier but they kill a good soldier as quick as they will a poor one........."
Several years after the war, the graves of the Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, as well as other Atlanta Campaign battlefields, were exhumed and moved to the Marietta National Cemetery located in Marietta, Georgia, not far south of Kennsaw. Today the mortal remains of Private Cyrus C. Clarke lie in Grave #9261 in Section I of the Marietta National Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III
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