MUSTER ROLLS OF VOLUNTEERS - 1812

CAPTAIN THOMAS E. CRAIG’S COMPANY

A muster roll of a company of Volunteer riflemen, raised in Illinois Territory, under the command of Capt. Thomas E. CRAIG in the service of the United States, by order of His Excellency, Ninian EDWARDS, Governor of said Territory. From the 5^th September to the 2^nd December 1812.

Note: There was a column headed "date of appointment or engagement," all appear to have been entered September 5^th and all were discharged December 2, 1812.

Although Governor EDWARDS had several times during the years of 1811 and 1812 recommended to the Secretary of War the enlistment of one or more companies of "Rangers," to protect the frontier, and Congress having, in 1811, passed an act authorizing the organization of ten companies of rangers, which were afterward organized as the 17t^h United States Regiment, under Colonel William RUSSELL, of Kentucky, an Indian fighter of bravery and experience, it does not appear that more than one Company was recruited in the Illinois Territory. DAVIDSON and STUVE say in their History, in reference to this force: "Four companies were allotted to the defense of Illinois, whose respective Captains were Samuel and William B. WHITESIDES, James B. MOORE and Jacob SHORT. Independent Cavalry Companies were also organized for the protection of the remote settlements in the lower Wabash country, of which Willis HARGRAVE, William MCHENRY, Nathaniel JOURNEY, Captain CRAIG, at Shawneetown, and William BOON, on Big Muddy, were respectively commanders, ready, on short notice of Indian outrages, to make pursuit of the deprecator. (D. and S. Hist. Ill., p. 249.) We are, however, of the opinion that there must have been some mistake about the fact alleged of four companies of the 17^th Regiment being from Illinois, as, of the Captains mentioned, we have evidence that Samuel WHITESIDES, James B. MOORE and Jacob SHORT were commanding Companies of Militia at the time, in the service of the Governor of the Territory, all belonging to the Regiment which WILLIAM WHITESIDE, as Lieutenant Colonel, was then commanding (the 2^nd Regiment Ter. Militia). The organization and size of this command appear from a regimental return, on file in this office, bearing date of September 16, 1812, which was no doubt made out at Camp Russell, signed by Lieutenant Colonel William WHITESIDE, Commanding, and Elihu MATHER, Adjutant, and is as follows:

In a morning report, also made at Camp Russell, dated Sept. 12, 1812, "of the troops under the command of Major Benjamin STEPHENSON," we find companies under the command of Captains James B. MOORE, W. B. WHITESIDE, Absolem COX, Jacob SHORT, Willis HARGRAVES, Samuel WHITESIDE, Nathaniel JOURNEY and Amos SQUIRES, giving an aggregate of 570 men. Two companies on this return, viz.: Absolem COX’S and William HARGRAVES’ were probably independent companies or belonged to another regiment, and were reported because present at the same post. These returns were both made out and signed by A. WHITNEY, Sergeant-Major, and a penman of no mean ability.

In another morning report of "troops under the command of Lieut-Col. WHITESIDE," dated Oct. 10, 1812—and also made out by A. WHITNEY, Sergeant-Major—their appears companies under the command of Captain N. RAMSEY, Thomas E. CRAIG, Willis HARGRAVES, Absolem COX and James TROUSDALE, showing present an aggregate of 316 men, A "staff" return on the same blank shows present 1 surgeon, 1` surgeon-mate, 1 Adjutant, 1 Sergeant-Major, and 1 Judge Advocate. At the bottom of this return is the following: "N. B.—Six company on command, Captain MOORS, S. WHITESIDE, SHORT, WHITESID, N. JOURNEY, Squires." Of these companies mentioned in these returns, we have rolls of a part only. These we will now give:

CAPTAIN SAMUEL WHITESIDES’ COMPANY

A muster roll of a volunteer company of mounted riflemen commanded by Captain Samuel WHITESIDES, of St. Clair county, Illinois Territory, by order of His Excellency, Ninian EDWARDS, Governor of said Territory. Date of enlistment, August 22, --enlisted to November 13, 1812.

CAPTAIN SAMUEL WHITESIDES' COMPANY

I do certify on honor that the foregoing statement is correct, and exhibits a true account of the men under my command. This 13^th day of November, 1812.

SAMEUL WHITESIDES, Captain

CAPTAIN JACOB SHORT’S FIRST COMPANY

 Muster roll of the mounted riflemen detached from the 2^nd Regiment of militia, Illinois Territory, for a three months’ tour, by order of the Commander-in-Chief, March 3, 1812.

CAPTAIN JACOB SHORT’S FIRST COMPANY

Mustered and inspected by me, Elihu MATHER, Adjutant, 2^nd Regiment Militia, Illinois Territory

CAPTAIN JOHN SCOTT’S COMPANY

A list of the third Company detached from Colonel WHITESIDE’S Regiment on the 3^rd of March, 1812, as infantry.

Mustered and inspected by me, Elihu MATHER, Adjutant, 2^nd Regiment Militia, Illinois Territory.

CAPTAIN SAMUEL JUDY’S COMPANY

Otherwise known as

CAPTAIN HENRY COOK’S COMPANY

A list of the first company detached from the 2^nd Regiment of Militia, Illinois Territory, for a three months’ tour, by order of the Commander-in-Chief, 3^rd March, 1812, inspected at Cahokia.

Mustered and inspected by me, Elihu MATHER, Adjutant, 2^nd Regiment Militia, Illinois Territory.

CAPTAIN WILLIS HARGRAVE’S COMPANY

We, the undersigned, being formed into a Company of Mounted Volunteers, under the command of Willis HARGRAVE as Captain, tender to your Excellency our services, to perform a tour of duty against the Indians on the frontiers of Illinois Territory, and to hold ourselves in readiness to march at a minute’s warning to any point you may direct.

CAPTAIN SAMUEL JUDY’S SPY COMPANY

CAPTAIN ABSOLEM COX’S COMPANY

Muster roll and inspection return of detachments of the 1^st Regiment of Illinois Militia, under the command of Capt. Absolem COX, at Kaskaskia, the 3^rd of September 1812. (This detachment did not go to Peoria, but was no doubt left behind to protect the settlers.)

FROM CAPTAIN COX’S COMPANY

FROM CAPTAIN ALEXANDER’S COMPANY

FROM CAPTAIN HENRY LEVON’S COMPANY

FROM CAPTAIN JOHN COCHRAN’S COMPANY

FROM CAPTAIN M’DINEY’S COMPANY

FROM CAPTAIN GREENUP’S COMPANY

FROM CAPTAIN GABRIEL DECOCHE’S COMPANY

(Signed) DAVID ANDERSON, Inspector

Adjutant 1^st Ill. Militia.

CAPTAIN JAMES B. MOORE’S COMPANY

1^st Company – April 15 to May 3, 1812.

CAPTAIN JAMES B. MOORE’S (2D) COMPANY.

A muster roll of a volunteer company of Cavalry, commanded by Capt. James B. MOORE, of St. Clair county, Illinois Territory. By order of His Excellency, Ninian EDWARDS, Governor of Illinois Territory. From July 27, 1812, to August 11, 1812.

CAPTAIN PHILIP TRAMELL’S COMPANY.

Muster roll of a detachment of Mounted Militia, called into the service of the United States, under the orders of His Excellency, Governor EDWARDS, to guard military stores from Shawneetown to Camp Russell, under the command of Philip TRAMELL, Lieut. Col. Of the 4^th Regiment, Illinois Militia, acting as Captain. From thirtieth to the 31^st day of October, 1812.

I do certify that the within muster roll exhibits a true statement of the detachment for the purpose mentioned therein, and that James Ratcliff furnished a wagon and team for the purpose of transporting military stores from Shawnee-town to Camp Russell, which was employed in the United States service from the 5^th day of October until the 31^st; the same month with Adam CROACH, wagoner. William MORRISON furnished a wagon, team and driver; for the same purpose, from the 9^th October to the 31^st of same month. Meed LAUGHLIN and Davis GILLARD each furnished wagon, and team, and driver, for the above purpose, from the 31^st of same month.

PHILIP TRAMELL, Lieut.-Col., 4^th Illinois Militia,

Now acting as Captain, in place of Leonard WHITE.

CAPTAIN DUDLEY WILLIAMS’ COMPANY OF THE
4TH REGIMENT MILITIA

A muster roll of Volunteer company of Mounted Riflemen, called into service of the United States, agreeable to an order of His Excellency, Ninian EDWARDS, Commander-in-Chief of the Illinois Militia (against the late invasion of the hostile Indians), commanded by Capt. Dudley WILLIAMS. From Oct. 14^th to Nov. 5^th, 1812.

I certify that the foregoing is a correct muster roll of my company, and that they were mustered into the service of the United States Saline, on the 14^th day of October, 1812.

Examined and approved,

DUDLEY WILLIAMS, Capt. B. STEPHENSON, Brigade Major.

Also endorsed by a certificate of Philip TRAMELL, Liet.-Col. Of the 4^th Regiment, Illinois Militia: "That this company found their own provisions from Christian County to the United States Saline and back again, which going and coming may be considered 160 miles."

The foregoing comprises all the rolls of companies which have been preserved in this office of those who enlisted during and prior to year 1812. As the rolls of many of these Companies of Rangers are no doubt preserved in the archives of the War Department at Washington, and their publication would add much to the resources of the early history of the State, it is to be hoped that the General Assembly may see fit to take some steps to have them transcribed and published.

As to the other most common means of security for families of the settlers in these early days, these consisted of block-house forts, a number of which were built extending from the Illinois River to the Kaskaskia, thence to United States Salines, near the present town of Equality, and up the Ohio and Wabash rivers, and in nearly all settlements in Illinois. Some of these forts were situated as follows: One at the site of the present town of Carlyle, one a short distance above the town of Winston, and two on east side of Shoal Creek, known as Hills and Jones; all these in the limits of the present county of Clinton. One on the west side of Looking Glass Prairie, a few miles southeast of the present town of Lebanon, was known as Chambers’ Fort. On the Kaskaskia River were Middleton’s and Going’s Forts; one on Doza Creek, a few miles from its mouth, known as Nat. Hills; two in the Jourdan settlement, in the eastern part of Franklin county, on the road from the Kaskaskia settlements to the salt works; one at the mouth of the Illinois River, and later John Campbell an United States officer, erected a small block-house on the west bank of the Illinois River (at Prairie Marcot), 19 miles above its mouth. Larger forts than these were erected opposite the mouth of the Missouri River, to guard the river, and on Silver Creek, near Troy. The main fort, however, and military depot of the territory, was at Camp Russell, a mile and a half northwest of the present town of Edwardsville, in Madison county, in honor of the Colonel, the commander of the Regiment of Rangers. (D. and S. Hist., pp. 249-250.) This fort was protected by the cannon from old Fort Chartres, and under the guns of Louis XIV., under whose protecting muzzles the Territorial Governor was wont to organize his expeditions, gather his military stores, and rendezvous his recruits under the various calls which the necessities of a desultory Indian warfare, of several years’ duration, made it obligatory on his Excellency to make.

At this fort, besides the rangers and riflemen mentioned in the various rolls above given, was also a small company of regular troops, under Capt. N. RAMSEY, as the return of Lieutenant-Colonel WHITESIDE on the 10^th of October, 1832, hereinbefore published, shows to have contained a total of 33 men. This company was the only company of regular troops in Illinois Territory, during the war of 1812, which reached the headquarters of Governor EDWARDS, or tested the hospitalities of his fort.

Among these old rolls, we find one of perhaps the most interest. In an historical point of view, of any small paper connected with the history of the State. It reads as follows:

GENERAL STAFF

Muster roll of general and staff officers of a detachment of militia of Illinois Territory, ordered into the actual service of the United States, and commanded by his Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Territory aforesaid:

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