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[Illustration:

  _J. W. Langley_,
  (Late Colonel of the 125th Volunteer Infantry.)
]




                           The 125th Regiment
                      Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
                          Attention Battalion!


[Illustration]

                          BY ROBERT M. ROGERS,

                      Late Second Sergeant Co. B.

                            CHAMPAIGN, ILL.
                          GAZETTE STEAM PRINT.
                                 1882.




                            _To the Memory_

                               —OF THOSE—

                       Officers and Enlisted Men,

              Who leaving the endearments and comforts of
      home, willingly came at their country's call to her service,
                and on her altar yielded up their lives,
              this book is affectionately dedicated by the

                                                                 AUTHOR.




                             INTRODUCTION.


  COMRADES AND FRIENDS:

In presenting to you this record of our military life and of the time we
passed in the service of the Government, we have done it with the hope
that our efforts will be appreciated by you. Our desire has been to make
this a record, which we can leave behind us after we are gone, to those
who may come after us. We have done our best to make it reliable and
correct. There may be mistakes in it—undoubtedly there are; but the
general statements are correct, we know, while the incidents recounted
are true, as many of you will aver after you have read them. We have had
to labor under great difficulties in preparing for your inspection and
benefit these pages, and at times have almost become discouraged, but we
persevered, and at last succeeded in getting them into a shape which we
thought would warrant us in placing them in the hands of the printer,
and distributing them among you. Between the covers of the book you will
find not only a record of our marches, battles, and bivouacs, but also a
complete roster of the Regiment, showing what became of every man who,
on the 3rd day of September, 1862, was mustered into the service of the
United States in the 125th Illinois; whether he died on the field of
battle, was taken prisoner, transferred to other organizations, or was
mustered out with the Regiment at Chicago, when only 343 of the original
one thousand who filled the Regiment when we left home, answered to
their names. If he is buried in any Government Cemetery, the number of
his grave is given. Hoping that our endeavors to make, for the regiment,
a record which shall be not only valuable but also entertaining, and one
which shall meet with your approbation, we place it in your hands for
perusal.

But be assured that not one word has been written in these pages with
the intention of wounding any one's feelings in the least. Far from it!
We have too much good feeling for those lads who with us marched through
"Dixie," to do anything to give them pain.

Again, hoping you will be pleased with our endeavors we remain

                                                Yours Truly,

                                                       ROBERT M. ROGERS.

[Illustration]




                           TABLE OF CONTENTS.


                                CHAPTER I

  The organization of the Regiment—Rendezvous at Danville—We start for
    Cincinnati, etc., etc.

                                CHAPTER II

  Arrival at Cincinnati—Camp in the corn-stalk huts at Covington,
    Kentucky—Incidents of Camp Life, etc., etc.

                               CHAPTER III

  First night on picket—Asleep on post—Shooting at Capt. Fellows by
    picket—Receiving the mules necessary for transportation—Incidents
    connected therewith, etc., etc.

                                CHAPTER IV

  Down the Ohio to Louisville, Kentucky—Arrival of Buell's army—Camp
    on river bank—Removal to the cattle-pen, etc., etc.

                                CHAPTER V

  Our lessons in soldiering just begun—The Brigade formed—The
    appearance of Louisville at this time—Futile endeavors to get
    discharged by some of our warriors, etc., etc.

                                CHAPTER VI

  We leave Louisville for the South—Foraging—Sickness in the
    regiment—First death in Co. B., etc., etc.

                               CHAPTER VII

  Interview with Sheridan—We reach Bardstown—Locked up—Speedy release,
    etc., etc.

                               CHAPTER VIII

  Battle of Perrysville—Incidents of the fight—The Regiment's "baptism
    of fire"—First bayonet charge, etc., etc.

                                CHAPTER IX

  Reflections on the battle of Perrysville—Arrival at night of the
    supply train—A ramble over the battle-field—Scenes and incidents,
    etc., etc.

                                CHAPTER X

  March to Crab Orchard—Description