Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, May 13, 1865

Started at 10 a. m. and marched twelve miles today. We went into bivouac for the night near Hanover Court House. It is quite swampy and the roads are very bad, on account of so much rain the last few days. The country through which we passed today is considerably cut up by fortifications and badly used up on account of the two armies passing back and forth so often over the same roads and fields. The citizens are back on their farms and are at work again. Details of our men are stationed all along the way, guarding their homes and property, to keep the army from destroying things. When the army gets past, the guards fall into line at the rear.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 274-5

111th Illinois Infantry

Organized at Salem, Ill., and mustered in September 18, 1862. At Camp Marshall, Salem, till October 31, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill., October 31; thence to Columbus, Ky., November 1, and Post and garrison duty there till March, 1863. Attached to District of Columbus,, 13th Army Corps (Old), Department of the Tennessee, November to December, 1862. District of Columbus, Ky., 16th Army Corps, to November, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 16th Army Corps, to March, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 15th Army Corps, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 15th Army Corps, to June, 1865.

SERVICE. – Moved from Columbus, Ky., to Fort Heiman, Ky., March 12-13, 1863, and garrison duty there till May 28. Moved to Paducah, Ky., May 28 and duty there till October. Expedition to Conyeraville, Tenn., September 1-10, and to McLemoresville, Tenn., September 20-30. Moved to Eastport, Miss.; thence to Gravelly Springs, Ala., and Pulaski, Tenn., October 31-November 12. Duty at Pulaski and Decatur, Ala., till February 25, 1864. Moved to Decatur Junction February 25-27. Capture of Decatur March 7. Moved to Huntsville, Ala., March 16-18. At Larkinsville till May 1. Atlanta Campaign May 1-September 8. Demonstrations on Resaca, Ga., May 8-13. Near Resaca May 13. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Advance on Dallas May 17-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Op erations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Chattahoochie River July 6-17. Battle of Atlanta July 22. Siege of Atlanta July 22.August 25. Ezra Chapel, Hood's second sortie, July 28. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. LoveJoy Station September 2-6. Operations against Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. Bull's Gap, Ala., October 23. Turkeytown and Gadsden Road October 25. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Assault on and capture of Fort McAllister December 13. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Salkehatchie Swamps February 2-5. Cannon's Bridge, South Edisto River, February 8. North Edisto River February 12-13. Congaree Creek February 15. Columbia February 16-17. Fayetteville, N. C, March 11. Battle of Bentonville March 20-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's'House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19. Grand Review May 24. Mustered out June 7 and discharged at Springfield, Ill. June 27, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 75 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 166 Enlisted men by disease. Total 250.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1093