A Woman Appointed Major

Governor Yates has paid a rather unusual but well merited compliment to Mrs. Reynolds, wife of Lieut. Reynolds, of Co. A 17th Illinois, and a resident of this city. Mrs. Reynolds has accompanied her husband through the greater part of the campaign through which the 17th has passed, sharing with him the dangers and privations of a soldier’s life. She was present at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and like a ministering angel, attended to the wants of as many of the wounded and dying soldiers as she could, thus winning the gratitude and esteem of the brave fellows by whom she was surrounded.

Gov. Yates, hearing of her heroic and praiseworthy conduct, presented her with a commission as Major in the army, the document conferring the well-merited honor being made out with due formality, and having attached the great seal of the Sate. Probably no lady in America will ever again have such a distinguished military honor conferred upon her. Mrs. Reynolds is now in this city, and [leaves] to join her regiment in a day or two. – Peoria Trans.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 30, 1862, p. 2

Arrangements for the Wounded

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., April 25.

The steamer Black Hawk left Quincy last night for the Tennessee river, completely fitted up by Gov. Yates to receive 400 wounded Illinois soldiers, in the event of another battle near Corinth. She also takes up large quantities of supplies for hospitals in that vicinity. Gov. Yates will dispatch several other boats on the same errand, as soon as they can be fitted out.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, April 26, 1862, p. 1

An Unprecedented Military Appointment

Governor Yates has paid a rather unusual but well merited compliment to Mrs. Reynolds, wife of Lieutenant Reynolds of Company A, 17th Illinois, and a resident of this city. Mrs. Reynolds has accompanied her husband through the greater part of the campaign through which the 17th has passed, sharing with him the dangers and privations of a soldier’s life. She was present at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and like a ministering angel, attended to the wants of as many of the wounded and dying soldiers as she could, thus winning the gratitude and esteem of the brave fellows by whom she was surrounded.

Gov. Yates hearing of her heroic and praiseworthy conduct, presented her with a commission as Major in the army, the document conferring the well-merited honor being made out with all due formality, and having attached the great seal of the State. Probably no lady in America will ever again have such a distinguished military honor conferred upon her. Mrs. Reynolds is now in this city, and leaves to join her regiment in a day or two. – {Peoria Transcript.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 26, 1862, p. 2

From Cairo

Special to the Chicago Times.

CAIRO, April 15.

No news of importance has reached us today from any quarter.

I am informed by a gentleman just from Pittsburg, that Gen. Halleck is actively engaged in organizing and equipping his army for such movements as may be deemed necessary to break up and scatter the opposing army. Now that Gen. Halleck has command in person, we feel easy, knowing that a master mind will direct the movements of our troops.

The steamer Blackhawk, with Gov. Yates and suite, and about 200 wounded, has just arrived from Pittsburg. She will proceed at once to Quincy with the wounded.

A large number of the wounded remained at Savannah. When my informant left, every house was full.

My informant, who accompanied Gov. Yates to Pittsburg , says that we only recaptured a portion of the guns taken by the enemy on Sunday, and that we only captured one of the enemy’s guns. Our loss in tents, baggage, mules, wagons, etc., is very great. Many of our officers and soldiers lost their clothing, except what they had on their backs. I have received nothing from our correspondents above or below.

Gen. Strong has just received the following dispatch, dated at Pittsburg:


Sick and wounded all off. Stop all sanitary commissions, nurses and citizens. We don’t want any more.

(Signed) H. W. HALLECK, Major General


Gen. Strong has telegraphed to Paducah that the hospitals at Mound City and St. Louis are full, and to have the hospital boats turned up to Louisville and Cincinnati.

An attempt has been made to poison some of our troops at Columbus. Four of these have died. Gen. Strong has ordered a portion of the meal which contains the poison to be sent to Chicago to be analyzed, and the party of the guilty of the outrage be arrested.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, April 17, 1862, p. 1

Special Dispatch in the Chicago Tribune

Special Dispatch in the Chicago Tribune

Cairo, April 11, 1862

Gov. Yates arrived here this morning from Springfield, en route for Tennessee, to look after the wounded of the Illinois regiments. He was welcomed with a salute from Cairo.

The Ohio Belle came in this morning with an invoice of rebel prisoners from Island No. 10. The Ohio Bell is a secesh boat captured at the Island, and is the craft which, upon the day of the general bombardment, came around the point with rebel officers on board, reconnoitering, and was fired at by the Benton.

Cairo is filled with physician, nurses and civilians from Chicago, Springfield, Indiana and Iowa, all desirous of going up the Tennessee. The civilians will all be disappointed, as Gen. Halleck, before his departure yesterday, issued stringent orders against granting passes. The 17th Wisconsin regiment, a Chicago battery, and Coggswell’s Iowa battery arrived this morning from Benton Barracks, St. Louis.

Affairs are quiet at Island No. 10. The prisoners are rapidly being sent off. The Benton, St. Louis and Mound City are at the Island, and the Carondelet and Pittsburg at Mound City.

A large number of wounded were brought down from Pittsburg this morning to the Mound City Hospital.

– Published in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday, April 17, 1862

Reading Old Abe’s Proclamation to the Rebels

A correspondent with General Sherman’s army narrates the following:

“Brigadier General Morgan informs me of an incident that occurred on his line of operations, that is too good to be lost: While his brigade occupied the gap between Oak Knob and Rocky Face, recently a corporal of company I, 60th Illinois, broke from the line and under cover of projecting ledges got up within twenty feet of a squad of rebels on the summit. Taking shelter from the sharpshooters he called out:

“I say, rebs, don’t you want to hear Old Abe’s amnesty proclamation?”

“Yes!” was the unanimous cry “give us the ape’s proclamation.”

“Attention!” commanded the corporal, and in a clear and resonant voice he read the amnesty proclamation to the rebels, beneath the cannon planted by the rebels to destroy the fabric of government established by our fathers. When he arrived at those passages of the proclamation where the negro was referred to he was interrupted by the cries of “none of your d—d Abolition. Look out for rocks! And down over his hiding placed descended a shower of stones and rocks. – Having finished the reading the corporal asked,

“Well, rebs, how do you like the terms? Will you hear it again?

“Not to-day, you bloody Yank. Now crawl down in a hurry and we won’t fire,’ was the response, and the daring corporal descended and rejoined his command, which had distinctly heard all that passed. I regret I could not learn the name of the corporal, for he must get promotion at the hand of Father Abraham and Governor Dick Yates.”

– Published in The Union Sentinel, June 18, 1864