Many men from Illinois had a hand in the Milliken’s Bend story, and this seems like a timely subject, in anticipation of the upcoming Decatur Civil War Symposium.

In April 1863, Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas traveled along the Mississippi River, visiting the numerous Union camps along its banks in Louisiana. At Lake Providence, he spoke to men of Maj. Gen. John A. “Black Jack” Logan‘s Division, seeking to recruit men to serve as officers in the newly-forming black regiments. Prior to the war, Logan had been a politician and staunch Democrat, serving first at the Illinois State House, then moving on to Congress in the House of Representatives in 1858. He was well known in Illinois long before the war.

Many men from Illinois obtained appointments as officers to the new regiments, including two of the largest units at Milliken’s Bend, the 9th and 11th Louisiana Infantries, African Descent. These regiments would attempt to hold the flanks of the Union line as they were pummeled by the Confederate onslaught.

Notable Illinoisans in the 9th Louisiana included:

Col. Hermann Lieb, a former major in the 8th Illinois Infantry, commanded the post of Milliken’s Bend when it was attacked on June 7, 1863.

Corydon Heath, a newly-appointed captain, had been a sergeant in Battery G, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery. He was among the first to be taken prisoner at Milliken’s Bend, posted on the far left of the Union line. Rumors about his fate (and others’) would swirl and drift among both armies until late August.

David Cornwell, serving as second lieutenant in Heath’s Company B, wrote extensively about his experiences in a post-war memoir, published for the first time in 1998. It remains one of the most detailed accounts of the battle from the Union point of view. Prior to joining the 9th Louisiana, Cornwell formerly served in both the 8th Illinois Infantry and Battery D, 1st Illinois Light Artillery.

Matthew Miller, a lieutenant, (formerly a corporal in the 45th Illinois Infantry) would write a letter home to his aunt in Galena, which was then published in the newspapers. Some, like Cornwell, found his account overstated or embellished – but Miller made one particularly telling comment. He described the fighting at Milliken’s Bend as worse than Shiloh.

In the 11th Louisiana Infantry, African Descent, Capt James P. Hall (formerly of the 93rd Illinois Infantry) would later be embroiled in a “mutiny” among his men. His stern law-and-order approach resulted in the arrest of almost 20 of his soldiers. A court martial found 17 of them guilty, sentencing most to hard labor. Two of the men were executed.

And finally, we have Company A of the 10th Illinois Cavalry. Deeply offended by the idea of Negro soldiers serving in the Union army, the 10th Illinois sparred constantly with the officers and men of the U.S. Colored Troops at the Bend. Although posted nearby, the 10th offered no support to the African Brigade during the fighting on June 7. A few days prior, a near-riot broke out when one man of the 10th had gotten drunk, wandered into the camp of the African Brigade, and assaulted a black soldier who was tied up to a tree for some disciplinary infraction. The black man was helpless, and the white trooper kicked him savagely. Col. Isaac F. Shepard, in charge of the African Brigade (at that point), arrested the trooper and administered his own form of justice. Formal grievances were filed both by Shepard and the commander of the cavalry troop, resulting in Shepard’s arrest and appearance before a Court of Inquiry. Although exonerated, his arrest prevented him from issuing orders and assuming command during the battle at Milliken’s Bend.