John Deegan
Residence Lockport IL;
Enlisted on 11/3/1861 as a Private.
On 12/31/1861 he mustered into "E" Co. IL 64th Infantry
He Re-enlisted on 1/9/1864
He was discharged on 3/13/1864
Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.:
- Illinois: Roster of Officers and Enlisted Men
ILLINOIS
SIXTY-FOURTH INFANTRY
(Three Years)
Organized: Camp Butler, Springfield, IL on 12/1/61
Mustered Out: 7/11/65
Sixty-fourth Infantry. - Col., John Morrill, Lieut.-
Cols., David E. Williams, John Morrill, Michael W. Manning, Jo-
seph S. Reynolds; Majs., Frederick W. Matteson, George W.
Stipp, John W. Stewart, Samuel B. Thompson, Joseph S. Reynolds.
The "First Battalion of Yates' Sharpshooters," was organized at
Camp Butler, Ill., in the month of Dec., 1861, and consisted of
four companies, the last of which was mustered into the U. S.
service on Dec. 16. Two additional companies were mustered in
on Dec. 31 and on Jan. 1O, 1862, the battalion was ordered to
Quincy and went into barracks, where it was armed. It moved to
Cairo on Feb. 16 and on March 4 moved via Bird's Point,
Charleston, Bertrand and Sikeston, to New Madrid, where it was
assigned to Morgan's brigade, Paine's division, Pope's army.
On the evening of March 12 Cos. A, D, E and F made a night at-
tack on the enemy's right, driving his pickets and skirmishing
heavily till midnight, drawing the attention of the enemy from
the 1Oth and 16th Ill., who were planting siege guns on the en-
emy's left. The battalion was present at the bombardment of
New Madrid the next day and afterward acted as support to Wil-
liams, siege guns 4 miles below, where Pope effected his cross-
ing. It was engaged in the siege of Corinth from April 22 till
the evacuation, being constantly on the skirmish and picket
line. On May 3 it was heavily engaged at Chambers, creek, but
repulsed the enemy, the loss being 4 killed and 5 wounded. On
May 7, in Gen. Paine's reconnaissance, it lost 2 men killed and
3 wounded. It took the advance in pursuit of the enemy, and
came upon his rear at Tuscumbia creek about dark, when a brisk
skirmish ensued, continuing during the night and the next day.
At the battle of Corinth in October it met the first advance of
the enemy and was heavily engaged during the day, doing effi-
cient and distinguished service and losing 70 men killed,
wounded and missing. The year 1863 was spent on out-post duty
at Glendale, Miss., and on Jan. 15, 1864, over three-fourths of
the battalion having re-enlisted, it moved north for veteran
furlough, arriving at Chicago on the 22nd. It was furloughed
for 20 days and reassembled at Ottawa on Feb. 14. Four new
companies having been recruited, they were added to the battal-
ion, making a full regiment. Returning to the front it arrived
on May 9 before Resaca, Ga., where Cos. F and A deployed and
drove the enemy into his works. At Dallas the same two compa-
nies on the skirmish line lost 14 men killed and wounded, and
from the 27th to the 31st the regiment was each day engaged.
It skirmished with the enemy near New Hope church and was also
engaged at Kennesaw mountain, where on June 27 it was in the
advance line of the assaulting forces and was heavily engaged,
losing in killed and wounded 57 men. On July 4 the entire
regiment was on the skirmish line and drove the enemy 2 miles,
losing 25 killed and wounded. On the 7th it had a skirmish on
the Chattahoochee, and at Nancy's creek the regiment deployed
and drove the enemy a mile and a half It then marched toward
Decatur and on July 19 engaged the enemy, losing 5 men. On the
22nd it marched to the support of the 17th corps and was heav-
ily engaged, charging the enemy three times and capturing 40
prisoners and 1 battleflag. It also recaptured the field-glass
and papers of Gen. McPherson, who had been killed by the enemy.
The loss of the regiment in this action was 15 killed, 67
wounded and 7 missing. On the 28th it was hotly engaged and
repulsed several charges of the enemy, and from then until Aug.
26 it took part in the siege of Atlanta. It joined the march
after Hood and on Oct. 16 was with the skirmish line that ad-
vanced on Snake Creek gap and drove the enemy in confusion. It
had a skirmish with the enemy's cavalry at Cedartown and then
returned to Atlanta to begin the march to the sea. It skir-
mished with the enemy at Pooler's station and participated in
the operations against Savannah. It then engaged in the Caro-
lina campaign and at the battle of Bentonville the entire regi-
ment was on the skirmish line, capturing 12 prisoners, 35
horses and 1 caisson, together with Gen. Johnston's headquar-
ters, losing 13 men killed and wounded. After the surrender of
Johnston it accompanied the army to Washington, participated in
the grand review, and then moved to Louiseville, Ky, where it
was mustered out on July 11, 1864.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 3