hello again Michael,
I posted earlier today, 10-31-2014 to another note you left about you g-g-grandfather in the 36th. ill. infantry and another relative being in the 127th ill. infantry. your posting was on page 62 of this message board.
my g-g-grandfather, Samuel chapman from plato, ill., kane county was, and of course I can't find my notes right now but I think I'm right about this, was also commissioned as a first Lt. into the 36th and I'm fairly certain into company K. our g-g-grandfathers worked together. Samuel and another man, again, if I could find my notes I have his name, together, purchased or supplied the horses for the company. they were reimbursed by the federal gov't. for the horses but I don't know when. my family history calls the company the "plato cavalry", and somewhere on line I saw that referenced one time but have also found the company called smith's independent and also smith's independent cavalry.

well, after all this typing, I flipped a few pages in one of my notebooks and there it was. my g-g-grandfather was in company B when with the 36th. infantry. the company became company K when they joined the 15th. ill. cavalry on Dec. 25,1862. our g-g-grandfathers did not work together but may have known each other. that's a cool thought.
I have not found anything to explain why but Samuel resigned the army on april 1,1862. his son-in-law, my great grandfather, frank perkins smith was a bugler in the 8th ill. vol. cavalry for about a year. he was mustered out in sept. 1862 with a heart condition of some kind.
It is still exciting to see a posting from someone who had relatives in the same unit as I do.