Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

1988

Thesis Director

Robert W. Sterling

Abstract

Many Civil War authors have written works which have discussed the contribution individual states made to the war effort. These authors, however, have failed to consider the contributions made by individual counties. For example, in his work, Illinois in the Civil War, Victor Hicken has provided readers with a comprehensive history of Illinois’ role in the Civil War. However, Professor Hicken’s work has failed to consider the contribution Illinois’ counties made to the war effort. Therefore, it is the purpose of this thesis to examine one Illinois county’s contribution to that war.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Edgar County was only thirty-eight years old, yet, over 16,000 inhabitants were living within the county at the time. Most of these individuals were born within the county, although many were from various midwestern states. Through the use of census records taken in 1860, a good composite of a typical soldier from the county has been made. Everything from economics to religion has been examined in relation to the average soldier from Edgar County.

The major emphasis of this study, however, is to analyze the contribution that Edgar County made to the war effort. In all, 2,312 men from the county are credited with serving in the war. This represents about three-fourths of those who were considered eligible. Of the eighty different units in which Edgar Countians enlisted, several contained large numbers of soldiers from the county. These units have been examined individually, with emphasis being placed on the county’s contribution to each. In addition, a separate chapter discusses some of the battles in which Edgar Countians both participated in and were killed at, as well as examines the numbers of soldiers from the county who lost their lives during the war due to other causes.

In Edgar County, locally strong Copperhead activity kept local officials busy throughout the latter part of the war. To fully understand this activity, a brief examination of the county’s early immigration patterns and political backgrounds has been included. Early immigrants to the county were primarily from the South. Later, many northern immigrants settled in the county. As a result, an animosity grew between these two groups as the war progressed resulting in violence.

A concluding chapter analyzes and compares Edgar’s contribution with that of surrounding east-central Illinois counties and the state in general. The conclusion reached by this author is that Edgar County’s contribution to the Civil War was significant, in both manpower and overall contribution. The final portion of this thesis consists of a carefully prepared list of those known to have served in the war from the county. By including this the author hopes to fill a void which has existed for some time.

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