He was promoted to the position of Colonel, and received his commission as such, December 2d, 1861. As Colonel and commander of the Regiment, he passed through the terrible battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh, and the "siege of Corinth." He was wounded twice at the battle of Shiloh; but notwithstanding his wounds, he persisted in keeping the command of his Regiment. During the battle of Shiloh, Col. McArthur, commanding our Brigade, was severely wounded, in the latter part of the action, and Col. Mersy assumed command of the Brigade.
During the battle of Corinth, he assumed command of the Brigade, General Oglesby having been wounded. Since that time, he has had command of the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 16th Army Corps. During the Summer and Fall of 1863, he was stationed with his Brigade Head Quarters at Pocahontas, Tennessee. Since November 12th, 1863, his Brigade Head Quarters have been at Pulaski, Tennessee.
LIEUT. COL. JESSE J. PHILLIPS.
Was born in Montgomery County, Illinois, May 22d, 1837. He was appointed Route Agent on the Terre Haute, Alton and St. Louis Railroad, June 26th, 1856. Resigned in May, 1857.
He read law with the Hon. James M. Davis, of Hillsboro, Illinois. He was admitted to the bar in the Spring of 1860, and opened an office in Hillsboro, the county-seat of Montgomery County, Illinois. He was prosecuting his practice when the first call was made for volunteers to serve for three months.
In politics, he was a Breckenridge Democrat. Had stumped it, for Breckenridge, in 1860. He had had a strong desire to engage in a military life. When the call was made, he at once went to work to raise a Company. Raised his Company, and was elected Captain, April 17th, 1861. The Company was accepted and ordered to Springfield, Illinois, on the 23d of April, 1861.
On the organization of the 9th Regiment Volunteer Infantry, for the three months' service, he was elected as Major of the Regiment. He acted in the capacity of Major in the Regiment during the three months' service. At the expiration of that service, he was mustered out, and immediately mustered in again for three years, unless sooner discharged, retaining still the rank of Major.
He received a commission as Lieutenant Colonel in the 9th Regiment Illinois Infantry in December, 1861, which position he still occupies. He had charge of a detachment of the Regiment, which made a successful expedition from Paducah to Saratoga, Ky. This was the first fight in which our boys were engaged. He was with the Regiment as Lieutenant Colonel, through the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. At Shiloh, he received a very severe wound from a schrapnel. He was wounded in the hand and leg. The wound in his hand was a very painful one. He was unfitted for the service by it, for several months. At the battle of Corinth, on the 3d and 4th of October, he had not yet been able to join his Regiment. He joined it soon afterward, although still suffering much from the pain caused by his wound.
During the Fall of 1862 and Winter of 1863, he was much of the time in command of the Regiment, Col. Mersy being called to the command of the Brigade. In March, 1863, he made application to have the Regiment mounted for scouting purposes. The Regiment was mounted on the 20th of March, 1863. During the year that the Regiment has been mounted, he has led it through 23 battles and skirmishes.
He has frequently been placed in command of a Brigade of mounted forces, and in one or two instances, of a Division. He had command of two Brigades of Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, with which he made a raid in August, 1863, to Grenada, Mississippi. It was one of the most successful raids of the war. From $8,000,000 to 10,000,000 worth of public property was destroyed; 2,000 negroes, and a large number of horses and mules were brought in. But little was said about it at the time. Many a less brilliant raid has brought forth a star.