Local
resident fought to preserve the Union
Private Charles H. Osborn Company B 76th Illinois
Infantry
by
Gene Beals © 2009Charles. H. Osborn was born
at Springfield, Summit County, Ohio on February
20, 1843.He was of English ancestry and the first
child of three born to Albert and Mary Osborn.
He came to
Collinsville at the age of 14 to live with his
aunt and uncle following the death of his parents
in 1857. He moved with them to Urbana, Illinois
around 1860. He enlisted as a private in Company
B, 76th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on January
25, 1864 at Urbana and was mustered into the
service on January 28 at Springfield, Illinois.
The muster roll states he was 18 years old (
actually 20 ), 5 foot 6 inches high, brown hair,
blue eyes, florid complexion and occupation
farmer.
Charles and his
fellow recruits arrived at Camp Hebron,
Mississippi in late March where they remained
until April 5, 1864. His regiment embarked for
the Big Black River Bridge at this time. The unit
remained there for two days and packed up on
April 27 and proceeded to Vicksburg, Mississippi
and set up camp.
The 76th moved out
again on May 4, 1864 as part of an expedition
commanded by General John McArthur to Yazoo City
and engaged the Confederate forces in battles at
Benton, Vaughn’s Station, Deasonville and
routed the remaining elements of a Confederate
contingent at Yazoo City on May 13, 1864. The
unit remained at Yazoo City after its capture
until May 17, 1864. They put to fire a large
section of the city before leaving and returned
to Vicksburg on May 21, 1864 and remained there
until June 26, 1864.From May 21, 1864 to June 28,
1864 the regiment went on an expedition to Mt.
Albans, the Big Black River and finally returning
to Vicksburg.
On July 1, 1864
Charles and his unit were on the move again as
part of an expedition force of three thousand men
to Jackson Mississippi under the command of
General Henry Slocum. On July 2, 1864 they
engaged the Confederate forces under Gen. Stephen
D. Lee at Jackson. The Confederate forces had
superior numbers on Slocum’s contingent. The
hotly contested battle lasted for two days with
both sides retiring from the field. The 76th
played a major role in this engagement. The unit
was cut off from the main body during the heavy
fighting, but managed to regroup and fight their
way back to join the main body of the Union
forces. The 76 suffered the loss of one hundred
and two men including sixteen dead and eighty-six
wounded or missing in action. Following the
engagement the unit rendered service in July and
August at Morganza, Port Hudson and returned to
Morganza.
In September the
regiment continued their service by taking a
steamer to the White River area and encamped
there until mid October. They set out for Memphis
in late October only to remain there for a short
period before returning to the White River area.
They set up winter quarters there and remained
until late December and returned to Memphis to
await orders
The regiment upon
receiving orders embarked for Mobile ( Alabama )
on February 12, 1865 to capture Spanish Fort and
Fort Blakely. The unit arrived at Mobile Bay on
March 20. The 76th was part of General Frederick
Steele’s 1st Division, 2nd Brigade, XIII
Corps commanded by General R.S. Canby. They
reached Fort Blakely on April 1, 1865 following
an arduous march through rough terrain leading to
the fort. The unit engaged the enemy on April 2,
1865 and pushed the enemy inside the fort. On
April 8, 1865 the 76th made a massive attack on
Fort Blakely. They captured all the defenders of
the fort and planted their colors on top of the
enemy’s breastworks. This was the last
engagement of the war for Charles’s unit.
Charles was
transferred to Company K 37th Illinois Volunteer
Infantry on July 19, 1865. He joined his new unit
at Houston, Texas. They performed railroad guard
duty in the area until being mustered out on May
15, 1866. The unit moved on to Springfield,
Illinois where they received their final pay
& discharge on May 31, 1866.
He returned to
uncle’s farm in Urbana following his
discharge. He remained in Urbana until the early
1870’s. He then moved back to Collinsville
and began working in the mines. . Charles married
Julia Stumpf on April 21, 1881. Three children
were born from this union, William, Alonzo and
Henry. He was very active in the local Odd
Fellows lodge and received a 50 year diamond
jewel in February 1929. The following month his
health began to fail and he died at his residence
on 412 Brown Avenue on March 23, 1929. He was
laid to rest in the Glenwood Cemetery at
Collinsville.
The Col.
Friederich Hecker Camp # 443, Sons of Union
Veterans of the Civil War, erected a new marble
government marker at his final resting place in
1999. A ceremony honoring Charles and the other
Union soldiers buried at Glenwood was held May
15, 1999.The ceremony attracted over 300
attendees complete with artillery firing and a 21
gun salute.
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| Charles H.
Osborn, a veteran of the Civil War, and a well
known resident of this city for many years, died
at the home of his son William Osborn, 400
Wadsworth Avenue, Saturday morning at 1:15
o'clock at the age of 86 years, 1 month and 3
days. Death was caused from old age. Mr. Osborn was born
February 20, 1843, in Champaign, Illinois, but
came to this city when he was about fourteen
years old.
Last month Mr.
Osborn celebrated his eighty-sixth birthday and a
few days later was presented with the fifty-year
jewel pin by the local Odd Fellows Lodge. Shortly
after that he took ill and has been confined to
his bed for the past few weeks.
He is survived by
three sons, William, Alonzo and Henry Osborn,
seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services
were held Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the
family residence. The Odd Fellows had charge of
the services and six of their number acted as
pallbearers. Rev. C. H. Kuhlman officiated.
Burial was made in the Glenwood cemetery.
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