Ole Miss
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Regtl. Staff Shiloh 2020
Asst. Regtl. QM Stones River / Franklin 2022
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Report of Lieut. Abram H. Ryan, Seventeenth Illinois Infantry, Acting Assistant Adjutant- General, Third Brigade.
Headquarters Third Brigade, First Division, Camp near Pittsburg, Tenn., April 14, 1862.
The following is a report of the Third Brigade, First Division, Col. L. F. Boss, Seventeenth Regiment Illinois Infantry, commanding, for the 6th and 7th days of April, 1862:
I cannot close this report, general, without referring to some of the officers and men of this brigade. To Colonel Raith, of the Forty-third Illinois Regiment, who fell early in the action, while gallantly and bravely discharging the duties of brigade commander, and in his loss know that our cause has lost one of its best and bravest defenders; but while deploring his loss we cannot but admire the heroism and patriotism always exhibited by him, even to the shedding of his last drop of blood upon the altar of his adopted country for the preservation of its dearly loved Constitution and laws.*
Somehow Colonel Julius Raith has been lost in the fog of battle at Shiloh. Even though he has a mortuary monument and was on the higher ranking Federal officer killed in battle, he is a little known figure which I believe to be wrong.
Regards
David
Colonel Julius Raith was leading the 43rd Illinois Infantry at the opening of the battle of Shiloh but within minutes he assumed command 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division of General John McClernands 1st Division of the Army of the Tennessee from Colonel James S. Reardon who was ill.
Raith, who immigrated from Germany, lived in Columbia, Illinois and was a veteran of the Mexican War having served with 2nd Regiment of Illinois as Captain of Company H. Prior to the Civil War, Raith moved to O'Fallon, Illinois and owned a flour mill. As War became a fact, he raised the 43rd Illinois Volunteer an all German-American regiment except for 1 Swiss-American company.
Raith and his unit had participated in the Fort Donelson and were one of the few Union regiments that had already "seen the elephant" that fateful Sunday morning. The 43rd was positioned just north of Rhea Springs when the Confederate onslaught hit them squarely. Soon afterword Raith was notified that he was in command of the 3rd Brigade.
While leading the 3rd Brigade in a position just a few hundred yards north of the Shiloh Meeting House, Raith was struck in the leg and shattered the bone. While the battle raged about him, some of his men removed him a little distance from the front lines but had to abandon him as the Confederates stormed over their position. Raith was left on the field for over 24 hours till the Federals recovered their original positions on Monday, April 7th.
Colonel Raith was removed to the steamer Hannibal where his leg was amputated that evening but he succumbed to infection and died on April 11th. His remains were sent to Rentchler's Station, Ill and buried on the family farm. In 1910 his and his families' remains were moved to Shiloh Valley Cemetery in Shiloh, IL
*(pages 139-140) Official Records https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730160;view=1up;seq=157
Headquarters Third Brigade, First Division, Camp near Pittsburg, Tenn., April 14, 1862.
The following is a report of the Third Brigade, First Division, Col. L. F. Boss, Seventeenth Regiment Illinois Infantry, commanding, for the 6th and 7th days of April, 1862:
I cannot close this report, general, without referring to some of the officers and men of this brigade. To Colonel Raith, of the Forty-third Illinois Regiment, who fell early in the action, while gallantly and bravely discharging the duties of brigade commander, and in his loss know that our cause has lost one of its best and bravest defenders; but while deploring his loss we cannot but admire the heroism and patriotism always exhibited by him, even to the shedding of his last drop of blood upon the altar of his adopted country for the preservation of its dearly loved Constitution and laws.*
Somehow Colonel Julius Raith has been lost in the fog of battle at Shiloh. Even though he has a mortuary monument and was on the higher ranking Federal officer killed in battle, he is a little known figure which I believe to be wrong.
Regards
David
Colonel Julius Raith was leading the 43rd Illinois Infantry at the opening of the battle of Shiloh but within minutes he assumed command 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division of General John McClernands 1st Division of the Army of the Tennessee from Colonel James S. Reardon who was ill.
Raith, who immigrated from Germany, lived in Columbia, Illinois and was a veteran of the Mexican War having served with 2nd Regiment of Illinois as Captain of Company H. Prior to the Civil War, Raith moved to O'Fallon, Illinois and owned a flour mill. As War became a fact, he raised the 43rd Illinois Volunteer an all German-American regiment except for 1 Swiss-American company.
Raith and his unit had participated in the Fort Donelson and were one of the few Union regiments that had already "seen the elephant" that fateful Sunday morning. The 43rd was positioned just north of Rhea Springs when the Confederate onslaught hit them squarely. Soon afterword Raith was notified that he was in command of the 3rd Brigade.
While leading the 3rd Brigade in a position just a few hundred yards north of the Shiloh Meeting House, Raith was struck in the leg and shattered the bone. While the battle raged about him, some of his men removed him a little distance from the front lines but had to abandon him as the Confederates stormed over their position. Raith was left on the field for over 24 hours till the Federals recovered their original positions on Monday, April 7th.
Colonel Raith was removed to the steamer Hannibal where his leg was amputated that evening but he succumbed to infection and died on April 11th. His remains were sent to Rentchler's Station, Ill and buried on the family farm. In 1910 his and his families' remains were moved to Shiloh Valley Cemetery in Shiloh, IL
*(pages 139-140) Official Records https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730160;view=1up;seq=157
Bringing the