Yankee Dutchmen under Fire: Civil War Letters from the 82nd Illinois Infantry

8. Whiteside, Tennessee

Eight Whiteside, Tennessee Shortly after Colonel Hecker departed for Illinois on leave, 1st Lt. Rudolph Müller began writing the colonel to update him about what was happening in the regiment and to communicate details of battles and operations. The first four of his private letters appear below. Born in Soest in the Rhineland Province of Prussia in 1835, Rudolph Müller immigrated to the United States at age seventeen and was working in a dry-goods store in Peoria, Illinois, when the war broke out. By enlisting on April 25, 1861, the five-foot, ten-inch, light-haired, blue-eyed, native German was among the early entrants into the Union army and mustered into the three-month 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Springfield as a private. The predominately AngloAmerican 8th Illinois mostly guarded railroad bridges spanning the Big Muddy River near Cairo, Illinois. When his enlistment ended on July 25, 1861, Müller returned to civilian life rather than joining the large majority of the 8th’s members who enlisted in the new three-year 8th Illinois Regiment.1 The ambitious former private began recruiting a company of men for Hecker’s new regiment early in August 1862, but fell short. After he and his contingent of forty-two recruits entered Camp Butler near Springfield, they combined with a slightly larger group of volunteers recruited by Robert Lender of Bloomington, a native of Pullendorf in Baden. This unit became Company E of the Second Hecker Regiment. Lender was elected captain of the new company and Müller became its first lieutenant. Lieutenant Müller was detached from his company on October 7, 1863, to serve as an aide-de-camp at the Third Brigade’s headquarters and returned to the regiment after he was promoted to captain on March 12, 1864; on April 1, 1864, he became the commander of Company D. As far as is known, Rudolph took part in all the campaigns and battles of the 82nd, and he 109 110 yankee dutchmen under fire mustered out with the regiment on June 9, 1865. He received a brevet promotion to major retroactive to March 13, 1865.2 Rudolph Müller was likely not a Forty-eighter because he was only thirteen or fourteen years old during the German revolution; however, he was a Turner. He held a radical Republican viewpoint as evidenced by his letters. His friendship with Hecker and others in his regiment surely reinforced his strongly felt political views.3 Headquarters, 3rd Brig.[ade] 3rd Div.[ision], 11th Corps Whiteside, Tenn. February 23th, 1864 Dear Colonel Hecker, It is very dull here since you have been gone. Apart from that everything is the same as when you left. Yesterday, a sensational dispatch came again from Corps. Cleborn’s [Cleburne’s] div.[ision] of the Rebel Army are [is] reported at Lafayette, etc. Frank took a Cavalry patrol over the mountains to Trenton. I rode with 5 men via Murphy[’s] Hollow up to Trenton but could not learn anything new.4 McGroarty is here and wants to make a reconnaissance this afternoon. Howard came through yesterday. S[c]hurz is in Shellmound and is leaving for New York today. Grünhut’s [Greenhut’s] resignation was approved at Corps; he went there himself. Frank’s Resg. [resignation] is back from Tyndale but sent in anew. [Hermann] Panse’s leave was approved at the div.; therefore, he is not drinking any more water in order to work up a nice thirst when he arrives at the farm. Lt. Carl, Co. K, has also resigned, disapproved by Tyndale, as well as Frank’s attempt, until the Veteran Regts. [Regiments] come back!! All Tyndale.5 The opinion of the Court is still not here.6 Warm greetings to your family. Regards. McGroarty says he will try to use his influence to replace you. You loyal friend, Rudolph Müller Headquarters 3rd Brig. 3rd Div., 11th Corps, Whitesid[e], Tenn. February 24th, 1864 Colonel Hecker, S[c]hurz and Robinson are away.7 Eugene is the AAAG [acting assistant adjutant general]. Hector Tyndale is the absolute ruler in the div. and his Scepter for 25 days is certain. The men were under arms for 2 nights at Bridgeport and Shell- whiteside, tennessee 111 mound, while we, after we convinced ourselves that the entire rumor was a hoax, slept peacefully. Hector is crazy, he sees 500,000...