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Patrick Lydon Solon


Civil War Days

The Second Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment was organized at Camp Washburn, Milwaukee, WI, and mustered in by companies at various dates, the last being March 12, 1862. The regiment left the state on March 24, 1862, proceeding to St. Louis, MO and stationed at Benton Barracks. From this point battalions from the regiment were sent into the states of Missouri and Arkansas, and were in active service until the month of January, 1863, when the second and third battalion were moved to Memphis, TN, the first remaining in Missouri.

In June following the second and third battalions were transferred to Snyder's Bluff near Vicksburg, MS. The day following the surrender of Vicksburg July 4, 1863 the regiment was assigned to the forces under General Sherman and participated in the Jackson Campaign July 5-25, 1863. On the return from this expedition the regiment remained at and in the vicinity of Vicksburg doing patrol and police duty until November 1864. Here during the month of September the first battalion rejoined the regiment. For several months following the regiment was sent to various points with expeditions, the field of operations extending from Vicksburg to Memphis, to Ripley, MS, and to Gaines Landing, AR, among other points.

In the month of August 1865 the regiment was ordered to Texas, and companies stationed at different points in that state were assigned to patrol and garrison duty. On October 30, 1865, the regiment was mustered out of the service of the United States at Austin, TX. It returned to Madison, WI, where it was disbanded on December 14, 1865.

(from Charles Estabrook's "Records and Sketches of Military Organizations" - 1914)


In Service with the 2nd Wisconsin Regiment Cavalry
  • Organized at Milwaukee, Wis., December 30, 1861, to March 10, 1862.
  • Patrick Solon enlists in Company F, January 21, 1862.
  • Left State for St. Louis, Mo., March 24, 1862.
  • Duty at Benton Barracks, Mo., until May 15.
  • Moved to Jefferson City, thence to Springfield, Mo., and duty there until June 14.
  • Attached to Steele's Command, Army of Southwest Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, to July, 1862.
  • District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. of Missouri, to November, 1862.
  • 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. of the Tennessee, to January, 1863.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to February, 1863.
  • 3rd Brigade, District of Memphis, Tenn., 5th Division, 16th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to June, 1863.
  • Bussey's Cavalry Brigade. Herron's Division, 13th Army Corps, to August, 1863.
  • Cavalry Brigade, 17th Army Corps, to September, 1863. 1st Division, 17th Army Corps, to January, 1864.
  • Winslow's Cavalry Brigade, District of Vicksburg, Miss., to December, 1864.
  • 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of West Tennessee, to July, 1865.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, Military Division Gulf, to August, 1865.
  • Dept. of Texas to November, 1865.

    Service
  • March to Batesville, Jacksonport and Helena, Ark., June 14-July 12, 1862, and duty there until January, 1863.
  • Action at Yellville, Ark., June 25, 1862.
  • Near Fayetteville July 15.
  • Expedition from Helena to Moro August 5-8 (Detachment).
  • Near Helena August 11.
  • Near Helena September 19-20.
  • Expedition against Arkansas Post November 16-21.
  • Expedition to Yellville November 25-29.
  • Expedition from Helena to Grenada, Miss.. November 27-December 5.
  • Oakland, Miss., December 3.
  • LaGrange, Ark., December 30.
  • Lick Creek, Ark., January 12, 1863.
  • Clarendon Road, near Helena, January 15.
  • Ordered to Memphis, Tenn., February 4, and duty there until May.
  • Nonconah Creek, near Memphis, April 4.
  • Expedition to Coldwater April 17-20.
  • Horn Lake Creek May 18 (Co. "L").
  • Expeditions to Hernando, Miss., May 23-24, 26 and 28 (Detachments).
  • Patrick Solon has heat-stroke and is taken to Jefferson hospital where he is unconscious for two days.
  • Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., June 10-13.
  • Patrick Solon is detailed as a hospital aid after recovering in the Jefferson hospital and recalls the boatload after boatload that came up from Vicksburg after the charge of General Sheridan on Vicksburg.
  • Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., June 13-July 4.
  • Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10.
  • Clinton July 8.
  • Siege of Jackson July 10-17.
  • Canton July 12.
  • Expedition to Yazoo City July 12-21, 1863 (Detachment).
  • Bolton's Depot July 16.
  • Grant's Ferry, Pearl River, July 16.
  • Briar Creek, near Canton, July 17.
  • Duty at Red Bone Church (Mississippi) until April 27, 1864.
  • Action at Red Bone Church September 25, 1863.
  • Ingraham's Plantation, near Port Gibson, October 10.
  • Patrick Solon rejoins regiment at Red Bone at Christmas.
  • Red Bone, Mississippi April 21, 1864.
  • Moved to Vicksburg April 27, and duty there until December.
  • Salem May 29 (Detachment).
  • Worthington's and Sunnyside Landings, Fish Bayou, June 5.
  • Old River Lake or Lake Chicot June 6.
  • Expedition from Vicksburg to Pearl River July 2-10.
  • Clinton July 4.
  • Jackson July 5-6.
  • Clinton July 7.
  • Expedition from Vicksburg to Rodney and Fayette September 29-October 3.
  • Port Gibson October 1.
  • Fayette and Cole Creek October 3.
  • Expedition from Natchez to Woodville October 4-11.
  • Woodville October 5-6.
  • Fort Adams, La., October 5 and 7.
  • Operations in Issaqueena and Washington Counties October 24-31.
  • Expedition from Vicksburg to Gaines' Landing and Bayou Macon, La., November 6-8.
  • Expedition from Vicksburg to Yazoo City November 23-December 4.
  • Concord Church December 1.
  • Moved to Memphis, Tenn., December 8.
  • Grierson's Expedition to destroy Mobile & Ohio Railroad December 21, 1864, to January 15, 1865.
  • Franklin Creek December 21-22, 1864.
  • Egypt Station December 28.
  • Expedition from Memphis to Marion, Ark., January 19-22, 1865 (Detachment).
  • Duty at Memphis, Tenn., until June.
  • Expedition into Northern Mississippi March 3-11.
  • (Part of Regiment ordered to Grenada, Miss., May 9, and duty there until June 24, when rejoined Regiment at Alexandria, La.)
  • Ordered to Alexandria, La., June.
  • March from Alexandria to Hempstead, Texas, August 8-26, and duty there until October.
  • March to Austin, Texas, and there mustered out November 15, 1865.

    Four Companies spend two years away from the main regiment
  • 1st Battalion (Cos. "A," "D," "G" and "K") served detached June 13, 1862, to September, 1864.
  • Ordered to Cassville, Mo., June 13, 1862, and duty there until October, 1862.
  • Pineville June 23.
  • Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Frontier, Dept. of Missouri, to June, 1863.
  • District of Rolla, Dept. of Missouri, to August,
  • 1864. District of North Missouri to September, 1864.
  • Duty at Osage Springs, Mo., October, 1862, to December, 1862.
  • Battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., December 7.
  • Expedition over Boston Mountains to Van Buren, Ark., December 27-29.
  • At Forsythe, Mo., until March, 1863.
  • At Lake Springs until June, 1863.
  • At Rolla until September, 1864.
  • Lane's Prairie, Mo., May 26, 1864.
  • Scout in Phelps and Marias Counties August 1 (Co. "A").
  • Rejoined Regiment at Vicksburg, Miss., September, 1864.

    Casualties
  • Regiment lost during service 24 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 284 Enlisted men by disease. Total 312.

    (from Frederick Dyer's Compendium of the War of the Rebellion - 1908)


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