The fighters of One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Infantry were mainly drawn from the rural precincts of Champaign and Vermilion counties. Many of the people who entered the war were mechanics, laboring men, clerks, and professional men. About 1000 men from Company F of Illinois One Hundred and Twenty-fifth infantry entered the war.

Of those men, Hamilton Merrill of Newcomb had entered the war to fight at Kenesaw Mountain. Of the 1000 that had entered, 343 had returned, not including Hamilton Merrill. Mr. Merrill had died a hard way, by a sharpshooter on June 30, 1864. That is sad that a man fighting for our country had been killed so harshly.

There was only a three-day notice before those 1000 people were drafted. Stephen Guy Stevenson was a tent-mate with Hamilton Merrill at the battle of Kenesaw. I was glad to have a guest speaker to add information to my report.

Out of the feeling that the women could do some part in the war, the Sanitary Commission grew in the North. Dr. Henry W. Bellows advised the Women’s Central Association of Relief to find out what the Government could and would do, then attempt to do only those things which the general Government felt itself unable to do. The government suggested the basic principle of the soon-to-become Sanitary Commission.

The main objective of this organization was to inspect the conditions of the troops both in the East and in the West. Several members of the commission undertook this task. With the result that unsanitary conditions were almost everywhere, they had to hire many commissioners to watch over these many camps.

Lincoln feared that the Sanitary Commission would be a "fifth wheel to the coach." But on May 23^rd, 1861, the medical bureau suggested that an unpaid commission be appointed for the following purposes:

The needed workers were hired and this commission ran throughout the war.

Bascom Lamar Lundsford, a poet of the 1940's, wrote a poem called "Booth Killed Lincoln." In this Lunsford poem, he explains how his favorite actor, Wilkes Booth, assassinated Abe Lincoln.

In this poem, the poet uses many types of alliteration. For instance, in the eleventh line, he says "Stars and Bars." This is Symbol, in which is a visual aid that suggests a meaning within a meaning. He also shows this in the line twelve, where it says "Stripes and Stars."

Imagery is found in this poem also. Were it say’s "screams in her rage" you can imagine the sight of blood, horror, and even the sound of everyone panicking.

There is a lot of horror in this poem. For instance, in this poem, the poet writes in the fourth stanza "He holds a dagger in his right hand, a pistol in his left, He shoots poor Lincoln in his temple and sends his soul to rest." A lot of screaming and rage goes on in this poem.

I like a piece of literature that has a little rage, about like this one. This poem was very good on how it stayed on the subject of what went on in that night of April, at Ford’s Theater.

In the article "Meeting of the Military in Spring Hill" the chairman tells about how the meeting went. The chairman of the meeting was J. A. Bushong, in which was called to chair during this meeting.

This information was found on the Internet at a web page that included the newspaper called "Staunton Spectator." This particular article was found in this newspaper dated on November 29, 1859.

This article was very understood and in very good condition for how long it has been around. In this meeting, he writes about how they "Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to sustain, protect and defend to the bitter end the Institutions…." meaning that the they were able to compromise with the problem.

I was glad to find this article because it gave me a better view of the Civil War, and how they were able to cooperate of all the problems they face during the war.

Copy Of Original Document.

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