HR1345 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1345 LRB099 22247 GRL 49617 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor the soldiers of the 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment for their service during the Civil War; and

WHEREAS, The 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was comprised almost entirely of soldiers from Will County and was raised in Joliet, with Colonel Frederick Bartleson as its commander; at the outbreak of the Civil War, he was an attorney and had previously served as State's Attorney of Will County; prior to forming the 100th, he served as Captain in the 20th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment and lost an arm at the Battle of Shiloh; and

WHEREAS, The 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment fought in the Western Theater, mainly in Tennessee and Georgia; at the Battle of Chickamauga, Colonel Bartleson was captured and the 100th lost 165 of its 315 soldiers; Colonel Bartleson was held in the famous Libby Prison in Richmond, where we wrote a poem on his experiences in the war and his hope for the future, which included the eloquent lines: "Through the clouds the sun is slowly breaking/Hope from her long deep sleep is waking. Speed the time Father, when the bow of peace/Spanning the Gulf, shall bid the tempest cease. When men, clasping each other by the hand/Shall shout together in a united land, All is well"; and

WHEREAS, As an officer, Colonel Bartleson was allowed to be paroled and sent back home to Joliet, where many urged him to retire and run for office, with both parties promising him an unopposed congressional run; in response, he stated: "Gentlemen, the question is still unsettled whether we are to have another Congress or a country. It can only be settled by the success of our armies. Until it is settled, I want no nomination and no office but the one I now hold, and I shall return to my post and give my life if need be, to secure to us a free government"; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Bartleson returned to the 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in time for Sherman's Atlanta Campaign; tragically, his cryptic words held true, and he was killed by a sniper's bullet at Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia on June 23, 1864; he was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Joliet, where he lies today; and

WHEREAS, The Regimental Colors of the 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment were restored in partnership with the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield; a campaign to return and display them to their home in Joliet began in 2012 by Joliet Area Historical Museum Board President Robert E. "Bob" Kuzma; the colors will be dedicated on June 30, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Bartleson's sword, snuff box, and portrait are also part of the display; while the exhibit is not just about him, he and the Flag represent thousands of stories of bravery, valor, and above all, sacrifice - not only from the soldiers of the 100th, but of all soldiers, past, present, and future; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the soldiers of the 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment for their service during the Civil War and thank the Joliet Area Historical Museum for restoring the Regimental Colors of the Regiment to their home in Joliet; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Joliet Area Historical Museum as a symbol of our esteem and respect.