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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to honor the soldiers of the 100th
4Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment for their service during
5the Civil War; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
7was comprised almost entirely of soldiers from Will County and
8was raised in Joliet, with Colonel Frederick Bartleson as its
9commander; at the outbreak of the Civil War, he was an attorney
10and had previously served as State's Attorney of Will County;
11prior to forming the 100th, he served as Captain in the 20th
12Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment and lost an arm at the
13Battle of Shiloh; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
15fought in the Western Theater, mainly in Tennessee and Georgia;
16at the Battle of Chickamauga, Colonel Bartleson was captured
17and the 100th lost 165 of its 315 soldiers; Colonel Bartleson
18was held in the famous Libby Prison in Richmond, where we wrote
19a poem on his experiences in the war and his hope for the
20future, which included the eloquent lines: "Through the clouds
21the sun is slowly breaking/Hope from her long deep sleep is
22waking. Speed the time Father, when the bow of peace/Spanning
23the Gulf, shall bid the tempest cease. When men, clasping each

 

 

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1other by the hand/Shall shout together in a united land, All is
2well"; and
 
3    WHEREAS, As an officer, Colonel Bartleson was allowed to be
4paroled and sent back home to Joliet, where many urged him to
5retire and run for office, with both parties promising him an
6unopposed congressional run; in response, he stated:
7"Gentlemen, the question is still unsettled whether we are to
8have another Congress or a country. It can only be settled by
9the success of our armies. Until it is settled, I want no
10nomination and no office but the one I now hold, and I shall
11return to my post and give my life if need be, to secure to us a
12free government"; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Colonel Bartleson returned to the 100th Illinois
14Volunteer Infantry Regiment in time for Sherman's Atlanta
15Campaign; tragically, his cryptic words held true, and he was
16killed by a sniper's bullet at Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia on
17June 23, 1864; he was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Joliet,
18where he lies today; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The Regimental Colors of the 100th Illinois
20Volunteer Infantry Regiment were restored in partnership with
21the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield; a campaign
22to return and display them to their home in Joliet began in
232012 by Joliet Area Historical Museum Board President Robert E.

 

 

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1"Bob" Kuzma; the colors will be dedicated on June 30, 2016; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Colonel Bartleson's sword, snuff box, and
3portrait are also part of the display; while the exhibit is not
4just about him, he and the Flag represent thousands of stories
5of bravery, valor, and above all, sacrifice - not only from the
6soldiers of the 100th, but of all soldiers, past, present, and
7future; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10honor the soldiers of the 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
11Regiment for their service during the Civil War and thank the
12Joliet Area Historical Museum for restoring the Regimental
13Colors of the Regiment to their home in Joliet; and be it
14further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the Joliet Area Historical Museum as a symbol of
17our esteem and respect.