Andrew K. Campbell (1828–1867) was a
Union Army officer during the
American Civil War, and the last official commanding officer of the
66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 66th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Western Sharpshooters) originally known as Birge's Western Sharpshooters and later as the "Western Sharpshooters-14th Missouri Volunteers", was a specialized regiment of infantry sharpshooter ...
.
Pre-war activities
Campbell was born in
Virginia in 1828, and eventually moved to
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
. There he married Eliza J. Henbest.
Later he moved to
Paris, Illinois, where he pursued a career as a
tailor. Correspondence in the files of the Adjutant General of Illinois, in the Illinois State Archives indicates that he was active in politics.
Civil War
From August to September, 1861, he helped raise a company of men for military service, and reported to Benton Barracks at
St. Louis, Missouri, for induction. He was appointed
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of Company E, Birge's Western Sharpshooters (later, the 66th Illinois).
From December 1861, to February 3, 1862, he participated in the north central Missouri campaign. On February 4, 1862, with the rest of the regiment, Campbell embarked by steamboat, and was transported by river, finally disembarking at Fort Henry, Tennessee. From there, Campbell and regiment marched to
Fort Donelson, where the regiment participated in the
Battle of Fort Donelson. Later the next month, the regiment fought in the
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...
on April 6–7, 1862, although Campbell was not present.
The regiment participated in the Corinth Campaign, and served as provost guard in
Corinth, Mississippi, after the Confederate commander, Gen.
P.G.T. Beauregard evacuated the city on the evening of May 29–30, 1862.
In early October, a combined Confederate Army under Maj. Gen.
Earl Van Dorn and Maj. Gen.
Sterling Price attempted to recapture the city. The Western Sharpshooter fought a bitter skirmish, on October 4, 1862, the second day of
Second Battle of Corinth against elements of the Confederate Missouri Brigade in the timber in front of the Federal lines. Col.
Thomas W. Sweeny
Thomas William Sweeny (December 25, 1820 – April 10, 1892) was an Irish-American soldier who served in the Mexican–American War and then was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Birth and early years
Sweeny was bo ...
commander of the
52nd Illinois Infantry who observed the fight, declared that the Sharpshooters "fought like heroes". Captain Campbell was not present for the battle. The regiment was transferred to Illinois state control on November 20, 1862.
On April 29, 1863 (promotion accepted May 23, 1863), Campbell was promoted to
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
of the regiment by order of Illinois Governor
Richard Yates for his "gallant conduct" at the battles of Shiloh and Second Corinth.
[Illinois State Archives, IL Adjutant Generals Office Civil War Records, letter from Col Burke to IL AG Fuller.]
Campbell was not able to join his regiment in many of the battles of the
Atlanta Campaign having been transferred to General Sweeny's staff. Captain William S. Boyd (Company A) carried out field command of the regiment during most of this period.
Campbell was present at
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in ...
, on July 22, 1864, where he was wounded. On September 15, 1864, Governor Yates promoted Campbell to
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. He was mustered out with the regiment on July 7, 1865.
Post-war life
Campbell returned to Paris, Illinois, where he died on May 12, 1867.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Andrew K.
1828 births
Union Army officers
Military personnel from Virginia
1867 deaths