Id’d Civil War Pipe Case – Private Morgan E. Lasher Co. G 72^nd Illinois Infantry – This Civil War period pipe case is a rather unusual, identified personal item; the case, made in the style of a period image case, is covered in thin, brown leather, with a decorative brass closure latch; the interior is lined with a plush, dark orange-brown, colored velvet, in a configuration to house the soldier’s pipe. Pasted to one side of the exterior of the case is a piece of paper with a hand-inked inscription, in highly legible script, that reads:

“M.E. Lasher         G  72  Ill”

Morgan Lasher was in Co. G of the 72^nd Illinois Infantry, enlisting in August 1862 and remaining with the regiment until the end of the war. The 72^nd Illinois was very active in the western theater of the war, participating in numerous small engagements, as well as several significant actions to include: Vicksburg, Champions Hill, the Battle of Franklin, the Battle of Nashville and actions at Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. The case remains in superior condition; there is a small section missing from the paper with Lasher’s name and regimental designation.

Measurement: L – 5.25”

Morgan E. Lasher

Residence Champaign, IL.
Enlisted as a Priv(date unknown).

On 8/21/1862, he mustered into “G” Co. Illinois 72nd Infantry.
He was Mustered Out on 8/7/1865

72nd IL Infantry

Organized: Chicago, IL on 8/23/1862

Mustered out: 8/6/1865

ILLINOIS SEVENTY-SECOND INFANTRY (Three Years) Seventy-second Infantry. – Col., Frederick A. Staring, Lieut.-Cols.; Joseph C. Wright, Joseph Stockton; Majors., Henry W. Chester, Joseph Stockton, William James. This regiment was organized at Chicago as the first regiment of the Chicago Board of Trade. Its first bills were put out for one company, calling itself the “Hancock Guards,” on July 23, 1862, and exactly one month afterwards the entire regiment was complete and mustered into the U. S. service for three years or during the war. The very day of its muster it was started for Cairo, where it arrived on the 24th, its strength at that time being 37 officers and 930 men. On Sept. 6 the regiment was ordered out to Paducah, Ky., where it went on post duty until the 17th, when it was sent down to Columbus, Ky., at which point it did guard and picket duty until Nov. 21. It was not idle, however, during this time, but in addition to thorough and constant drilling which made it one of the finest organizations in the army found time for two expeditions, one to Clarkton, Mo., when it dispersed a Confederate camp and captured a number of prisoners, horses, etc., and the other to New Madrid, which was not so eventful. The regiment then made its headquarters at Mem- phis until Jan. 19, 1863, and while there went out on an expedition to Horn Lake creek, where it dispersed a gang of Bly- the Confederate guerrillas, capturing quite a number. The first real battle in which the regiment engaged was at Cham- pion’s hill, and fortunately for it,its loss was slight. In the desperate charge at Vicksburg on May 22 it participated with the highest honor to itself losing some 130 of its number in killed, wounded and missing, but fighting as bravely as men could fight until the last. On July 12 the regiment embarked for Natchez, Miss., where it landed the succeeding day, taking possession of the town, capturing a large number of prisoners, several pieces of artillery, Confederate government stores, and 5,000 head of Texas cattle. There it remained doing provost duty until Oct. 17, with the exception of two slight skirmishes at St. Catherine’s creek, Miss., and Cross bayou, La. From Oct., 1863, to Oct., 1864, the regiment was on provost guard duty at Vicksburg, and during this year of comparative inaction only went on two expeditions. The first of these was to Ben- ton, Miss., where it had a short but severe fight with a body of Confederates, and the second was to Grand Gulf. On Nov. 29 it was in a severe skirmish with the enemy at Spring Hill on the road between Columbia and Franklin, Tenn., and in the fight at Franklin it lost 9 officers out of 16 engaged, and 152 men, who were either killed or severely wounded. The regiment was actively engaged in the siege of Spanish Fort which was the last hostility in which it participated. On Aug. 6, 1865 it was mustered out at Vicksburg, and thence moved directly to Chicago. During its term of service the regiment received some 450 recruits, and when ordered home transferred 270 of these to the 22d Ill. at Meridian, Miss. The regiment brought home 22 officers and 31O men. A resume of the losses of the regiment is as follows: Officers killed in service, 7; men killed in service, 78; officers died of disease, 3; men died of disease, 130; officers wounded, 1O; men wounded, 12O; officers taken prisoners, 3; men taken prisoners, 76. Total losses. 427.

72nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry

Overview:

Organized at Chicago, Ill., and mustered in August 23, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill., August 23-24, 1862. Attached to District of Cairo to September, 1862. District of Columbus, Ky., to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 7th Division, Left Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 1st Brigade, 7th Division, 16th Army Corps, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 7th Division, 17th Army Corps, to May, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 6th Division, 17th Army Corps, to September, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 17th Army Corps, to November, 1864. Unassigned, 23rd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Detachment Army Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 16th Army Corps (New), Military Division West Mississippi, to August, 1865.

Service:

Duty at Cairo, Ill., till September 6, 1862. Moved to Paducah, Ky., September 6, thence to Columbus, Ky., September 17, and duty there till November 21. Expedition from Columbus to Covington, Durhamsville and Fort Randolph September 28-October 5. Expedition to Clarkson, Mo., October 6. Expedition to New Madrid, Mo., October 21. Skirmishes at Clarkson, Mo., October 23 and 28. Moved to Moscow, Miss., November 21, and join Quinby’s Command. Grant’s Central Mississippi Campaign. Operations on the Mississippi Central R.R. November 21-December 30. Duty on line of the Memphis and Charleston R.R. till January 10, 1863. At Memphis, Tenn., till February 24. Yazoo Pass Expedition, by Moon Lake, Yazoo Pass and the Coldwater and Tallahatchie Rivers February 24-April 8. Operations against Fort Pemberton and Greenwood March 13-April 5. Fort Pemberton near Greenwood March 11-16-25-April 2 and 4. Moved to Milliken’s Bend, La., and guard duty from Milliken’s bend to New Carthage till April 25. Duty at Richmond, La., April 25-May 10. Battle of Champion’s Hill May 16. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Expedition to Mechanicsburg May 26-June 4. Surrender of Vicksburg July 4. Moved to Natchez, Miss., July 12-13, and duty there till October 17. Action at St. Catherine’s Creek July 28 and September 1. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., October 17, and Provost duty there till October 30, 1864. Expedition to Waterproof, La., January 29-February 23, 1864. Waterproof February 14-15. Yazoo City Expedition May 4-21. Actions at Benton May 7 and 9. Vaughan May 12. Luce’s Plantation May 13. Vaughan Station May 14. Expedition to Grand Gulf July 10-17. Port Gibson July 13. Grand Gulf July 16. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., October 30-November 13, thence to Columbia, Tenn., November 13-21. Nashville Campaign November-December. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Skirmish near Nashville December 7. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Clifton, Tenn., thence to Eastport, Miss., and duty there till February 9, 1865. Moved to New Orleans, La., February 9-21, and duty there till March 12. Campaign against Mobile, Ala., and its defences March 17-April 12. Expedition from Dauphin Island to Fowl River Narrows March 18-22. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Capture of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 14-25, and duty there till May 23. Moved to Union Springs, Ala., May 23, and duty there till July 19. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., July 19. Mustered out August 7, 1865.

72nd Illinois Infantry Regiment

The 72nd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, known as the “First Chicago Board of Trade Regiment” was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service

72nd Regiment Illinois was organized at Chicago, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on August 23, 1862.

The regiment was discharged from service on August 7, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 7 officers and 79 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 145 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 234 fatalities.

Commanders

• ColonelFrederick Augustus Starring – Mustered out with the regiment.

Morgan Ezra Lasher