In August 1861 Col. John A. Logan raised the 31st Illinois Infantry. When the 31st mustered-in in September Logan made two promises. The first was that “Should the free navigation of the Mississippi [River] be obstructed by force, the men of the West will hew their way through human gore to the Gulf of Mexico.” The second was that they were fighting to “Save the Union” and if Lincoln freed the slaves he would lead them back home.
