From the 1980 Moniteau County Missouri History book: He never married. He was enrolled in the Civil War for three years as a Private in Battery B, Second Artillery Regiment.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CONTRIBUTOR MILLHAVAEN

Son of Andrew and Jane Atkeson -- Frank. William and George are brothers. Jane Asdair was a sister and John Young Atekson was a cousin.


George M. Atkeson
Name Of Regiment: 2ns Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery
Side: Union
Company: B
Soldier's Rank In: Private
Soldier's Rank Out: Private
Notes: Company Note; Battery B

UNION ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS
2nd Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery

Overview: Organized at Peoria, Ill., and mustered into State service May 23, 1861. Moved to Alton, Ill., July 6, thence to St. Charles and Mexico, Mo., and duty in Northern Missouri till August. Ordered to Jefferson Barracks, Mo., and mustered in August 17, 1861. Moved to Jefferson City, Mo., thence to Booneville, Mo., October 1. Attached to Fremont's Army of the West and to Dept. of Missouri to February, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, to May, 1862. Artillery, 3rd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, to July, 1862. District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. of Missouri. to December, 1862, and Dept. of the Tennessee to January, 1863. Artillery, 12th Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to May, 1863. Artillery, 14th Division, 13th Army Corps, Army Tennessee, to July, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Dept. of the Gulf to September, 1863. Artillery, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864. Defences of New Orleans, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to April, 1865. District of LaFourche, Dept. of the Gulf, to July, 1865.

Service: Fremont's Campaign against Springfield, Mo., October 21-November 8, 1861. At Ottersville, Mo., till January, 1862. Moved to Lebanon, Mo., January 25. Curtis' advance on Springfield, Mo., January 25-February 11. Pursuit of Price into Arkansas February 14-29. Battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., March 6-8. March to Sugar Creek March 10, thence to Cross Timbers March 15, and over Ozark Mountains to Batesville April 5-May 3. March to Helena, Ark., May 25-July 13. Duty at Helena till March, 1863. Ordered to Milliken's Bend, La., March 20, and duty there till April. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-30. Battle of Thompson's Hill, Port Gibson, Miss., May 1. Battle of Champion's Hill May 16. Big Black River May 17. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. At Big Black till August. Ordered to New Orleans, La., August 20. At Carrollton, Brashear City and Berwick till October. Western Louisiana Campaign October 3-November 30. Duty in District of LaFourche and Defences of New Orleans, La., till August, 1864. Operations in Mobile Bay against Forts Gaines and Morgan August 2-23. Siege and capture of Fort Gaines August 3-8. Siege and capture of Fort Morgan August 8-23. Duty in the Defences of New Orleans and District of LaFourche till July, 1865. (1st Section detached in District of Southwest Missouri to October, 1862. Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Frontier, to June, 1863. District of Southeast Missouri. Advance on Fayetteville, Ark., October 11-December 3, 1862. March to relief of Gen. Blount December 3-6. Battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., December 7. At Fayetteville till December 27. Expedition over Boston Mountains to Van Buren, Ark., December 27-29. Duty at various points in Missouri till April, 1863. Operations against Marmaduke April 20-May 2. Moved to Pilot Knob, Mo. Duty in District of Southeast Missouri till July, 1863.) Battery mustered out July 28, 1865.

Battery lost during service 5 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 16 Enlisted men by disease. Total 22.

ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS

BATTERY "B," 2nd REGIMENT LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Organized at Springfield, Ill., June 20, 1861. Attached to Dept. of Missouri to April, 1862. Unattached Artillery, Army of the Tennessee, to May, 1862. Artillery, 4th Division, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1862. 1st Division, District of Jackson, Tenn., to November, 1862. District of Jackson, 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. District of Corinth, 17th Army Corps, to January, 1863. District of Corinth, 16th Army Corps, to March, 1863. Artillery, 2nd Division, 16th Army Corps, to November, 1863. Post of Corinth, 16th Army Corps, to January, 1864. Fort Pickering, Post of Memphis, Tenn., to April, 1864. Artillery, 1st Division, 16th Corps, to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Sturgis' Expedition, June, 1864. Post of Memphis, Tenn., District of West Tennessee, to July, 1865.

Service: Duty in Dept. of Missouri till April, 1862. Moved to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., April 1-4, 1862. Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Duty in Districts of Jackson and Corinth till October, 1862. Battle of Corinth October 3-4. Garrison duty at Corinth till January, 1864. Ordered to Memphis, Tenn., January 25, and duty at Fort Pickering, Defences of Memphis, till June, 1864. Expedition from Memphis to Wyatt's, Miss., February 6-18, 1864. Sturgis' Expedition to Guntown, Miss., June 1-13. Battle of Brice's or Tishamingo Creek, near Guntown, June 10. Duty at Memphis, Tenn., and in District of West Tennessee till July, 1865. Mustered out July 15, 1865.

Battery lost during service 3 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 27 Enlisted men by disease. Total 30.

CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS SYSTEM, National Park Service, Washington, D.C., researched by Richard Parker, June 2014.