(NOTE: Ralph P. Gallup probably never sat for a portrait before his entering the service during the Civil War, but he spent almost 10 months with the 86th in the Nashville, Tennessee area, during which time most of the members of the 86th took the opportunity to sit for portraits to send back home to their loved that they missed so much. These portraits would have come in one of two forms. The oldest form was what was called the "tin type", which was printed on a thin slice of tin and usually put in a fancy case, similar to plastic. The newer form was called the CDV and was a paper picture glued to a heavy card stock about the size of a modern day baseball card and unlike the "tin type" many copies could be easily made of the picture and boy did the boys make extra copies. They were swapped among their many friends, messmates and tentmates within their respective companies as well as being sent home to family and friends. Even today many copies have been found of the same picture of some men in the 86th.

Then, Ralph survived the war and lived well into the 20th Century. During this time, Ralph must had his picture taken many more times. I would love to see some pictures of him as a young man, especially one of him in uniform from his days with the 86th, but, at this point, I would just love to see ANY pictures of him added to his FAG site, even some of him as a 50, 60 or 70 year old man. Can anyone help me with this? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Baxter)

Private RALPH PARK GALLUP, Co. C, 86th Illinois

Ralph Park Gallup was born on February 28, 1829 in Valuntown, Windham County, Connecticutt, the son of Isaac Gallup and Olive (Park) Gallup. Isaac Gallup was born at Voluntown, Connecticut on February 19, 1781, the son of John Gallup and Hannah (Douglass) Gallup. Isaac was married to Olive Park, the daughter of Douglass Park of Plainfield, Conn. on November 19, 1819. Isaac remained on the homestead of his father, taking care of his widowed mother and her family. Isaac died on December 4, 1850. Olice lived to the age of 92, enjoying the respect and esteem of the community in which she lived, a Christian woman throughout her life; Olive died on April 18, 1887. Isaac and Olive had the following children:

1. John D. Gallup, born October 1, 1820,

2. Martha M. Gallup, born March 10, 1822.

3. William W. Gallup, born October 19, 1823; died in Illinois May 29, 1856.

4. James H. Gallup, born August __, 1825.

5. Clarissa A. Gallup, born April __, 1827; married to William M. Johnson and lives in Brooklyn, Connecticut.

6. Ralph P. Gallup, born February __, 1829.

7. __________ Gallup, born January __, 1831.

8. Charles E. Gallup, born March 26, 1833.

9. Olive D. Gallup, born January 21, 1834; graduated from the Normal School at New Britain, Conn. in 1864, and was a successful teacher a number of years; she died Aug. 4, 1877; Buried in the Gallups Cemetery in Windham County, Connecticut.

10. Jared A. Gallup, b. March 10. 1837 at Voluntown, Connecticut.

11. Sarah B. Gallup, b. March 16, 1844.

From the Genealogical Records of the Gallup Family in the United States that was published in 1893, page 495;

RALPH P. GALLUP {Isaac, John, Isaac, John, John, John, Johti), son of Isaac and Olive (Park) Gallup, born at Voluntown, February 28, 1829. In the late war he enlisted in the Eighty-sixth (Illinois) Regiment, August 27, 1862; was in several battles, among them Chickamauga and Mission Ridge; was slightly wounded at the battle of Kennesaw Mountain; was in the Atlanta campaign and in Sherman's march to the sea, and for one hundred days was not out of hearing of artillery and musketry. He went up through South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia to Washington, was in the great review before the President, General Grant, and other officers, and mustered out of the service June 20, 1865. Mr. Gallup married Anna C. McCord, February 26, 1873, and settled in Dwight, 111., where he now lives."

Ralph P. Gallup came west to Illinois, most likely, sometime after the 1860 census as he is not listed in the 1860 census. In the 1860 census, the family of Joseph Gallup, who was born in 1827/29 in Connecticut, is found in Hallock Township in Peoria County. Joseph is very likely a cousin of Ralph's. Ralph may have lived with or near Joseph and his family.

On August 13, 1862, Ralph P. Gallup volunteered at Chillicothe, Illinois to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, Ralph gave his residence as Hallock Township in Peoria County.

ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

Illinois Civil War Detail Report

Name GALLOP, RALPH P Rank PVT

Company C Unit 86 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics

Residence HALLECK, PEORIA CO, IL

Age 35 Height 5' 6 3/4 Hair BROWN Eyes GRAY

Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE

Occupation TEACHER

Nativity VOLUNTOWN, WINDHAM CO, CT

Service Record

Joined When AUG 13, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL

Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS

Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL

Muster In By Whom _____ Muster Out JUN 6, 1865

Muster Out Where WASHINGTON, DC

Muster Out By Whom LT SCROGGS

Remarks WOUNDED JUN 27, 1864 AT KENNESAW MOUNTAIN GA

When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers, including now Private Ralph P. Gallup, were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.

On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.

During the next two and a half years, Private Ralph P. Gallup served faithfully in Co. C as the men of the 86th served in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. During this time, Ralph was a witness to and a participant in numerous battles and skirmishes, some of the bloodiest fighting in the Western Theatre of the war, including the Battles of Chicakamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia; Rome, Georgia, Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, Jonesboro, Georgia, Averasborough, North Carolina and Bentonville, North Carolina and marched with General Sherman to the Sea.

However, it was on June 27th of 1864, when the men of the 86th and of McCook's Brigade suffered the most. As the men lay in the trenches that morning, little did they know that when the sun set that night, the Brigade and the regiments would look drastically different. That morning, McCook's Brigade was called on to make a frontal assault on the Confederate fortifications on what would soon be called Cheatham Hill on Kennesaw Mountain, at a point that would soon become known as the "Dead Angle." In this 30 minute assault, The 86th Illinois alone would suffer 110 men killed, wounded or captured and the brigade would suffer more than 500 casualties in those 30 minutes. Company C fielded about 40 men fit for duty that morning. Of those 40 men from the Chillicothe area, four men were killed and 6 more were wounded. One of those casualties within Co. C would be Private Ralph Gallup, who suffered a mild wound compared to some of the rest. Ralph's wound is not believed to have had him sent to far back up north to recover. One of those men from Co. C that was evacuated north to Nashville, Tennessee was Corporal Cyrus Root, who was wounded in the left arm and on the left side of his face. He was sent initially to a field hospital in the rear, but was eventually sent north, back to Nashville, where he spent some time in Ward 6 and then Ward 7 of General Hospital #14.

On July 3, 1864, Cyrus sat down in Ward 6 of General Hospital #14 and penned the following to his father, Erastus Root, after the typical greetings and opening remarks about the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. "On the morning of the 27th of June we was told that we was to charge the rebel brestworks that morning and about tenn oclock our brigaid was formed reddy for the charge. The 125 Ills was ahead and the 86 next. We started and marched about half a mile in line of battle whare we come in site of the rebel brestworks and then was ordered to fix bayonets and dambed quick. We charged up to their works but they wer rather too strong for us. We stopt and gave them thunder fore a while but we had to fall back a ways. I was within tenn steps of the rebel brestworks when I was shot and then I limbered to the rear. The rebs threw stones over the works at us. They dasent rais up to shoot. our Regiment built brestworks within fifty yards of the rebel works. They were thare the last time I hurd from them. Our Regiment lost one hundred and tenn men that day in killed woundid and missing. That was the rufest time the 86 ever had I guess. Liut. McDonald was nocked down with a stone but did not hurt him mutch. The killed in our Company was Sargeant Sirlott and Steaphen Easton and Jackson Rutherford and the wounded was John Solders John Loudstorm John Shane Ralph Gallop and my self. Cyrus C. Clark was missing. He was eather killed or taken prisoner. John Shane was wounded very bad and I am afraid that he will never get well. The rest are not very bad............"

About the three weeks later, on July 21, 1864, while now sitting in Ward 7 of General Hospital #14 in Nashville, after the normal greetings to his brother, J. Perry Root, and after telling that he did not need him to make a trip to Nashville to look after him, Cyrus wrote the following. "I am still here in the Hospital and a getting a long first rate. I have got well again except one place in my arm that runs a little yet but it dont hurt mee any more. I think that I was very lucky to get off as well as I did fore thare wer a great many that faired a grate deal worse than I did. It was the first time that I was ever in a field hospital during an engagement and I hope it will be the last time. I can tell you that it is a hard site to see the woundid come in. Their was woundid in all shapes that you could mention and then to see them laid on the table and saw their legs and armes off is not a very pleasant site but it all has to be dun. Thare was a man killed on each side of me. Sirlott was on my rite and Rutherford was on my left. So you see that they shot clost too a fellow. Well about Ben Prentice. I did not know that he was killed when I wrote. He was not killed untill the next day after I was woundid. He was on picket when he was killed. I did not hear off it until dayes ago and then I did not know sertain that he was killed but I expect that it is so. I was very sorry to hear it fore Ben was a good boy and a first rate soldier but they kill a good soldier as quick as they will a poor one........."

After the war came to a close, the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Washington City (now D.C.) where they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue on the 2nd day of the Grand Review. Private Ralph P. Gallup was still there with the surviving members of Co. C when they were mustered out of the service on June 6, 1865 in Washington. They were then put on a train for Chicago, where they received their final pay and were discharged from the service. By the end of June of 1865, he was back home with his family in Central Illinois.

Ralph is not believed to have stayed long in Peoria County. I have yet to find him in the 1870 census. Ralph was married to Anna C. "Annie" __________ on __________ __, 18__ (possibly in the 1870's). Anna was born on March 8, 1842 at __________ Pennsylvania, the daughter of __________ __________ and __________ (__________) __________. Three children are known to have been born to Ralph and Anna. They are;

1. Mertle Gallup, born c. 1873/74 in Illinois.

2. Isaac J. Gallop, born c. 1874/75 in Illinois

3. Lillie May Gallop, born c. 1876/77 in Illinois

By the time of the 1880 census, Ralph P. Gallup is found in Sullivan Township in Livingston County, Illinois. He was married to Annie Catherine McCord on __________ __, 18__ (possibly in the 1870's). Anna C. "Annie" McCord was born on March 8, 1842 at __________, Pennsylvania the daughter of James McCord (1813 - 1884) and Sarah "Sallie" (Milligan) Gallup (1819 - 1904).

By the time of the 1880 census, Ralph and his family are found residing in Sullivan Township in Livingston County, Illinois;

Name: R. P. Gallop; Residence: Sullivan, Livingston, Illinois; Birthdate: 1829; Birthplace: Connecticut; Relationship to Head: Self; Spouse's Name: Annie C. Gallop

Spouse's Birthplace: Pennsylvania; Father's Birthplace: Connecticut; Mother's Birthplace: Connecticut; Marital Status: Married; Age: 51 years; Occupation: Farmer

WIFE Annie C. Gallop F 38 Pennsylvania, United States

DAU Murtle Gallop F 6 Illinois, United States

SON Isaac J. Gallop M 5 Illinois, United States

DAU Lillie M. Gallop F 3 Illinois, United States

W. H. Sarvis M 62 Pennsylvania, United States

W. J. Linton M 22 Ireland

In 1887, some of the surviving members of the 86th Illinois organized and held a reunion of the old 86th during the week of August 27th, the 25th anniversary of the mustering in of the old 86th back in 1862. Twenty members of old Co. C were able to attend that first reunion, with more than 130 surviving members of the 86th attending in total, but Ralph was not one of them. The 1887 reunion was such a success that they decided to continue to hold these reunions every August as long as they could and they continued to hold these reunions through 1923, when the few that were able to attend that 1923 reunion tearfully decided that they were too few and too old to continue to hold them any longer. Through the years, 34 different members of old Co. C were able to attend at least one reunion. Ralph Gallup was able to attend the 1888, the 1890, the 1894, and the 1897 reunion, which proved to be the last that he was able to attend.

Ralph P. Gallup died on June 27, 1902, the 38th anniversary of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, where he was wounded during the Civil War.

Anna C. (__________) Gallup died on April 30, 1923 at __________, Illinois.

by Baxter B. Fite III