Previous story is correct. The non-veteran 56th Illinois were sent from Fayetteville (via Clinton NC) as escorts to the refugee train that Sherman wanted to send away from his columns. They were to go to Wilmington.

All five of the survivors of the 56th have a muster out date of Feb 27, 1865. (See Isaac Wilhite, Co E for example; Ozment's company). As the survivors testified, they actually were mustered out after they reached Springfield. On Feb 27, the regiment was on the road between Columbia SC and Fayetteville NC - it's odd that they used this date for the five survivors (and at least one other, named Weir?)

Lt. Colonel John P. Hall, commanding the veterans of the 56th, ordered his Adjutant, Michael J. Dempsey to tabulate the names of the lost, by company, and transmit it to the Chicago Tribune. It was published on April 26th with a cover letter from Hall which included a puzzling observation:

_“Major Files was in command of the detachment, with orders to muster out at Wilmington; but some misunderstanding occurred, and they started for Springfield, via New York, on the ill-fated Lyon". _

_ It is true that mustering out was ordered to take place at Wilmington, but the men would still need to be transported home and there is no reason to believe they would not, in any case, have been on the Lyon. Possibly the process would have kept the men longer than eight days in Wilmington and thus they might have avoided the fatal voyage. _(Written by me; stay tuned for the book).

Martin H Ozment