All Illinois soldiers were mustered out at the camp where they were mustered in, so for the McBrides that would have been Camp Butler. The government did this because it wanted the men close to their homes when they mustered out and had their pockets full of their last pay. Think of the nightmare the Federal government had to deal with when thousands of men mustered out in the field, carrying hundreds of dollars on each man, with no where to go and nothing to do. By mustering out the men in their home state, the government bypassed this scenario.

I am writing a history of the Fifth Illinois, so if you need any information, please write to me at: 5illinois@gmail.com.

Rhonda Kohl