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In late October 1864, the 72nd Illinois Infantry marched through the streets of Vicksburg to the city landing, where a steamboat waited to take them up the Mississippi River. The regiment had been on garrison duty in the Hill City for some time, but that comfortable duty was at an end; the 72nd was going back to the war. Ira A. Batterton, editor of The Vicksburg Herald and a former Illinois soldier himself, noted in his paper that the city garrison gave the 72nd Illinois a rousing goodbye:
THE 72ND ILLINOIS INFANTRY - The departure of this gallant regiment on Sunday afternoon, on the Continental, for a "place in the picture" at the front, was an impressive and affecting scene. An immense concourse of citizens and of their fellow soldiers gathered on the levee to see them off. The post band delivered a thrilling musical adieu, and every evidence of respect and good will was paid by them.
The 72nd has been doing provost guard duty in this city for a number of months past, and both officers and men, by their kind, courteous and soldierly deportment, have won the respect and esteem of the citizens of the post. Many of them were endeared by the tenderest ties of friendship to those they were leaving behind; and many a brave soldier whose cheek had never blanched in battle felt his eyes overflowing as he wrung, perhaps for the last time, the hand of some friend or comrade.
Capt. Curtis, the able and efficient Provost Marshal of this post, who is himself a member of this gallant regiment, paid his last respects to the boys by a present of something refreshing, which was pledged with full hearts and fond hopes of future happy meetings when war's rude voice should be heard no more. The scene of departure will long be remembered by those who participated in its regrets, its hopes and its fears. (The Vicksburg Herald, November 1, 1864)
On November 30,1864, the 72nd Illinois was engaged in the desperate fighting at Franklin, Tennessee. When word of the battle reached Vicksburg, Ira Batterton posted this article for the many soldiers in the city that had friends in the regiment:
THE BATTLE AT FRANKLIN TENNESSEE
THE 72ND ILLINOIS REGIMENT
The following is an extract from a letter from the 72nd regiment Illinois infantry, received in the city yesterday, from an officer of that regiment:
Nashville, Dec. 3d, 1864.
We are all mixed up - and I can write but a few lines to give you some idea of the status of the regiment since the fight at Franklin, Nov. 30th. After marching, fighting and fortifying for three days and nights, we reached Franklin at 8 a.m., on the morning of the 30th, and commenced fortifying at once. At 4 p.m., the rebels came on.
The 4th Corps was in advance of us behind slight works. Part of their line had advanced, but broke, and the whole corps followed suit; and in ten minutes from the time that we first saw the rebels, the 4th Corps had stampeded - rushed over our works - and the rebs were right under them. The supports on both flanks of the 72nd gave way - the rebs crossed the works and got into the same ditch with us and enfiladed our entire line. The regiment fell back to the third line. We made two charges afterwards, and regained the works, but couldn't hold them, as it was dark; and our own men fired into us from the rear, as well as the rebs from front and flanks. In one of these charges the entire color guard were killed or wounded, except one. Corporal Wilson, "E" company, was killed while planting the colors on the works.
We lost heavier than any regiment of our forces - 149 enlisted men and 9 officers, out of 16. Col. Stockton and Maj. James are wounded, but are here in hospital. Capt. Prior was shot in the breast while leaning over the works firing his revolver at the rebs. He was left behind and is undoubtedly dead. Capt. Carter is missing, but beyond a doubt was killed in the second charge. Lieut. Packer was shot in the breast, and is a prisoner. Lieut. Oertell was shot in the head, is here doing well. Lieut. Beegle is probably killed, and in the hands of the rebs; Lieut. Stokes, shot through the lungs, and left behind, dying; Lieut. Jameson shot in the head, and left in the works.
The 50th Ohio was on our left and broke. Lieut. Black ordered "B" company to fall back, but Jameson told them to
stand and rally: about a dozen obeyed him, and have not been seen since. Capt. Sexton is in command; Capt. Morgan second in command of the regiment. "K" company lost 13 out of 80; "B" lost 29; "E" lost 8. Adjutant Heatford, Lieuts. Mead, Gleason, and Burkhart were not in the fight, being at Nashville. Lieut. Mason had been sent off with dispatches, and came near being captured.
The prisoners captured say that it was the hottest, most desperately contested fight that Hood's army ever had. (The Vicksburg Herald, December 14, 1864)
One of the casualties in the 72nd Illinois was Captain Edwin C. Prior, an actor in civilian life who had enlisted in the Union army in July 1862. When his friends in Vicksburg learned that he had been severely wounded in the fighting at Franklin, they held a benefit to raise funds for his wife: the following article ran in The Vicksburg Herald, December 20, 1864:
Although the newspaper expressed hope that Prior would recover from his wounds, at the time the article was published the captain was already dead, having passed away several days previously. He was just one of many casualties in the regiment; the 72nd had 9 officers and 152 men either killed or seriously wounded in the battle. (Adjutant General's History of the 72nd Illinois, https://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/history/072.html