HJ0029 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0029 LRB102 17727 MST 23762 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It is important to remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country and the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, CPL Joseph C. Clegg was a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Western Theater of the American Civil War during the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River; the Union victory at Vicksburg was a major turning point of the Civil War and was declared by President Abraham Lincoln as a "key" to defeating the Confederacy and by Confederate President Jefferson Davis as "the nailhead that held the South's two halves together"; and

WHEREAS, Union attempts to take Vicksburg in the summer of 1862 failed in part because of the difficulties its geography presented, with the city resting high on a hill; and

WHEREAS, Union General Ulysses S. Grant started planning another more sustained effort to take Vicksburg that included building a canal so Union troops could move beyond the range of Confederate guns to allow for a larger gathering of Union troops; and

WHEREAS, The battle, which become widely known as the Vicksburg Campaign, included multiple battles when General Grant settled in for a siege by surrounding Vicksburg on May 18, 1863 that lasted for 47 days until, on July 4, 1863, Confederate General John Pemberton and General Grant finalized the surrender of Confederate troops and the Union Army took control of Vicksburg; and

WHEREAS, During the course of the Vicksburg Campaign, CPL Clegg from Minonk braved the elements and fought valiantly to preserve the Union; he was killed in action on May 22, 1863; and

WHEREAS, As a consequence of its military importance and of the sacrifice made by so many people, Vicksburg became a symbol to memorialize Civil War soldiers; and

WHEREAS, The bravery of countless Civil War soldiers who fought to the end is consistent with the greatest acts of heroism known in our nation's history; and

WHEREAS, CPL Clegg of the 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry is interred and memorialized in the Vicksburg National Cemetery, which is the final resting place for over 17,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who died during the Vicksburg Campaign; and

WHEREAS, CPL Clegg is also memorialized on the tombstone of his parents, Alexander Clegg and Sarah Conway Clegg, and on the gravesite of his siblings, Martha Clegg Earl and Thomas Sylvester Clegg, in Minonk Township Cemetery; and

WHEREAS, CPL Clegg served valiantly and died on the battlefield of Vicksburg during our nation's fight to preserve democracy and freedom for all Americans; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is one of 31 states to have memorials or monuments commemorating the contribution of their citizens during the Vicksburg Campaign; and

WHEREAS, CPL Clegg is an example of dedication and sacrifice to preserve a more perfect Union, and it is fitting we remember his ultimate sacrifice; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the portion of Illinois Route 251 as it travels through Minonk as the "CPL Joseph C. Clegg Memorial Highway"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs giving notice of the name of "CPL Joseph C. Clegg Memorial Highway"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Secretary of Transportation, the Mayor of Minonk, the Woodford County Historical Society, and the descendants of CPL Clegg.