William H. Tillson was mustered into Company E, 84th Illinois Infantry Regiment, United States Army, on 1 September 1862. He was captured by Confederate troops while foraging for water on 21 September 1863, the day after the Battle of Chickamauga. He was eventually taken to Libby Prison in Richmond, Va., travelling through Chattanooga, Tenn.; Atlanta, Ga.; Augusta, Ga.; Columbia, S.C.; Charlotte, N.C. (which he mistakenly called Charlottesville); Raleigh, N.C.; and Petersburg, Va. He spent the next several months as a prisoner of war before being exchanged in April 1864. He was discharged from the Army due to wounds on 22 September 1864.
From the description of William H. Tillson diary, 1863-1864. WorldCat record id: 45494114
From the guide to the William H. Tillson Diary, 1863-1864, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)
