Brigadier General John O. Duer Traditional Cache

This Cache is part of the Galena Generals Series. During the Civil War 9 men from Galena earned the rank of General. This series is dedicated to them. Each General has his own cache.

There is a Bonus Cache for this series. Inside the plastic lid of each General’s inner cache container you will find a letter and a corresponding number. Put them all together to get the coordinates for Abraham Lincoln – Commander in Chief.

This cache is located in Buehler’s Preserve. It can be found at the end of the trail that continues from the east end of the Meeker Street Walk Bridge.

Brevet Brigadier General John Oliver Duer was born in Maryland in 1838. Duer moved to Galena with his brother, Charles, and opened Charles Duer & Brother Groceries and Provisions. The store was located on the corner of Main and Perry Streets. After the outbreak of the Civil War, Duer joined the 45th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment on September 3, 1861. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant of Company D. Duer was promoted to First Lieutenant on March 1, 1862. On April 6, 1862, the first day of the battle of Shiloh, Duer was promoted to Captain, replacing Captain Thomas D. Connor who was killed on that date.

The 45^th was instrumental during Grant’s Vicksburg campaign. Captain Duer led Company D at Port Gibson, Raymond, Champion Hill, and Big Black River Bridge during the siege of Vicksburg. For nearly a month the unit was occupied ‘sapping and digging’ (mining terms) under Fort Hill at Vicksburg. On June 25, the mine having been charged, the match was applied. The 45th was selected as the storming party. Immediately after the explosion the Regiment rushed into the crater, but was met with a murderous fire by the enemy, who was still protected by an embankment about three feet in width. The loss to the 45th in this charge was great. Duer was promoted to major on June 25, 1863 replacing Major Leander B. Fisk who was killed in the charge. (Fisk had been promoted to major on May 22, 1863 when Major Luther H. Cowan was killed in a previous attempt to take Fort Hill.) When the city surrendered, General Grant ordered that the 45^th Illinois, because of its conspicuous service during the siege, be given the honor of leading the advance of the Union army when it entered that stronghold, and its flag was raised atop the courthouse to denote the possession of the city by the Federal army.

Duer and the 45^th were part of General William T. Sherman’s Army in the siege of Atlanta and in the March to the Sea campaign. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on January 10, 1865, and full Colonel on May 11, 1865. He was Brevetted Brigadier General of volunteers on July 12, 1965, the day he was mustered out of the service. Following the war, Duer returned to Galena and opened a leather and hardware business with his partner, J.R. Patton. Duer headed the dry goods firm of Duer & Estey when he moved to Monticello, Iowa in 1867. He returned to Galena to marry Galenian Jennie Wonderly in January 1868. They returned to Monticello and had five children. Duer was elected the mayor of Monticello. He passed away on Dec. 11, 1880 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Monticello.