| If this website has been useful to you, please consider
making a Donation.
Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do
more research. Thank you for your support! |
45th Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
45th Illinois Infantry Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant
General of the State of Illinois, Volume 3, Revised by Brigadier General J.N.
Reece, Adjutant General, 1900
View
Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry. — Cols., John Eugene Smith,
Jasper A. Maltby; Lieut.-Cols., Charles C. Campbell, Jasper A. Maltby,
Melancthon Smith, Robert P. Sealy, John O. Duer; Majs., Melancthon
Smith, Luther H. Cowan, Leander B. Fisk, John O. Duer, James J. Palmer.
This regiment, during its organization, rendezvoused at the Jo Daviess
county fair grounds, near Galena, and the camp was named Camp Washburne,
in honor of E. B. Washburne, member of Congress from the Galena
district. Seven companies of the regiment only were in camp at Galena,
but the regimental organization was fully completed and the regiment
armed with the short Enfield rifle. On Nov. 22 Camp Washburne was broken
up, and the regiment was ordered to Camp Douglas, Chicago, where the
full complement of ten companies was made up and the regiment was
mustered into the U. S. service on Dec. 25, 1861. On Jan. 12, 1862, it
left Camp Douglas for Cairo, where it went into camp until Feb. 1, when
it was assigned to the 2nd brigade, 1st division, and the next day left
Cairo with Gen. Grant's army for the Tennessee river. On the 4th it
pitched its tents in the first camp in the field — Camp Halleck, 4 miles
below Fort Henry. At Fort Donelson it was sent to the relief of the 49th
Ill. infantry, which was engaged close up to the enemy's works, and
received its "baptism of fire." The regiment bore its full share of the
three days' fight at Donelson, though its loss was small, only 2 killed
and 26 wounded. It went into the fight at Shiloh with about 500 men and
was in the front line from first to last of the two days' battle, the
losses of the regiment being 26 killed, and 199 wounded and missing. The
summer of 1862 was spent in camp at Jackson, Tenn., and later four
companies were stationed at Medon, one company at Treager's, and five
companies at Toon's. Co. C was captured at Treager's, at Medon a sharp
fight occurred in which the Confederates were repulsed, and the loss in
the regiment was 3 killed, 13 wounded and 43 taken prisoners. The
regiment participated in all the battles of the Vicksburg campaign,
forming a part of Logan's division. It took part in three charges
against the Confederate works in May and June, the loss to the regiment
in the last assault being 83 officers and men killed and wounded. The
regiment was detailed for provost guard duty in Vicksburg on July 4, and
continued to do such duty until Oct. 14, when it was relieved to take
part in the Canton raid, during which a skirmish occurred with the
Confederates at Bogue Chitto creek. In the months of December and
January the regiment almost to a man reenlisted as veterans. From Feb. 3
to March 4 it took part in the "Meridian raid," and was engaged in the
skirmish at Chunky Station, where 3 men of the regiment were wounded. On
March 17 it left Vicksburg for Cairo, where it was given a 30 days'
veteran furlough. Beginning on June 7, it took its share in the Atlanta
campaign, before and after the fall of Atlanta, until the beginning of
the march to the sea. It participated in the Carolina campaign and was
engaged in the attack on Pocotaligo, S. C, where it suffered a loss of 8
men wounded before the place was taken. The regiment participated in the
grand review at Washington, and on June 6 left that place for
Louisville, Ky., where it was mustered out of service on July 12, 1865. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us
|