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76th Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
76th Illinois Infantry Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant
General of the State of Illinois, Volume 4, Revised by Brigadier General J.N.
Reece, Adjutant General, 1900
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Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Seventy-sixth Infantry. — Cols., Alonzo W. Mack, Samuel
T. Busey; Lieut. -Cols., Samuel T. Busey, William A. Dubois, Charles C.
Jones; Majs., William A. Dubois, George C. Harrington, Walter W. Todd.
This regiment was organized at Kankakee, and was mustered in Aug. 22,
1862. Immediately after its muster it was ordered to Columbus, Ky., at
which place it arrived Aug. 29 and soon after was armed with Enfield
rifle muskets. It remained at Columbus, drilling and doing fatigue and
picket duty until Oct. 4, when it was ordered by rail to Bolivar, Tenn.,
at which place it arrived Oct. 5 and camped near the city until Nov. 3.
Then with other troops, it was moved to LaGrange and remained there
until Nov. 28, when it was sent with Gen. Grant on his campaign along
the Mississippi Central railroad. It was at Holly Springs on the 29th
and at Waterford on the 30th, doing its part in driving Price's army
southwest. In May, 1863, the regiment embarked for Grand Gulf; returned
to Young's point on the 20th ; immediately embarked for Chickasaw bayou,
at which place it debarked on the same day ; was engaged in closing up
the lines in the rear of Vicksburg until after the charge, when it was
placed on the left of the besieging lines and bravely held its place
close under the Confederate guns until the final surrender. On July 5 it
moved with Sherman's army against Jackson, Miss., skirmishing with the
enemy at the Big Black river and at Champion's hill. At Jackson the
Confederates under Johnston made a stand and engaged the Federal forces
from the 12th to the 16th, the 76th occupying the extreme right of the
attacking forces. In May, 1864, the regiment accompanied an expedition
to Yazoo City and participated in the battles of Benton, Vaughn's
station and Deasonville, driving the enemy from Yazoo City and occupying
the place for several days. In July, while returning from an expedition
to Jackson, the command was met by the enemy between Jackson and Clinton
and a sharp battle was fought. The regiment, which bore a prominent part
in the engagement, was cut off from the rest of the command, but it cut
its way out, losing 102 men, 16 of whom were reported killed and left on
the field, and 86 wounded and missing. Being transferred to the extreme
south in the spring of 1864, it traveled through pine swamps,
corduroying the quicksand roads as it moved along, and fighting the
enemy in front until April 1, when the army approached Fort Blakely and
on the 2nd drove the enemy inside his fortifications. On April 8 Spanish
Fort was captured, and the following day the regiment participated in
the charge on Fort Blakely, capturing the entire garrison. The regiment
lost in this, its last battle, 17 killed and 81 wounded. It remained on
duty at Mobile until the latter part of June, when it was ordered to
Galveston, Tex., where it remained until July 22 and was then mustered
out and ordered to Chicago, Ill., where it was paid off and disbanded
Aug. 4, 1865. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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