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54th Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War

Online Books:
54th 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
Fifty-fourth Illinois Infantry. — Cols., Thomas W. Harris, Greenville M. Mitchell; Lieut. -Cols., Greenville M. Mitchell, Augustus H. Chapman, Hiram M. Scarborough; Majs., Augustus H. Chapman, John W. True, Hiram M. Scarborough. This regiment was organized at Camp Dubois, Anna, Ill., in Nov., 1861, as a part of the "Kentucky Brigade," and was mustered into the U. S. service Feb. 18, 1862. On Feb. 24 it was ordered to Cairo and on March 14 moved to Columbus, Ky. During the fall of 1862 Gen. Forrest captured detachments of the regiment, stationed as guards of railroads in Tennessee, destroyed nearly all the records, and the remainder of the records were lost by the quartermaster's department, in transit from Columbus, Ky., to Jackson, Tenn. In Jan., 1864, three- fourths of the regiment reenlisted, as veterans, and were mustered Feb. 9, 1864, leaving for Mattoon, Ill., for veteran furlough on March 28. Returning to the front it fought Gen. Shelby in Arkansas, in May. On Aug. 24 it was attacked by Shelby with 4,000 men and 4 pieces of artillery, and one of the five stations which the regiment was guarding on the Little Rock railroad was captured. Six companies were then concentrated at another station and fought for 5 hours, when their hay breastworks caught fire from the enemy's shells and they were driven out and captured by detail, after losing 14 men killed and 35 wounded. The regiment was exchanged Dec. 5, 1864, and arrived at Hickory Station on the Memphis & Little Rock railroad, Jan. 18, 1865, where it remained as railroad guard until June 6. It was mustered out Oct. 15, 1865, having had a total enrollment from the time of its original organization, of 71 commissioned officers and 1,342 enlisted men.

Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3

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