The 45th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, the "Washburn Lead Mine Regiment", was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. In response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers, it was organized at Galena, Illinois. It participated in many of the leading campaigns in the Western Theater.

Service

The 45th Illinois Infantry was organized at

Galena, Illinois Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The ci ...

, and mustered into Federal service on December 25, 1861. It took its name from

Elihu B. Washburne Elihu Benjamin Washburne (September 23, 1816 – October 22, 1887) was an Americans, American politician and diplomat. A member of the Washburn family, which played a prominent role in the early formation of the Republican Party (United States), ...

who represented northwestern

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and from the fact that mining

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

was a well established industry in northwestern Illinois. One member of the regiment, Wilbur Fisk Crummer, wrote a book about experiences titled
With Grant at Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg
'. Crummer's service ended in July 1863 when he was wounded and the book does not cover what happened to the 45th after that time. Crummer records that at the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

, the 45th was approached by an unidentified regiment. The officers of the 45th decided these were Union troops and ordered the men to hold their fire. However, it was a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

regiment, and they were able to get quite close before releasing a devastating volley on the 45th. Crummer later wrote that at the

Battle of Jackson, Mississippi The Battle of Jackson was fought on May 14, 1863, in Jackson, Mississippi, as part of the Vicksburg campaign during the American Civil War. After entering the state of Mississippi in late April 1863, Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union ...

, Confederate

Minié ball The Minié ball or Minie ball, is a type of hollow-based bullet designed by Claude-Étienne Minié, inventor of the French Minié rifle, for muzzle-loading rifled muskets. It was invented in 1847 and came to prominence in the Crimean War and ...

s were fired into beehives, and angry bees caused several Union companies to retreat. In the summer of 1863, the 45th was stationed near the Shirley house at Vicksburg (Crummer was wounded by Confederate sharpshooter while writing out a report in the Shirley house). When Union forces captured Vicksburg, the regiment was given the advance of the Union army for meritorious service and had the honor of being the first Federal regiment to march into Vicksburg, where the regiment's national flag was raised at the Vicksburg courthouse. In Dec 1863, the 45th was located at Black River, MS The regiment was mustered out on July 12, 1865 at Louisville, KY.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 9 officers and 76 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded, and 2 officers and 136 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 223 fatalities.

Commanders

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

John Eugene Smith John Eugene Smith (1816-1897) was a Swiss immigrant to the United States, who served as a Union general during the American Civil War. Early life Smith was born in Bern, Switzerland, in 1816. His father had served under Napoleon Bonaparte and e ...

- promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

on December 26, 1861. *Colonel

Jasper A. Maltby Jasper Adalmorn Maltby (November 3, 1826 – December 12, 1867) was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He participated in two important campaigns in the Western Theater, including the Vicksburg Campaign in 1863. A talen ...

- promoted to brigadier general on March 5, 1863. *Colonel John O. Duer - mustered out with the regiment.Illinois in the Civil War website
after Illinois Adjutant General's muster rolls

Sources

*
The American Civil War Archive

Notes

Units and formations of the Union Army from Illinois 1861 establishments in Illinois Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 {{AmericanCivilWar-unit-stub

Service

Total strength and casualties

Commanders

See also

Sources

Notes