The 53rd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry 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 ...

from

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 ...

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 ...

. The regiment fought at Shiloh, Hatchie's Bridge,

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

, the March to the Sea, the

Carolinas campaign The campaign of the Carolinas (January 1 – April 26, 1865), also known as the Carolinas campaign, was the final campaign conducted by the United States Army (Union Army) against the Confederate States Army in the Western Theater. On January 1 ...

, and Bentonville. After the war ended, it participated in the

Grand Review of the Armies The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in the national capital city of Washington, D.C., on May 23–24, 1865, following the Union victory in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Elements of the Union Army in the ...

before being mustered out of service.

Service

The 53rd Illinois Infantry was organized at

Ottawa, Illinois Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the navigable Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The Illinois River is a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago, to the Mississippi Riv ...

and mustered into Federal service in January 1862. The regiment was mustered out on July 22, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 8 officers and 80 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 137 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 227 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 ...

William H.W. Cushman - resigned on September 3, 1862. *Colonel Daniel F. Hitt - resigned on January 2, 1863. *Colonel Seth C. Earl - killed in action on July 12, 1863. *Colonel John W. McClanahan - mustered out with the regiment.http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcivilw/f&s/053-fs.htm Illinois in the Civil War website after Illinois Adjutant General's muster rolls

Notes

References

The Civil War Archive
Units and formations of the Union Army from Illinois 1862 establishments in Illinois Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 {{AmericanCivilWar-unit-stub

Service

Total strength and casualties

Commanders

See also

Notes

References