The 83rd 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 ...

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 ...

Service

The 83rd Illinois Infantry was organized at

Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warf ...

and mustered into Federal service on August 21, 1862. Commanding the regiment was

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 ...

Abner C. Harding.83rd Illinois Regiment History
/ref> The regiment was heavily engaged on February 3, 1863, at Fort Donelson when it repulsed an attack by 8,000 Confederate troops under Joseph Wheeler and

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealt ...

. The loss to the regiment was 13 killed and 51 wounded. This engagement is known as the Battle of Dover (1863). The regiment was mustered out on June 26, 1865, in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

and discharged in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, on July 5, 1865. Future lawman

Virgil Earp Virgil Walter Earp (July 18, 1843 – October 19, 1905) was both deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone, Arizona City Marshal when he led his younger brothers Wyatt and Morgan, and Doc Holliday, in a confrontation with outlaw Cowboys at the Gunfig ...

served as a private in the regiment.

Detailed Service

This regiment was organized at Monmouth and was mustered into the U. S. service Aug. 21, 1862. Cos. A, B, C, F and H were recruited in Warren County, D in

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...

, E, G, I and K, in Knox. The regiment moved from camp Aug. 25, via

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

and St. Louis to

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

arriving there the 29th and reporting to Brig.-Gen.

Tuttle Tuttle may refer to: Places Canada * Tuttle, Alberta United States * Tuttle, Arkansas * Tuttle, California * Tuttle, Colorado * Tuttle, Oklahoma * Tuttle, North Dakota Other uses * "Tuttle" (''M*A*S*H''), a 1973 episode from the television seri ...

commanding the post. On Sept. 3 it moved to Fort Henry and thence to Fort Donelson, where it remained until Sept., 1863. It had heavy guard duty to perform, and as the whole country, especially along the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

and Cumberland Rivers was infested with guerrillas, it had daily skirmishes with the enemy, some of them being quite severe, as at Waverly, Tenn., and Garrettsburg, Ky. On Feb. 3, nine companies of the 83rd with Co. C, 2nd Ill. Light Artillery, successfully resisted the attack of Forrest and

Wheeler Wheeler may refer to: Places United States * Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Illinois, a village * Wheeler, Indiana, a ...

with 8,000 men on Fort Donelson, the loss of the regiment being 13 killed and 51 wounded. On the morning of Aug. 20, Capt. William M. Turnbull of Co. B, with 11 of his company, left Fort Donelson in pursuit of 5 guerrillas who were making their way to the Tennessee River with a number of horses, but failing to overtake them he was overpowered by a party of guerrillas secreted in the timber, while returning to the fort. Turnbull and 8 of his men were killed and but 3 of the party escaped to tell the sad fate of their companions. During the year 1864 the regiment had some 200 miles of communications to guard, as well as much heavy patrol duty, and during the winter of 1864-65 it was on provost duty at Nashville, Tenn. On June 26, 1865, the regiment was mustered out at Nashville and sent to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where it received final pay and discharge on July 4.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 4 officers and 34 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officers and 82 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 121 fatalities.

Commanders

Abner C. Harding - 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 ...

February 1863. * Colonel Arthur Arnold Smith

Notable Members

Notes

References

* 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