The 90th 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 mar ...

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 conscript ...

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

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 ...

Service

The 90th Illinois Infantry was organized at

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

and mustered into Federal service on September 7, 1862. Nicknamed the "Irish Legion" or the "Second Irish". On two occasions, the unit included a disguised woman ( Frances Elizabeth Quinn) in its ranks. The first time she was discovered and dismissed within a month by Colonel Tomothy O'Meara. She rejoined under a different name, and a new commander, a year later. She was successful until captured and discovered by confederate soldiers. The regiment was mustered out on June 10, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 2 officers and 58 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officer and 87 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 148 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 o ...

Timothy O'Meara - killed in action at the Battle of Missionary Ridge. * Lieutenant Colonel Owen Stewart - Mustered out with the regiment.http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcivilw/f&s/090-fs.htm Illinois in the Civil war website after Illinois Adjutant General's muster rolls

Notes

References

The Civil War Archive

External links