The 101st Illinois Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Formed in Jacksonville, Illinois on September 2, 1862, the regiment spent their service on the western theater. The majority of the regiment had been captured during the Holly Springs Raid, before the remaining companies went on to fight in the Vicksburg Campaign.
The regiment was reunited with the companies captured during the raid, and participated in the Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign, Atlanta Campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea before participating in the Carolinas Campaign. The regiment participated in the Grand Review of the Armies before they were mustered out on June 12, 1865.
Service
Organization The 101st Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Duncan, Jacksonville, Illinois, and mustered into federal service on September 2, 1862. The regiment were all recruited from Morgan County, with Company G being recruited from Morgan and Sangamon Counties.
The companies of the regiment were recruited at: Company A - Morgan County Company B - Morgan County Company C - Morgan County Company D - Morgan County Company E - Morgan County Company F - Morgan County Company G - Morgan and Sangamon Counties Company H - Morgan County Company I - Morgan County Company K - Morgan County
Early service The regiment remained in Camp Duncan for over a month, conducting drill and were being equipped for the field until October 6, when they were ordered to Cairo, Illinois, arriving there on October 7. The regiment performed garrison duty there for a month, during this period, disease ran rampant throughout the regiment due to bad weather, leading to many of the men being discharged or dying of disease, the regiment continued the assignment of garrison duty until November 26, when they moved to Davis' Mills, Mississippi, where they were attached to Loomis Brigade, Ross's Division of the Army of the Tennessee.
Holly Springs Raid
On November 28, the regiment marched for two days, and arrived at Lumpkin's Mill on November 30, stationed there until December 3, when they were ordered to Holly Springs, Mississippi, to perform provost and garrison duties.
While the rest of the regiment was at Holly Springs, Company A was detached to send Confederate prisoners to Cairo, Illinois.
During the Holly Springs raid, the remaining companies of A, B, C, D, E, F, G, were divided into small squads, conducting provost duty, which were too small to repel the overwhelming numbers Van Dorn had, the town was captured, with this, Companies A, B, C, E, F and I were captured and paroled, while the remaining Companies of D, G, H and K, who were stationed along the Mississippi Central Railroad, fell back to Cold Water, where they repelled Van Dorn's attack there alongside the 19th Illinois Infantry Regiment.
Consolidation and operations against Vicksburg After the raid, the remaining four companies, A, D, G, H and K were consolidated into a battalion, and was assigned to scouting operations over Tennessee until February 1863, when they were reunited with Company A, under Captain Lesage, at Memphis, Tennessee, where Lesage took command of the battalion.
In early March, the battalion was ordered to Vicksburg, where it was fractured into several companies, assigned to various duties, with each company spending the following months conducting scouting operations, skirmishes and expeditions. While operating against Vicksburg, the regiment was equipped with the Springfield Model 1842, alongside 69. and 72. caliber Austrian, Prussian, French smoothbore muskets, and after the surrender of Vicksburg, the regiment alongside twenty others exchanged their muskets with captured Confederate Enfield Rifled muskets and other weapons. On June 7, Companies A, B, C, E, F and I that were paroled in Holly Springs were exchanged and was sent to New Madrid, Missouri on July 11, then to Columbus, Kentucky, conducting scouting operations and participating in skirmishes until August 25, when they were reunited with Companies A, D, G, H and K at Union City, Tennessee.
Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign On September 24, the regiment was transferred to the Department of the Cumberland, and was temporarily attached to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division of XI Corps on October 27. The next day, the Corps arrived at Lookout Valley, the regiment participated in the Battle of Wauhatchie, suffering no fatalities. After the engagement, the regiment spent nearly a month stationed at the Valley, while being exposed to daily artillery fire from Lookout Mountain, losing 1 killed and 1 wounded.
On November 22, the regiment was ordered to Chattanooga, and subsequently participated in the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, losing one man killed. After the battle, the regiment was immediately sent relieve the Union garrison at Knoxville, with many of the men having to march barefoot over frozen ground and sharp rocks. The regiment returned to Lookout Valley on December 17.
Battle of Resaca
They remained in the valley for a few days replenishing before being sent to work on building corduroy roads. On January 1, 1864, the regiment was sent to Kelly's Ferry, relieving the 16th Illinois, which was sent on a veteran furlough. The regiment was stationed at Kelly's Ferry until January 31, when they were ordered to Bridgeport, remaining there until May 2, when it was sent to the front, where the regiment was assigned to the 3rd Brigade (Commanded by Col. James S. Robinson), 1st Division (Commanded by Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams of XX Corps (Major General Joseph Hooker.)Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVIII, Part 1, pages 89-114
On May 6, the regiment had reached Taylor's Ridge, and crossed the river the next day. On May 10, the regiment marched to Snake Creek Gap, arriving there on May 11, before being stationed there for two days until May 13, when they had to march group the gap to participate in the Battle of Resaca, but were held in reserve during May 14 until 3 P.M., when they double-quicked for the Union left.
During the engagement, the regiment was ordered to capture a hill in front of them, in which they captured it, leading to Major General Hooker to shout "Go in, my Illinois boys!" The next afternoon, the regiment was ordered forward, before being attacked by Confederate forces at 4 o-clock. During the engagement, the regiment lost over 7 men killed and mortally wounded and 40 wounded.
Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea After the battle, the regiment participated in the Battle of Cassville on May 19, New Hope Church, where Adjutant Padgett, Lieutenant Hardin and Belt, who would later die of his wounds, Kennesaw, Pine Mountains, and Kolb's Farm, where it supported Battery I, 1st New York Light Artillery. After the Confederates left Kennesaw Mountain, the regiment participated in the pursuit of the Confederate forces. On July 6, the regiment took positions on Chattahoochie Heights, where they were stationed there for eleven days.
On July 20, the regiment participated in the Battle of Peachtree Creek, where it formed line under Confederate fire. the regiment subsequently held the Confederates at bay, before they were repulsed by 8 P.M. The regiment lost 5 killed and 35 wounded, among the killed was Captain Thomas B. Woof. By the morning of July 21, the regiment reported that they had over 120 men, with them previously having over 365 men when they left Bridgeport.
On July 22, the regiment took positions in front of Atlanta, Georgia, and supported Battery I, 1st New York Light Artillery, remaining there until August 25, when they were ordered to the Chattahoochie Bridge, for guard duty. On September 2, the regiment was sent on a reconnaissance operation and would become the first regiment to enter Atlanta after its fall.
On November 15, the regiment participated in the Sherman's March to the Sea, acting as either an advance guard, dispersing Confederate cavalry or as rear guard, pulling out wagons from the mud. On December 22, 1864, the regiment reached Savannah.
Carolinas Campaign and mustering out On January 17, 1865, the regiment crossed into South Carolina, during which, Maj. Napoleon B. Brown resigned. The regiment participated in the Carolinas Campaign, fighting at Averasborough and Bentonville, only losing 1 man wounded. By March 24 to April 13, it marched through Goldsboro and Raleigh, where it remained until the surrender of Joseph E. Johnston's army at Bennett Place.
On May 24, the regiment participated in the Grand Review of the Armies, and subsequently were quartered at Bladensburg until June 1865.
The regiment was mustered out on June 7, 1865, with 385 men, and discharged at Springfield, Illinois, on June 21, 1865.
Organizational affiliations ,detailed service and armaments During its service, the regiment was assigned to various larger formations, such as: Attached to District of Cairo, Dept. of the Tennessee, to November, 1862 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Right Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, to January, 1863 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 16th Army Corps, January, 1863 District of Memphis, Tenn., 16th Army Corps, to March, 1863. Ram Fleet, Mississippi Squadron, to June, 1863 District of Columbus, Ky., 6th Division, 16th Army Corps, to July, 1863 1st Brigade, 6th Division, 16th Army Corps, to October, 1863 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps Army of the Cumberland, to April, 1864 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland and Army of Georgia, to June, 1865.
Detailed service
1862 Source: Organized at Jacksonville, Ill., and mustered in September 2, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill., October 6–7, 1862. Duty at Cairo, Ill., October 7, to November 26, 1862. Moved to Columbus, Ky., thence to Davis Mills, Miss., November 26–27. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign. March to Lumpkin's Mills, thence to Holly Springs, Miss., November 28-December 3 Provost and garrison duty there till December 20. Action and capture at Holly Springs, Miss., December 20, 1862. Companies "B," "C," "E," "F" and "I" captured, paroled and sent to Memphis, Tenn., thence to Benton Barracks, Mo., and duty there as paroled prisoners of war till June, 1863. Companies "D," "G," "H," "I" and "K" on duty guarding railroad, fell back to Coldwater, December 20, 1862, and assisted in repulse of Van Dorn's attack December 20.
1863 Source: Companies "D," "G," "H" and "K" formed temporarily into a Battalion and attached to 14th Illinois Infantry till March, 1863. Operations on Mississippi Central Railroad and scouting till February, 1863. At Memphis till March. Company "A" rejoined at Memphis February, 1863. Ordered to Vicksburg, Miss., March, 1863. Battalion broken up. Company "K" assigned as provost guard at General Grant's headquarters; Company "G" to ram "Switzerland;" Company "D" to "Battler" and "Cricket;" Company "A" to "General Bragg;" Company "H" to "Lafayette," so serving till September, 1863. Rejoined Regiment at Union City, Tenn. Regiment exchanged June 7, 1863 Moved to New Madrid, Mo., and duty there till July 11 Moved to Columbus, Ky., and duty there scouting till August At Union City, Tenn., August 25 to September 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., September 24–27, thence to Bridgeport, Ala., September 30-October 2, and duty there till October 27. Reopening Tennessee River October 27–29 Battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn., October 28–29 Duty in Lookout Valley till November 23 Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23–27 Orchard Knob November 23. Tunnel Hill November 24–25. Mission Ridge November 25. Pursuit to Cleveland November 26–27. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 17. At Whiteside till May, 1864.
1864
Source: Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 3-September 8 Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8–11.