11th Illinois Infantry Regiment

Union infantry regiment during the American Civil War 11th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry File:20-13-344-vicksburg.jpg 250px Memorial at Vicksburg National Military Park 30 Apr. 1861 – 30 July 1861 30 July 1861 – 14 July 1865 United States 1861 United States 1861 Union Illinois Union Army Infantry Regiment W. H. L. Wallace Thomas E.G. Ransom James Henry Coates American Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson (1862) Battle of Shiloh (1862) Siege of Corinth (1862) Battle of Riggins Hill (1862) Siege of Vicksburg (1863) Battle of Yazoo City (1864) Yazoo City expedition (1864) Battle of Fort Blakeley (1865) Illinois U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiments 1861–1865 10th Illinois Infantry Regiment 12th Illinois Infantry Regiment The 11th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment from Illinois that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In April 1861, it was formed as a three-month volunteer unit, and in July 1861 it was reorganized as a three-year unit, in which role it served until the end of the war. Two of its commanding officers were promoted to brigadier general and led major units during the war. In its first major action at Fort Donelson the regiment suffered terrible losses. The 11th Illinois also fought at Shiloh, Riggins Hill, Vicksburg, First Yazoo City, Second Yazoo City, and Fort Blakeley. In April 1863, the 109th Illinois Infantry Regiment was disbanded and its enlisted men transferred into the 11th Illinois. The regiment was mustered out of service in July 1865. Three-month unit The original 11th Illinois Infantry Regiment organized at Springfield, Illinois. It was mustered into three-months' service on 30 April 1861 by Captain John Pope. The regiment traveled to Villa Ridge on 5 May and was stationed in that location until 20 June. Subsequently, the unit moved to Bird's Point, Missouri from which Companies A and B participated in an expedition to Little River on 22–23 June. It remained at Bird's Point until 30 July when it was mustered out of service. During its service 10 men died of disease.Dyer 1908 1048 Its field officers were Colonel W. H. L. Wallace, Lieutenant Colonel J. Warren Filler of Effingham, and Major Thomas E. G. Ransom of Vandalia.Reece 1900 319 During service, the regiment ranged between 833 and 933 in strength, while 916 men were mustered out.Reece 1900 549 Three-year unit Formation and officers The reorganized 11th Illinois Infantry Regiment was mustered into Federal service for a three-year enlistment on 30 July 1861, at Cairo.Dyer 1908 1048 One source stated that the unit organized at Bird's Point between 29 July and 27 October.Official Army Register 1865 228 Only 288 men re-enlisted from the three-month regiment, but by the end of November, recruiting brought the unit's total strength to 801 men.Reece 1900 549 The field officers were Colonel Wallace, Lieutenant Colonel Ransom, and Major Garrett L. Nevius of Rockford. Other regimental staff included 1 adjutant, 1 quartermaster, 1 surgeon, 1 assistant surgeon, 1 chaplain,Reece 1900 319 5 sergeant majors, 4 quartermaster sergeants, 5 commissary sergeants, 3 hospital stewards, and 3 musicians. In addition, there was a 16-member band, all from Rockford, who were discharged after serving one year.Reece 1900 320 Colonel Wallace received promotion to brigadier general on 23 March 1862. He was replaced as colonel by Ransom who was promoted brigadier general on 16 March 1863. Ransom was succeeded as colonel by Nevius who was killed in action on 22 May 1863. Nevius was replaced as colonel by James Henry Coates who received a brevet promotion to brigadier general on 13 March 1865.Official Army Register 1865 228The 11th Illinois monument (see photo) and the Illinois Adjutant General spell the name Nevius, while the Official Army Register and Battles & Leaders spell it Nevins. Three of the 11th Illinois' colonels died in the war. Wallace was fatally wounded while commanding a division at the Battle of Shiloh and died a few days later.Hicken 1991 64 Ransom was wounded four times and rose to command the Left Wing of the XVI Corps in the Atlanta campaign, but died of poor health on 29 October 1864.Boatner 1988 679–680 When Coates became colonel on 22 May 1863, Lloyd D. Waddell became lieutenant colonel but he resigned on 15 September 1864. On the same day, George C. McKee became major but he mustered out on 30 July 1864.Reece 1900 512 When the regiment mustered out, Coates was colonel, Nathaniel C. Kenyon was lieutenant colonel, and Samuel O. Lewis was major.Official Army Register 1865 228 A number of officers gained promotion by transferring to other units. Captain John H. Widmer and Second Lieutenant Douglas Hapeman were promoted major and lieutenant colonel, respectively, in the 104th Illinois Infantry Regiment on 4 September 1862. Captain Charles T. Hotchkiss was promoted lieutenant colonel of the 89th Illinois Infantry Regiment on 4 September 1862. First Lieutenant Hurbert A. McCaleb was promoted lieutenant colonel of the 6th U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery on 7 November 1862. First Lieutenant Samuel B. Dean was promoted major of the 58th U. S. Colored Infantry on 31 August 1863. First Lieutenant Cyrus E. Dickey became Captain and Assistant Adjutant General on 8 June 1863.Official Army Register 1865 228 Major Smith D. Atkins resigned on 17 April 1862 and was promoted colonel of the 92nd Illinois Infantry Regiment on 4 September 1862. Atkins received a brevet promotion to brigadier general on 12 January 1865.Boatner 1988 28 thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white print of a man in a dark military uniform with two rows of buttons. He has bushy tufts of dark hair over each ear and on top of his head.|W. H. L. Wallace +Captains and Recruiting Areas of the 11th Illinois Infantry RegimentReece 1900 513–548 Company Recruiting Area, 3-monthReece 1900 320–335 Original Captain, 3-year Recruiting Area, 3-year A Freeport Smith D. Atkins Stephenson County B Lacon Frederick W. Shaw Marshall County C Centralia George C. McKee Marion County D Rockford William D. E. Andrus Winnebago County E Vandalia Lloyd D. Waddell Effingham County F Morris Wilbem M. Boren Pulaski County G Effingham Lucius M. Ross various locations H Ottawa James Henry Coates LaSalle County I Ottawa Greenbury L. Fort various locations K Lasalle Henry H. Carter Lasalle County 1861–1862 thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white photo of a clean-shaven man with mutton-chop sideburns. He wears a dark military uniform with two rows of buttons and the one-star shoulder tab of a brigadier general.|T. E. G. Ransom The 11th Illinois Infantry Regiment was assigned to W. H. L. Wallace's 3rd Brigade, District of Cairo until February 1862.Dyer 1908 1048 During this period, the regiment participated in a number of forays into Missouri. These were toward New Madrid on 9–11 September 1861, to Charleston on 6–10 October, to Bloomfield on 3–12 November, and to Sikeston on 25–28 January 1862. The unit also went on a reconnaissance of Columbus, Kentucky on 13–20 January. The 11th Illinois boarded river transports on 2 February and joined the Fort Henry campaign. On 11 February, the regiment began to march toward Fort Donelson which was invested on 12–14 February.Reece 1900 549 At the Battle of Fort Donelson on 15 February 1862, the 11th Illinois led by Lieutenant Colonel Ransom (who was wounded) was part of Colonel Wallace's 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General John Alexander McClernand's 1st Division, under the overall command of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant.Battles & Leaders 1987a 429 That morning, the Confederates attempted to break out of the fort by launching a heavy assault against the 1st Division. After heavy fighting, McClernand's right brigade under Colonel Richard J. Oglesby was forced back and the 11th Illinois on the right flank of Wallace's brigade bore the brunt of the Confederate attacks. The regiment was compelled to retreat though Ransom greatly distinguished himself. At the end of the day, Grant ordered a counterattack which restored the investment; the Confederates surrendered the following day.Hicken 1991 36–41 Out of about 500 effectives, the 11th Illinois suffered 329 casualties, including 72 killed and 182 wounded. On 4–13 March, the regiment moved first to Fort Henry, then to Savannah, Tennessee. On 23–25 March, the unit moved farther up the Tennessee River to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee.Reece 1900 549 At the Battle of Shiloh on 6–7 April 1862, the 11th Illinois was attached to Colonel C. Carroll Marsh's 2nd Brigade, McClernand's 1st Division, in Major General Grant's Army of the Tennessee. Both Ransom and Major Nevius were wounded and Captain Waddell took command.Battles & Leaders 1987a 537 On the first day, McClernand ordered Marsh to move his brigade to support Brigadier General William Tecumseh Sherman's division. After first moving to Sherman's right rear, Marsh shifted farther to the left and deployed the 11th, 20th, 45th, and 48th Illinois Infantry Regiments. Ransom wrote that the Confederates came on in, "four ranks and three columns steadily upon us".Smith 2014 154 Marsh's troops were compelled to retreat,Smith 2014 162 during which Captain Coates and his son were both wounded and taken prisoner. While withdrawing, some soldiers stubbornly fought back behind some sacks filled with oats. When Marsh's brigade rallied on a new defense line near Jones Field, a portion of the 70th Ohio Infantry Regiment joined the 11th Illinois and fought with it the rest of the day. At 12:30 pm, Marsh's brigade joined a counterattack by Sherman and McClernand and the 11th and 20th Illinois overran a Confederate Kentucky battery. Ransom was bleeding from a head wound, but continued to lead the regiment until his horse was killed; then he went to the rear. After a two-hour fight, Confederate reinforcements again threw the Union troops back.Smith 2014 165–171 At Shiloh, the 11th Illinois lost 27 killed and wounded out of 150 total.Reece 1900 549 After the battle, Tommy Newsom erected a monument to the regiment's dead. This became known as the White Post burial place; it was the first monument built on the battlefield.Smith 2014 419 The 11th Illinois Infantry remained in the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Army of the Tennessee until July 1862. The regiment participated in the Siege of Corinth from 29 April–30 May. Afterward, the unit served until 2 August at Jackson, Tennessee, when it moved first to Cairo and then to Paducah, Kentucky, from 23 August to 20 November. The regiment joined an expedition from Fort Donelson to Clarksville, Tennessee, from 5–10 September that resulted in the Battle of Riggins Hill.Dyer 1908 1049 In this action, Colonel William Warren Lowe led 1,100 Union troops from the 11th Illinois, 71st Ohio, and 13th Wisconsin Infantry Regiments, the 5th Iowa Cavalry Regiment, and Battery C and Battery H, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery to disperse a force of 700 Confederates that occupied Clarksville.Morfe Fisher 2013 The 11th Illinois also went on an expedition to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, from 31 October to 13 November.Reece 1900 549 The regiment served in the District of Jackson in July and the District of Cairo from August to November.Dyer 1908 1048 1863 The 11th Illinois was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 6th Division, Left Wing XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee in November–December 1862. The same brigade and division transferred first to the XVI Corps in December 1862 – January 1863, and then to the XVII Corps from January to September 1863.Dyer 1908 1048 On 20–24 November 1862, the regiment moved to La Grange, Tennessee, where it joined the 6th Division under Brigadier General John McArthur. The unit participated in Grant's abortive Northern Mississippi campaign through 12 January 1863. The 11th Illinois first marched to Tallahatchie where it engaged in a skirmish, then to Abbeville, and finally to Oxford. On the return march to Memphis, Tennessee, the regiment went via Holly Springs, Mississippi, and Moscow, Tennessee. On 17 January, the unit embarked on river transports at Memphis and traveled to Young's Point, which it reached on 24 January.Reece 1900 549 On 11 February, the 11th Illinois moved to Lake Providence, Louisiana, where it remained until 20 April. While there, the regiment went on an expedition to American Bend on 17–28 March. On 23 April, 589 enlisted men transferred into the 11th Illinois from the 109th Illinois Infantry Regiment. From 26 April to 18 May, the regiment marched to join the Siege of Vicksburg, moving through Richmond, Louisiana, Perkins' Landing, Grand Gulf, Mississippi, and Raymond, Mississippi. The unit participated in the 19 May and 22 May assaults.Reece 1900 549 At Vicksburg, the 11th Illinois was assigned to Ransom's 2nd Brigade, McArthur's 6th Division, Major General James B. McPherson's XVII Corps, Grant's Army of the Tennessee.Battles & Leaders 1987b 548 Vicksburg fell on 4 July; during the siege, 11th Illinois lost 3 officers wounded and 40 men killed and wounded.Reece 1900 550 In addition, Colonel Nevius was killed leading the 22 May assault.Official Army Register 1865 228 The regiment moved to Natchez, Mississippi, on 17 July, and subsequently participated in an expedition to Woodville, Mississippi. On 12 October the unit returned to Vicksburg where it was on duty until 29 July 1864.Reece 1900 550 From September 1863 to August 1864, the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XVII Corps.Dyer 1908 1048 1864–1865 thumb|right|upright=0.7|alt=Black and white photo of a balding man with a moustache sitting in a chair. He wears a dark suit and pants with a white vest.|George C. McKee From 1 February to 8 March 1864, the 11th Illinois participated in an expedition up the Yazoo River to Greenwood, Mississippi. On 5 February there was fighting at Liverpool Heights where the regiment lost 4 killed and 9 wounded. In the Battle of Yazoo City on 5 March, the unit sustained losses of 1 officer and 8 enlisted men killed, 24 wounded, and 12 missing.Reece 1900 550 Under the overall leadership of Colonel Coates, the expedition consisted of 21 officers and 539 enlisted men from the 11th Illinois and 17 officers and 370 men from 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment (African) aboard river transports. The force was accompanied by five gunboats under Captain Elias K. Owen and later joined by 250 troopers from the 1st Mississippi Cavalry Regiment (African). Yazoo City was occupied on 9 February and Greenwood on 14 February. After returning to Yazoo City, Coates' force was attacked by two brigades of Confederate cavalry on 5 March. The attackers surrounded nine companies of the 11th Illinois under Major McKee and 80 men of the 1st Mississippi in rifle pits outside the town, while forcing their way into the streets. Brigadier General Lawrence Sullivan Ross tried three times to bluff McKee into surrendering, but that officer refused to capitulate. After four hours, Coates attacked from the town with Company A of the 11th Illinois and six companies of the 8th Louisiana and compelled the Confederates to withdraw.Official Records 1891 320–326 The 11th Illinois guarded the Big Black River bridge on 6–28 April. The regiment joined the Yazoo City expedition on 4–21 May. The expedition moved from Vicksburg to Yazoo City, Benton, and Vaughan Station while fighting in three skirmishes. On 1–7 July, the regiment was part of Major General Henry Warner Slocum's expedition to Jackson, Mississippi, where it fought in three actions. On 29 July, the unit moved to Morganza, Louisiana where it stayed until 3 September.Reece 1900 550 From this time until December 1864, the 11th Illinois was part of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XIX Corps, Army of the Gulf.Dyer 1908 1048 While posted in Morganza, the regiment was sent on a number of expeditions. These were to Clinton, Louisiana, on 24–29 August, the mouth of the White River on 3 September, Memphis on 8 October, the White River again on 27 October, Gaines Landing on 6–7 November, and DeValls Bluff, Arkansas, on 8 November. The unit moved to Memphis on 30 November–4 December.Reece 1900 550 thumb|right|upright=1.5|alt=Colored print shows soldiers carrying the US flag charging toward an objective on the horizon.|Battle of Fort Blakeley, 9 April 1865. From December 1864 to February 1865, the 11th Illinois was attached to the 2nd Brigade, Reserve Division, Army of West Mississippi. In February, the 2nd Brigade was transferred to the 1st Division. From February to July 1865, the regiment was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XIII Corps, Army of West Mississippi.Dyer 1908 1048 The regiment went on an expedition to Moscow, Tennessee, on 20–31 December. It moved first to Kenner, Louisiana, on 1–5 January 1865, then to Dauphin Island, Alabama, on 4–7 February. The regiment fought in the Mobile campaign from 17 February to 12 April.Reece 1900 550 During the campaign, the 11th Illinois under Colonel Coates served in Brigadier General Elias Smith Dennis' 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General James C. Veatch's 1st Division, Major General Gordon Granger's XIII Corps, Major General Edward Canby's Army of West Mississippi. The 8th Illinois and 46th Illinois Infantry Regiments were the 2nd Brigade's other units.Jordan 2019 226 On 2 April, two Union divisions began to invest Fort Blakely, and on 3–4 April Canby reinforced them with two more divisions, including Veatch's.Jordan 2019 181 Fort Blakeley had 3,500 Confederate defenders and 33 guns under Brigadier General St. John Richardson Liddell.Jordan 2019 183 On 8 April, the Battle of Spanish Fort concluded when its Confederate garrison evacuated the fort. By this time, Union troops completed their third parallel within 600 yd m 0 of Fort Blakeley. Each of the four Union division commanders made his own plan of attack.Jordan 2019 189 Veatch assigned Dennis' brigade to lead the attack with one regiment deployed as skirmishers and the other two forming the assault column. A second brigade was in support. The troops rapidly reached and overran Redoubt No. 5, capturing 300 prisoners and five cannons. In total, Veatch's division sustained losses of 13 killed and 64 wounded. In the Battle of Fort Blakeley on 9 April, Liddell's entire garrison was made prisoners.Jordan 2019 181 On 12 April 1865, the 11th Illinois occupied Mobile, Alabama and performed garrison duty. On 27 May, the regiment boarded ship for New Orleans via Lake Pontchartrain. The unit moved to Alexandria, Louisiana, and left there on 22 June. The regiment was mustered out of service on 14 July at Baton Rouge, and traveled to Springfield, Illinois, for final payment and discharge.Reece 1900 550 During service, the 11th Illinois lost 7 officers and 179 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in action, and 1 officer and 284 enlisted men from disease. There were 471 fatalities.Dyer 1908 1049 A total of 1,879 officers and men served with the regiment during its 3-year existence.Reece 1900 550 See also List of Illinois Civil War Units Illinois in the American Civil War Notes Footnotes note Citations 3 References Battles & Leaders 1987a Battles and Leaders of the Civil War 1 1987a 1883 Castle Secaucus, N.J. 0-89009-569-8 Battles & Leaders 1987b Battles and Leaders of the Civil War 3 1987b 1883 Castle Secaucus, N.J. 0-89009-571-X Dyer Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion: 11th Illinois Infantry Regiment https://books.google.com/books?id=OBkNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1048 1908 Des Moines, Iowa Dyer Publishing Co. March 7, 2021 1048–1049 Hicken Victor Illinois in the Civil War 1991 University of Illinois Press Urbana, Ill. 0-252-06165-9 Jordan Daniel W. III Operational Art and the Campaign for Mobile, 1864-1865: A Staff Ride Handbook Combat Studies Institute Press, US Army Combined Arms Center Fort Leavenworth, Kan. 2019 9781940804545 https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/operational-art-and-the-campaigns-for-mobile-bay-1864-to-1865-staff-ride-handbook.pdf March 7, 2021 June 12, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200612192255/https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/operational-art-and-the-campaigns-for-mobile-bay-1864-to-1865-staff-ride-handbook.pdf dead Morfe Don Fisher Bernard Battle of Riggins Hill: Fight for Control 2013 The Historical Marker Database March 16, 2021 https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=68651 6 Official Records 1891 The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. XXXII Part 1 32 1891 Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. March 19, 2021 https://collections.library.cornell.edu/moa_new/waro.html 315–332, 383–385 (Select volume XXXII Part 1 and scroll down to page 315.) Reece J. N. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois: 1861-1866 - Volume I 1900 Springfield, Ill. Journal Company, Printers and Binders 2 March 7, 2021 512–550 https://archive.org/details/reportofadjutant01illi1/page/512/mode/2up Smith Timothy B. Shiloh: Conquer or Perish 2014 University Press of Kansas Lawrence, Kan. 978-0-7006-2347-1 Category:Units and formations of the Union army from Illinois Category:1861 establishments in Illinois Category:1865 disestablishments in Illinois Category:Military units and formations established in 1861 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1865