124th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 124th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment also known as the Excelsior Regiment was an exemplary infantry
regiment that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
's call for troops to fight in the American Civil War
, a muster roll was begun in the office of Judge John H. Howe in Kewanee
, in Henry County, Illinois
. Company A and Company F were from the village of Kewanee.
Company B was recruited in Batavia
and Lodi
, in Kane county
.
Company C, known as the Springfield Company, was raised in Springfield, Illinois
and in Jersey county
.
Company D was raised from Colchester
and Tennessee
townships in the Illinois
county of McDonough. It was consolidated with a band of Good Templars from Chicago
and Dundee, Illinois.
. Upon reaching the front at Jackson, Tennessee
, it became part of Grant's operations which culminated in the Siege of Vicksburg.
Following duties in the Vicksburg area, the regiment was sent via New Orleans to participate in action against the defenses of Mobile
after the Battle of Mobile Bay
.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Background
On August 7, 1862, in response to President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's call for troops to fight in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a muster roll was begun in the office of Judge John H. Howe in Kewanee
Kewanee, Illinois
Kewanee is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. "Kewanee" is the Winnebago word for prairie chicken, which lekked there. The population was 12,916 at the 2010 census, down from 12,944 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, in Henry County, Illinois
Henry County, Illinois
Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,486, which is a decrease of 1.0% from 51,020 in 2000. Its county seat is Cambridge...
. Company A and Company F were from the village of Kewanee.
Company B was recruited in Batavia
Batavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
and Lodi
Maple Park, Illinois
Maple Park is a village in DeKalb and Kane Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,310 at the 2010 census, up from 765 at the 2000 census...
, in Kane county
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
.
Company C, known as the Springfield Company, was raised in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
and in Jersey county
Jersey County, Illinois
Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Jersey County is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,985, which is an increase of 6.1% from 21,668 in 2000...
.
Company D was raised from Colchester
Colchester, Illinois
Colchester is a city in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,493 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the provincial town of Colchester, England.-Geography:Colchester is located at ....
and Tennessee
Tennessee, Illinois
Tennessee is a village in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 144 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tennessee is located at ....
townships in the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
county of McDonough. It was consolidated with a band of Good Templars from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Dundee, Illinois.
Campaigns
After being mustered into federal service, the regiment moved south to begin its service in the Western TheatreWestern Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
. Upon reaching the front at Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, it became part of Grant's operations which culminated in the Siege of Vicksburg.
Following duties in the Vicksburg area, the regiment was sent via New Orleans to participate in action against the defenses of Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
after the Battle of Mobile Bay
Battle of Mobile Bay
The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Adm...
.