The 17th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Service

The 17th Illinois Infantry was organized at

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

, and mustered into Federal service at

, on May 24, 1861, for three years service.Roy L. Moore
''History of Woodford County: A Concise History of the Settlement and Growth of Woodford County.''
Eureka, IL: Woodford County Republican, 1910; pg. 124. The 17th Illinois Volunteers fought at the bloody

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...

Hardin County, Tennessee Hardin County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 26,831. The county seat is Savannah, Tennessee, Savannah. Hardin County is located no ...

, in April 1862, with 130 members of the regiment killed and wounded in the two-day battle. This unit also participated in the last phase of the 1863

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed th ...

Warren County, Mississippi Warren County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Its western border is formed by the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 44,722. Its county seat is V ...

, a protracted battle which ultimately led to the surrender of over 29,000 Confederate troops. The regiment was mustered out of service on June 4, 1864, upon expiration of its term of enlistment and its recruits and veterans were transferred to the 8th Illinois.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 3 officers and 71 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officer and 71 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 146 fatalities.

Commanders

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

Leonard Fulton Ross Leonard Fulton Ross (July 18, 1823 – January 17, 1901) was an American lawyer, probate judge, and stock raiser who served as a first lieutenant in the Mexican-American War and as a brigadier general during the American Civil War. Early lif ...

- promoted to brigadier general on April 25, 1862. * Colonel Addison S. Norton - resigned July 9, 1863. * Lieutenant Colonel Enos P. Wood - commanded regiment then brigade at Shiloh, resigned 19 April 1862 *Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith -

Notable Members

James Earp James Cooksey Earp (June 28, 1841 – January 25, 1926) was a lesser known older brother of Old West lawman Virgil Earp and lawman/gambler Wyatt Earp. Unlike his brothers, he was a saloon-keeper and was not present at the Gunfight at the O.K. ...

Footnotes

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External links