The 83rd 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 83rd Illinois Infantry was organized at

Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, W ...

and mustered into Federal service on August 21, 1862. Commanding the regiment was

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 ...

Abner C. Harding.83rd Illinois Regiment History
/ref> The regiment was heavily engaged on February 3, 1863, at

Fort Donelson Fort Donelson was a fortress built early in 1862 by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River, which led to the heart of Tennessee, and thereby the Confederacy. The fort was named after Confederate general Da ...

when it repulsed an attack by 2,500 Confederate troops under

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was a military commander and politician of the Confederate States of America. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil ...

and

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...

. The loss to the regiment was 13 killed and 51 wounded. This engagement is known as the Battle of Dover (1863). The regiment was mustered out on June 26, 1865, in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

and discharged in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, on July 5, 1865. Future lawman

Virgil Earp Virgil Walter Earp (July 18, 1843 – October 19, 1905) was an American lawman. He was both deputy U.S. Marshal and City Marshal of Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, Arizona, when he led his younger brothers Wyatt Earp, Wyatt a ...

served as a private in the regiment.

Detailed Service

This regiment was organized at Monmouth and was mustered into the U. S. service Aug. 21, 1862. Cos. A, B, C, F and H were recruited in Warren County, D in

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, E, G, I and K, in Knox. The regiment moved from camp Aug. 25, via Burlington and

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arriving there the 29th and reporting to Brig.-Gen.

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commanding the post. On Sept. 3 it moved to Fort Henry and thence to

, where it remained until Sept., 1863. It had heavy guard duty to perform, and as the whole country, especially along the

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

and

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

s was infested with guerrillas, it had daily skirmishes with the enemy, some of them being quite severe, as at Waverly, Tenn., and Garrettsburg, Ky. On Feb. 3, nine companies of the 83rd with Co. C, 2nd Ill. Light Artillery, successfully resisted the attack of

Forrest Forrest may refer to: Places Australia *Forrest, Australian Capital Territory *Forrest, Victoria, a small rural township *Division of Forrest, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives, in Western Australia *Electoral distric ...

and Wheeler with 2,500 men on Fort Donelson, the loss of the regiment being 13 killed and 51 wounded. On the morning of Aug. 20, Capt. William M. Turnbull of Co. B, with 11 of his company, left Fort Donelson in pursuit of 5 guerrillas who were making their way to the Tennessee River with a number of horses, but failing to overtake them he was overpowered by a party of guerrillas secreted in the timber, while returning to the fort. Turnbull and 8 of his men were killed and but 3 of the party escaped to tell the sad fate of their companions. During the year 1864 the regiment had some 200 miles of communications to guard, as well as much heavy patrol duty, and during the winter of 1864-65 it was on provost duty at Nashville, Tenn. On June 26, 1865, the regiment was mustered out at Nashville and sent to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, where it received final pay and discharge on July 4.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 4 officers and 34 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officers and 82 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 121 fatalities.

Commanders

Abner C. Harding - Promoted to brigadier general February 1863. * Colonel Arthur Arnold Smith

Notable Members

Notes

References

*{{Cite book , last = Fletcher , first = Randol B. , title = Hidden History of Civil War Oregon , publisher = The History Press , year = 2011 , location = Charleston, South Carolina , isbn = 978-1609494247 Units and formations of the Union army from Illinois 1862 establishments in Illinois Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865