54th Regiment, Illinois Infantry

Brief History
The 54th Regiment, Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Dubois, Anna, Illinois, as a part of the Kentucky Brigade, and mustered in during February, 1862. The regiment mustered out on October 15, 1865, and was discharged at Camp Butler, Illinois.

For more information on the history of the 54th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, see the following:


 * Wikipedia, (accessed 23 Dec 2010) article on the 54th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.


 * The Civil War Archive. (accessed 23 Dec 2010) Brief history of the 54th Regiment Infantry.

Companies in this Regiment with County of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

The following counties of origin are taken from the Adjutant General's Report, found on the Illinois Civil War Rosters web site. Roster pages are from the same report found on the Internet Archives web site. The rosters show the men who served in each regiment, their residences, dates of enlistment and mustering out, and other remarks.

Company A - many men from Christian, Coles and Union counties - Christian, Coles, and Union county web sites - Roster, vol. 3, pages 657-660.

Company B - many men from Douglas County - Douglas County web site- Roster, vol. 3, pages 660-662.

Company C - many men from Coles County - Coles County web site- Roster, vol. 3, pages 662-665.

Company D - many men from Effingham County - Effingham County web site- Roster, vol. 3, pages 665-667.

Company E - many men from Jasper County - Jasper County web site - Roster, vol. 3, pages 668-670.

Company F - many men from Edgar and Shelby counties - Edgar and Shelby county web sites - Roster, vol. 3, pages 670-672.

Company G - many men from Clark and Coles counties - Clarkand Colescounty web sites - Roster, vol. 3, pages 673-675.

Company H - many men from Shelby County - Shelby County web site - Roster, vol. 3, pages 675-677.

Company I - many men from Coles, Douglas, and Effingham counties - Coles, Douglas and Efinghamcounty web sites - Roster, vol. 3, pages 678-680.

Company K - many men from Edgar, Coles and Fayette counties - Edgar, Coles and Fayette county web sites - Roster, vol. 3, pages 680-683.

Unassigned Recruits - Roster, vol. 3, page 683.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,477 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources
WEB SITES


 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Illinois in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Illinois in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Illinois, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Illinois Civil War Rosters from the Adjutant General's Report, 54th Regiment (accessed 19 Feb. 2011) includes rosters of all the regiments and information on the different companies in each.


 * Illinois State Archives - Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database (accessed 14 June 2011). Search by residence, unit, regiment, company or soldier.


 * The ILGenWeb Civil War Scrapbook, (accessed 9 Aug 2011) contains links to various documents such as personal letters, military papers, articles, histories, obituaries, biographies, etc. Documents are listed by regiment, then by the soldier and his company.

BOOKS AND FILMS


 * Civil War Centennial Commission of Illinois. Illinois Military Units in the Civil War. (Springfield, [Ill.]:Civil War Centennial Commission of Illinois, c1962). . FS Library US/CAN Book 977.3 M2im and FS Library US/CAN FIlm 6334558. Other libraries with this book. Includes military units by county, infantry, cavalry, and artillery regiments, including independent artillery.


 * Hewett, Janet B and United States. War Department. Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. (Wilmington, North Carolina : Broadfoot Pub. Co., c1994-2001). Part II v. 12 (Union Infantry 50th-60th). FS Library US/CAN Book 973 M29u ser. 1 supp. pt. 2 v. 12. Other libraries with this book.


 * United States. War Department. Record and Pension Office. Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations. (Washington, District of Columbia : The National Archives, c1964). 54th-58th Infantry FS Library US/CAN Film 1488475. Other libraries with this microfilm. View online at Internet Archives.


 * Wood, John and Illinois. Quartermaster General's Dept.; Illinois. General Assembly. Abstracts of Issues to Fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Sixtieth, Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Regiments of Infantry. (Springfield, Ill. : Baker &amp; Phillips, Printers, c1865.) Other libraries with this book. Report of the Quartermaster General of the State of Illinois.


 * Vance, Joseph W and Illinois. Adjutant General's Office. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, 1861-1866. (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1957, 1980). FS Library US/CAN Film 7692. Other libraries with this book. View online at Internet Archives. Rosters of officers and enlisted men and historical memorandum of the regiments.