56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry

Brief History
The 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry was organized at Shawneetown, Illinois, and mustered in on February 27, 1862. The regiment moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, stayed on duty there until August, mustering out on August 12, 1865.

For more information on the history of the 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, see the following:


 * Wikipedia, (accessed 23 Dec 2010) article on the 56th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.


 * The Civil War Archive. (accessed 23 Dec 2010) Brief history of the 56th 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 website. Roster pages are from the same report found on the Internet Archives website. 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 Massac County (Also known as Wisconsin Company) - Massac County web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 4-6.

Company B - many men fromWhite County (Also known as Ohio Company) - White County web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 6-9.

Company C - many men from Hamilton County (Also known as Indiana Company) - Hamilton County web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 9-11.

Company D - many men from Gallatin and White counties - Gallatin and White county web sites - Roster, vol. 4, pages 11-12. (Typo in book states this page starts with Company F, yet it is Company D.)

New Company D - many men from Massac County - Massac County web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 13-14.

Company E - many men from Franklin, Saline and Williamson counties - Franklin, Saline and Williamson county web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 14-17.

Company F - many men from Gallatin, Hamilton and White counties - Gallatin, Hamiltonand White county web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 17-20.

Company G - many men from Hamilton County - Hamilton County web site- Roster, vol. 4, pages 20-22.

Company H - many men from Edwards and Wayne counties (Also known as Ohio Company) Edwards and Wayne county web sites - Roster, vol. 4, pages 22-24.

Company I - many men from Franklin County - Franklin County web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 24-26.

New Company I - Assorted counties - Roster, vol. 4, pages 26-27.

Company K - many men from Pope County - Pope County web site - Roster, vol. 4, pages 27-30.

Unassigned Recruits - Roster, vol. 4, page 30.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 3,142 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.


 * United States. Army. The Story of the Fifty-fifth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War, 1861-1865;: by a committee of the regiment. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972.


 * Illinois Civil War Rosters from the Adjutant General's Report, 56th 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). . FHL US/CAN Book 977.3 M2im and FHL 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). FHL US/CAN Book 973 M29u ser. 1 supp. pt. 2 v. 12. Other libraries with this book.


 * 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). FHL US/CAN Film 1670784. Other libraries with this book. View online at Internet Archives. Rosters of officers and enlisted men and historical memorandum of the regiments.


 * United States. Army. Illinois Infantry Regiment, 58th (1861-1865). Second annual reunion of the 58th Regiment Ills. Vol. Infantry : held at Scott's Hall, Naperville, Ills., July 31st and August 1st, 1891. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993),


 * 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 FHL 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.