65th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Scotch Regiment)

Brief History
The 65th Regiment, Illinois, Infantry was organized at Camp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois, and mustered in May 1, 1862. The regiment mustered out on July 13 and was discharged at Chicago, Illinois, on July 26. 1865.

For more information on the history of the 65th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Scotch Regiment), see the following:

• Wikipedia, (accessed 30 Dec 2010) article on the 65th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

• The Civil War Archive. (accessed 30 Dec 2010) Brief history of the 65th Regiment Infantry (Scotch Regiment).

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 Henderson, Ogle and Stark counties - Henderson, Ogle and Stark county web sites - Roster, vol. 4 pages 349-351.

Company B - many men from Mercer and Rock Island counties - Mercer and Rock Islandcounty web sites - Roster, vol. 4 pages 352-354.

Company C - many men from Marshall County - Marshall County web site - Roster, vol. 4 pages 354-357.

Company D - many men from Henry County and the state of Michigan - Henry County web site - Roster, vol. 4 pages 357-359.

Company E - many men from Boone and McDonough counties - Boone and McDonoughcounty web sites - Roster, vol. 4 pages 359-361.

Company F - many men from Lake and Cook counties - Lake and Cook county web sites - Roster, vol. 4 pages 362-364.

Company G - many men from Cook County - Cook County web site - Roster, vol. 4 pages 364-366.

Company H - many men from Cook County - Cook County web site - Roster, vol. 4 pages 366-368.

Company I - many men from Stark and Cook counties - Stark and Cook county web sites - Roster, vol. 4 pages 368-371.

Company K - many men from Cook and Winnebago counties - Cook and Winnebago county web sites - Roster, vol. 4 page 371-373

Rosters for the Companies A-K and Unassigned, in the 65th Consolidated Regiment, are found on pages 377-396.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 3,423 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, 65th Regiment (accessed 18 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.


 * 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). 65th-75th Infantry FS Library US/CAN Film 1488477. 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 & 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 1670784. Other libraries with this book. View online at Internet Archives. Rosters of officers, enlisted men, and historical memorandum of the regiments.


 * United States, and H. H. Bowers. Roster of Surviving Comrades of the 65th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry. ([United States]: 65th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 1887).Library with this book.