51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry

Brief History
The 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry was organized at Quincy, Illinois and mustered in September 12, 1861. The regiment mustered out on September 25, 1865 at Camp Irwin, Texas and was discharged at Chicago, Illinois on October 15, 1865.

For more information on the history of the 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, see the following:


 * Wikipedia, (accessed 23 Dec 2010) article on the 51st Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment.


 * The Civil War Archive. (accessed 23 Dec 2010) Brief history of the 51st Regiment Infantry.


 * The American Civil War Research Database $, (accessed 7 April 2011) view a roster of the men in the 50th Regiment, Illinois Infantry.  Click on the names for more information about each soldier.

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 Cook County - Cook County web site- Roster - vol. 3, pages 558-560. Company B - many men from Champaign County - Champaign County web site- Roster - vol. 3, pages 560-563. Company C - many men from Knox and Iroquois counties. Knox and Iroquois county web sites - Roster - vol. 3 pages 563-566. Company D - many men from Woodford County - Woodford County web site- Roster - vol. 3, pages 566-569. Company E - many men from Champaign and Vermilion counties - Champaign &amp; Vermilion counties web sites - Roster - vol. 3, pages 569-572. Company F - many men from Mason County - Mason Countyweb site - Roster - vol. 3, pages 572- 574. Company G - many men from Cook and Lake counties. Cook and Lakecounty web sites - Roster - vol. 3, pages 575- 577. Company H - many men from Rock Island County - Rock Island County web site - Roster - vol. 3, pages 578-580. Company I - many men from Fulton County - Fulton County web site - Roster - vol. 3, pages 580-581. Company K - many men from Cook County - Cook County web site- Roster - vol. 3,  pages 581-584.

Unassigned Recruits - Roster - vol. 3, pages 584-585.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,462 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, 51st Regiment  (accessed 17 Feb. 2011) includes rosters of all the regiments and information on the different companies in each.


 * The American Civil War Research Database, (accessed 7 April 2011) view a roster of the men in the 51st Regiment. Click on the names for more information about each soldier.


 * 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.


 * Fox, Thomas B. and Henry Ware Hall and United States. Army. Illinois Infantry Regiment, 51st. Memorial of Henry Ware Hall, Adjutant 51st Regiment Illinois Infantry Volunteers an Address Delivered in the First Church, Dorchester, Mass., Sunday, July 17, 1864. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993). FHL US/CAN Fiche 6084246. Google Books. Other libraries with this book.


 * Smith, Benjamin T. Civil War Diary,1861-1865. (New Brunswick, New Jersey : Rutgers University, c1961). FHL US/CAN Film 888795 Item 1.


 * 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, c. 1964. FHL US/CAN Films 1488453-1488677. Google Books.


 * Gardner, William and United States. Army of the Cumberland. Decoration Some Footprints of the Army of the Cumberland, from the Privates' Standpoint. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993). FHL US/CAN Fiche 6084247 and 6118641. Other libraries with this book.


 * 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.


 * 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). 48th-53rd Infantry FHL US/CAN Film 1488474. Other libraries with this microfilm. View online at Internet Archives.


 * 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 7692. Other libraries with this book. View online at Internet Archives. Rosters of officers and enlisted men and historical memorandum of the regiments.