34th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 34th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, known as the "Rock River Rifles," was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
and mustered into Federal service on September 7, 1861, and moved October 2 to Columbus, Ohio, thence to Lexington, Kentucky, and then to Camp Nevin, Kentucky, where it remained until February 14, 1862. It was then in Kirk's Brigade of Rousseau's Division, marched to Bowling Green, and thence via Nashville, Franklin and Columbia, to Savannah on the Tennessee River. It fought at Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, being then in McCook's Brigade of Buell's Army, losing fifteen killed, and one hundred and twelve wounded. It was later assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, McCook's Corps, afterward to the 14th Corps, Army of the Cumberland, participating in the following engagements: Siege of Corinth, Mississippi; Lavergne, Knob Gap or Nolensville, Stone River or Murfreesboro, Triune and Liberty Gap, Tennessee; Chickamauga, Graysville, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Rome, Dallas or New Hope Church, Lost Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, and March to the Sea, Georgia; Campaign of the Carolinas, including Averasboro, Bentonville, North Carolina; and a number of minor engagements and skirmishes. After the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston to General William T. Sherman at Bennett House, the regiment marched with Sherman's Army to Washington, D.C. and took part in the Grand Review May 24, 1865.
The regiment was mustered out on July 12, 1865 and discharged July 17, 1865 at Chicago, Illinois.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Service
The 34th Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Butler, IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and mustered into Federal service on September 7, 1861, and moved October 2 to Columbus, Ohio, thence to Lexington, Kentucky, and then to Camp Nevin, Kentucky, where it remained until February 14, 1862. It was then in Kirk's Brigade of Rousseau's Division, marched to Bowling Green, and thence via Nashville, Franklin and Columbia, to Savannah on the Tennessee River. It fought at Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, being then in McCook's Brigade of Buell's Army, losing fifteen killed, and one hundred and twelve wounded. It was later assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, McCook's Corps, afterward to the 14th Corps, Army of the Cumberland, participating in the following engagements: Siege of Corinth, Mississippi; Lavergne, Knob Gap or Nolensville, Stone River or Murfreesboro, Triune and Liberty Gap, Tennessee; Chickamauga, Graysville, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Rome, Dallas or New Hope Church, Lost Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, and March to the Sea, Georgia; Campaign of the Carolinas, including Averasboro, Bentonville, North Carolina; and a number of minor engagements and skirmishes. After the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston to General William T. Sherman at Bennett House, the regiment marched with Sherman's Army to Washington, D.C. and took part in the Grand Review May 24, 1865.
The regiment was mustered out on July 12, 1865 and discharged July 17, 1865 at Chicago, Illinois.
Total strength and casualties
The regiment suffered 11 officers and 129 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 2 officers and 119 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 261 fatalities.Commanders
- ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Edward N. KirkEdward N. KirkEdward Needles Kirk was a Quaker school teacher, attorney, and then a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:... - Colonel Alexander P. Dysart
- Colonel Peter Ege - Mustered out with the regiment.