52nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 52nd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
and mustered into Federal service on November 19, 1861.
The regiment was mustered out on July 5, 1865.
One soldier from the regiment, Sergeant Edward B. Spalding
of Company E, was awarded the Medal of Honor
for continuing to fight after being wounded at the Battle of Shiloh
on April 6, 1862.
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 52nd Illinois Infantry was organized at Geneva, IllinoisGeneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
and mustered into Federal service on November 19, 1861.
The regiment was mustered out on July 5, 1865.
One soldier from the regiment, Sergeant Edward B. Spalding
Edward B. Spalding
Edward Burson Spalding was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Shiloh....
of Company E, was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for continuing to fight after being wounded at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
on April 6, 1862.
Total strength and casualties
The regiment suffered 2 officers and 59 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 119 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 180 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...
Isaac G. Wilson - resigned on December 9, 1861. - Colonel Thomas W. Sweeny - promoted brigadier general.
- Lieutenant Colonel Edwin A. Bowen - mustered out October 24, 1864.
- Lieutenant Colonel Jerome G. Davis - mustered out with the regiment.