The 81st Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry

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 81st Illinois Infantry was organized at Anna, Illinois

Anna, Illinois

Anna is a city in Union County, Illinois, United States. Located in Southern Illinois, the population was 5,136 at the 2000 census. The city is known for being tied to its close neighbor Jonesboro, together known as Anna-Jonesboro. Anna is well renowned for the Anna State Mental Hospital or the...

 and mustered into Federal service on August 21, 1862.

The regiment was mustered out on August 5, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 8 officers and 66 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 3 officers and 292 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 369 fatalities.

Commanders

• Colonel
  Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
  
   James J. Dollins - Killed in action at the Siege of Vicksburg, May 22, 1863.
• Colonel Franklin Campbell - Resigned August 20, 1864.
• Lieutenant Colonel
  Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
  
  Andrew W. Rogers - Mustered out with the regiment.