If you are compiling your family genealogy and an ancestor served in the civil war, regimental histories can be useful for providing background on the life of your ancestor. You can experience the same excitement and boredom as your ancestor without being shot at. The histories often may contain a list of the men who served with you ancestor. Often the histories will contain a description of the battles and the day to day events as they march and camped.
From the Illinois Adjutant General's Report:
The act of the Legislature of the State of Illinois, passed May 2d, 1861, authorizing the acceptance for State service of ten regiments of infantry, one regiment of cavalry and one battalion of light artillery, provided that one of such regiments might be raised out of volunteer companies then at Springfield, as the regiment from the State at large, and one regiment from each of the nine congressional districts. That regiment from the State at large, consisting then only of four Chicago companies, commanded by Colonel Joseph R. Scott, was mustered into the State service May 4, 1861, at Camp Yates, and on the 3d of June ordered to Chicago, became the nucleus of a regiment, which, after having been filled up to its quota, was mustered into the United States service for three years on the 17th of June 1861, as the Nineteenth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. This date of mustering, although showing that the Regiment was not of the number of the first six regiments organized under the act of 25th April 1861, yet it embraced four original companies that tendered their service to the State and were accepted far earlier than many other companies that belonged to the original six regiments. Thus the "Chicago Highland Guards" was an organized company in the State service, dating its organization back to 1855; it tendered its service to the Governor on the 14th January 1861, three months before Fort Sumter was fired upon; was accepted on the 21st of April, and on the 23d ordered to Springfield under command of Captain A. W. Raffen. Thus "Chicago Light Infantry", under Captain Frederick Harding, "Company A, Chicago Zouaves", under Captain James R. Hayden, and "Company B, Chicago Zouaves", under Captain John H. Clayborne, were organized in March 1861, before the call of the President, tendered their services to the Governor, and on the 21st of April 1861, by order of Governor Yates, formed a part of the expedition under Brigadier General R. K. Swift, to move by rail to Cairo, and to occupy that important strategic point, as future basis of our operations against the rebellious States. Of these last companies "Company A, Chicago Zouaves", was left by General Swift to guard the Big Muddy Bridge, a very important point on the Illinois Central Railroad, this being the first company on actual guard duty in the State; while the other two companies went to Cairo, where their services with other companies of that expedition were very important at that early time, in keeping down the rebellious spirit of southern sympathizers, in preventing the landing of southern militia in Illinois, and in stopping transportation of arms and munitions on steamers on the Mississippi River from points above Cairo to the points below it. So that, while there four Chicago companies were doing actual service, the six first regiments were not even in their embryo organizations
About the CD: This CD provides the genealogist the opportunity to have access to information from a book that is difficult to locate in the used book market. The CD was made by scanning an original copy of the book. Any defect such as notes in the margin or light text will also appear in the CD version. The CD requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file, the latest Windows version is included with the CD. The Mac & Window readers can also be downloaded from the Adobe website. The information on the CD can either be printed out and read in the traditional manner or viewed with your computer. When viewing on your screen the page size can be increased to make reading easier. This CD is searchable and is packaged in a projective sleeve.
Book# = IL56
Price=$15.00
