Another Regiment In Need of a Historian: The 42nd Illinois Infantry

My series on regiments that served in the trans-Mississippi from William F. Fox’s list of “Three Hundred Fighting Regiments” is winding down, and I have noticed that only a few of these regiments have been the subject of a full length history. This is a shame. The 42^nd Illinois Infantry, for example, saw much combat, and yet has drawn little interest from historians. As for its trans-Mississippi connections, the regiment initially served in Missouri and participated in an expedition to Springfield. For the bulk of the war, these men from Illinois served in the western theater, but they ended their service in the army of occupation in Texas. Fox’s short history of the unit is below, but for other information about the 42^nd Illinois see the following links:

Captain William R. Townsend Civil War Diary, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville: website has excerpts from his diary arranged by topic

Civil War Index-short history and a link to the roster of the 42^nd Illinois Infantry

“Harker’s Brigade —Newton’s Division--Fourth Corps.

(1) Col. William A. Webb, W. P., R. A. (Died).

(2) Col. George W. Roberts (Killed).

(3) Col. Nathan H. Walworth.

(4) Col. Edgar D. Swain.

Companies.		killed and died of wounds.			died of disease, accidents, in Prison, &c.			Total Enrollment.
		Officers.	Men.	Total.	Officers.	Men.	Total.
Field and Staff		5	1	6	1		1	18
Company	A		15	15		17	17	151
	B	2	16	18	1	19	20	156
	C	1	16	17	1	22	23	160
	D		19	19	1	23	24	162
	E	1	18	19		15	15	147
	F	2	17	19		19	19	168
	G	1	12	13		22	22	184
	H	1	15	16		21	21	158
	I		24	24		25	25	154
	K		15	15	1	18	19	164
Totals		13	168	181	5	201	206	1,622

181 killed == 11.1 per cent.

Total of killed and wounded, 654; died in Confederate prisons (previously included), 33.

Battles	K. & M. W.
Farmington, Miss., May 9, 1862	4
Columbia, Tenn., Sept. 9, 1862	1
Stone’s River, Tenn.	35
Chickamauga, Ga.	47
Missionary Ridge, Tenn.	12
Rocky Face Ridge, Ga.	1
Resaca, Ga.	8
Adairsville, Ga.	2
New Hope Church, Ga.	4
Pine Mountain, Ga.	2
Kenesaw Mountain, Ga.	10
Peach Tree Creek, Ga.	2
Siege of Atlanta	6
Jonesboro, Ga.	1
Lovejoy’s Station, Ga.	1
Spring Hill, Tenn.	23
Franklin, Tenn.	13
Nashville, Tenn.	5
Place unknown	4

Present, also, at Island No. 10; New Madrid; Siege of Corinth; Hoover’s Gap; Dandridge.

Notes.--Organized at Chicago, July 22, 1861, and left the State, September 21st, proceeding to St. Louis. It served in Missouri until April, 1862, when it was ordered to Corinth. During the siege of that place it was engaged in the affair at Farmington, losing 2 killed, 12 wounded, and 3 missing. After marching through Mississippi, Northern Alabama, and Tennessee, its next battle occurred at Stone’s River. It was then in Robert’s Illinois Brigade, Sheridan’s (3d) Division, McCook’s Corps; loss, 19 killed, 96 wounded, and 46 missing; Colonel Roberts, who was in command of the brigade, was among the killed. At Chickamauga, Major James Leighton was killed, the loss of the Forty-second in that battle amounting to 28 killed, 128 wounded, and 28 prisoners. (1) In October, 1863, it was placed in Harker’s (3d) Brigade, Sheridan’s (2d) Division, Fourth Corps, in which command it fought at Missionary Ridge; loss, 5 killed and 40 wounded The division was commanded by General John Newton during the Atlanta campaign, and by General Wagner during the Tennessee campaign against Hood. Major D. W. Norton was killed near New Hope Church, Ga., June 3, 1864. The regiment lost at Spring Hill and Franklin, 24 killed, 95 wounded, and 30 missing; at Nashville, 2 killed and 12 wounded. Having reenlisted, it served throughout the war, and at its close accompanied the Fourth Corps to Texas where it was stationed in 1865, as an Army of Occupation.

(1) War Department Records make it 15 killed, 123 wounded, and 5 missing” (Fox, p. 366).