9th Illinois Infantry Regiment

The 9th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment had an rigorous Civil War career. Lincoln called for recruits at the outbreak of the war and, from his political home of Illinois, immediately six volunteer regiments answered. The Ninth Illinois was the third to be officially enlisted, ninth in the history of the relatively young state of Illinois. The regiments were mustered in with their respective companies from across the state into Springfield, IL, on April 23, 1861, for their arms and deployment orders as three month enlistees. They were among the first respondents to Lincoln’s call, and eager to defend a country they loved. For many, however, their role in the war would not be as men of the 9th Regiment. The main reason for this was the …show more content…
The regiment was present for the taking of Fort Henry and led the way during the assault on Fort Donelson. When the Confederates attempted to break out of the besieged fort on the 15th of February, 1862, the 9th Infantry was positioned directly on the route of their potential escape. 600 men stood their ground during this battle, 35 were killed, 160 were wounded, but the fort was successfully taken. From this first battle, Monmouth says, “They felt now they were ready to fight with and conquer the whole …show more content…
By the time the union forces reached the city, the Confederates had been allowed to escape. During this needless delay, disease beset the 9th Infantry, exacerbated by the number that had taken wounds at the Battle of Shiloh. Shiloh was a victory, but an incomplete one that came at a great cost. Due to his failure to capitalize on the situation and complete the job of defeating the Confederates, Halleck was replaced by William S. Rosecrans. After taking the city, the 9th Infantry was once again placed on garrison duty. They remained at Corinth until the second Battle of Corinth in which they helped defend the city against the Confederate advance, suffering another twenty dead, eighty-two wounded and fifty-seven captured. Following this defense, the 9th Infantry was mounted. “On the 15th of March, 1863, General G. M. Dodge, commanding left wing Sixteenth Army Corps, which comprised the army then stationed at Corinth, ordered the Ninth to be mounted, and from that time until the expiration of its service it remained so, and to write a history of its marches, skirmishes and battles would require more space than that allotted to the history of a regiment in the Adjutant General’s

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