103rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
| 103rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
State Flag of Illinois
|
|
| Active | October 2, 1862, to June 21, 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Engagements |
Siege of Vicksburg |
| Commanders | |
| October 2, 1862 to October 18, 1862 |
Colonel Amos C. Babcock |
| October 18, 1862 to May 28, 1864 |
Colonel Willard A. Dickerman |
| May 28, 1864 to June 21, 1865 |
Colonel George W. Wright |
Siege of Vicksburg
Chattanooga Campaign
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
Battle of Atlanta
Battle of Jonesborough
March to the Sea
Battle of Griswoldville
The 103rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served for three years during the American Civil War. Organized in Peoria, Illinois, and formed from men entirely within Fulton County, Illinois, the group left Illinois, serving with Sherman through the Atlanta Campaign, March to the Sea and Carolina Campaign. Finally, the regiment participated in the troop review in Washington, D.C., before mustering out in Chicago, and traveling back to their homes.
The regiment was formed entirely with men from Fulton County, Illinois, and was called up as part of the recruitment drive during the summer and fall of 1862 after a series of Union setbacks. The men were organized and trained in Peoria, Illinois, before being mustered into service on October 2, 1862, with a strength of 804 men. Many of the officers were veterans of early battles in the war; most had come from the 17th Illinois Infantry Regiment. The Adjutant General's Report of 1901 notes that due to the experience of the veteran officers, heavy emphasis was placed on training. Training took place in Peoria for a month before they boarded trains and headed south to Cairo, Illinois
The 103rd Illinois was to join Major General Ulysses S. Grant's army in west Tennessee, attached to the XIII Corps. They participated in operations in Tennessee and northern Mississippi in late 1862 and early 1863. With the dawn of 1863 in the war's western front, the emphasis was Vicksburg, Mississippi. The strategy was to completely take control of the Mississippi River, thereby cutting the nation in two; this effectively would eliminate the west to east transportation of troops and supplies from locations like Texas. Starting this new phase, the regiment was attached to the XVI Corps in a brigade commanded by Stephen G. Hicks. While the vast majority of the Army of the Tennessee participated in operations against Vicksburg, the 103rd Illinois remained in La Grange, Tennessee, protecting the Union supply lines into northern Mississippi. In this capacity, they helped provide support from Grierson's Raid in April 1863. By June the regiment was sent to the Yazoo River and temporarily attached the IX Corps. They participated in the fortification of Snyder's Bluff, helping to guard the army's rear from attacks by Confederate forces. After the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, the 103rd was assigned to the XV Corps under Major General William T. Sherman. They participated in a foray to the Mississippi capital of Jackson and spent the rest of the summer in and around Vicksburg.
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