26th Illinois Infantry

Organized at Camp Butler, Ill., and mustered in August 31, 1861. Moved September 1, 1861, to Quincy, Ill., without clothing, equipments, arms or subsistence. Detachments moved to Canton, LaGrange, Palmyra and Hannibal, Mo., and engaged in protecting line of the Hannibal & St. Jo. R. R. till February 19, 1862. Ordered to Commerce, Mo., February 19, 1862. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Mississippi, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Mississippi, April, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Mississippi, to November, 1862. 2nd Brigade, Left Wing, 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 8th Division, 16th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 17th Army Corps, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, to March, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, to July, 1863. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 15th Army Corps, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 15th Army Corps, to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 15th Army Corps, to July, 1865.

SERVICE. – Operations against New Madrid and Island No. 10, February 28-April 8, 1862. Actions at New Madrid March 3, 4 and 6. Union City March 31. Action and capture at Tiptonville April 8. Expedition to Fort Pillow, Tenn., April 13-17. Moved to Hamburg Landing, Tenn., April 17-23. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Reconnoissance toward Corinth May 8. Action at Farmington May 9. Occupation of Corinth May 30, and pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 12. At Clear Creek till June 23, and at Danville till August 18. March to Tuscumbia August 18-21, thence to Clear Creek September 8. Reconnoissance to Iuka and skirmish September 16. Battle of Iuka September 19. Battle of Corinth October 3-4. Pursuit to Ripley October 5-12. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign. Operations on the Mississippi Central R. R. November, 1862, to January, 1863. Near Oxford December 4, 1862. Moved to LaGrange, Tenn., January 15 and duty there till March 8, 1863. At Colliersville, Tenn., till June 7. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., thence to Vicksburg, Miss., June 7-17. Siege of Vicksburg June 17-July 4. Surrender of Vicksburg July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Camp at Big Black till September 28. Movement to Memphis, thence march to Chattanooga, Tenn., September 28-November 23. Operations on Memphis & Charleston R. R. in Alabama October 20-29. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Tunnel Hill November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. March to the relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 8. Regiment veteranize January 1, 1864, and Veterans on furlough January and February. At Scottsboro, Ala., till May. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May to September. Demonstrations on Resaca May 8-13. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Near Kingston May 19-22. Advance on Dallas May 23-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills, May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Brush Mountain June 15. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Battle of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Ezra Chapel, Hood's second sortie, July 28. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Pursuit of Hood into Alabama October 1-26. Reconnoissance from Gaylesville, Ala., to Turkeytown October 25. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Griswoldsville December 22. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Reconnoissance to Salkehatchie River, S.C., January 25. Salkehatchie Swamp February 2-5. South Edisto River February 9. North Edisto River February 11-12. Congaree Creek February 15. Columbia February 16-17. Battle of Bentonville, N. C., March 20-21. Nell Creek and Hannah's Creek March 22. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D. C, via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19. Grand Review May 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June, and duty there till July. Mustered out July 20, and discharged at Springfield, Ill., July 28, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 2 Officers and 88 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 194 Enlisted men by disease. Total 286.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1056