The 20th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment Short History

The 20th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized and went into camp at Joliet, Illinois on May 14, 1861. Approximately 200 men from Joliet were organized into two of the regiments ten companies. The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States at Joliet for a three-year term of service on June 13,1861. Five days later, the 20th moved by rail to Alton, Illinois and went into camp. On July 6, 1861, the regiment was finally moved out of Illinois to the St. Louis Arsenal in Missouri via boat.

For the next seven months the 20th was occupied with a series of marches along the Mississippi River in the area around Cape Girardeau. On October 20, the regiment was engaged for the first time with Confederate forces at the Battle of Fredericktown.

On February 2, 1862, the 20th Illinois embarked onboard steamers at Bird's Point, Missouri and three days later, disembarked at Camp Halleck, Tennessee about six miles below Fort Henry. There they joined the Union forces assembled under the command of Brigadier-General Ulysses S. Grant. The next day the regiment entered Fort Henry and stayed there until February 12. On the 12th, as part of Colonel W.H.L. Wallace's Brigade, Brigadier-General John McClernand's Division, the 20th marched to Fort Donelson and took up its position facing the Confederate troops inside the fort. From February 13-16, the regiment was engaged in the battle for Fort Donelson. After the successful conclusion of that action, the 20th camped inside the fort for the next two and a half weeks.

Then after a return march to Fort Henry, the 20th boarded a steamer to Savannah, Tennessee. There the regiment disembarked briefly. After reboarding, the regiment was landed at Pittsburg Landing on March 25, 1862. It set up camp about three miles from the Tennessee River. Still part of Grant's Army of the Tennessee, it was now part of Colonel C. Carroll Marsh's Brigade. Marsh was the regiment's first commander. Early on the morning of April 6, the regiment was quickly caught up in the rapidly developing Battle of Shiloh. As part of McClernand's Division, the 20th was forced to fight a series of holding actions as the Union line was pushed back to the Tennessee River by the Confederate army under General Albert Sydney Johnston. The next day the 20th was again engaged in pushing back the Confederate army, regaining the territory lost on the 6th. The regiment suffered casualties of 1 officer and 21 men killed, 5 officers and 102 men wounded, and 7 men missing at Shiloh.

After Shiloh, the 20th was involved with the advance to Corinth, Mississippi. In early June it returned to Tennessee in the vicinity of Jackson and Oustanaula remaining there through August. On September 1,1862, the 20th Illinois was ordered to relieve Union troops surrounded at Mendon Station, Tennessee. That day they fought at Britton's Lane. The next two days saw the regiment effect the relief of the forces at Mendon Station.

On September 4, the 20th went back to Jackson. From that point in time to February 20, I 863. the regiment was camped in the LaGrange, Tennessee; Oxford, Mississippi; and Memphis areas as part of the overall Union operations in those locales. From Memphis, the regiment was sent via the Mississippi River to northern Louisiana to take part in Grant's Vicksburg Campaign. From February 24, 1863 to April 29, the 20th was involved in movements west of the Mississippi River. Then on April 30, the 20th Illinois was ferried across the river to Bruinsburg, Mississippi. For the next 18 days, the men of the 20th marched and fought in John Logan's Corps at Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion's Hill, and Big Black River. On May 18, the regiment took up positions outside Vicksburg, close to the Confederate fortifications. Three times the 20th Illinois participated in assaults on the enemy works, May 19,22 and June 25, 1863. When the city surrendered on July 4, 1863, the regiment entered Vicksburg and stayed until November 6.

From November 6 to February 4, 1864, the 20th was in camp at Big Black River during which most of the regiment reenlisted for three more years service. Then the 20th participated in the Meridian expedition which lasted until March 1, 1864. After this period, the men were transported by boat and train to Springfield, Illinois for their veteran's furlough. This lasted until April 22, when the regiment reassembled at Camp Butler, near Springfield. From Camp Butler, the regiment was sent to Cairo, then to Tennessee, Alabama, and finally to Georgia to join Major General William Tecumseh Sherman's army in front of Kennesaw Mountain.

The 20th Illinois moved with Sherman all the way to Atlanta, participating in the battles around Atlanta on July 21-22. On the 22nd, a many of the regiment were captured after being surrounded by Confederate troops. The remainder of the 20th entered Atlanta and left with Sherman on his March to the Sea. On Christmas Day, 1864, the 20th Illinois entered Savannah, Georgia.

January of 1865 found the regiment landing at Beaufort, South Carolina where it began its participation in the Carolina Campaign. The 20th captured Pocotaligo, South Carolina, then marched to Columbia, South Carolina, entering that city on February 17, 1865. From there it continued on with Sherman into North Carolina finishing the campaign at Raleigh on April 14, 1865.

From that point the 20th Illinois marched to Richmond, Virginia and then on to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Grand Review.

The regiment was mustered out of service in Louisville, Kentucky on July 16, 1865 and moved as a unit to Chicago where it received its final pay and was disbanded on July 24.