56th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 56th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
and mustered into Federal service on February 27, 1862.
The regiment was mustered out on August 12, 1865.
General Lyon
when the ship caught fire in heavy seas. The fire spread quickly through the ship killing most of those on board, including all but three of the contingent - a tragic and bitter end to the war for the 56th Infantry Regiment and the families of the victims.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Service
The 56th Illinois Infantry was organized at Shawneetown, IllinoisShawneetown, Illinois
Shawneetown is a city in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gallatin County...
and mustered into Federal service on February 27, 1862.
The regiment was mustered out on August 12, 1865.
Total strength and casualties
The regiment suffered 2 officers and 25 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 14 officers and 348 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 389 fatalities.The General Lyon disaster
On March 17, 1865, just 23 days from the end of the war, a contingent of discharged soldiers from the regiment, including 12 officers and 195 enlisted men, were returning home on the steamerSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
General Lyon
General Lyon
General Lyon was a U.S. screw steamer built in the spring of 1863 ....
when the ship caught fire in heavy seas. The fire spread quickly through the ship killing most of those on board, including all but three of the contingent - a tragic and bitter end to the war for the 56th Infantry Regiment and the families of the victims.
Commanders
- ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Robert Kirkham - resigned on June 26, 1862. - Colonel William R. Brown - resigned August 31, 1862.
- Colonel Green B. Raum - mustered out March 3, 1865.