43rd Illinois Infantry Regiment
The 43rd Illinois Regiment Volunteer Infantry, known as the "Koerner Regiment" after Gustav Körner, was an infantryregiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.[1][2][3][4]
Service
The 43rd Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois, and mustered into Federal service on October 12, 1861.[5]
Initially consisting of 8 Companies, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where they were issued Harper's Ferry and Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifled Muskets, in early 1862, While Stationed at Benton Barracks, Two Additional Companies were added.[6]
Battle of Shiloh
In February 1862, the Regiment took part in the Battle of Shiloh. It was assigned to the third brigade of McClernand's Division. On the Morning of April 6, 1862, the Regiment was among the First to respond to the Confederate assault on Shiloh.[6][7]
The 43rd Fought Stubbornly, supporting Waterhouse's Battery and Suffering Heavy losses. During the Battle, Colonel Julius Raith was mortally wounded and died on April 9, 1862, 1862. After the battle, it lost 206 out of its 500 engaged.[6]
Western Tennessee and Mississippi
Following the Advance of Corinth,[8] the Regiment Spent much of 1862 performing garrison duty, Building Fortifications at Bolivar, Tennessee, and moving towards Luka and Jackson. In December 1862, a detachment of the regiment, led by Colonel Adolph Engelmann, repelled a charge by Confederate Cavalry at Salem Cemetery near Jackson.[6]
In the Spring of 1863, a 200-Man Detachment of the 43rd Was Mounted Briefly for Scouting operations. The Regiment later participated in the operations of the Vicksburg Campaign along the Yazoo River and at Haine's Bluff.[6]
Red River Expedition
The 43rd was among the first Union regiments to enter Little Rock on September 11, 1863, following the evacuation of Confederate forces there.[6]
In March 1864, It Took part in the Red River Campaign, where it saw Action at Prairie D'Ane, and then at Jenkins' Ferry, where it faced superior Confederate numbers. During the Fighting, the 43rd captured a Confederate battery and dragged it back to union lines.[6]
The regiment remained on duty at Little Rock through the end of the war. Though many of its original members were discharged in late 1864 upon the expiration of their 3-year enlistments, the regiment was still maintained by drafted recruits. The 43rd Illinois was mustered out on November 30, 1865.[6]
Total strength and casualties
The regiment suffered 8 officers and 75 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded, and 2 officers and 161 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 246 fatalities.[5][9][10]
Armament
The 43rd Illinois was initially armed with Model 1822 and Tower muskets converted to percussion cap locks.[11] On Boxing Day, 1861 (December 26) they turned these weapons in and received imported British Pattern 1853 rifles ("3-band")[note 1] from the Federalm arsenal in St. Louis.[13] Through its service more imported Enfields and refurbished Springfields were issued. Up to its mustering out the Enfield remained its standard long arm.[14]
Commanders
- ColonelJulius Raith - Mortally wounded at Shiloh, died on April 9, 1862.
- Colonel Adolph Englemann - Mustered out on December 31, 1864.
- Lieutenant Colonel Adolph Dengler - mustered out with the regiment.[15]
See also
References
Footnotes
- ↑These were the standard rifle for the British army having performed well in the Crimean War. The Enfield was a .577 calibre Minié-type muzzle-loading rifled musket. It was used by both armies and was the second most widely used infantry weapon in the Union forces.[12]
Citations
- ↑Illinois & Vance (1886), pp. 246–279.
- ↑Reece & Elliott (1900), pp. 478–511.
- ↑Dyer (1908), p. 1048.
- ↑Federal Publishing Company, Vol.III (1908), p. 249.
- 12CWA, 43rd Illinois Infantry.
- 12345678The ILGenWeb Project (2015), p. 1.
- ↑Eicher, McPherson & McPherson (2001), p. 2248; Esposito (1959), pp. 31–38.
- ↑Federal Publishing Company, Vol.V (1908), p. 315.
- ↑Dyer (1908), p. 1067.
- ↑Federal Publishing Company, Vol.III (1908), pp. 283–284.
- ↑Baumann (1989), p. 123.
- ↑Coates & Dean (1996), p. 15; Flatnes (2013), p. 32.
- ↑Hicken (1991), pp. 14–15.
- ↑Baumann (1989), p. 124.
- ↑Illinois in the Civil War, Roster of Field and Staff 43rd Illinois Infantry (2015).
Sources
- Baumann, Ken (1989). Arming the Suckers, 1861-1865: A Compilation of Illinois Civil War Weapons. Dayton, OH: Morningside House. pp. 123–124. ISBN 978-0-89029-529-8. OCLC 20662029.
- "43rd Illinois Infantry". The Civil War Archive 1998-2009. January 17, 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- Coates, Earl J.; Dean, Thomas S. (1996). An Introduction to Civil War Small Arms (1st ed.). Gettysburg, PA: Thomas Publications. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-939631-25-4. OCLC 755158350. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
- Dyer, Frederick Henry (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion(PDF). Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co. p. 1067. ASIN B01BUFJ76Q. hdl:2027/mdp.39015026937642. LCCN 09005239. OCLC 8697590. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - Eicher, David J.; McPherson, James M.; McPherson, James Alan (2001). The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War. New York City: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-1846-9. OCLC 892938160. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- Esposito, Vincent J. (1959). West Point Atlas of American Wars. New York, NY: Frederick A. Praeger Publishers. pp. 31–38. ISBN 978-0-8050-3391-5. OCLC 60298522.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - Federal Publishing Company (1908). Military Affairs and Regimental Histories of New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan(PDF). The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65 – Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. Vol. III. Madison, WI: Federal Publishing Company. pp. 283–284. OCLC 694018100. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Federal Publishing Company (1908). Cyclopedia of Battles — A to Helena(PDF). The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65 – Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. Vol. V. Madison, WI: Federal Publishing Company. pp. 315–319. OCLC 694018100. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Flatnes, Oyvind (2013). From Musket to Metallic Cartridge: A Practical History of Black Powder Firearms. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1847975935. OCLC 953455972. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- Hicken, Victor (1991). Illinois in the Civil War(pdf) (2nd ed.). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. pp. 247–251. ISBN 978-0-252-06165-3. LCCN 90041288. OCLC 1285646428. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- The ILGenWeb Project (2015). "History of 43rd Illinois Infantry". Illinois Genealogy. p. 1. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- "Roster of Field and Staff 43rd Illinois Infantry". www.rootsweb.com. 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- Illinois; Vance, Joseph W. (1886). Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois ... Containing reports for the years 1861-66(pdf). Vol. III (1st ed.). Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, state printer and binder. pp. 246–279. hdl:2027/nyp.33433006977783. LCCN 01020874. OCLC 01914342. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Reece, Jasper N.; Elliott, Isaac H. (1900). Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, Containing reports for the years 1861-66(pdf). Vol. III (1st ed.). Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, state printer and binder. pp. 244–277. LCCN 03000488. OCLC 2905276. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
- Units and formations of the Union army from Illinois
- 1861 establishments in Illinois
- Military units and formations established in 1861
- Military units and formations disestablished in 1865
- American Civil War unit and formation stubs