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92nd Illinois Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
92nd Illinois Infantry Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant
General of the State of Illinois, Volume 5, Revised by Brigadier General J.N.
Reece, Adjutant General, 1900
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Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Ninety-second Infantry. — Col., Smith D. Atkins; Lieut.
-Cols., Benjamin F. Sheets, Mathew Van Buskirk; Majs., John H. Bohn,
Albert Woodcock. This regiment, composed of five companies from Ogle,
three from Stephenson, and two from Carroll counties, was mustered into
the U. S. service on Sept. 4, 1862, at Rockford, where it remained in
comfortable barracks drilling until Oct. 10, when it was ordered to
Cincinnati, and participated in the movements that protected that city.
In November the regiment was ordered to Danville, Ky., and on the way
drove the rear-guard of Bragg's army out of Camp Dick Robinson,
capturing 800 barrels of pork, 500 stands of small arms, and a 12-pound
brass cannon. In March, 1863, it participated in the movement that drove
Van Dorn south of Columbia, Tenn. In July a detachment of 200 of the
regiment joined an expedition to scout the country for horses, and
within four days captured 1,700 head of horses and mules and 800 colored
men, who were mustered into a colored regiment, while the 92nd received
horses sufficient to mount the entire regiment. In September it
recrossed the mountains, crossed the Tennessee river at Bridgeport, a
detail climbed up Lookout mountain on the west side by Nickajack trace,
pushed the enemy off the mountain, and brought the first authentic
intelligence to Gen. Rosecrans that Bragg's army had evacuated
Chattanooga. On Sept. 9 the regiment led the advance, driving the enemy
from Lookout mountain, and it was the first of the Federal troops to
enter Chattanooga. Two days later it struck the enemy a mile north of
Ringgold and was furiously assaulted by Forrest, but it held him in
check until Wilder came up with the rest of the brigade, when the
Confederates were pushed back through Ringgold gap. In Jan., 1864, the
regiment marched with the brigade through Athens to Shoal creek to
intercept a Confederate raid from the south of the Tennessee, and met
the first Confederate column at Shoal creek, turning it back across the
Tennessee river. Two miles further west it met the second Confederate
column, and after hard fighting turned it back, killing the officer in
command and capturing many prisoners, and the "orders" showing that the
defeated column was to be joined by another at Athens the next morning.
The brigade returned to Athens in the night in time to turn back across
the Tennessee river the third Confederate column, defeating the combined
Confederate movement. At daylight on April 23, the enemy attacked the
92nd's pickets, 8 miles from camp, guarding a trace over Walden's ridge.
In overwhelming force the Confederates surrounded the pickets and 33 out
of 62 were killed, captured or wounded. The regiment participated in all
the movements of Kilpatrick's cavalry, in the long campaign that
resulted in the capture of Atlanta, and covered the left of Sherman's
army when it withdrew from Jonesboro. On Oct. 1 it marched with its
division to uncover the movements of Hood's army, struck his rear at
noon of the following day, and captured some of the Confederate
infantry. In November Kilpatrick's division was reorganized, the 92nd
was assigned to Atkins' brigade, and participated in all the cavalry
battles on the march through Georgia and the capture of Savannah. It
also participated in all the cavalry fighting on Sherman's march through
the Carolinas and against Johnston's Confederate army in North Carolina
until the close of the war. It was mustered out at Concord, N. C, and
paid and discharged from the service at Chicago, Ill., July 10, 1865. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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