51st Illinois Infantry Regiment explained

Unit Name:	51st Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry"Chicago Legion"
Dates:	December 24, 1861 to September 25, 1865
Country:	United States
Allegiance:	Union
Branch:	Infantry
Battles:	Battle of Island Number Ten Battle of Stone's River Battle of Chickamauga Battle of Resaca Battle of Kennesaw Mountain Siege of Atlanta Battle of Jonesboro Battle of Franklin Battle of Nashville

The 51st Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service

The 51st Illinois Infantry was organized at Chicago, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on December 24, 1861.

The regiment was mustered out on September 25, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 9 officers and 106 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 134 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 250 fatalities.^[1]

Commanders

• Colonel Gilbert W. Cumming - resigned on September 30, 1862.
• Colonel Luther P. Bradley - promoted brigadier general on July 30, 1864.
• Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Davis - discharged June 30, 1865.
• Lieutenant Colonel James S. Boyd - mustered out with the regiment.^[2]

See also

• List of Illinois Civil War Units
• Illinois in the American Civil War
• 51st Illinois Infantry: Letters, Diaries, History

References

• The Civil War Archive

Notes and References

1. http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unilinf4.htm#51st The Civil War Archive website after Dyer, Frederick Henry. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. 3 vols. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1959.
2. http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcivilw/f&s/051-fs.htm Illinois in the Civil War website after Illinois Adjutant General's muster rolls