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U.S., American Civil War Regiments, 1861-1866

Regiment 32nd Infantry Regiment Illinois
Date of Organization 31 Dec 1861
Muster Date 16 Sep 1865
Regiment State Illinois
Regiment Type Infantry
Regiment Number 32nd
Officers Killed or Mortally Wounded 8
Officers Died of Disease or Accident 2
Enlisted Killed or Mortally Wounded 90
Enlisted Died of Disease or Accident 168
Battles Fought on 2 Jun 1861.br/Fought on 20 Sep 1861.br/Fought on 1 Mar 1862.br/Fought on 6 Apr 1862 at Shiloh, TN.br/Fought on 7 Apr 1862 at Shiloh, TN.br/Fought on 20 Sep 1862.br/Fought on 25 Sep 1862.br/Fought on 1 Oct 1862.br/Fought on 5 Oct 1862 at Metamora, TN.br/Fought on 15 Oct 1862.br/Fought on 1 Nov 1862.br/Fought on 7 Nov 1862.br/Fought on 28 Nov 1862.br/Fought on 18 Aug 1863.br/Fought on 22 Apr 1864.br/Fought on 27 Jun 1864 at Kenesaw Mountain, GA.br/Fought on 5 Jul 1864 at Nickajack Creek, GA.br/Fought on 7 Jul 1864.br/Fought on 12 Aug 1864 at Atlanta, GA.br/Fought on 8 Sep 1864.br/Fought on 4 Oct 1864 at Skirmish Line.br/Fought on 21 Mar 1865 at Bentonville, NC.br/
Regiment History ILLINOIS br/THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY br/(Three Years) br/The Thirty-second Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was br/organized at Camp Butler, Illinois, and was mustered into serv-br/ice of the United States December 31,1861. The command was re-br/cruited under the "Ten Regiment Call," and by special authority br/from the War Department comprised ten companies of infantry, br/one of cavalry, and a battery of artillery. Previous to taking br/the field the latter detachments were assigned to regiments of br/their distinctive arms of the service, Rogers' Battery as Com-br/pany K, 2d Illinois Regiment of Artillery. br/January 20,1862, arrived at Cairo and drew arms, smooth-br/bore muskets altered from flint-lock. February 2, relieved br/Eighth Illinois at Bird's Point, Mo. February 8, ordered up br/Tennessee River, and on the 9th reached Fort Henry, Colonel br/Logan being assigned to command of post. Company A, Captain br/Davidson, escorted the battery to Fort Donelson and partici-br/pated in the action, with slight casualties. February 15, the br/same company was detached as sharpshooters on gunboat, proceed-br/ing up Tennessee River to Eastport, burning a railroad bridge, br/and capturing a vessel in course of equipment as a rebel gun-br/boat. Later in the month Companies C and K, Captains Phillips br/and Rider, were embarked on the wooden gunboats "Tyler," and br/"Lexington," and on March 1, encountered a rebel battery at br/Pittsburg Landing. After a sharp action the rebel battery as br/silenced, and portions of both companies made a landing and br/were fiercely attacked by infantry end cavalry, and obliged to br/return to the boats, having lost one killed and several br/wounded, among the latter Captain Phillips. The gunboats lay br/in the stream for some days shelling the position and prevent-br/ing fortification until the arrival of a portion of General br/Grant's army. br/March 15, the Regiment debarked at Pittsburg Landing and br/was assigned to the First Brigade, Fourth Division (Hurlbut) br/Army of the Tennessee.br/April 6, at 8:30 A. M. the Regiment went into action in br/the battle of Shills, and successfully withstood three severe br/charges with slight loss. The Regiment was then shifted to the br/extreme left of Hurlbut's Division, the flank of which was hard br/pressed by Breckinridge. Upon this position the enemy made re-br/peated and most desperate assaults, and here fell General Al-br/bert Sidney Johnson , the rebel commander in-chief. The Regi-br/ment held its position until about 3 o'clock, most of the time br/at short pistol range; when having exhausted all its ammuni-br/tion, down to the cartridges in the boxes of the dead and br/wounded, it retired with fixed bayonets under a terrible en-br/folding and reverse fire upon its left flank, which was wholly br/unsupported. In this action the Regiment lost 44 killed and br/212 wounded and prisoners, more than fifty percent of the force br/which went into action. Here Colonel Logan was wounded, and br/Lieutenant Colonel Ross was killed. The Regiment fell back in br/confusion, but reformed in the line of battle that evening, and br/advanced with its division the next morning.br/The Regiment was engaged in the siege of Corinth, and was br/so reduced by the casualties of battle and sickness, incident br/to exposure and severe labor, that it numbered less than 300 br/effective. After the occupation of Corinth, it was engaged br/against Price and Van Dorn at LaGrange and Grand Junction, br/Tenn., making many wearisome marches and participating in sev-br/eral skirmishes. br/October 5, 1862, as a part of the Fourth Division br/(Hurlbut) Army of the Tennessee, the Regiment marched from Bo-br/livar and at Hatchie River, or "Matamora," engaged Price and br/Van Dorn after their repulse at Corinth. Here the Regiment br/made a gallant charge across the bridge, under a severe artil-br/lery fire, losing 7 killed and 29 wounded. The enemy lost sev-br/eral hundred in action, 800 prisoners and their artillery.br/October 8, returned to camp at Bolivar November 3, moved br/to LaGrange. November 8, made a rapid march to Lamar, Miss., br/dispersing a body of rebels and capturing 1 prisoners. Novem-br/ber 28, marched southward as a part of the left wing (McPher-br/son) of the Army of the Tennessee, in General Grant's attempt br/to reach the rear of Vicksburg. December 13, reached Yocona br/Creek, from which point the army turned back in consequence of br/the surrender of their supply depot at Holly Springs. During br/the retrograde march the troops suffered great hardships on ac-br/count of heavy roads, rain, and want of food, being obliged to br/subsist entirely upon an impoverished country.br/The Regiment reached the line of the Memphis and Charles-br/ton Railroad, January 11,1863, and until March 11, was distrib-br/uted along that road, doing arduous picket and scout duty. On br/the latter date it became a part of the garrison at Memphis,br/remaining there until May 11, when it moved to Young's Point, br/La., and on the 16th to Grand Gulf, Miss. Here the Regiment br/made frequent incursions into the country, liberating large br/numbers of slaves, many of whom were organized as colored br/troops by Colonel Logan, Post Commander.br/June 12, the Regiment rejoined its Division (Lauman) in br/front of Vicksburg; and took its full share in sedge opera-br/tions. June 27, marched to Warrenton, on the extreme left of br/the line of investment. July 4, on surrender of Vicksburg, br/marched to Jackson, Miss., and participated in the operations br/against General Johnston, returning afterwards to Vicksburg. br/August 15, moved to Natchez, Miss., as a part of Gresham's br/Brigade, Crocker's Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps. br/September 1, operated against Harrisonburg, La., where a large br/rebel force was dispersed and nine pieces of artillery cap-br/tured, after which the command returned to Natchez. br/November 24, removed to Vicksburg. December 4, the br/Thirty-second Illinois and Twelfth Wisconsin Regiments, with br/500 cavalry, embarked for Natchez, from which place it made a br/fatiguing march and skirmished with the enemy. December 21 and br/22, skirmished near Fayette, afterwards returning to Natchez. br/January 23,1864, moved to Hebron's Plantation in the rear br/of Vicksburg, where the Regiment re-enlisted as Veteran Volun-br/teers, and on February 4 began the Meridian expedition.br/March 16, embarked for Illinois on 30 days' veteran fur-br/lough. April 28, re-assembled at Camp Butler, and moved to br/Bird's Point, Mo. With remainder of Division, under General br/Crocker, left Bird's Point May 8, by boat, and arrived at br/Clifton, Tenn., on the 15th. On the 17th marched via Hunts-br/ville and Decatur, Ala., and Rome, Ga., and joined General br/Sherman's army at Ackworth, Ga., June 11. This was a forced br/march, and the column was greatly annoyed by Roddy's rebel cav-br/alry. br/June 12, went under fire before Kenesaw Mountain occupying br/the extreme left. July 2, shifted to extreme right, and after br/three days, constant skirmishing assaulted the enemy's works br/near Nickajack Creek, the Thirty-second planting the first col-br/ors on the works. The Regiment was under fire daily until July br/18, when it was transferred to the Second Brigade, Fourth Divi-br/sion, Seventeenth Army Corps, and ordered to Marietta to guard br/the supply depot. Colonel Logan commanded the Brigade and br/Lieutenant -Colonel English the Regiment. September 8, Lieu-br/tenant Alex. Campbell, with a foraging party of 50 men, was br/sharply attacked, and all but 9 captured. br/October 1, Regiment was posted near Big Shanty, and the br/later tank one mile south. On the 3d, Jackson's rebel cavalry br/attacked the force at the former place, capturing twelve men. br/This was the first assault of the enemy upon General Sherman's br/communications, and two days afterwards the battle of Allatoona br/was fought. br/During November, 1864, the men whose term of service had br/expired were discharged and sent home. Colonel Logan and Lieu-br/tenant Colonel English were ordered to Louisville on court-br/martial duty, and the command devolved upon Major Davidson. br/On the 13th, the Regiment fired their stockade and quarters at br/Big Shanty, and began the "March to the Sea," having been br/transferred to the Third Brigade (Belknap) Fourth Division br/(Giles A. Smith) Blair's Seventeenth Army Corps. Reached Mon-br/ticello the 20th, and the Oconee River the 26th, where a sharp br/skirmish took place, with considerable artillery firing. No-br/vember 30, reached Ogeechee River. Distance traveled from Big br/Shanty, 300 miles. br/December 1, crossed Ogeechee River and destroyed railroad. br/10th, encountered enemy five miles from Savannah, and drove him br/two miles. Here endured a severe fire from the heavy guns of br/the city defenses, by which Captain Lawson and four men were br/wounded. Shifted to the right and skirmished in face of severe br/artillery fire. December 16, moved to King's Bridge on Ogee-br/chee River, and on the 18th received supplies from the fleet, br/having been on scant rations, and some days without food, since br/the 8th. At 2 p. m., on the 19th, moved toward a rebel fort in br/front, and fortified within 300 yards under heavy fire. Or-br/dered to assault on the 21st, when it was discovered that the br/enemy had evacuated. Entered Savannah at 11 a.m., having br/marched 160 miles during the month. Reviewed by General Sher-br/man on the 29th. Major Davidson resigned and command devolved br/upon Captain Rider. br/January 5, 1865, embarked at Thunderbolt Inlet on U. S. br/gunboat "Winona" and disembarked at Beaufort, S. C., the 7th. br/February 1, began march into South Carolina. On the 3d, br/forced the Salkehatchie, wading the stream and backwaters, two br/miles wide, in ice cold water, varying from two to five feet in br/depth, engaging in a sharp skirmish on reaching solid ground. br/12th, reached the North Edisto River, and forced a passage as br/at the Salkehatchie, under a severe artillery fire, making a br/way for the direct column to enter Orangeburg. 16th, reached br/the Congaree River, and experienced slight loss by rebel sharp-br/shooters in the outskirts of Columbia on the opposite bank. br/17th, a company of the Thirteenth Iowa and Company C, Thirty-br/second Ill., crossed the river in scows. The flag of the for-br/mer was displayed from the state house and that of the Thirty-br/second from the town hall by Adjutant Hedley. A pair of rebel br/colors were brought away by the latter command. br/March 3, arrived at Cheraw; 13th at Fayettsville, N. C., br/where a portion of the Regiment skirmished with the enemy. Was br/engaged at Bentonvilie on the 21st, five companies in skirmish br/line losing severely. Captain Dunn, who led the skirmishers, br/was warmly complimented by General Belknap for gallantry in br/this affair. br/March 22, reached Goldsboro, where Lieutenaut Colonel Eng-br/lish assumed command. br/April 13, reached Releigh and remained in the vicinity un-br/til Johnson's surrender. 28th, transferred to Second Brigade, br/Brigadier General Stalbrand. 29th, marched north via Peters-br/burg, Richmond and Alexandria to Washington, and participated br/in the grand review May 24. br/June 6, moved westward by rail to Parkersburg, Va., thence br/by boat to Louisville, Ky. br/June 20, the Brigade, consisting: of the Fourteenth, Fif-br/teenth and Thirty- second Illinois Regiments, was transferred br/to the Department of the Missouri and moved by boat to St. br/Louis. Here orders were received dispatching the command to br/the far west via Fort Leavenworth. After equipping, marched br/from the latter place the 22d, and arrived August 13 at Ft. br/Kearney, Neb., where telegraphic orders for muster out were re-br/ceived. Reached Fort Leaven worth September 2, and mustered br/out September 16, and paid off at Camp Butler. br/Source: Illinois Adjutant-General's Report, vol. 2, p. 609br/Shiloh after battle report: br/Report of Col. John Logan, Thirty-second Illinois Infantry.br/HDQRS. THIRTY-SECOND REGT. ILLINOIS VOLS.br/Pittsburg Landing, April 12, 1862br/SIR: I have the honor to make the following report:br/On the 6th instant, at 8 o'clock a.m., I formed my regiment on the colorbr/line of my encampment, and by your order filed in and formed on thebr/left of the Third Iowa, and marched to the first open field on the rightbr/of the road. A line of battle was formed, one-half of my command inbr/the field, the other half in the woods, thus marching in line of battlebr/through a skirt of woods to another open field, through which we passedbr/to within 100 yards of the timber. Here our column was halted, and Ibr/ordered my men to lie down, and to be sure not to fire till they werebr/commanded, there being no enemy in sight, except some that were filingbr/off to our left . At this time firing commenced on the left of ourbr/brigade, all my command following suit except Company B, which wasbr/on the extreme left of my regiment. This company fired in a very shortbr/time afterwards. I went up to the left and inquired by whose authoritybr/the regiment fired. They told me that they fired because thebr/Twenty-eighth did. Capt. Pierce, of Company B, told me he firedbr/after the others had fired by order of one of Gen. Hurlbut's aides. Ibr/again cautioned them not to fire without command. At this time thebr/horse of Maj. Hunter was frightened and became unmanageable. Thebr/major was thrown, and had to be taken off the field. Here we werebr/ordered by Gen. Hurlbut in person to fall back to the peach orchard,br/which was done in good order. We were then ordered to fall fartherbr/back, and take a position in the edge of the woods behind the fence,br/which was also done in good order, with a battery on our right andbr/another on our left. I had been notified, however, prior to this time, thatbr/you had been disabled and compelled to leave the field; that Col.br/Pugh was in command of the brigade.br/At this place I went to the colonel and inquired what arrangements therebr/were to supply us with cartridges. His reply was, none that he knew of.br/He asked me if I was not supplied. I told him, yes; that we had 40br/rounds to the man, but that my boys expected to use more than that ifbr/the battle continued. Col. Pugh said that was enough. In this positionbr/we remained an hour or more. I frequently cautioned the men to lie flatbr/on the ground, they being in range of the enemy's battery and trying tobr/shell us out. I passed up and down the lines frequently, encouraging thebr/men and telling them not to fire until they had the order, and then notbr/unless they had good sight on a rebel.br/At length the enemy advanced in the open field and the order tobr/fire was given. The boys gave them such a dose of blue pills that theybr/sickened at the stomach, and changed their course toward the left ofbr/our brigade and warmly engaged the Forty-first. At this time Gen.br/Hurlbut came up and ordered me to take my command and march by thebr/left flank to support the Forty-first: that I would be led by a guide to thebr/proper position. We started immediately following the guide. I marchedbr/in advance of my regiment, with the guide, to the place pointed out asbr/our line of battle. By some means, in our march down, the three leftbr/companies had outmarched the others and got into position before thebr/others arrived. I sent Lieut. Rider, of Company K, to tellbr/Lieut.-Col. Ross to bring forward the remainder of the regimentbr/to its place in line, which was done in good order, and we engaged thebr/enemy in real good earnest, every officer and man, with one or twobr/exceptions, doing their whole duty. Here we continued between on andbr/two hours, the enemy pouring a most galling shower of balls the wholebr/time. There being no support on the left whatever, the enemy attemptedbr/to turn our left flank. Being informed of this fact, I directed Companybr/B to direct its fire obliquely to the left, which for the time being drovebr/them back. At this time the regiment in front of ours and to our rightbr/gave way and ran, many of them through our lines. This I feared wouldbr/cause my men to break, but it had no such effect; they closed up andbr/continued the deadly strife.br/In a few minutes I was notified we were getting out of cartridges. I rodebr/along the line, and the report was, "We are out of cartridges." I thenbr/ordered my command to fix bayonets, being determined to fight thembr/in every way possible. Here, seeing we were neither supported right norbr/left, and to charge the enemy up the steep hill would be to rush mybr/command into certain destruction, I therefore, as the only means left usbr/to prevent our falling into the enemy's hands, gave the order to fall backbr/over the hill, and, well knowing that my place at such a time was in thebr/rear of the last man, I remained until all had left and then followedbr/them, the enemy's line being within 40 feet of me. I was soon woundedbr/in the left shoulder; saw the adjutant, and directed him to informbr/Lieut.-Col. Ross that he must take command of the regiment.br/The lieutenant-colonel had fallen, mortally wounded, a minute before,br/but I knew it not. My loss in officers was so great that it was difficultbr/to rally and form the regiment.br/I am aware that I subject myself to the criticism of military men bybr/changing my position without an order from my superior officer,br/knowing it to be the duty of every officer to remain with his commandbr/where he is put until he is ordered from there by the properbr/officer-believing as I did, for good reasons, that our situation had beenbr/overlooked or our brigade commander had fallen, having received nobr/orders during the whole contest.br/There are many individual cases of merit that I would be glad tobr/mention, but they being so numerous I cannot do it only at the expensebr/of being too tedious. There is one case, however, so peculiar in itselfbr/that I will be pardoned for giving it Charles Rogers, a corporal inbr/Company C, a member of the color guard, was severely wounded, thebr/ball striking in above the shoulder, passing deep through the back of thebr/neck, coming out at the point of the opposite shoulder, fell on the field,br/and was taken prisoner, was placed under guard of a single sentinel, andbr/when the enemy had to retreat he seized the sentinel's gun, wrested itbr/form him, made him a prisoner, and marched him into camp.br/This closes the matter of the first day's engagement.br/I learned from my company officers after the battle that they collectedbr/what men they could, and fought both Sunday evening and Mondaybr/with other regiments.br/Below you have a list of the killed, wounded, and missing.*br/Col., my apology for the lateness of this report is my wound.br/Your obedient servant,br/JOHN LOGAN,br/Col. Thirty-second Regt. Illinois Volunteers.br/Col. N. G. WILLIAMS,br/Comdg. First Brigade, Fourth Division, U. S. Forces.br/-----------br/Report of Capt. Alfred C. Campbell, Thirty-secondbr/Illinois Infantry.br/PITTSBURG LANDING, April 12, 1862.br/DEAR SIR: Inclosed please find list of killed, wounded, and missing.*br/I will avail myself of this opportunity to give you a correct statement ofbr/things that happened on the battle-field after our order to the left (as tobr/what happened before there is no dispute). I was ordered there by ourbr/colonel, who led the way in person to the hollow, where we had thebr/severest part of the action, in which I participated. We fought there untilbr/ordered to leave by the colonel in person; then I moved off with mybr/company in as good order as the nature of the case would admit, andbr/can say that a large part of the regiment could have been ralliedbr/anywhere, from 200 yards of our position to our quarters, (where allbr/assembled), if we had had only one field officer to have directed thebr/movement. I will also state that my men had shot away all theirbr/ammunition and in several instances had robbed the boxes of the deadbr/and wounded. Had we not have been compelled by the enemy to fallbr/back, we could not have held our position longer for want ofbr/ammunition. After my arrival in camp I beat towards the river with allbr/my company, all that was not detached to take care of the wounded.br/When we arrived at the guard I was pleased, for that was the first thingbr/I had seen that looked like a place to stop; here I stopped with mybr/squall, and with others formed and joined other fragments of regimentsbr/and marched to the right, where we lay on our arms all night; the nextbr/morning I picked up until I had 16 men and my first lieutenant, and withbr/Capt. Davidson (our senior captain) reported to you for duty; as tobr/what occurred after this, you know as well as I do. I have only to addbr/that I went into the action with 54 men and 3 officers; lost, in killed,br/wounded, and missing 1 lieutenant and 30 men, leaving only 24 to fightbr/and take care of the wounded. And let me be whatever you please tobr/call me, I will say that a braver or better behaved company of menbr/never lived on this continent. You may stigmatize me as a coward, butbr/please make an exception of the brave men under my command. I ambr/getting old and my fighting time is almost done, consequently it makesbr/but little difference about me. I have a son and neighbor in this sectionbr/action that their parent never expected to be disgraced under mybr/command. I also wear a sword presented to me by an aged soldierbr/father, who is still living to look over the history of the Thirty-secondbr/Regt. Illinois Volunteers. What I say of my conduct I suppose tobr/be true of other commanders of companies. I ask of youbr/the favor to appoint a committee, and with Col.'s Pugh and Johnsonbr/to examine the battle-field, and obtain such evidence of our conduct asbr/may be had before you make report that will forever ruin us. I fearbr/there is a mistake somewhere, and that you have not been thoroughlybr/informed. It is possible that some one wants an exude for retiring,br/and would like to lay it on somebody. From some things you said I ambr/led to believe that Col. Johnson has had something to do with thisbr/thing. We are ready to compare notes at any time. He is the man thatbr/caused us to be placed so far to the left that there was no supportbr/left us; there was no support right or left in reach, and Johnsonbr/withdrew his troops as soon as he was posted, and the menbr/in front of us broke and retreated through our lines, and still there wasbr/nothing like retreating without orders.br/And now allow me to say, to take everything into consideration, Ibr/believe the Thirty-second behaved as well or better than any otherbr/regiment on the field that I have heard of. I have only to add that Ibr/expect never to behave better in action while I live, and never expect abr/better set of companies; consequently you need not expect any betterbr/work of the Thirty-second than they have done.br/Yours, with much respect, &c.,br/A. C. CAMPBELL,br/Capt., Comdg. Company E, Thirty-second Regt. Illinois Vols.br/Gen. HURLBUT.br/Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 10. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 10br/
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