The 42nd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It is one of the 300 fighting regiments.
The 42nd Illinois Infantry was organized at Chicago, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on July 22, 1861. Left state for St. Louis, Mo., September 20, 1861. Attached to Dept. of Missouri, to February, 1862. Flotilla Brigade, Army of Mississippi, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Army Miss., to September, 1862. 1st Brigade, 13th Division, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Right Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland to January, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps to June, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, to August, 1865. Dept. of Texas, to December, 1865.
Joined Fremont at Tipton, Mo., October 18, 1861. Fremont's Campaign against Springfield, Mo., October 18-November 9. Duty at Smithton, Mo., December 13, 1861, to February 3, 1862. March to St. Charles, Mo., thence moved to Fort Holt, Ky., February 2âÂÂ20, 1862. Operations against New Madrid, Mo., and Island No. 10, Mississippi River, February 28-April 8. Engagement at New Madrid, March 3âÂÂ4. Actions at Island Number 10, March 15âÂÂ16 and 25. Action and capture at Tiptonville April 8. Expedition to Fort Pillow, Tenn., April 13âÂÂ17. Moved to Hamburg Landing, Tenn., April 17âÂÂ22. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Action at Farmington May 3. Reconnaissance toward Corinth May 8. Action at Farmington May 9. Pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 12. Skirmish at Rienzi June 3 (Detachment). Reconnaissance toward Baldwyn June 3. Camp at Big Springs June 14 to July 22. Moved to Iuka, Miss., July 22, thence to Courtland, Ala. Skirmish at Courtland August 22. Duty along line of Memphis and Charleston R. R. till September 2. March to Nashville, Tenn., September 3âÂÂ12. Action at Columbia, Tenn., September 9. Siege of Nashville September 12-November 6. Repulse of Forest's attack on Edgefield November 5. Duty at Nashville till December 26. Hardin Pike near Nashville December 3. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26âÂÂ30. Battle of Stone's River December 30âÂÂ31, 1862, and January 1âÂÂ3, 1863. Expedition to Columbia March 5âÂÂ14. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 24-July 7. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga, Ga. Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19âÂÂ20. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23âÂÂ27. Orchard Knob November 23âÂÂ24. Mission Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., and Campaign in East Tennessee November 28, 1863, to January 15, 1864. Camp at Stone's Mill, Tenn., December 27, 1862, to January 15, 1864. Regiment veteranize January 1, 1864. Moved to Dandridge, Tenn., January 15, 1864. Operations about Dandridge January 16âÂÂ17. Moved to Chattanooga January 21. Veterans on furlough February 21 to April 27. Atlanta, (Ga.) Campaign May 1 to September 8. Demonstration against Rocky Faced Ridge May 8âÂÂ11. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8âÂÂ9. Battle of Resaca May 14âÂÂ15. Calhoun May 16.Adairsville May 17. Kingston May 18âÂÂ19. Near Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22âÂÂ25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11âÂÂ14. Lost Mountain June 15âÂÂ17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station Smyrna, Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5âÂÂ17. Peach Tree Creek July 19âÂÂ20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25âÂÂ30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy's Station September 2âÂÂ6. Moved to Bridgeport, Ala., September 28. March to Chattanooga, thence to Alpine, Ga., and return October 19âÂÂ30. Nashville Campaign NovemberâÂÂDecember. Columbia, Duck River, November 24âÂÂ27. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15âÂÂ16. Pursuit of Hood, to the Tennessee River, December 17âÂÂ28. Duty at Huntsville and Decatur, Ala., till April 1, 1865. Expedition to Bull's Gap April 1âÂÂ22. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., and duty there till June 15. Moved to New Orleans, La., June 15âÂÂ18, thence to Fort Lavacca, Texas, July 18âÂÂ23, thence to Camp Irwin and duty there till August 17. Post duty at Port Lavacca till December. Mustered out at Camp Irwin December 16 and discharged at Springfield, Ill., January 10, 1866.
The regiment suffered 13 officers and 168 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 5 officers and 201 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 387 fatalities. The regiment also suffered 473 wounded. Percentage wise, the regiment lost 11.1% to enemy action and 12.7% to other causes, or a total of 23.8% fatalities, and a total casualty percentage of 40.3%.
There is a monument to the 42nd Illinois Infantry at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.