22nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 22nd Regiment of Illinois Volunteers was organized in Alton, and Belleville and were mustered in for Federal Service on June 25, 1861 at Caseyville, Illinois. Company B of this regiment was comprised of the Alton Union Guard, organized by Captain and later Lieutenant Colonel Harrison Hart in April of 1861.
The regiment fought at Belmont, New Madrid/Island No. 10, Siege of Corinth, Stone's River, Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Buzzard's Roost Gap, and Resaca.
When the 22nd Illinois mustered in for service they were initially armed with Illinois state issued smoothbore 1842 Harpers Ferry Muskets, which were reported to be unreliable at best. By the fall of 1862 you start to see larger numbers of 1855 Enfields replacing the old outdated 1842’s.
They were not issued the early grey state uniform issued to the 7th-12th Regiments, but they did receive the iconic nine button Illinois State Jacket. Tin-type photos of soldiers in this regiment early on show them wearing forage caps, also typical of early war Illinois troops. In September 1862, the Federal Government took over the issuing of uniforms and equipment to the Volunteer Regiments. The state of Illinois continued to issue clothing to its troops, equipping all its infantry regiments up to the 131st with nine-button state jackets rather than federal issue frock coats, which became more common later in the war.
This is how the men of the 22nd Illinois would have appeared in the Summer and early Fall of 1862.
The regiment fought at Belmont, New Madrid/Island No. 10, Siege of Corinth, Stone's River, Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Buzzard's Roost Gap, and Resaca.
When the 22nd Illinois mustered in for service they were initially armed with Illinois state issued smoothbore 1842 Harpers Ferry Muskets, which were reported to be unreliable at best. By the fall of 1862 you start to see larger numbers of 1855 Enfields replacing the old outdated 1842’s.
They were not issued the early grey state uniform issued to the 7th-12th Regiments, but they did receive the iconic nine button Illinois State Jacket. Tin-type photos of soldiers in this regiment early on show them wearing forage caps, also typical of early war Illinois troops. In September 1862, the Federal Government took over the issuing of uniforms and equipment to the Volunteer Regiments. The state of Illinois continued to issue clothing to its troops, equipping all its infantry regiments up to the 131st with nine-button state jackets rather than federal issue frock coats, which became more common later in the war.
This is how the men of the 22nd Illinois would have appeared in the Summer and early Fall of 1862.
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