The Civil War in the East

82nd Illinois Infantry Regiment "2nd Hecker Regiment"

Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker originally formed the 24th Illinois Infantry and became its Colonel, but disagreements arose between Hecker and some of his officers, and he and his supporters resigned. In August 1862, Hecker formed the 82nd Illinois, or "Second Hecker Regiment", with himeself as Colonel and Edward Salomon as Lieutenant Colonel. It was composed mainly of German, Jewish, Swedish, and other European volunteers, with Company C entirely Jewish and Company I made up of Scandanavians.

 

The 82nd lost 4 officers and 98 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 60 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It marched an estimated 2,503 miles during its service, and is nonored by a monument at Gettysburg.

monument to the 82nd Illinois Infantry at Gettysburg

1862

October 23

Organized at Springfield, Ill., and mustered in under Colonel Friedrich (Frederick) Hecker.

November 3-9

Moved to Washington, D.C. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

November 19

Moved to Fairfax Court House, Va.

December 11

Moved to Stafford Court House

December 19

Near Aquia Creek, Va.

1863

January 20-24

"Mud March"

January 25

At Stafford Court House, Va.

April 27

Chancellorsville Campaign

May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

In its first battle the regiment loses 155 casualties out of around 400 men in action. Colonel Hecker and Major Ferdinand Rolshausen are wounded and Second Lieutenants Lieutenant Conrad Schonder and Lorenz Spoenemann are killed. Lt. Colonel Salomon takes over command of the regiment.

June 12

Gettysburg Campaign

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg
The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Salomon. It brought 347 men to the battle, of whom 4 were killed, 19 wounded, and 89 missing. Second Lieutenant Ferdinand Babst was mortally wounded and Captain Emil Frey and Lieutenant Eugene Hepp captured.

 

According to the account of Lt. Col. Salomon, "...it happened that my regiment, being the center of the whole line, was the last to leave the field. I received orders to cover our retreat through the town with my own regiment, the Eighty-Second Illinois and the Sixty-First Ohio. These two regiments, under my command, were the last to enter the town in which the greatest confusion reigned. Artillery, ammunition wagons, ambulances, provision trains, disorganized troops, wounded soldiers carried along by the ambulance corps thronged the narrow streets of the town. The retreat became a rout. My two regiments drove the men forward. I guarded the cross streets as much as possible, until I finally ran into a cul-de-sac, where I was compelled to have a heavy, tight board fence knocked down to make it possible to proceed. That accomplished, we had to pass through an enfilading fire of musketry until we gained the peach orchard (at the northern base of Cemetery Hill)."

July 5-24

Pursuit to Manassas Gap

July 12

Hagerstown

July 13

Duty along Orange & Alexandria R. R.

September 25 -
October 4

Movement to Bridgeport, Alabama

October 19-26

Operations in Lookout Valle. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, and Colonel Hecker assumes command of the brigade.

October 20

Reconnaissance to Trenton

October 26-29

Reopening Tennessee River

October 28-29

Battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn.

October 30

Duty in Lookout Valley, Tenn.

November 23-27

Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign

November 23

Orchard Knob

November 24-25

Tunnel Hill

November 25

Mission Ridge

November 26-27

Pursuit to Cleveland

November 29 - December 17

March to relief of Knoxville

Dec. 18

At Whitesides, Tenn.

1864

March 21

Col. Hecker resigns his commission

April

Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland

Early 1864

Colonel Hecker resigns.

May 3

Atlanta Campaign

May 8-11

Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge

May 14-15

Battle of Resaca

The regiment saves the 5th Indiana Battery in a bayonet charge

May 19

Near Cassville

May 25

New Hope Church

The regiment loses 11 killed and 69 wounded out of 245 engaged, winning the praise of General Thomas.

May 25-June 5

Battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills

June 10-July 2

Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain

June 11-14

Pine Hill

June 15-17

Lost Mountain

Lost 5 killed

June 15

Gilgal (or Golgotha) Church

June 17

Muddy Creek

Lost 1 killed and 3 wounded in an attack on an entrenched position

June 19

Noyes' Creek

June 22

Kolb's Farm

June 27

Assault on Kenesaw

July 4

Smyrna Camp Ground

July 5-17

Chattahoochie River

July 19-20

Peach Tree Creek

Second Lieutenant Frederick Bechstein of Company I is killed

July 22-August 25

Siege of Atlanta

August 26 -
September 2

Operations at Chattahoochie River Bridge

September 2 - November 15

Occupation of Atlanta

October 26-29

Expedition to Tuckum's Cross Roads

November 15 -
December 10

March to the sea

November 22

Milledgeville

December 9

Montieth Swamp

December 10-21

Siege of Savannah

1865

January

Campaign of the Carolinas

March 16

Averysboro, Taylor's Hole Creek, N. C.

The regiment lost 15 casualties

March 19-21

Battle of Bentonville

March 24

Occupation of Goldsboro

April 10-14

Advance on Raleigh

April 14

Occupation of Raleigh

April 26

Bennett's House, Surrender of Lee and his Army

April 29-May 19

March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va.

May 24

Grand Review

June 16

Mustered out