93^rd Illinois Infantry 

“Old Banner, farewell! To our friends now return,

Who gave your bright folds to our care;

Return to our friends; though ragged and torn,

No marks of dishonor you bear.

Tell our friends, should they fill up our ranks again,

And give us a banner once more.

That its folds shall float over Georgia’s plain,

To the far off Atlantic’s shore.”1] 

          The companies of the Ninety-third Illinois Infantry were organized during August 1862.  The companies were recruited as follows:  Company A at Camden Mills in Rock Island County, Company B (Bureau County Rifles) at Dover in Bureau County, Company C (Wyanet Union Guards) at Wyanet in Bureau County, Company D at Freeport in Stephenson County, Company E (Tiskilwa Tigers) at Tiskilwa in Bureau County, Company F at Albany in Whiteside County, Company G at Cedarville in Stephenson County, Company H (Bureau County Tigers) at Neponset in Bureau County, Company I (Princeton Light Infantry) and K (Princeton Guards)  at Princeton in Bureau County.  On September 17 companies B through K moved by rail to Camp Douglas in Chicago where Company A joined them.  The ten companies were mustered into service on October 13, 1862 and left for Memphis, Tennessee. After a month in camp at Memphis, on November 26 the Ninety-third embarked on Grant’s campaign into Northern Mississippi.  Despite heavy marching, the Regiment saw no action during this campaign; due to the surrender of the Union forces at Holly Springs, the Campaign was terminated and the Regiment returned to Memphis, arriving there December 20.  January and February 1863 were spent in camp east of Memphis.  On March 2 the Regiment boarded the steamer Henry Von Phul and moved down the Mississippi River to Grand Lake, Arkansas and two days later moved back up the river to a point opposite Yazoo Pass.  The Regiment boarded the steamer Jesse K. Bell on March 22, passed through Moon Lake and traveled the Yazoo Pass to Cold Water River and down the Tallahatchie River to survey the enemy’s fortifications at Greenwood, Mississippi. After General McPherson decided the fortifications could not be reached because of water and swamps, the Regiment retuned to Helena, Arkansas.  On April 13 the Regiment sailed down river to Milliken’s Bend, Louisiana, camped there until April 25 and then marched to Bruinsburg, Louisiana and crossed the Mississippi on the steam ram Lafayette.  The Ninety-third marched toward Jackson, Mississippi and on May 14 met the rebel forces at the Battle of Jackson.  On May 16 the Regiment while en route to Vicksburg and met the enemy at the Battle of Champion's Hill; the Regiment entered the battle with less than 500 men and lost 164 men killed, wounded and missing.  The Ninety-third was next involved in the disastrous assault on Fort Fisher at Vicksburg on May 22; the Confederates repulsed the Union assault which then led to the Siege of Vicksburg.  Following the fall of Vicksburg on July 4 the men of the Regiment remained in the area until September and then were transported up river to Memphis where they arrived on October 1, 1863.  On October 4 the Regiment departed Memphis on the Chattanooga Campaign.  They passed through Glendale, Burnsville, and Iuka, Mississippi, Bear Creek and Dixon’s Station, Alabama, crossed the Tennessee River and the Cumberland Mountains and on November 19 marched within range of Confederate batteries on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.  Wednesday November 25, 1863 the Ninety-Third Illinois was heavily involved in the Battle of Mission Ridge.  In the charge up Mission Ridge, Colonel Putnam was killed carrying the colors and the colors were torn to shreds; of two hundred and ninety-three men who went into the battle ninety-six were killed, wounded or missing.  Following the battle, after a brief pursuit of General Bragg’s forces the Regiment marched to Stevenson, then Huntsville, Alabama. In early 1864 the Ninety-third remained in Alabama and Tennessee.  On February 23 the Regiment marched to Ringgold, Georgia and then on the 24^th and 25^th fought at Tunnel Hill and near Dalton, Georgia.  From April through September the Regiment campaigned in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia but saw no actual fighting.  However, on October 4, 1864 the Ninety-third as part of Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign was camped at Allatoona, Georgia; Atlanta had fallen and the retreating Confederates attacked the Union forces at Allatoona.  The Union forces were outnumbered and surrounded but refused surrender and in 13 hours of fighting saved the supplies at Allatoona and forced Confederate retreat; the Ninety-third lost 89 men or one third of the Regiment. In mid-November the Ninety-third joined Sherman’s “March to the Sea.’  They fought in the siege of Savannah December 10-21,1864 and then in 1865 moved into the Carolinas where they fought atSalkehatchie Swamps, South and North Edisto Rivers, Columbia, Bentonville and at Bennett’s House and the surrender of Johnston and his army.  They marched via Richmond, Virginia to Washington D. C. and marched in the Grand Review on May 24, 1865.  The Ninety-third Illinois Infantry was mustered out on June 23, 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. [2]

	93rd;  Illinois  Infantry  Regimental  Flag      Summary: See "Flag Details" for manufacturer. Details
	93rd;  Illinois  Infantry  National  Flag      Summary: The National color of the 93rd is inscribed with battles and Regimental ID. Details

Many of the photos are the property of and used with permission from the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois.

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