There were no major battles fought in Illinois, but the war touched home just as well.
Parts of southern Illinois actually had talk of secession themselves. Williamson County even had a rally calling for "Egypt" to secede and join the Confederacy. Egypt refers to the very southern part of the state around the Cairo area.
Over 250,000 men from Illinois served in the Union military.
Fort/Camp Defiance was hastily built at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to serve as a base of operations to expedite food, ammunition and other supplies to Union forces.
U.S. Grant was there from September 1861 to February 1862.
Seven miles northeast of Cairo is the town of Mound City. A shipyard was built there. At least three Union gunboats were outfitted there including the USS Cairo and USS Mound City. Ships could often be repaired there as well.
In 1862, Lincoln gave the authorization to purchase land in Mound City and in 1864, the Mound City National Cemetery became one of the 12 original national cemeteries.
More Than You Thought Happening in Illinois. --Blockade-R
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