So, Should Sherman's Army Have Been Called the Army of the Illinois?

From the McHenry County Civil War Round Table (Illinois) discussion group for February 26, 2022.

I went through Sherman's Union Order of Battle for his march through the Carolinas and counted the number of Illinois units.  I came up with 41.  That is a huge number of regiments and one battalion.  Now, granted, that late in the war, none or very few of these had the predetermined 1,000 soldiers considered a regiment at full strength.  But, even so, that was a lot of troops.

Here are the Illinois regiments:

7, 10, 12, 16, 20, 26, 30, 31, 32, 34, 40, 45, 48, 50, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 60, 63, 64, 65, 78, 82, 85, 86, 90, 93, 101, 102, 104,  105, 111, 112, 116, 125, 127, 129

Also, there was a 14/15 Battalion.

That's sure a lot of Illinois boys.

Army of the Illinois since Union Armies named after rivers.

--Old Secesh

15th Illinois Infantry Actions and Campaigns-- Part 2: Atlanta Campaign

Duty Vicksburg, Ms. Nov. 10 to Feb. 1864
Meridian Campaign Feb. 3 to March 5, 1864
Atlanta Campaign June 8 to Sept. 8, 1864

Assigned garrison duty Altoona Pass, Ackworth, Big Shanty and Marietta until Nov.
Consolidated with 14th Illinois July 1, 1864 and became the 14th and 15th Illinois Battalion Infantry
March to the Sea  Nov. 15 to Sept. 10, 1864

Siege of Savannah Dec. 10 to Dec. 21
Campaign  of the Carolinas January to April 1865
Battle of Bentonville  March 19-21

Occupation of Goldsboro, NC, March 24
Occupation of Raleigh April 14
Bennett's House April 26.  Surrender of Johnston's Army
Grand Review Washington, D.C.. May 24

Duty on the plains until September 1
Mustered out Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Sept. 16, 1865

--Old Secesh

15th Illinois Infantry Regiment

From Wikipedia.

Raised under the 10 Regiment Act and mustered in at Freeport, Illinois, on May 24, 1861.

Companies  A, D and F from McHenry County,
B--  Boone County
C--  Winnebago County
E--  Jo Davies County
G--  Stephenson County
H--  Ogle County
I--  Lake County
K--  Carroll County

In all actions, the 15th was with the 14th Illinois Infantry.  Stationed around Rolla, Missouri.  Took part in the Fort Donelson Campaign and at the Battle of Shiloh.  On the second day of Shiloh, General Grant took personal command of the two regiments in the attack on the Confederates.

After the engagement, Grant ordered that the 14th and 15th remain together for the rest of the war.  As a result of losses and refusal to take in new recruits the two regiments were consolidated and became the 14th and 15th Illinois Battalion Infantry on July 1, 1864.

During the course of the war the 15th suffered 6 officers and 81 enlisted killed in battle or died from wounds and 5 officers and 135 died from disease.

Commanders were Col. Thomas J. Turner who resigned on November 2, 1862 and Col. George Clark Rogers to the end of the war.

--Old Secesh