Knox County in the Military

The Civil War

The introduction from History of Knox County (Albert J. Perry, S.J. Clarke Publishing Co, Chicago, 1912 pages 242-243) has this to say about Knox County's involvement in the war:

"In the Civil war there were only seven counties in the state that furnished a larger number of soldiers than Knox county, and none that filled their quotas more promptly. Knox county was called upon to furnish 3,842 men, but finally credited by the adjutant-general of the state with only 3,837. There were many who left the county to enlist in foreign regiments, and the colored troops to the number of from twenty-five to fifty were never credited to Knox County.

Besides the filling of her quota of regular calls of the president, she furnished 326 men in answer to the governor's call for 100 day men, making a total of at least 4,200 men. These were distributed among 82 regiments, and in 190 different companies. Of this number 123 were killed in action, 168 wounded and 344 died; 96 suffered the horrors of prison life, some of whom died at Andersonville and Libby."

Civil War units recruited in Knox County

The 77th Illinois Infantry

The 77th Illinois Infantry Regiment was established in Peoria, Illinois on September 2, 1862. A number of Knox County, Illinois men enlisted, including Edward W. Jenney who sent home photographs of some of his comrades.

According to the Adjutant General of Illinois (Report of the Adjutant General State of Illinois, Springfield, IL, 1901, V. 4) the unit saw action in Memphis, Tennessee, and Vicksburg, Mississippi as well as in Louisiana and Alabama. The unit mustered out and returned to Springfield, Illinois in July 1865.

• History of the 77th Illinois from the Adjutant General's Report
• Service of the 77th as described in the Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
• Photos of Soldiers from the 77th Illinois Infantry
• Knox County residents in the 77th Illinois Infantry
• Knox College Alumni in the 77th Illinois Infantry

See also the online exhibit about the 54th Massachusetts regiment

Spanish-American War

Men from Knox County served their country in the war with Spain. The book Annals of Knox County: commemorating centennial of admission of Illinois as a state of the Union in 1818 has information about participants from county townships.

"Praise for Colored Soldiers" from the Galesburg Republican-Register, 24 Oct. 1898

World War I

Military Men of WWI, taken from Knox County, Illinois. The Honor Roll

'Colored Workers at The Shop' photograph taken from The Honor Roll

Photo: Sammies - Galesburg, IL - Aug 1, 1918, by Galesburg photographer, Charles Osgood, owned by the Library of Congress.