7th Illinois Infantry Regiment (3 Months)


The 7th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army between April 25 – July 25, 1861, during the American Civil War.

Service

The regiment was created in response to Battle of Fort Sumter and President Abraham Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to serve for 3 months. At the very beginning of the war the only place for Illinoisans to enlist was the state capital at Springfield. Because of this the majority of recruits were from Sangamon County. This included several militia companies that were already uniformed and partially trained; notably the "Springfield Grays" which made up Company I. The recruits were organized at Camp Yates on the outskirts of Springfield and mustered into Federal service by Captain John Pope on April 25th, 1861 for 90-days service. Camp Yates was located at the old Illinois State Fairgrounds site. Throughout their training the men lived in the state fair's stables, which provided considerable comfort and relief from the elements. Despite being the first troops raised in Illinois, the regiment was numbered the 7th Illinois, paying homage to the six Illinois infantry volunteer regiments that were raised to fight in the Mexican–American War fourteen years earlier. During their service part of the regiment wore gray zouave uniforms with orange piping.
Departing Camp Yates in May 1861, they went on duty at Alton, Cairo, Mound City, Illinois and then at St. Louis, Missouri until July, 1861. Companies "E" and "G" formed part of an expedition from Cairo to the Little River in Missouri on June 22 and 23. By the time the regiment was mustered out on July 25, 1861 and reorganized into the 7th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Some of the soldiers re-enlisted for 3 years, but most returned home and the new 7th Illinois barely resembled the original regiment.

Commanders

Despite never seeing combat during its three months of service, the 7th Illinois lost 5 men to disease.