ORIGINAL 23rd ILLINOIS - HISTORY
                                        Taking a look at our name sake unit.............
�Rally! All Irishmen in favor of forming a regiment of Irish volunteers to sustain the Government of the United States in and through the present war, will rally at North Market Hall, this evening (April 20th), at seven and one half o�clock. Come all. For the Honor of the Old Land, Rally! Rally for the defense of the New.�. 

And so read the recruiting poster that almost immediatly began to appear throughout Chicago in April of 1861. 

Historicaly Irish companies formed some of the earliest militia units of Chicago. When Fort Sumter fell in 1861, many of these companies joined together with other volunteers to form a regiment of Irish volunteers -the so called � Irish Brigade�, and also known as the �1st Irish Regiment�.  But in the end, the regiment would be officialy designated as the Twenty-third Illinois Infantry, and would be commanded by Colonel James Mulligan.
Companies of the regiment included the Montgomery Guards, (formed in 1842), the Jackson Guards (organized in 1853), and the Shields Guards (organized 1854). They were joined by the Detroit Jackson Guards from Wayne County, Detroit, Michigan; the Earlville Guards or Earl Rifles from La Salle County; the Ogden Rifles from Morris, Grundy County;the Douglas Guards from La Salle County; the Mahoney Guards from Cook County and the Ottawa City Guards from La Salle county.

Recruitig and organization for the new regiment continued through may, and by early June, the regimental organization was complete and ready to be mustered into service.  The 23rd Illinois was mustered in on June 15, 1861, while in barracks at Kane�s Brewery on West Polk Street in Chicago.  The Official Organization was as follows:
               23rd ILLINOIS INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS
                                    This Regiment did not have a Band

CO. A ------------------------------------------------Detroit, Michigan (Also known as Detroit Jackson Guards)
CO. B -----------------------------------------------Cook County (Also known as Montgomery Guards)
CO. C ---------------------------------------------- Cook County (Also known as Jackson Guards)
CO. D -----------------------------------------------LaSalle County (Also known as Earlville Guards and Earl Rifles) CO. E -----------------------------------------------Cook County (Also known as Ottawa Guards)
CO. F -----------------------------------------------Cook & LaSalle counties (Also known as La Salle Guards)
CO. G ----------------------------------------------Cook County (Also known as Mahoney Guards)
CO. H ----------------------------------------------Cook & LaSalle counties (Also known as Ottawa Guards)
CO. I -----------------------------------------------Cook County (Also known as Shields Guards)
CO. K ----------------------------------------------Cook County (Also known as Shields Guards)
In July the 23rd Illinois moved to Quincy by rail, then on to the U.S. Government Arsenal at St. Louis. In August the Regiment was at Jefferson City, Missouri when it was ordered to Lexington, Missouri a town on the south bank of the Missouri River. At Lexington the entrenched Regiment was attacked by Sterling Price and after three days of siege by the Confederates, the Twenty-third surrendered on September 20. �Amongst the men of the 23rd that day, the Regimental flag was torn into shreds. Each received a small green patch, thus saving the flag from being taken as a trophy of war by the enemy.�  The officers were held as prisoners while the men were released to find their way home. The Regiment was mustered out of service in October 1861. However, Colonel Mulligan, who had been exchanged, appealed to General McClellan who directed that the organization of the Twenty-third Illinois be retained, and be considered as being continuously in service from the date of its original muster.

The men reassembled in Chicago and guarded prisoners at Camp Douglas until June 1862 when they were ordered to Harper�s Ferry; Virginia, then to New Creek, Clarksburg and Parkersburg, Virginia. In 1863 they remained in Virginia and fought at New Creek and Phillipi and later were on Lee�s flank during his retreat from Gettysburg.

In April 1864 the Regiment was reorganized and after a month�s furlough returned to Virginia. In July they fought at Leetown, Virginia, Maryland Heights, Maryland, Snicker�s Gap, Virginia and Kernstown, Virginia where Colonel Mulligan was killed.

From August 1864 to December 1864 the Twenty-third fought under Sherman�s command in the Shenandoah Valley and fought at Cedar Creek, Winchester, Charlestown, Berryville, Opequan Creek Fisher�s Hill and Harrisonburg. It was at Fisher�s Hill that Private John Creed of Company C captured a Confederate flag for which he received the Medal of Honor

In January 1865 they were transferred to Army of the James and were in front of Richmond and the defenses of Bermuda Hundred. In March and April they were in the assault and capture of Fort Gregg in front of Petersburg and afterward pursued Lee until he surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Sergeant Thomas McGraw of Company B received the Medal of Honor for �One of three soldiers most conspicuous for gallantry in the final assault at Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865.

�The Twenty-third was mustered out at Richmond, Virginia July 24 and discharged at Chicago, July 30, 1865.

SOURCE INFORMATION:
Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago Daily Times, April 20, 1861
Von Allendorfer, Frederick, �The Western Irish Brigade, Irish Sword II (Dublin 1955), 177-83.
Civil War Medal of Honor Winners from Illinois, Published by the Civil War Centennial Commission of Illinois, July 1962.
Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, Vol II, p276-80.
Civil War Medal of Honor Winners from Illinois ,Published by the Civil War Centennial Commission of Illinois, July 1962.
Click here to see another  Regimental history of the 23rd Illinois, as recorded in the 1865 Illinois Adjutant General's Report.
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