Basic Historical Facts about the 72d

General Orders. No. 105--Headqarters of the Army, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, December 3, 1861. Made Colonel P. Morrison, 8th Infantry, Springfield, in charge of all recruiting services in the State of Illinois. Governor of the State of Illinois (Richard Yates, 1860 to Jan. 1865)  had to have a special requisition form the Secretary of War in order to raise the First Board of Trade Regiment, the 72nd Illinois. In 1862 the President of the United States Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to be raised. The Chicago board of Trade then raised the 100,000 dollars required to outfit the Regiment in July 1862. Each Regiment according to  General Orders No. 15, War Department, May 4, 1861 consisted of ten companies and each company was organized as follows. With a Company aggregate of from 83 to 101 men and a Regimental aggregate of from 830 men to 1,010 men.

Ten Companies                                                  72nd ILL.  Regiment

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K.

Each Company Roll;

1            Captain                                                  1    Colonel                                                                           

1            First Lieutenant                                       1    Lieutenant Colonel

1            Second Lieutenant                                  1    Major

1            First Sergeant                                         1    Adjutant, (a Lieutenant)

4            Sergeants                                                1    Regimental Q. M., (a Lieutenant)

8            Corporals                                                1    Assistant Surgeon

2            Musicians                                                 1    Regimental Chaplain

1            Wagoner                                                  1    Sergeant Major

63 to 81    Privates                                                 1    Regimental Q. M. Sergeant

1          Cook                                                         1    Regimental Commissary Sergeant

3          Washer Woman, non-military                     1    Hospital Steward

                                                                               2    Principal Musicians

                                                                             24    Musicians for Band

                                                                              35   Servants, each officer would have at least one non-                                                                                     military servant

                                                                                1    Regimental Sutler

A total of 1,417 men served as the 72d Illinois from muster on August 23, 1862 to August 7, 1865. The 72d Illinois received some 450 recruits, and when ordered home they transferred 270 of these men to the Thirty-third Illinois Infantry Regiment, at Meridian, Miss. They brought home to Chicago in Aug. 1865, 22 Officers and 310 men, out of the original number of 37 Officers and 930 men. The 72d Illinois fought 7 major battles and 11 major skirmishes. The 72d Illinois spent 145 days under enemy fire and lost 7 officers an 178 men killed in service, with 3 officers and 130 men dead from disease, and 20 officers and 220 men wounded. The 72d Illinois also had 3 officers and 76 men taken as prisoners of war.

Roll of Company A - Adjutant General 1886

Captains    1

Joseph Stockton-Aug. 21, 1862, William B. Gallaher-Feb. 14, 1863, Merritt P. Batchelor-June 8, 1863, Roswell H. Mason-Oct. 26, 1864, William Mohrmann-June 12, 1865.

First Lieutenants    1

George B. Randall-Aug. 21, 1862, Merritt P. Batchelor-Jan. 19, 1863, Roswell H. Mason-June 8, 1863, William Mohrmann-Oct. 26, 1864, Henry A. Ward-June 12,1865.

Second Lieutenants    1

William B. Gallaher-Aug. 21, 1862, William Mohrman-June 8, 1863, James M. Smith-Oct. 26, 1864, Henry A. Ward-May 19, 1865, Oliver Rice-June 12, 1865.

First Sergeant    1

Oliver Rice-July 25, 1862

Sergeants    4

John G. Byrns-July 25, 1862, William B. Tuttle-Aug. 12, 1862, Charles A. Barnard-July 21, 1862, James M. Smith-July 25, 1862,

Corporals    8

Charles V. Blake-Aug. 12, 1862, Felix Cadieux-July 24, 1862, Henry H. Crowell-July 25, 1862, George H. Heafford-July 23, 1862, Henry A. Ward-July 25, 1862, Martin Habelin- July 28, 1862, Erastus C. Barbor-Aug. 8, 1862, William Mohrmann-Aug. 9, 1862

Privates    76   All men recruited between  July 24, and Aug. 15, 1862

M. O. = Mustered Out.

Disch. = Discharged, for wounds or sickness.

Recruits    47

Under Cooks    4

Brown, Isaae-Oct. 10, 1864, Diggs, John-Aug. 1, 1864, Franklin, Benjamin D.-Nov. 1. 1863, Morse, Maurice-May 1, 1864.