12th Illinois Cavalry Regiment

The 12th Illinois Cavalry Regiment lost 38 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 4 officers and 192 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

A monument at Gettysburg honors the regiment.

1861

December 31

Captain Gilmore's Company of Cavalry, Company A, 32nd Illinois, organized at Camp Butler and assigned as Company F

1862

February 24

Companies A, B, C, D, E and G organized at Springfield, Ill., and mustered in

February - June

Duty at Camp Butler, Ill., guarding prisoners

June 25

Ordered to Martinsburg, W. Va.; Attached to District of Martinsburg, W. Va.; Duty at Martinsburg, W. Va., and on the Upper Potomac

September 3

Near Martinsburg; Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 12th Army Corps, Army Potomac

September 3-4

Bunker Hill

September 6

Martinsburg

September 7

Darkesville

September 11

Williamsport, Md.

September 11-12

Martinsburg

September 13-14

Defense of Harper's Ferry, W. Va.

Night of
September 14

Regiment cut its way out through enemy's lines from the Harper's Ferry siege

September 16-18

Antietam, Md.

September 20

Hagerstown, Md.; Duty on Upper Potomac

September 21

Williamsport

October

Attached to Defenses Upper Potomac, 8th Army Corps, Middle Dept.

October 10

McCoy's or Russell's Ferry and near Green Springs Furnace

November 9

Reconnaissance from Bolivar Heights to Rippon, W. Va.

December 26-27

Dumfries, Va.

Dec. 28

At Falmouth, Va.

1863

February

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac

April 27 - May 8

Chancellorsville Campaign

April 29-May 8

Stoneman's Raid

May 4

Tunstall Station

May 5

Aylett's

May 19-23

Raid from Yorktown into Matthews County

June, 1863

Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Potomac

June 9

March to Falmouth, Va., Brandy Station and Beverly Ford

June 21

Upperville

June 23-28

Expedition from Yorktown to South Anna Bridge (Detachment)

June 26

South Anna Bridge (Detachment)

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg
The regiment had parts of five companies at Gettysburg and was combined with the 3rd Indiana Cavalry under the command of Colonel George H. Chapman. The combined regiments totaled 588 men and lost 4 killed, 10 wounded and 6 missing.

From the monument: "First line of battle July 1, 1863. Held until relieved by 1st Corps. One Squadron picketing ridge east of Marsh creek met enemy's left advance."

"Killed: Ferdinand Ushuer, Thos. G. Blanset, John Ellis, Gabriel B. Durham, Homer C. Stedman, "

"Regiment retired to ridge on left rear. With brigade fought dismounted, repulsing attacks of the enemy. Covered the withdrawal of line to Cemetery Hill, and in the evening took position on left flank of the army."

"july 2, 1863, Buford's Division retired toward Westminster"

July 6

Williamsport, Md.

July 8

Boonsboro

July 9

Benevola or Beaver Creek

July 10-13

At and near Funkstown

July 14

Falling Waters

July 26

Chester Gap

July 31 - August 1

Kelly's Ford

August 1-4

Brandy Station

August 6

Near Fairfax Court House (Detachment)

September 7-8

Brandy Station and Culpeper Court House

September 12

Near Bristoe Station

September 13-17

Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan

September 13

Culpeper Court House

September 14-16

Raccoon Ford

September 17

Stevensburg

September 21-23

Reconnaissance across the Rappahannock

September 22

Jack's Shop, Madison Court House

October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

October 10

Raccoon and Morton's Fords

October 11-12

Brandy Station

October 15

Oak Hill

October 27

Rappahannock Station

November 20-28

Moved to Chicago, Ill.

1864

December 30
January 12

Companies K, L and M organized at Springfield, Ill.

February

Attached to District of St. Louis, Mo., Dept. of Missouri

February 9

Moved to St. Louis, Mo.

March

Attached to 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf

March 15 - April 1

Moved to New Orleans, La.

April 20

Moved to Red River

April 23

Arrived at Alexandria

April 28-May 5-8

Actions at Alexandria

May 5-8

Bayou Teche, La.

May 14

Wilson's Landing

May 15

Avoyelle's or Marksville Prairie

May 16

Mansura

May 17

Yellow Bayou

May 20

Morganza

June 1

Arrived at New Orleans, La.; District of LaFourche, Dept. of the Gulf

June 11

Moved to Napoleonville, engaged in picketing and scouting

July 29

Near Napoleonville (Co. L)

August, 1864

Attached to 4th Brigade, Cavalry Division, Dept. of the Gulf,
then 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, Dept. of the Gulf

August 15-21

Expedition from Paincoursville to Natchez, Miss. with skirmish (Cos. I, L)

September 7-11

Expedition to Grand Lake, Grand River and Lake Natchez

September 26-30

Expedition from Napoleonville to Grand River and Bayou Pigeon

November 1

Moved to Baton Rouge, La., and duty there

November 18

Liberty

November 27 - December 13

Davidson's Expedition against Mobile and Ohio R. R.

December 23-24

Expedition from Baton Rouge to Clinton

1865

January 7-26

Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., thence to Memphis, Tenn., and to Gaines' Landing, Ark.

January 27 -
February 14

Osban's Expedition through Southern Arkansas and Northern Louisiana;
Attached to 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of West Tennessee; Duty near Memphis, Tenn.

March 3-11

Expedition from Memphis, Tenn., into Northern Mississippi

June 15-22

Moved to Alexandria, La.

July, 1865

Dept. of Texas

August 8-26

Marched to Hempstead, Texas

August 1865

Duty in Eastern Texas

1866

May 29

Mustered out

Pvt Charles R Murphy