They were organized at Salem, Illinois, and mustered into service on 18 September 1862, at Camp Marshall with 930 officers and men.

Their first assignment was guard duty at Columbus, Kentucky, to help ensure that new regiments and thousands of tons of supplies were safe from Confederate raiders.

This was the first major battle the 111th took part in after a year and a half in the army, and although they were rookies to combat they stood and performed like the veterans that they were, suffering seven men killed and twenty-eight wounded.

Advancing further southward, they were lightly engaged in the Battle of New Hope Church and then took a position in front of Kennesaw Mountain in mid-June.

On 22 July it seemed as though the Confederates had abandoned their trenches in front of the city, so the 111th was part of the force sent out to determine the enemy's location.

As the army advanced into South Carolina they met with no serious resistance but continually skirmished with militia and scattered Confederate forces.

With the rest of Sherman's army, they marched northward through the former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, and encamped outside Washington, D.C., on 19 May.

Killed: 7 Officers and 75 Enlisted men Died of disease: 2 Officers and 166 Enlisted men Total deaths: 250 Colonel James Stewart Martin Lt Colonel Joseph F. Black Major William H. Mabry District of Columbus, XVI Corps, Army of the Tennessee, November 1862 to November 1863 Second Brigade, Second Division, XVI Corps, Army of the Tennessee: November 1863 to March 1864 First Brigade, Second Division, XV Corps, Army of the Tennessee: March to August 1864 Second Brigade, Second Division, XV Corps, Army of the Tennessee: September 1864 to June 1865 http://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/reg_html/111_reg.html