[1] The regiment was heavily engaged on February 3, 1863, at Fort Donelson when it repulsed an attack by 8,000 Confederate troops under Joseph Wheeler and Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The regiment moved from camp Aug. 25, via Burlington and St. Louis to Cairo arriving there the 29th and reporting to Brig.-Gen. Tuttle commanding the post.

It had heavy guard duty to perform, and as the whole country, especially along the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers was infested with guerrillas, it had daily skirmishes with the enemy, some of them being quite severe, as at Waverly, Tenn., and Garrettsburg, Ky. On Feb. 3, nine companies of the 83rd with Co. C, 2nd Ill. Light Artillery, successfully resisted the attack of Forrest and Wheeler with 8,000 men on Fort Donelson, the loss of the regiment being 13 killed and 51 wounded.

William M. Turnbull of Co. B, with 11 of his company, left Fort Donelson in pursuit of 5 guerrillas who were making their way to the Tennessee River with a number of horses, but failing to overtake them he was overpowered by a party of guerrillas secreted in the timber, while returning to the fort.

During the year 1864 the regiment had some 200 miles of communications to guard, as well as much heavy patrol duty, and during the winter of 1864-65 it was on provost duty at Nashville, Tenn. On June 26, 1865, the regiment was mustered out at Nashville and sent to Chicago, where it received final pay and discharge on July 4.