Excerpt from Illinois Military Units in the Civil War: Published by the Civil War Centennial Commission of Illinois, Springfield, November, 1962 The role of Illinois in the Civil War was a proud and impres sive one. The most famous representatives of the State of Illinois in the Great Conflict were President Abraham Lincoln, General Ulysses S. Grant, and United States Senator Stephen A. Douglas. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"Illinois rebels will be unwelcome by Civil War enthusiasts who see our greatest national calamity from a totally partisan point of view-- Whether that partisanship be pro-Confederate of pro-Union. Pro-Confederate patricians will be reluctant to recognize the overwhelming historical data that suggests that the Southern Illinois farmers, a majority of whom had been born in the South, detested the planter class of the Southern aristocracy. Pro-Union partisan well be hesitant to accept the mountain of historical evidence that proves the exitance of a small but intensely dedicated group of men from the "Land of Lincoln" who went south to fight against their fellow Illinoisans, Beginning their journey from two hundred miles behind enemy lines. These Southern patriots form Illinois, just like their much more numerous Federal counterparts from the Prairie State, were decent men, firmly committed to the service of God and country. Illinois Rebels is certain to be rejected by those who loudly proclaim the epic drama to be a clear case of the good guys (us) versus (them). But for those who appreciate the horrible ironies of history, this book can serve as one more grim reminder of the terrifying reality that was the real War Between the States. Incredibly, the conflict was a matter of half of the American family--North or South, free or slave, good or bad--pitted against the other half. The Challenge here is to understand history by overcoming stereotypes. And the premise is that fact, as usual, is stranger than fiction"