The 34th Illinois Infantry was organized at
Camp Butler,
Illinois and mustered into Federal service on September 7, 1861, and moved October 2 to Columbus, Ohio, thence to Lexington, Kentucky, and then to Camp Nevin, Kentucky, where it remained until February 14, 1862. It was then in Kirk's brigade of Rousseau's division, marched to Bowling Green, and thence via Nashville, Franklin and Columbia, to Savannah on the Tennessee River. It fought at the
Battle of Shiloh, being then in McCook's brigade of Buell's army, losing fifteen killed, and one hundred and twelve wounded. It was later assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, McCook's corps, afterward to the 14th Corps, Army of the Cumberland, participating in the following engagements: Siege of Corinth, Mississippi; Lavergne, Knob Gap or Nolensville, Stone River or Murfreesboro, Triune and Liberty Gap, Tennessee; Chickamauga, Graysville, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Rome, Dallas or New Hope Church, Lost Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, and March to the Sea, Georgia; Campaign of the Carolinas, including Averasboro, Bentonville, North Carolina; and a number of minor engagements and skirmishes. After the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston to General William T. Sherman at Bennett House, the regiment marched with Sherman's Army to Washington, D.C. and took part in the Grand Review May 24, 1865. The regiment was mustered out on July 12, 1865, and discharged July 17, 1865, at
Chicago, Illinois. ==Total strength and casualties==