Chicago to Appomattox – The 39th Illinois Infantry in the Civil War

Chicago to Appomattox
184 Pages
ISBN 9781476686202

When Chicago lawyer Thomas Osborn set out to form a Union regiment in the days following the attack on Fort Sumter, he could not have known it was the beginning of a 6000-mile journey that would end at Appomattox Courthouse four years later. With assistance from Governor Richard Yates, the 39th Illinois Infantry—"The Yates Phalanx"—enlisted young men from Chicago, its modern-day suburbs, and small towns of northern and central Illinois.

While most Illinois regiments fought in the west, the 39th marched through the Shenandoah Valley to fight Stonewall Jackson, to Charleston Harbor for the Second Battle of Fort Sumter and to Richmond for the year-long siege at Petersburg.

This book chronicles day-to-day life in the regiment, the myriad factors that determined its path, and the battles fought by the Chicagoans—including two Medal of Honor recipients—who fired some of the last shots before the Confederate surrender.

Jason B. Baker

About Jason B. Baker (Chicago, Illinois Author)

Jason B. Baker

Jason Baker is a U.S. Air Force officer, and author of “Chicago to Appomattox-The 39th Illinois Infantry in the Civil War.”

Jason has an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Illinois, and a Masters focusing on national security studies from American University. He is also a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a National Security Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

When not reading about the future of strategy or the Civil War, Jason enjoys visiting historic sites, following Illinois and Chicago sports, and playing golf poorly. He and his wife and young son current live in Virginia.