Date & Context
The Fifty-Second Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment served as a three-year regiment, with its active operations spanning approximately 1862 through 1865. The regiment campaigned in Georgia and in the Carolinas, theaters of war associated with the later stages of the conflict. On May 24, 1865, following the cessation of hostilities, the regiment participated in the Grand Review at Washington, D.C. It was formally mustered out on July 6, 1865, at Camp Douglas in Chicago. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))
Dundee, situated in Kane County, Illinois, contributed men to the regiment in various capacities, from commissioned officers to non-commissioned staff roles.
Participants
Jerome D. Davis — Colonel
Jerome D. Davis of Dundee served as colonel of the Fifty-Second Infantry Regiment and commanded the unit through the close of the war. He received his commission as lieutenant colonel on December 18, 1864, having been promoted from within the regiment, and subsequently took command as colonel. He was mustered out with the regiment on July 6, 1865. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))Charles C. Brown — Sergeant Major
Charles C. Brown of Dundee held the rank of sergeant major in the Fifty-Second Infantry Regiment. Specific service dates are not recorded in the available source. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))George M. Peck — Commissary Sergeant
George M. Peck of Dundee served as commissary sergeant in the regiment. According to the regimental record, he was mustered out on October 24, 1864, prior to the regiment's final disbandment. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))Significance
The participation of Dundee residents in the Fifty-Second Illinois Infantry reflects the broader pattern of Kane County communities contributing substantially to Illinois's Civil War mobilization. Jerome D. Davis's advancement to regimental command is among the more notable military careers documented among Dundee's Civil War–era residents, and his presence at the regiment's mustering out places him among those who served the full duration of the unit's active existence. The regiment's role in the Georgia and Carolinas campaigns and its appearance at the Grand Review further connect these local men to some of the war's most consequential final operations. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))
Sources
- History of Kane County, Ill. (Joslyn), Vol. 1 (1908). Available at: https://archive.org/details/historyofkanecou01josl#offset-544591