Hundred Days Men facts for kids

The Hundred Days Men was a special name for groups of soldiers who joined the Union Army during the American Civil War in 1864. These soldiers signed up for only 100 days. Their job was to help out with everyday tasks, like guarding places or doing labor. This allowed the more experienced soldiers to go to the main battlefields and fight. It was a way to get more fighters to the front lines quickly.

Why They Were Needed

In the spring of 1864, the American Civil War was in its fourth year. It was becoming very hard to find new soldiers for both the North and the South. In the North, the government offered large rewards, called bounties, to encourage men to join the army. There was also an unpopular system called the draft, which forced men to join if not enough volunteers came forward.

The Governor of Ohio, John Brough, was worried about the Confederate army invading the Northern states. A Confederate general named John Hunt Morgan had already led a cavalry (horseback soldiers) raid into Ohio in 1863. Governor Brough wanted to make sure this didn't happen again.

A New Idea for Soldiers

Governor Brough came up with a smart idea. He suggested that state militia (citizen soldiers) could join the national army for just 100 days. These short-term soldiers would do jobs like guarding important places, helping with building tasks, or working behind the battle lines. This would free up the more experienced soldiers to go fight on the front lines. The goal was to increase the number of men fighting in the South and help the Union win the war faster.

Governor Brough shared his idea with the governors of other states: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and New Jersey. Together, they hoped to raise 100,000 men. They presented their plan to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, who then showed it to President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln liked the idea and approved it right away.

Joining the Fight

The War Department quickly accepted all the soldiers from Ohio. These men were ready for duty in just 16 days after signing up! Other states also joined in, bringing about 25,000 more men. Ohio was the most successful, getting almost 36,000 militiamen to join the national army. Even though the plan spread to other Northern states, only about 81,000 men in total signed up for the 100-day service.

These soldiers became known as the Hundred Days Men. They played an important role by taking on essential support duties, which allowed the Union's veteran troops to focus on winning battles.

Hundred-Day Regiments by State

Here are some of the regiments (groups of soldiers) that were formed for 100 days of service, listed by state:

Illinois

Illinois raised 13 regiments and 2 battalions (smaller groups of soldiers) for 100-day enlistments. Five of these regiments even chose to serve longer than 100 days.

• 132nd Illinois Infantry
• 133rd Illinois Infantry
• 134th Illinois Infantry
• 135th Illinois Infantry
• 136th Illinois Infantry
• 137th Illinois Infantry
• 138th Illinois Infantry
• 139th Illinois Infantry
• 140th Illinois Infantry
• 141st Illinois Infantry
• 142nd Illinois Infantry
• 143rd Illinois Infantry
• 145th Illinois Infantry
• Alton Battalion

Indiana

• 132nd Indiana Infantry
• 133rd Indiana Infantry
• 134th Indiana Infantry
• 135th Indiana Infantry
• 136th Indiana Infantry
• 137th Indiana Infantry
• 138th Indiana Infantry

Iowa

• 44th Iowa Infantry
• 45th Iowa Infantry
• 46th Iowa Infantry
• 47th Iowa Infantry
• 48th Iowa Infantry Battalion

Ohio

• 130th Ohio Infantry
• 131st Ohio Infantry
• 132nd Ohio Infantry
• 133rd Ohio Infantry
• 134th Ohio Infantry
• 135th Ohio Infantry
• 136th Ohio Infantry
• 137th Ohio Infantry
• 138th Ohio Infantry
• 139th Ohio Infantry
• 140th Ohio Infantry
• 141st Ohio Infantry
• 142nd Ohio Infantry
• 143rd Ohio Infantry
• 144th Ohio Infantry
• 145th Ohio Infantry
• 146th Ohio Infantry
• 147th Ohio Infantry
• 148th Ohio Infantry
• 149th Ohio Infantry
• 150th Ohio Infantry
• 151st Ohio Infantry
• 152nd Ohio Infantry
• 153rd Ohio Infantry
• 154th Ohio Infantry
• 155th Ohio Infantry
• 156th Ohio Infantry
• 157th Ohio Infantry
• 159th Ohio Infantry
• 160th Ohio Infantry
• 161st Ohio Infantry
• 162nd Ohio Infantry
• 163rd Ohio Infantry
• 164th Ohio Infantry
• 165th Ohio Infantry
• 166th Ohio Infantry
• 167th Ohio Infantry
• 168th Ohio Infantry
• 169th Ohio Infantry
• 170th Ohio Infantry
• 171st Ohio Infantry
• 172nd Ohio Infantry

New Jersey

• 37th New Jersey Infantry

Wisconsin

• 39th Wisconsin Infantry
• 40th Wisconsin Infantry
• 41st Wisconsin Infantry