Illinois Colonel

Governor's Regiment of Colonels

In 2005 Illinois allowed for the Governor of the State to make appointments to the Governor's Regiment of Colonels, but no such appointments had been made as of September 2014.

History

In 1865 the General Assembly authorized the Governor to appoint six military state agents to promote the interests of Illinois volunteers serving in the army. This law gave the Governor power to assign duties to the agents and remove them at will. All such men were to be commissioned and report monthly to the Adjutant General of Illinois (L. 1865, p. 126).

In all nine men served as agents at one time or another. Each one held the rank of honorary colonel, the first appointees being commissioned on March 1, 1865.

References

Military State Agents - Illinois State Archives