1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment

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1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
Flag of Wisconsin.svg
ActiveApril 16, 1861 August 22, 1861 [1]
October 19, 1861 October 13, 1864
Country United States
Allegiance Union
Branch Infantry
Size Regiment
Engagements American Civil War
Commanders
Colonel John C. Starkweather
Lt. ColonelGeorge B. Bingham

The 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was originally raised as for a three-month term under President Lincoln's April 1861 call for 75,000 volunteers, and served briefly in the eastern theater during that enlistment. After the three-month term expired, however, the regiment was re-established for a three-year term and spent most of the remainder of its service in the western theater of the war, serving in many of the major battles in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia.

Contents

Service

Sketch of Col. John C. Starkweather leading the 1st Wisconsin Infantry at the Battle of Hoke's Run, July 1861. The Battle of Hoke's Run.jpg
Sketch of Col. John C. Starkweather leading the 1st Wisconsin Infantry at the Battle of Hoke's Run, July 1861.

The original 1st Regiment Wisconsin was raised at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 16, 1861, and mustered into Federal service May 17, 1861. The regiment was moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on June 9. It was assigned to Abercrombie's 6th Brigade of Negley's 2nd Division, Patterson's Army. It spent its service guarding the upper Potomac River crossings. Its only engagement was at the Hoke's Run on July 2. The regiment was mustered out on August 22, 1861.

The regiment was reorganized with new 3-year enlistees by Colonel Starkweather at Milwaukee and was mustered into federal service on October 19, 1861. The regiment was mustered out on October 13, 1864.

Total enlistments and casualties

The 1st Wisconsin Infantry initially mustered 810 men and added no recruits. In its initial 3 months of service, it lost 2 men killed in action or mortally wounded, and one killed accidentally for a total of three fatalities, a death rate of 0.37 percent. [2] One of the fatalities was Second Sergeant of Company B, Warren M Graham, 18 years old, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [3] [4]

When reorganized for 3 years of service, the regiment mustered 945 men and later recruited an additional 563 men, for a total of 1508 men. [5] The regiment suffered 6 officers and 151 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 1 officer and 142 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 300 fatalities. [6]

1st Wisconsin Infantry, 3-Month Company Organization [7] [8]
CompanyOriginal MonikerPrimary Place of RecruitmentCaptain(s)
AMilwaukee Light Guards Milwaukee and Milwaukee County
  • George B. Bingham (mustered out)
BMilwaukee Union Rifles Milwaukee and Milwaukee County
  • Henry A. Mitchell (mustered out)
CHoricon Guards Horicon and Dodge County
  • Orestes B. Twogood (mustered out)
DBlack Yagers (Jäger) Milwaukee and Milwaukee County
  • Pius Dreher (mustered out)
EMadison Guards Madison and Dane County
FBeloit City Guards Beloit and Rock County
  • William M. Clark (mustered out)
GPark City Greys Kenosha and Kenosha County
  • Donald C. McVean (mustered out)
HMilwaukee Riflemen Milwaukee and Milwaukee County
  • Willhelm Georg (mustered out)
IFond du Lac Badgers Fond du Lac and Fond du Lac County
  • James V. McCall (mustered out)
KGovernor's Guards Madison and Dane County
1st Wisconsin Infantry, 3-Year Company Organization [9] [10]
CompanyCaptain(s)
A
  • John C. Goodrich (mustered out)
B
  • Henry A. Mitchell (promoted)
  • John M. Cosgrove (mustered out)
C
  • Robert Hill (resigned)
  • Hiram A. Sheldon (mustered out)
D
  • Henry A. Starr (transferred)
  • William S. Mitchell (KIA)
  • Charles H. Messenger (mustered out)
E
  • Donald C. McVean (wounded POW)
  • Benjamin F. Teets (mustered out)
F
  • Maurice M. Samuels (mustered out)
G
  • Edward Bloodgood (resigned)
  • William H. Wilson (mustered out)
H
  • Eugene Carey (resigned)
  • John McMullen (mustered out)
I
  • Oran Rogers (resigned)
  • Abner O. Heald (KIA)
  • George W. Buffum (actingmustered out)
K
  • Thomas H. Green (promoted)
  • Christian Klock (mustered out)

Commanders

Notable people

See also

References

  1. Watrous (2003), p. 34.
  2. 1st Wisconsin Archived March 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Page 15 of Memoirs of Mary Louise Foster Graham 1819 - 1908
  4. "Civil War changed Wisconsin" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  5. 1st Wisconsin Archived March 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Civil War Archive
  7. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 294–344.
  8. Estabrook, Charles E. (1912). Annual Reports of the Adjutant General of the State of Wisconsin for the Years 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864. Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Co. pp. 31–33.
  9. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 294–344.
  10. Estabrook, Charles E. (1912). Annual Reports of the Adjutant General of the State of Wisconsin for the Years 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864. Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Co. pp. 31–33.