Service
The 24th Michigan Infantry was organized at Detroit, Michigan and mustered into Federal service on August 15, 1862. It was assigned to the famous Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac. The brigade's commander General John Gibbon had requested a new regiment be added to his command because its four original regiments (the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin and the 19th Indiana) had been severely depleted by combat action and numbered less than 1000 men total by October 1862. He said that ideally it should be a Western regiment since the others were from that part of the country. Gibbon's request granted, the 24th Michigan joined the brigade and saw its first action at Fredericksburg taking on a nuisance battery of Confederate horse artillery south of the town. The regiment would follow up its actions at Fredericksburg with a raid on Port Royal, Virginia and fighting at Fitzhugh Crossing. It would earn the Model 1858 Hardee Hat of the Iron Brigade in May, 1863.
The 24th saw no major action during the Chancellorsville campaign, but at Gettysburg it "Went into action with 496 officers and men. Killed & mortally wounded: 89; Otherwise wounded: 218; Captured: 56; Total casualties: 363. Five color bearers were killed and all the color guard killed or wounded, a net loss of 80%." [1]
Colonel Morrow was wounded while holding the regimental flag. "Just before reaching the fence, Col. Morrow was wounded in the head while bearing the colors. He was stunned by the wound and fell down. He was then helped from the field by Lt. Charles Hutton of Company G, with the last alive and non-wounded officer, then Captain Albert M. Edwards, assuming command of the regiment." [2]
Thereafter, the 24th participated in the rest of the Army of the Potomac's campaigns and battles, participating in the Overland Campaign, being heavily engaged at both the Battle of the Wilderness and the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, with Colonel Morrow being wounded in the Wilderness and Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Wight would take command through the rest of the Overland Campaign until he was forced to resign to his wounds he sustained at Gettysburg, with command of the Regiment once again falling on Albert M. Edwards, who by then was a Major and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, who would be the commander of the regiment until December, 1864 when Colonel Morrow would return and then would become commander once again when Morrow was promoted to Brevet Brigadier General. The 24th after the Overland Campaign would participate in the Petersburg Campaign, participating in various battles during the siege such as the Battle of Weldon Railroad and the Battle of Peeble’s Farm but was not present at Appomattox because it had been reassigned to Camp Butler (Illinois) in Illinois two months earlier after the Battle of Hatcher's Run.
The regiment was selected as an escort at the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln.
The regiment was mustered out on June 30, 1865.
Commanders
- Colonel Henry Andrew Morrow, he would be regimental commander from its inception to his promotion to Brigadier General in January 1865, outside of his recovery from wounds he suffered at Gettysburg and The Wilderness and temporary brigade command. He was wounded three times during the war, he received a head wound while holding the regimental colors at Gettysburg, during the opening fighting at the Wilderness, and while as a general at Hatchers Run. Originally from Virginia, he served as a page at the United States Senate, where he was a favorite of Michigan senator Lewis Cass, who convinced him to move to Detroit and he also would fight in the Mexican-American War, seeing fighting at the Battle of Monterey. Before the war he was a judge for Wayne County and after the war he would return to the army. Breveted Major General.
- Lieutenant Colonel Albert M. Edwards, originally the commander of Company F, he was the highest-ranked officer alive and unharmed at the Battle of Gettysburg from the regiment and was the unofficial regimental commander for the rest of the war except at the times that Colonel Morrow would return from recovering from his wounds and when Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Wight would return briefly in May, 1864. Edwards would be promoted to Major in April, 1864 then Lieutenant Colonel in July, 1864, became permanent commander in January, 1865 and served in the capacity for the rest of the war and served as the head of the honor guard for Abraham Lincoln's funeral. Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was a rarity in the regiment as he fought in every single battle the regiment was in and was never wounded with the regiment, with his only injury during the war happening when he was serving as a sergeant with the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment where he was wounded and captured at the First Battle of Bull Run. Before the war he was a journalism student at the University of Michigan. Breveted Colonel.
- Lieutenant Colonel Mark Flanigan, who was the original Lieutenant Colonel for the regiment and would be active commander when Colonel Morrow was serving as brigade commander. He was wounded at Gettysburg, losing a leg and being discharged for wounds. Before the war he was the Wayne County Sheriff and after his wounding and discharge he was appointed Provost General for the State of Michigan. Breveted Brigadier General and Major General.
- Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Wight, who would command the regiment after Colonel Morrow's wounding at the Battle of the Wilderness until he would resign due to poor health in June, 1864. He was originally commander of Company A and was the regimental Major at Gettysburg, where he would lose an eye. Before the war Wight owned a lumber mill in Detroit and was a businessman.
- Major William Hutchinson, who would command the regiment at times in late 1864 and early 1865 especially after Colonel Morrow was promoted and Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was on leave for a brief period in January, 1865 and when Edwards was in charge of a court martial board in Springfield, Illinois after the regiment was assigned to Camp Butler. He was wounded three times during the war. Breveted Lieutenant Colonel.
- Captain George C. Gordon, he would command the regiment at times when Lieutenant Colonel Edwards and Major Hutchinson were otherwise busy between the end of the war and the muster out of the regiment. He was wounded and captured at Gettysburg before escaping prison later. Breveted Major.
The original field and staff officers and company commanders and their fates during the war where information is available: Colonel-Henry A. Morrow, wounded 3 times, promoted to Brigadier General.
Lieutenant Colonel- Mark Flanigan, wounded, lost a leg at Gettysburg, discharged for wounds.
Major- Henry W. Nall, resigned due to illness.
Adjutant- James J. Burns- resigned
Quartermaster- Digby V. Bell Jr.- resigned.
Surgeon- Dr. John H. Beech- promoted to brigade surgeon.
Assistant Surgeon- Dr. Charles C. Smith
Assistant Surgeon- Dr. Alexander Collar
Chaplain- Reverend William C. Way-Only regimental Chaplain for a Michigan regiment to last from muster in to muster out.
Sergeant Major- Edwin Norton- wounded and captured at Gettysburg, after release was commissioned a lieutenant.
Quartermaster Sergeant- Alonzo Eaton-commissioned Lieutenant.
Commissary Sergeant- Gilbert Dickey- killed at Gettysburg, Dickey was a member of Michigan State University first graduating class and among the first names to be enshrined on MSU Alumni Memorial Chapel walls.
Hospital Steward- Elmer D. Wallace- Commissioned Lieutenant.
Chief Musician- James F. Raymond
Drum Major- Daniel B. Nichils
Fife Major- Charles M. Phillips
Company A- Captain Edwin B. Wight- promoted to Major then Lieutenant Colonel, wounded and lost an eye at Gettysburg, resigned and discharged for his Gettysburg wound.
Company B- Captain Isaac W. Ingersoll-resigned
Company C- Captain Calvin B. Crosby
Company D- Captain William J. Speed- killed at Gettysburg, he was a Detroit city attorney before the war.
Company E- Captain James Cullen- resigned.
Company F- Captain Albert M. Edwards- promoted to Major and then Lieutenant Colonel and breveted Colonel, became regimental commander.
Company G- Captain William A. Owen- wounded at Gettysburg.
Company H- Captain Warren G. Vinton- resigned
Company I- Captain George C. Gordon- wounded and captured at Gettysburg, escaped prison and was breveted Major when the regiment was at Camp Butler.
Company K- William W. Wight- wounded
