The 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Service

The 29th Wisconsin was organized at

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

, and mustered into Federal service September 27, 1862. The regiment was mustered out on June 22, 1865, at Shreveport, Louisiana.

Casualties

The 29th Wisconsin suffered 1 officer and 76 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 3 officers and 242 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 322 fatalitie

Commanders

* Colonel (United States), Colonel Charles R. Gill (September 27, 1862July 9, 1863) resigned. * Colonel William A. Greene (July 9, 1863January 26, 1865) resigned. * Lt. Colonel Bradford Hancock (January 26, 1865June 22, 1865) mustered out with the regiment.

Notable people

Ignatz Koser Ignatz is a masculine given name. Notable people with the given name * Ignatz Bubis (1927–1999), German Jewish leader and chairman of the Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland from 1992 to 1999 * Ignatz Leo Nascher (1863–1944), Austrian-born, ...

was born in

Baden, Germany The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...

on May 15, 1825 and served in the military service in Germany for six years during the

German revolutions of 1848-1849 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

. His knowledge of war matters provided valuable when he served in the

. He came to the United States and moved to Fort Atkinson, WI after residing in the city of New York for two years. On August 15, 1862, he enlisted as a volunteer in Company D, 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He was made a

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

after his enlistment, and soon after promoted to Sergeant. In April 1863, he marched to make connection with General Ulysses S. Grant and his army and were the first to fight in the

Battle of Port Gibson The Battle of Port Gibson was fought near Port Gibson, Mississippi, on May 1, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces during the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union Army was led by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, and was v ...

on May 1, 1863. Approximately two weeks later on May 16, 1863, he fought at the Battle of Champion Hill near Edwards, MI and then went on to fight at the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mis ...

. It was only an hour after the surrender at Vickburg when the 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was ordered to march out to Jackson, MI which was 40 miles east. As an acting Sergeant in command of a picket (military) line near a fort that was occupied by Confederate troops close to Jackson, Mr. Koser was shot by a bullet which entered his left cheek and exited out of his ear, destroying his hearing. That same bullet struck a man standing in back of Mr. Koser in the throat, but his neck wounds were not life threatening as the bullet was slowed down with the initial impact to Mr. Koser. Despite being shot in the head and surviving, Mr. Koser continued to fight with his squad and stationed them in an orchard. After two volleys of fighting with the Confederates, firing ceased in the nighttime and his line was drawn in. The Confederates retreated and the 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment returned to Vicksburg. In August 1863, the 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was transferred to the

Department of the Gulf The Department of the Gulf was a command of the United States Army in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. History United States Army (Civil War) Creation The department was co ...

, participating in the Bayou Teche Campaign and then marched to Texas. He fought with the 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment at the

Battle of Mansfield A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

(also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads). Following this skirmish, they marched to Alexandria, LA and assisted in the building of the celebrated Bailey's Dam and assisted in closing operations after the

Battle of Spanish Fort The Battle of Spanish Fort took place from March 27 to April 8, 1865, in Baldwin County, Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. After the Union victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, Mobile ...

near Mobile, AL. Mr. Koser and the 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment then went to Mobile, AL and returned to Shreveport, LA where he mustered out his period of enlistment on June 22, 1865. * David Whitney Curtis was first lieutenant in Co. D and then captain of Co. A. Later in the war, he was detailed to the staff of General James R. Slack. After the war he became a Wisconsin state legislator. * Charles A. Holmes was captain of Co. F throughout the regiment's four years of service and was wounded at Champion Hill. After the war he served in the Nebraska state legislature and the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

board of regents. His wife, Jennie Florella Holmes, became prominent in the women's suffrage movement. * John James Knowlton was a corporal in Co. I. After the war he became a Wisconsin state legislator. * Francis Persons, half brother of James H. Persons, was enlisted in Co. I and was killed at Champion Hill. * James H. Persons was a sergeant in Co. I, and was taken prisoner at Champion Hill. After the war he became a Wisconsin state legislator. * Gerrit T. Thorn was lieutenant colonel of the regiment, but resigned after only a few months of service. After the war he became a Wisconsin state senator. * George Weeks was enlisted in Co. A and later commissioned first lieutenant, he resigned in June 1863, but re-enlisted with the 36th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and was commissioned captain of Co. B in that regiment. After the war he became a Wisconsin state legislator, and was later sheriff of Dane County, Wisconsin and warden of the Waupun Correctional Institution.

1889 Reunion

In 1889, the remaining members of the 29th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment met for a reunion.

References

Sources

29th Wisconsin Infantry History
at the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of N ...

The Civil War Archive
Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union Army from Wisconsin 1862 establishments in Wisconsin {{AmericanCivilWar-unit-stub