The 2nd District of Columbia Infantry was a
Union Army infantry regiment that served during the
American Civil War.
History
The regiment was recruited in the District of Columbia and mustered into service on February 26, 1862 and assigned to the defenses of Washington, D.C. The unit's first colonel was Isaac A. Peck, who resigned in June 1862 and was succeeded by Charles M. Alexander, who was promoted to colonel at the same time. During the Maryland Campaign it was assigned to the 1st Division,
V Corps of the
Army of the Potomac; the division was held in reserve during the
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...
. The regiment then returned to the garrison of Washington in October. During the
Battle of Fort Stevens the regiment was held in reserve. Alexander resigned in February 1865 and was replaced by Colonel William Graham. The regiment was mustered out of service on September 12, 1865.
Notable members
Nineteen-year-old Private
John Summerfield Staples of Company H, who mustered in on October 1, 1864, served as the "representative recruit" for
President Abraham Lincoln.
See also
*
List of District of Columbia Civil War regiments
The following is a list of Union Army units from the District of Columbia during the American Civil War. A total of 15,131 men fought in two regiments and four battalions of infantry and one regiment of cavalry. Other independent companies were ...
References
{{reflist
Sources
Civil War in the East
Units and formations of the Union Army from the District of Columbia
1862 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Military units and formations established in 1862
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865