The 51st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a
volunteer 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 marine i ...
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 conscripted ...
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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
near the end of 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 th ...
.
Service
The 51st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was organized at
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
, and mustered into Federal service between March 20 and April 29, 1865.
As the war was nearly over when the unit was formed, the regiment did not participate in any battles. In June 1865, by order of the Secretary of War, the 51st Wisconsin Infantry absorbed the
53rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 53rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army near the end of the American Civil War.
Service
The regiment was organized at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered in during April, 1865. Right a ...
(four companies).
The colonel of the regiment was Leonard Martin of Wisconsin, a graduate of the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
(Class of May 1861) and a captain in the
Regular Army,
5th United States Artillery.
The regiment was mustered out from August 16–August 30, 1865.
Casualties
Sixteen enlisted men died of disease, for a total of 16 casualties sustained during the unit's history.
Notable people
*
Henry G. Klinefelter was 2nd lieutenant of Co. F. Earlier in the war, he served as an enlisted member of Co. D,
7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was a component of the famous Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac throughout the war.
Service
The 7th Wisconsin was ...
. After the war served as a Wisconsin state legislator.
*
Denis J. F. Murphy was 1st lieutenant of Co. I after the merger with the 53rd Wisconsin Infantry. He previously served as a
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
in the
14th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 14th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Four of its members received the Medal of Honor for service in the Second Battle of Corinth, October 3 and 4, 1862 ...
, where he had earned a
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for his actions at the
Second Battle of Corinth, and was wounded five times.
See also
*
List of Wisconsin Civil War units
The state of Wisconsin enrolled 91,327 men for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War, 77,375 in the infantry, 8,877 in the cavalry, and 5,075 in the artillery. Some 3,802 of these men were killed in action or mortally wounded, an ...
*
Wisconsin in the American Civil War
With the outbreak of the American Civil War, the northwestern state of Wisconsin raised 91,379 soldiers for the Union Army, organized into 53 infantry regiments, 4 cavalry regiments, a company of Berdan's sharpshooters, 13 light artillery batter ...
References
External Links
The Civil War Archive
Military units and formations established in 1865
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865
Units and formations of the Union Army from Wisconsin
1865 establishments in Wisconsin
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