The 5th Michigan Infantry Regiment was an

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 ...

from

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

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 ...

. The regiment was mustered into federal service in August 1861 and served in the Eastern Theater. It fought in all the major battles of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

, including Seven Pines, the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, comman ...

Second Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederat ...

Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France *Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department **US Chantilly, a football club *Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly United States * Chantilly, Missou ...

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 ...

, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania,

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

, Petersburg, and Appomattox. The regiment was mustered out in June 1865.

Service

The 5th Michigan Infantry was organized at

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

and mustered into Federal service for a three-year enlistment on August 28, 1861. In October 1862 the

was reorganized. The 5th Michigan, along with the

17th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 17th Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was particularly noted for its service during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. Organization The 17th Maine was organized at C ...

, was placed in the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps. "Our regiment is assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division,

III Corps (Union Army) There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps (or Third Army Corps) during the American Civil War. Three were short-lived: *In the Army of Virginia, a temporary designation of the command better known as I Corps (Union ...

. This Brigade is commanded by General Berry of Maine (

Hiram Gregory Berry Hiram Gregory Berry (August 27, 1824 – May 3, 1863) was an American politician and general in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Birth and early years Hiram Gregory Berry was born on August 27, 1824 on his parents' farm in ...

), who is at this time sick at home. The division is commanded by General Birney of Pennsylvania (

David B. Birney David Bell Birney (May 29, 1825 – October 18, 1864) was a businessman, lawyer, and a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life Birney was born in Huntsville, Alabama, the son of an abolitionist from Kentucky, James G. Birney. The Bi ...

), the corps by Major General George Stoneman (

George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the fifteenth Governor of California from 1883 to 1887. He was trained at West Point, where his roommate was Stonewall ...

). Colonel Poe of Michigan is in temporary command of our brigade." The regiment was mustered out on July 5, 1865, at Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Total Strength and Casualties

The regiment mustered a total of 1586 men during its existence. It suffered 454 fatalities: 16 officers and 247 enlisted men were killed in action or mortally wounded, and 3 officers and 188 enlisted men died of disease. "When compared to other Michigan regiments that fought in the Civil War, the Fifth Michigan stands out. It had the second highest number of casualties of all Michigan infantry regiments in the war. Of all Union infantry regiments in the war, the Fifth Michigan ranked fifth in total number of casualties endured. A logical explanation for so many combat deaths and wounds is the fact that the Fighting Fifth played a key role in numerous charges against Confederate positions: twice at Williamsburg (

Battle of Williamsburg The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pi ...

), and at Fair Oaks (

Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, nearby Sandston, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was th ...

) the Wilderness ( Battle of the Wilderness), Spotsylvania, North Anna, and Petersburg."

Commanders

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Henry D. Terry; 1861- Jun 1862 * Major John D. Fairbanks; 25 Jun 1862- 30 Jun 1862 * Captain Judson S. Farrar; Jul 1862 *Captain William Wakenshaw; Aug 1862 * Lieutenant Colonel Gilluly; - 13 Dec 1862 (KIA) *Lieutenant Colonel Sherlock; 13 Dec 1862 - 3 May 1863 (KIA) *Lieutenant Colonel John Pulford; 3 May 1863 – 5 May 1864 *Major Salmon S. Mathews; 5 May 1864 *Captain William Wakenshaw; 6 May 1864 *Captain Edgar H. Shook; 6 May 1864, *

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

(unnamed); May 1864 *Colonel John Pulford; Jun 1864 *Major Daniel S. Root; Aug 1864 *Lieutenant Colonel Salmon S. Mathews; Oct 1864 *Lieutenant Colonel Daniel S. Root; 31 Jan 1865 *Colonel John Pulford; 28 Feb 1865 – 17 Jul 1865

Timeline

*August 28, 1861 Organized at Detroit, Mich., and mustered in. *September 11 Left State for Washington, D.C. *September 13 Attached to Richardson's Brigade, Heintzelman's Division, Army of the Potomac and duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C. *October 21–24 Reconnaissance to Occoquan. *January 9, 1862 Pohick Run, Va. *March, 1862 Attached to Berry's 3rd Brigade, Kearny's 3rd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. (See

. *March 10–15 Advance to Manassas, Va. *March 17 Moved to the Virginia Peninsula . *March to August. Peninsula Campaign. *April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown, Va. (see

Siege of Yorktown (1862) The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered ...

. *May 31-June 1 Battle of Fair Oaks, or

. *June 25-July 1

. *June 25

Battle of Oak Grove The Battle of Oak Grove, also known as the Battle of French's Field or King's School House, took place on June 25, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, the first of the Seven Days Battles ( Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. ...

. *June 29

Battle of Savage's Station The Battle of Savage's Station took place on June 29, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as the fourth of the Seven Days Battles ( Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. The main body of the Union Army of the Potomac began a general with ...

and at Peach Orchard. *June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale. *July 1

Battle of Malvern Hill The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, was fought on July 1, 1862, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. ...

. *July 2 - August 16 Duty at Harrison's Landing. *August 16–26 Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville; 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps. *August 29 Battle of Groveton during the Second Battle of Bull Run. *August 30 Bull Run. *September 1

Battle of Chantilly The Battle of Chantilly (or Ox Hill, the Confederate name) took place on September 1, 1862, in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the concluding battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's corp ...

. *September 2 - October 11 Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D, C. *October 11-November 23 March up the Potomac to Leesburg, and then to Falmouth. *December 12–15 Battle of Fredericksburg. *January 20–24, 1863 "Mud March" (See

Mud March (American Civil War) The Mud March was an abortive offensive in January 1863 by Union Army Major General Ambrose Burnside in the American Civil War. Burnside had been repulsed by Robert E. Lee's troops in the Army of the Potomac's first attempt to cross the Rap ...

. *January 25 - April 27 At Falmouth. *April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign. *May 1–5

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

. *June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign. *July 1–3

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

. The Regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Lieutenant Colonel John Pulford, who was wounded on July 2 - the third of five times during the war. From the Gettysburg monument: "Effective strength July 2nd 1863; present and detached service 21 officers and 262 men, total 283. Casualties: Killed 2 officers, 17 men; Wounded 8 officers 78 men; Missing 4 men; Total 109." "The regiment fought here about 4:30 o'clock p.m., July 2, 1863, after it had been assembled from the skirmish line far in advance of this position. It moved to the support of the 2nd Corps in resisting Pickett's Charge, July 3." *July 5–24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.

Battle of Manassas Gap The Battle of Manassas Gap, also known as the Battle of Wapping Heights, took place on July 23, 1863, in Warren County, Virginia, at the conclusion of General Robert E. Lee's retreat back to Virginia in the final days of the Gettysburg Campaig ...

. *July 23 Action at Wapping Heights, Va. *August 16-September 17 On detached duty at New York City and at Troy, N.Y.

New York City draft riots The New York City draft riots (July 13–16, 1863), sometimes referred to as the Manhattan draft riots and known at the time as Draft Week, were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of white working-cla ...

. *October 9–22 Bristoe Campaign. *October 13 Auburn. *November 7–8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock during the

Second Battle of Rappahannock Station The Second Battle of Rappahannock Station took place on November 7, 1863, near the village of Rappahannock Station (now Remington, Virginia), on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. It was between Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Jubal Ear ...

. *November 7 Kelly's Ford *November 26-December 2

Battle of Mine Run The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

*November 27 Payne's Farm *January 4 to *February 14, 1864 Veterans on furlough *February 6–7 Demonstration on the Rapidan during the

Battle of Morton's Ford The Battle of Morton's Ford was a battle of the American Civil War, fought February 6–7, 1864. To distract attention from a planned cavalry-infantry raid up the Virginia Peninsula on Richmond, the Union Army of the Potomac forced several ...

. *March Attached to 2nd Brigade. 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps. (See

II Corps (Union Army) There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps (Second Army Corps) during the American Civil War. These formations were the Army of the Cumberland II Corps commanded by Thomas L. Crittenden from October 24, 1862, to November 5, ...

. *May 4-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River. *May 5–7 Battle of the Wilderness. *May 8 Laurel Hill *May 8–12

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 186 ...

*May 10 Po River. *May 12–21 Spotsylvania Court House. *May 12 Assault on the Salient ("Bloody Angle"). *May 19 Harris Farm, Fredericksburg Road *May 23–26

Battle of North Anna The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It consisted of a series of small actions near the Nor ...

*May 26–28 On line of the Pamunkey *May 8–31 Totopotomoy *June 1–12

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

. *June 16–18 Before Petersburg. *June 16

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. *June 22–23 Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad. *July 27–29 Demonstration on north side of the James. *July 27–28

First Battle of Deep Bottom The First Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as Darbytown, Strawberry Plains, New Market Road, or Gravel Hill, was fought July 27–29, 1864, at Deep Bottom in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Siege of Petersburg of the American Civil ...

. *August 13–20 Demonstration on north side of the James at Deep Bottom. *August 14–18 Strawberry Plains. *September 29-October 2 Poplar Springs Church *October 27–28 Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run *December 7–12 Warren's Raid on Weldon Railroad *February 5–7, 1865 Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run *March 25 Watkins' House *March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign. *March 30–31 White Oak Road *March 31 Crow's House *April 2 Fall of Petersburg *April 3–9 Pursuit of Lee *April 6 Sailor's Creek *April 7 High Bridge *April 9 Battle of Appomattox Court House, surrender of Lee and his army. *May 2–12 March to Washington, D.C. *May 23

Grand Review of the Armies The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in the national capital city of Washington, D.C., on May 23–24, 1865, following the Union victory in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Elements of the Union Army in th ...

*June 10–14 Moved to Louisville, Ky. *June 15 - July 5 At Jeffersonville, Ind. *July 5, 1865 Mustered out *17 July 1865 Disbanded at Detroit, Mi.Official Communications Between The War Department and Lieut. Colonel John Pulford U.S. Army, John Pulford, United States Adjutant General’s Office

Notes

References

The Civil War Archive
* Haley, Private John W., ''The Rebel Yell & the Yankee Hurrah: The Civil War Journal of a Maine Volunteer'', Down East Books (Camden, Maine), 1985. This is a journal about the

. The 5th Michigan was in the same brigade and references are made regarding the whereabouts of the 5th. * Crotty, Color Sergeant Daniel G., ''Four Years Campaigning in the Army of the Potomac'', Dygert Bros. & Co. Printers and Binder (Grand Rapids, MI), 1874. Reprinted with new material in 1995 by Belle Grove Publishing Co. (Kearney, NJ). This is a journal of the 3rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The 5th Michigan was in the same brigade and references are made regarding the whereabouts of the 5th. * De Trobriand, Regis, Brevet Major-General, U.S. Volunteers, ''Four Years with the Army of the Potomac'', Ticknor and Company (Boston, MA), 1889. Translated from French by George K. Dauchy.

Régis de Trobriand Philippe Régis Denis de Keredern de Trobriand (June 4, 1816 – July 15, 1897) was a French aristocrat, lawyer, poet, and novelist who, on a dare, emigrated in his 20s to the United States, settling first in New York City. During the American ...

was the commanding officer of the Army of the Potomac, III Corps (Union Army), 1st Division, 3rd Brigade, of which the 5th Michigan was a part of during much of the

. * Sneden, Private Robert Knox, ''Eye of the Storm: A Civil War Odyssey'', The Free Press (New York), 2000. Private Sneden was a member of the

40th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 40th New York Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Mozart Regiment" or the "Constitution Guard", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The 40th New York also had the 2nd highest numbers of casua ...

. The 40th New York and 5th Michigan were members of the same brigade (Army of the Potomac, III Corps (Union Army), 1st Division, 3rd Brigade) and several mentions of the Michigan boys are included in the book. * Sebrell, Thomas E. II, ''The 'Fighting Fifth': The Fifth Michigan Infantry Regiment in the Civil War's Peninsula Campaign'', ''The Michigan Historical Review'', Volume 35 No. 2, Fall 2009, pages 27 – 51." Units and formations of the Union Army from Michigan 1865 disestablishments in Michigan 1861 establishments in Michigan Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865

Service

Total Strength and Casualties

Commanders

Timeline

See also

Notes

References