7th Michigan Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Michigan > 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment

The 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment lost 11 officers and 197 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 officers and 186 enlisted men by disease. The regiment is honored by a monument at Gettysburg and at Fredericksburg.

1861
August 22 The 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment was organized at Monroe, Michigan and mustered in under the command of Colonel Ira Rufus Grosvenor
September 5 Left Michigan for Washington, D.C. with 884 officers and enlisted men. Attached to Lander’s Brigade, Army of the Potomac
October Attached to Lander’s Brigade, Stone’s Division, Army of the Potomac
September – December Guard duty along the upper Potomac
October 22 Near Edward’s Ferry
December 4 Moved to Muddy Branch and duty there. Colonel Grosvenor took command of the brigade as senior colonel.
1862
March Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 12-15 Moved to Harper’s Ferry, then to Charleston, West Virginia and Berryville
March 24 To Harper’s Ferry, then to Washington, D.C
March 27 To the Virginia Peninsula
April to August

Peninsula Campaign
April 5-May 4

Siege of Yorktown
May 7-8 West Point
May 31-June 1

Battle of Fair Oaks or Seven Pines
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 29

Peach Orchard and Savage Station
June 30

White Oak Swamp and Glendale

Lieutenant Charles Hunt was wounded.
July 1

Malvern Hill
July 7 Colonel Grosvenor resigned “due to the impoverished state of my health.”
July 14 Lieutenant Norman J. Hall, USA (West Point Class of 1859), former Acting AAG on the staff of Brigadier General John G. Barnard, was commissioned colonel of the 7th Michigan.
July 2 – August 16 Duty at Harrison’s Landing
August 5

Action at Malvern Hill
August 15-28 Movement from Harrison’s Landing to Alexandria
August 28-31 To Fairfax Court House; Covered Pope’s retreat from Bull Run to Washington.
September 4 Captain Henry W. Nall was transferred to the 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment and appointed major.
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The 7th Michigan was commanded by Colonel Norman Hall. Colonel Hall took over the brigade as senior colonel when General Dana was wounded and was then wounded himself. Lieutenant Colonel Baxter was wounded by this time, and Captain Charles J. Hunt took over the regiment.

From the brigade marker at Antietam:

Dana’s Brigade, following Gorman’s in column of attack, passed through the East Woods, crossed the Cornfield and the Hagerstown Pike, about 50 yards in rear of Gorman, and entered the West Woods, where its advance was checked about 40 yards east of this point.

Its left flank having been attacked and turned, by McLaws’ and Walker’s Divisions, it was compelled to retire.

A portion of the Brigade, with the 1st Minnesota Infantry, occupied a line near the Nicodemus house which it held for a time until, its flank having been again turned, it retired to the woods and fields east of the Hagerstown Pike.
September 22 Moved to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia and duty there
October 30-
November 17		 Advance up the Loudon Valley and movement to Falmouth, Virginia.
December 11-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment was the first regiment to cross the Rappahannock River in pontoon boats under the fire of Confederate sharpshooters. It then drove the Confederate skirmishers from their cover, allowing a pontoon bridge to be constructed. Lieutenant Colonel Baxter was wounded in the attack.

There is a monument to the 7th Michigan and its assault crossing of the Rapahannock at the Upper Landing site a few blocks north of the center of Fredericksburg at the corner of Sophia and Hawke Streets.
December Duty at Falmouth, Virginia.
1863
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
May 3

Maryes Heights, Second Battle of Fredericksburg
May 3-4

Salem Heights
June 11-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Lieutenant Colonel Amos Steele, Jr. while Colonel Hall commanded the brigade as senior colonel. Lieutenant Colonel Steele was killed on July 3rd, and Major Sylvanus W. Curtis took command. The 7th brought 165 men to the field, losing 21 killed and 44 wounded.

From the regimental monument at Gettysburg near the Copse of Trees: 

Regiment held this position during the engagement of July 2nd and 3rd, 1863. On the evening of the 2nd changed front to the left, meeting and aiding in driving back the enemy. On the 3rd assisted in repulsing Pickett’s Charge, changing front to the right and assaulting the advancing force in flank.

Present for duty 14 officers 151 men. Total 165. Casualties, 2 officers 19 men killed; 3 officers 41 men wounded. Total 65.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
August 20-
September 12		 On detached duty at New York City during draft disturbances
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

Rejoined army at Culpeper, Va.
October 14

Bristoe Station
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign
December Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps
December At Stevensburg
1864
May 4-June 15

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness
May 8

Laurel Hill
May 8-21

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Captain George W. LaPointe was wounded in the right knee.
May 10

Po River
May 12

Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle,”
May 23-26

North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
June 3

Battle of Cold Harbor
June 4 Colonel Hall was discharged due to chronic dysentery, chills and fever. He would die in May of 1867.
June 16-18

First Assault on Petersburg
June 16

Siege of Petersburg begins
June 22-23

Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad
July 27-29 Demonstration on north side of the James River
July 27-28

Deep Bottom
August 13-20 Demonstration north of James at Deep Bottom
August 14-18

Strawberry Plains
August 25

Ream’s Station
October 13 Captain George W. LaPointe of Company C was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
November 18 Lieutenant Colonel George W. La Pointe was promoted to colonel but was not mustered due to the reduced sized of the regiment.
1865
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 25 Watkins’ House
March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign
March 30-31 Boydton 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 and Farmville
April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 10 – May 2 At Burkesville
May 2-12 Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 16-22 Moved to Louisville, Kentucky, then to Jeffersonville, Indiana.
July 5 The 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment mustered out