United States Regiments & Batteries > Wisconsin > 36th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment


The 36th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 7 officers and 150 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 182 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

1864
Organized at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin under the command of Colonel Frank Haskell, Lieutenant Colonel John A. Savage, Jr., and Major Harvey M. Brown.

Organization of the Regiment
  • Company A – Captain William H. Hamilton
  • Company B – Captain Clement E. Warner
  • Company C – Captain George A. Fisk
  • Company D – Captain Jacob Walkey
  • Company E – Captain Jerome F. Brooks
  • Company F – Captain Prescott B. Burwell
  • Company G – Captain Reuben Lindley
  • Company H – Captain Austin Cannon
  • Company I – Captain Daniel F. Farrand
  • Company K – Captain Warren Graves
March 23 The 36th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment mustered in for three years Federal service.
May 10-14 Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 14-18 Transprted down the Potomac to Belle Plaine Landing, then marched via Fredericksburg to join the army at Spotsylvania Court House.
May 18-21

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The regiment was in reserve. Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac.

May 23-26

North Anna River

Assigned to support a battery and constructed breastworks. Crossed the North Anna River on the 24th and joined the line of battle, constructing works. Companies H & K attacked and captured a line of enemy works, losing two men killed.

May 26-28 Withdrew across the Pamunkey, losing two men killed and four wounded to a shell.
May 28-30

Bethesda Church

Moved into position on an open plain facing an enemy line in a woods, losing one man killed and four wounded.

June 1

Bethesda Church (continued)

Companies B, E, G & F advanced as skirmishers to support the main attack by the army some distance to the left. Veteran regiments on both flanks advanced only a short distance, fired a volley, and fell back, leaving the 36th Wisconsin advancing in the open with no support. The Confederate skirmishers were driven in and part of their defences captured, but the regiment lost about half of the 240 men engaged in the attack.

Captain Prescott B. Burwell of Company F was mortally wounded and captured, Lieutenant Newton was wounded and captured, and Captain Reuben Lindley of Company G was wounded.

That night the regiment marched to Cold Harbor, arriving early on the morning of the 2nd.

June 3

Battle of Cold Harbor 

The whole Union line attacked in the morning in mass columns of regiments. The 36th was in the rear of its brigade column. The attack was made across an open field against Confederate positions that were on the crest of a small hill, and were under artillery fire the entire way.

The brigade commander, Colonel McKean, was killed and Colonel Haskell took command, bringing the 36th to the front of the attacking column. Enemy fire made further a advance, and the rest of the Union line was going to ground. Just as Colonel Haskell gave the order to lay down a bullet hit him in the head, killing him instantly.

The regiment scraped up small breastworks and remained on the field, unable to retreat under the heavy fire, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John A. Savage. After dark they withdrew about 600 feet to the left rear, remaining in that position until the 12th.

May 26-June 7
Casualties from May 26-June 7
  • 64 men killed or mortally wounded, including Colonel Frank Haskell, Captain Prescott B. Burwell of Company F, and Second Lieutenant William H. Lamberton of Company B were killed
  • 126 men wounded, including Adjutant Benjamin D. Atwell, Captain Reuben Lindley and Second Lieutenant W.R. Newton of Company G
June 11
  • Lieutenant Colonel John A. Savage, Jr. was promoted to Colonel
  • Major Harvey M. Brown was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
  • Captain Clement E. Warner of Company B was promoted to Major.
June 14 Marched to Charles City Court House, then moved by transports across the James River and marched to Petersburg.
June 16-18

Grant’s First Assault on Petersburg

The regiment moved into the first line of enemy trenches on the 16th after they had been captured by the Union attack. Was in reserve on the 17th.

On the 18th formed line of battle and drove Confederate skirmishers from their works, driving them a mile through heavy woods and to the main enemy works. Lieutenant Galloway of COmpany K was wounded at this time.

The attack was resumed that afternoon. Colonel John Savage led the men over the Confederate breastworks and was mortally wounded. Over a third of the regiment was killed or wounded.

Only the 36th Wisconsin had advanced into the enemy works. It was impossible to advance or retreat, so the men dropped to the ground and used their tin plates to scrape protective cover until night fell and they could withdraw. Captain Clement E. Warner took command of the survivors of the regiment.

  • 40 men were killed or mortally wounded, including Colonel John A. Savage, Jr. and First Lieutenant Elias A. Galloway
  • 81 men were wounded, including Lieutenant Colonel Harvey M. Brown (wounded in two places), Second Lieutenant G.S. Norris of Company H, and Second Lieutenant Joseph Harris of Company K
June 16 to April 2

Siege of Petersburg

June 22-23

Weldon Railroad

Marched several miles to the left along the Jerusalem Plank Road and threw up earthworks in front of the Confederate lines. The regiment escaped being captured like half of its brigade by changing direction by the left flank, but lost some men killed and wounded.

July 24 The 36th Wisconsin was relieved and fell back two miles to a rest camp, enjoying its first good night sleep in four weeks. It spent the next month there, picketing and building roads and fortifications.
July 15
  • Lieutenant Colonel Harvey M. Brown was promoted to Colonel
  • Major Clement E. Warner was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
  • Captain William H. Hamilton of Company A was promoted to Major.
July 27-29 The regiment took part in a demonstration north of the James River to draw Confederate forces away from the part of the line where a mine was to be exploded. They crossed the Appomattox on a floating bridge and marched to near the 1862 Malvern Hill battlefield.
July 27-28

Battle of Deep Bottom

Several Confederate guns were captured. After Confederate forces responded, the Second Corps quietly marched away, recrossed the river and moved to support the mine explosion and Union attack, which was a failure.

The regiment returned to its camping ground and was assigned light duties for two weeks.

August 12-20

Demonstration north of the James at Deep Bottom

On August 13 the regiment took part in another attempt to draw Confederate troops away from a Union attack, this time on the far left flank of the Union line.

August 14-18

Strawberry Plains

The Second Corps marched to City Point and embarked on transports which sailed downriver until dark, then turned around and moved up river to Deep Bottom, where the men disembarked.

They advanced up the New Market Road toward Richmond until they encountered Confederate earthworks, which they charged. The fighting eventually died out due to exhaustion and the extreme heat, but the Union objective was successful, allowing the Fifth Corps to capture the Weldon Railroad.

  • 6 men were killed or died or were mortally wounded, including Captain Reuben Lindley of Company G who received four wounds, two of them mortal.
  • 13 men were wounded, including Lieutenant Colonel Clement Warner, who lost his left arm, and Major William H. Hamilton, who was badly wounded in the face.
August 22 The Second Corps returned to the Petersburg lines.
August 24 The Second Division moved to the left and constucted breastworks on the Weldon Railroad at Ream’s Station.
August 25

Ream’s Station

The regiment was posted as a reserve in a railroad cut. Confederate attacks broke the Union line, and the 36th Wisconsin was surrounded and unable to escape due its position in the cut. Of the 175 men who went into the fight only 3 officers and 45 men were available the next morning.

  • 7 men were killed, including Second Lieutenant Henry H. Ginty of Company E
  • 3 men were wounded, including Captain O.H. Russel of Company F
  • 125 men were missing or captured, including Captain Griffin and Lieutenants Atwell, Albee, Bullard, Mathews, Parker, and Sholes. These men were sent to Salisbury Prison in North Carolina, and most died there.
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey M. Brown was discharged due to his wound from June 18.

1865
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run

March 25

Watkins’ House

March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

March 29 Hatcher’s Run
March 30-31

Boydton Plank Road and 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 and Farmville

April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.

May 2-12 Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 17 Moved to Louisville, Ky.
July 12 The 36th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment mustered out under the commaand of Lieutenant Colonel Clement E. Warner and Major William H. Hamilton.