6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Wisconsin

The 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 16 officers and 228 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 112 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument on the Gettysburg battlefield.

1861
April Organized at Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin
May 28 The field officers for the regiment were Colonel Lysander Cutler, Lieutenant Colonel Julius P. Atwood and Major Benjamin F. Sweet.
July 16 Mustered in
July 28 Left State for Washington, D. C.
August 1 At Harrisburg, Pa.
August 3 Moved to Washington. Camp on Meridian Hill and duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.
September 14 Lieutenant Colonel Atwood resigned due to ill health.
September 17 Major Sweet was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Edward S. Bragg was promoted to major.
October Attached to King’s Brigade, McDowell’s Division, Army of the Potomac
1862
March, 1862 Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-16 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 9-19 Advance to Falmouth
April-August Duty at Falmouth and Fredericksburg attached to 3rd Brigade, King’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
March 25-29 McDowell’s advance on Richmond
June 2-11 Operations against Jackson attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia
June 30 Lieutenant Colonel Sweet was transferred to the 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Major Bragg was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Rufus Dawes was promoted to major. Dawes was the grandson of William Dawes who rode with Paul Revere.
July 24-27 Reconnaissance to Orange Court House
August 5-8 Reconnaissance to Frederick’s Hall Station and Spotsylvania Court House
August 5-6 Thornburg’s Mills (or Massaponax Church)
August 9 Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 16 – September 2 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 21-23 Fords of the Rappahannock
August 28
Battle of Groveton, or Brawner’s Farm

The 6th Wisconsin lost 72 men killed or wounded of the 504 men in the battle.

The regiment is referenced on a trailside marker along the Brawner’s Farm loop trail on the Bull Run battlefield.
August 29-30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1
Battle of Chantilly (Reserve)
September 6-22 Maryland Campaign. Attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14
Battle of South Mountain

The regiment lost 11 men killed and 79 wounded fighting up the gorge to the right of the turnpike.
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

The brigade was the spearhead of Hooker’s early morning attack down the Hagerstown Pike. The second shell fired by the enemy disabled 13 men, including Captain Noyes of Company A. Captain Edwin Brown of Company E was killed advancing into the cornfield and Captain Bachelle of Company F was killed in the pursuit after the enemy fell back. Lieutenant Colonel Bragg was badly wounded in the arm. Major Dawes took command of the regiment. Every member of the color guard was killed or wounded, with the staff of the national color being hit by five balls. Two stands of Confederate colors were captured.The regiment lost 3 officers killed, and 5 wounded, 23 enlisted men killed and 121 wounded.

From the marker for Gibbon’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

On the morning of the 17th, with its right on the Hagerstown Pike, Gibbon’s Brigade, which three days before had earned the title of the “Iron Brigade”, advanced in the direction of the Dunkard Church. When 135 yards north of this point Confederates, deployed under cover of the ledge and woods west of the pike attacked the flank, upon which the 19th Indiana and 7th Wisconsin were deployed on the plateau and in the woods west of the pike and the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin in the infamous Cornfield east of it. Battery B, 4th U. S. Artillery, went into position west of the pike and a few yards south of Miller’s barn. Supported by Patrick’s Brigade and the Battery on the right and Phelps’ Brigade on the left, Gibbon’s Brigade advanced to and south of this point but was forced back. Charge and countercharge of the most deadly character were made across the open plateau west of and in the Cornfield and ground south of it, east of the pike, and the Iron Brigade was compelled to retire to the field north of D. R. Miller’s and then to the cover of the high ground north and east of Joseph Poffenberger’s.
September-October At Sharpsburg
October 30-
November 22		 Advance to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February-April At Belle Plain
February 12-14 Expedition to Heathville
March 17 Colonel Cutler was promoted to brigadier general. Lieutenant Colonel Bragg was promoted to colonel, Major Rufus R. Dawes to lieutenant colonel, and Captain John F. Hauser of Company H was promoted to major.
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Pollock’s Mill Creek
April 29-30 Fitzhugh’s Crossing
May 2-5
Battle of Chancellorsville

Colonel Bragg was wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Rufus R. Dawes took command/
June Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was command by Lieutenant Colonel Rufus R. Dawes. It brought 340 men to the field and lost 30 killed, 116 wounded and 22 missing.From the monument:

Iron Brigade. 6th Wis. Vol., 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st CorpsIn the charge made on this R.R. cut the 2nd Miss. Regt. officers, men, and battle flag surrendered to the 6th. Wis.

Loss in 6th Regt.: killed 30; wounded 116, missing 22, aggregate 168.

On July 2 & 3 this Regt. lay on Culp’s Hill. On the evening of the 2. it moved to the support of Greene’s brigade and assisted to repulse Johnson’s Division.

Number who lost their lives in battle in the 6th Wis. Regt. during the war: killed 163, died of wounds 71, total 234.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
August-October Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 19 Haymarket
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
1864
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 4th Division. 5th Army Corps. Major Hauser resigned to accept the post of Counsul to Switzerland.
April 12 Captain Philip W. Pummer was promoted to major.
May 4-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness

Major Pummer was killed on May 5.
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 8 Battle of Laurel Hill
May 12 Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle”
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 23 Jericho Ford
May 28-31 On line of the Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 1-3 Bethesda Church
June 16-18
First Assault on Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg begins
July 2 Colonel Bragg was promoted to brigadier general.
July 5 Lieutenant Colonel Dawes was promoted to colonel.
August Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps
August 10 Colonel Dawes was discharged at the end of his term.
August 18-21 Weldon Railroad
September 1 Captain John A. Kellogg was promoted to major.
September Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps
October 19 Major Kellogg was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
October 27-28
Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
November 30 The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Battalion consolidated with Regiment as Companies G and H
December 10 Lieutenant Colonel John A. Kellogg was promoted to colonel and Major Thomas Kerr was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
December 21 Captain Dennis B. Daily was promoted to major.
1865
February 5-7
Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
March 29 Lewis Farm, near Gravelly Run
March 30-31 Boydton and White Oak Roads
April 1
Battle of Five Forks
April 2 Fall of Petersburg
April 3-9 Pursuit of Lee
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
May March to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 17 Moved to Louisville, Ky.
July 2 Mustered out