United States Regiments & Batteries > Wisconsin > 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment rostered 1,630 men during the Civil War, which included 1,029 original men and an additional 601 recruits who joined during its almost four years of service. It lost 16 officers and 228 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 112 enlisted men to disease. There is a monument to the 6th Wisconsin Infantry at Gettysburg.
1861 | |
April |
The 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin. Organization of the Regiment
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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 for three years Federal service. |
July 28 | Left Wisconsin for Washington, D. C. |
August 1 | At Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. |
August 3 | Moved to Washington. |
August 6 |
Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.Camped on Meridian Hill |
September 17 |
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October | Attached to King’s Brigade, McDowell’s Division, Army of the Potomac |
October 28 | Captain M.A. Northrup of Company G resigned. First Lieutenant Philip W. Plummer was promoted to Captain of Company G. |
November 1 | Captain John O’Rourke of Company D resigned. and First Lieutenant John F. Marsh was promoted to Captain of Company D effective October 25. |
December 10-13 |
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1862 | |
February 12 | First Lieutenant David K. Noyes was promoted to Captain of Company A. |
March | Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st 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 JacksonAttached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia |
June 20-30 |
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July 16 | Captain Daniel J. Dill of Company B was transferred to the 30th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and promoted to Major. First Lieutenant Rollin P. Converse was promoted to Captain of Company F. |
July 22 | Captain Fred Schumacher of Company F was transferred to the 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and promoted to Colonel. First Lieutenant Werner Von Bachelle was promoted to Captain of Company F. |
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 FarmFrom “The Battle Begins” wayside marker:Late on the afternoon of August 28, Brig. Gen. Rufus King’s division proceeded east towards Centreville. They marched in search of the elusive “Stonewall” Jackson, who was operating behind Union lines with half the Confederate army. As the head of the column passed the village of Groveton, Confederate artillery emerged from the woods and fired upon the unsuspecting Federals. Union troops turned to fight a fierce twilight battle near the Brawner Farm that began the three day battle of Second Manassas. From a trailside marker along the Brawner’s Farm loop trail“When at short range, Colonel Cutler ordered the regiment to halt and fire. We were on low ground which, in the gathering darkness, gave us a great advantage over the enemy, as they overshot our line. Our fire did great execution. It seemed to throw the rebels into complete confusion, and they fell back into the woods behind them. We now gave a loud and jubilant cheer throughout the whole line of the brigade.” CasualtiesThe 6th Wisconsin lost 72 men killed or wounded of the 504 men in the battle.
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August 29-30 |
Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas) |
September 1 |
Battle of Chantilly (Reserve) |
September 6-22 |
Maryland CampaignAttached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac |
September 13 | Captain John F. Marsh of Company D resigned and First Lieutenant Samuel Birdsall was promoted to Captain of Company D. |
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 at Turner’s Gap. First Lieutenant Arthur C. Ellis of Company B and Second Lieutenant Thomas Kerr of Company D were wounded. It was here that General McClellean remarked that the brigade “must be made of iron.” The name stuck. |
September 16-17 |
Battle of Antietam
The brigade was the spearhead of Hooker’s early morning attack down the Hagerstown Pike. 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 18 |
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September-October | At Sharpsburg |
October 18 | Captain David L. Quaw of Company K resigned. |
October 22 | First Lieutenant John Ticknor was promoted to Captain of Company K. |
October 30- November 22 |
Advance to Falmouth, Va. |
November 29 | Colonel Lysander Cutler was promoted to Brigadier General. |
December 12-15 |
Battle of FredericksburgFirst Lieutenant Thomas W. Plummer of Company C was wounded. |
1863 | |
January 20-24 |
“Mud March” |
February-April | At Belle Plain |
February 7 | Captain Alexander S. Hooe of Company C was discharged and First Lieutenant Thomas W. Plummer was promoted to Captain of Company C. |
February 12-14 | Expedition to Heathville |
March 10 |
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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 ChancellorsvilleColonel Edward Bragg was wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Rufus R. Dawes took command/ |
June | Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps |
June 11-July 24 |
Gettysburg Campaign |
June 12 | Captain Samuel Birdsall of Company D resigned. |
July 1 | Second Lieutenant Thomas Kerr was promoted to Captain of Company D. |
July 1-3 |
Battle of Gettysburg
The 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was command by Lieutenant Colonel Rufus R. Dawes. It brought 340 men to the field and From the monument to the 6th Wisconsin at the Railroad Cut: In the charge made on this R.R. cut the 2nd Miss. Regt. officers, men, and battle flag surrendered to the 6th. Wis. 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. CasualtiesThe regiment lost 30 men killed, 116 wounded and 22 missing.
< See the Official Reports of Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Dawes for the 6th Wisconsin Infantry at Gettysburg >Corporal Francis A. Waller of Company I was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 1st when he captured the flag of the 2d Mississippi Infantry in the Railroad Cut. |
July 5-24 | Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Virginia. The Iron Brigade was joined by the 167th Pennsylvania Infantry, who had not been at Gettysburg. They believed that their enlistments had expired and refused to march. The rest of the brigade was ordered to shoot them. After the 167th quickly formed up, the 6th Wisconsin was ordered to follow them with fixed bayonets and to shoot anyone who tried to fall out. |
August-October | Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan |
August 28 | Captain Otto Schorse of Company F resigned. |
October 9-22 |
Bristoe Campaign |
October 19 | Haymarket |
November 1 | First Lieutenant Otto Graetz was promoted to Captain of Company F. |
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 Corps. Major John F. Hauser resigned to accept the post of Counsul to Switzerland. |
April 12 | Captain Philip W. Pummer of Copany G was promoted to Major. |
April 19 | Quartermaster Charles P. Hyatt was promoted to Captain of Company E. |
May 4-June 15 | Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River |
May 5-7 |
Battle of the Wilderness
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May 8-21 |
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House |
May 8 |
Battle of Laurel HillCaptain Otto Graetz of Company f and First Lieutenant Howard F. Pruyn of Company A were killed. Captain William N. Remington of Company K was wounded. |
May 12 |
Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle” |
May 23-26 |
North Anna River |
May 23 |
Jericho FordCaptain John Beeley of Company H was wounded. |
May 28-31 | On line of the Totopotomoy |
June 1-12 |
Battle of Cold Harbor |
June 1-3 |
Bethesda Church |
June 15-18 |
Grant’s First Assault on PetersburgFirst Lieutenant Earl M. Rogers of Company I was wounded. |
June 18 |
Siege of Petersburg |
June 25 | Colonel Edward Bragg was promoted to Brigadier General. |
July 5 | Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Dawes was promoted to colonel but was not mustered, being near the end of his enlistment. |
July 20-25 |
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July 29-30 |
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August | Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps |
August 1 | Captain Lewis A. Kent of COmpany G was transferred to Company A. |
August 3 | Captain Otto Graetz of Company F was killed. First Sergeant Henry Schildt was promoted to Captain of Company F. |
August 10 | Colonel Rufus Dawes was mustered out at the end of his enlistment. |
August 17 | Second Lieutenant John Timmons was promoted to Captain of Company G. |
August 18-21 |
Weldon Railroad
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September | Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps |
September 1 | Captain John A. Kellogg of Company I was promoted to Major. |
October 11 | Captain William M. Remington of Company K resigned. |
October 19 |
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October 27-28 |
Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run |
November 30 | The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Battalion consolidated with the Regiment as new Companies G, Captain Dennis B. Daily, and Company H, Captain Albert T. Morgan. |
December 10 | Lieutenant Colonel John A. Kellogg was promoted to Colonel and Major Thomas Kerr was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. |
December 21 |
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1865 | |
February 5-7 |
Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
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February 25 | First Lieutenant Alexander Lowrie was promoted to Captain of Company I. |
March 7 | First Lieutenant Henry C. Matraw of Company G was promoted to Captain of Company D. |
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 HouseSurrender of Lee and his army. |
May | March to Washington, D.C. |
May 23 | Grand Review |
June 17 | Moved to Louisville, Kentucky. |
July 2 | The 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Colonal John A. Kellogg, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Kerr and Major Dennis B. Dailey. |