12th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries * Connecticut

The 12th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 6 officers and 65 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 8 officers and 196 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a monument in the National Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia.

1861
November 19 to December 3 Organized at Hartford under the command of Colonel Henry C. Deming.
1862
February 24 Left State
March 9 Arrived Ship Island, Mississippi. Attached to 1st Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf
April 15-28 Operations against Fort St. Phillip and Jackson, Mississippi River
May 1

Occupation of New Orleans

The 12th Connecticut was the first regiment to land.
May-July Duty at Camp Parapet and Carrollton
July 25-
August 2		 Expedition to Lake Pontchatrain, Pass Manchac and up Tchefuncta and Pearl rivers
July 27 Skirmishes at Madisonville and near Covington
October24-November 6 Operations in District of La Fourche assigned to Weitzel’s Reserve Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf
October 25 Occupation of Donaldsonville
October 27 Action at Georgia Landing, near Labadieville
November-January Duty in District of La Fourche
1863
January Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf
January 13-15 Expedition to Bayou Teche
January 14

Action with steamer Cotton
January 31 Colonel Deming was discharged due to his wife’s severe illness. Lieutenant Colonel Ledyard Colburn was then promoted to colonel. Colburn was serving on detached duty as Superintendant of Military Railroads in the Department of the Gulf from November 1862, leaving Lieutenant Colonel Frank H. Peck in actual command of the regiment.
February Moved to Brashear City
March 7-27 Operations against Port Hudson
March 28 Pattersonville (Detachment)
April 9-May 14 Operations in Western Louisiana
April 11-20

Teche Campaign
April 12-13 Port Bisland, near Centreville
April 14 Irish Bend
April 20 Opelousas
May 5-18 Expedition to Alexandria and Simsport
May 18 Near Cheyneyville
May 22-25 Movement to Bayou Sara, then to Port Hudson
May 25-July 9

Siege of Port Hudson
May 27

Assault on Port Hudson
June 14

Second Assault on Port Hudson
July 9 Surrender of Port Hudson
July to September Operations in Western Louisiana
August Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps
September 4-11

Sabine Pass (Texas) Expedition
October 3-November 30 Teche Campaign
December Duty at New Iberia
1864
January Move to New Orleans and on veteran furlough
February Duty at Carrollton. Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. Gulf.
June 29 Colonel Colburn resigned due to “pressing private business.” Lieutenant Colonel Frank Peck continued actual command of the regiment.
July 5-13 Moved to Fortress Monroe, Va., then to Washington, D.C.
July 14-23 Snicker’s Gap expedition
August Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Assigned to Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, 19th Corps, 1st Division, 2nd Brigade.
September 19

Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Frank H. Peck. He was killed, and Captain Sidney E. Clark took over command.

After spending three hours in line of battle trading fire with defending Confederates, the regiment spontaneously followed the 8th Vermont Infantry in a bayonet charge that broke the Confederate line.
September 22

Battle of Fisher’s Hill
October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek
October-April Duty at Winchester, Newtown and Summit Point
1865
April Assigned to to 2nd Brigade, 1st Provisional Division, Army Shenandoah
April 21 Moved to Washington, D.C. and assigned to 2nd Brigade, Dwight’s Division, Dept. of Washington
May 23-24 Grand Review
June 1-5 Moved to Savannah, Ga., and assigned to District of Savannah, Dept. of the South
August 12 Mustered out