16th Michigan Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Michigan > 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment

“Stockton’s Independent Regiment”

The 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment lost 12 officers and 235 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 143 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
July to September Organized at Plymouth and Detroit, Michigan by Thomas B.W. Stockton, who had commanded the First Michigan Volunteers in the Mexican War. Stockton was a Democrat, and opposition to him by Michigan’s Governor Austin Blair caused Stockton to obtain permission directly from the War Department to create the regiment. It received no state funding and was not initially given a state numeric designation, taking the name “Stockton’s Independent Regiment.”
September 8 Eight companies were mustered in at Camp Backus, Detroit under the command of Colonel Thomas Stockton, Lieutenant Colonel John V. Reuhle and Major Norval Welch.
September 14-15 The War Department ordered Governor Blair to immediately forward all organized regiments to Washington, even if not completed.
September 16 After a review where a delegation of Detroit ladies presented the regiment with a flag emblazoned “Stockton’s Regiment,” it left the state for Washington, D.C., on the steamers May Queen and City of Cleveland with 761 men in eight companies.
September 17 The regiment landed at Cleveland and continued by train to Pittsburg. After eating, they continued that night by rail to Harrisburg.
September 18 Arrived in Harrisburg and was joined by 83 additional recruits from another new Michigan regiment.
September 19-20 Travelled through Baltimore, where the regiment was greeted with flags and cheers, and arrived in Washington, where they were posted to Camp Casey.
Late September Attached to Butterfield’s Brigade, Fitz John Porter’s Division, Army of the Potomac and went into camp at Hall’s Hill, Defences of Washington
1862
March Advance on Manassas, Virginia. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac.
March 10

Peninsula Campaign

Moved to the Virginia Peninsula.
March 22-24 Reconnaissance to Big Bethel
March 30 Warwick Road
April 5

Siege of Yorktown
April 5-May 4 Reconnoissance up the Pamunkey
May Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 27

Battle of Hanover Court House
May 27-29 Operations about Hanover Court House
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 26

Battle of Mechanicsville
June 27

Gaines’ Mill

Captain Thomas Carr, Lieutenants Richard Williams and Byron McGraw and 46 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 6 officers and 110 enlisted men wounded. Colonel Stockton, 1 other officer and 53 men were captured. Lieutenant Colonel Welch took command of the regiment.
June 29

Savage Station
June 30

Turkey Bridge or Malvern Cliff
July 1

Malvern Hill

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men killed, 1 officer and 36 enlisted men wounded, and 3 men missing.
July 2 Duty at Harrison’s Landing
August 12 Colonel Stockton was exchanged and returned from Confederate captivity.
August 16 Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

Commanded by Major Thomas Barry. Captain R. W. Ransom, Lieutenants Michael Chittick and John Ruby and 13 enlisted men were killed, 4 officers and 59 enlisted men wounded and 17 men missing.
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign
September 7 Colonel Stockton resumed command of the regiment, but was given command of the brigade due to General Butterfield being sick.
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Norval E. Welch. It was in a supporting position and was not engaged.
September 19

Shepherdstown Ford
September – October At Sharpsburg
October 29- November 17 Movement to Falmouth, Virginia.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment lost 3 men killed, 30 wounded and 8 missing
December 29-30 Expedition from Potomac Creek to Richards and Ellis Fords, Rappahannock River
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
January – April At Falmouth
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 1 man killed and 6 wounded.
May 18 Lieutenant Colonel Welch was promoted to colonel after Colonel Stockton’s resignation
June 17

Aldie
June 21
Middleburg and Upperville

Captain Judd Mott was mortally wounded, and 9 enlisted men were wounded. The regiment captured a Confederate Blakely Gun and 19 men after the brigade commander, Colonel Strong Vincent, gave the order to “stop that damned battery howling.”
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Lieutenant Colonel Norval E. Welch. Lieutenants Butler, Brown, William Borden and Wallace Jewett were killed or mortally wounded.

From the monument on Little Round Top:

Regiment held this position during the afternoon and night of July 2, 1863, and assisted in defeating the desperate attempts of the enemy to capture Little Round Top. Present for duty 17 officers, 339 men total 356. Casualties: 3 officers 20 men killed, 2 officers 32 men wounded, 3 men missing. Total 60.

< See Lieutenant Colonel Welch’s Official Report of the 16th Michigan Infantry in the Gettysburg Campaign. >
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va
July 11 At Williamsport
July 17 Crossed the Potomac at Berlin
July 23

Wapping Heights

In reserve
July – October Duty at Warrenton, Beverly Ford and Culpeper
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign
November 1 In camp near Three Mile Station on the Orange & Alexanderia Railroad. It was calculated the regiment marched 800 miles since the previous November 1st
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7

Rappahannock Station

Commanded by Major Elliott, the regiment lost 3 men wounded
November 26-
December 2

Mine Run Campaign

The regiment guarded the wagon trains. Colonel Welch was in command.
December 24 The regiment reenlisted 294 men and was re-mustered into service for the duration of the war.
1864
January 2 -February 17 Veterans returned to Michigan on furlough.
January 9 The regiment reached Detroit.
January – May Non-Veterans were at Bealeton Station.
February 9 Veterans reported at Saginaw, Michigan to return to service.
May 4-June 15

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

Battle of the Wilderness

The regiment was commanded by Major Robert T. Ellott. The regiment guarded wagon trains at Wyckoff Ford on May 5. It joined the battle and lost 35 casualties on May 7.
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 8
Laurel Hill

The regiment made a forced march in the morning and was then attacked while crossing a dense swamp. It lost a handful of men but captured a Confederate colonel and a large number of the enemy
May 12

Assault on the Salient
May 23-26

North Anna
May 23 Jericho Mills
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy

Major Robert Elliott was killed commanding the regiment. Captain George Swan took over.
June 1-12

Battle of Cold Harbor
June 1-3 Bethesda Church
June 13 Crossed the Chickahominy at Long Bridge under the command of Captain Guy Fuller.
June 16-18

First Assault on Petersburg.

Colonel Welch resumed command.
June 16

Siege of Petersburg begins
August 18-21

Six Mile House, Weldon Railroad
September 29-
October 2
Poplar Springs Church, Peeble’s Farm

Colonel Welch was killed, shot twice in the head, leading a successful charge over the enemy’s breastworks. Nine other men were killed and 42 were wounded. Major Benjamin F. Partidge took over the regiment despite having been wounded three times.
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
December 7-12

Warren’s Raid on Weldon Railroad
1865
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bemjamin F. Partidge
March 28-
April 9

Appomattox Campaign
March 29 Junction of Quaker and Boydton Roads and Lewis Farm near Gravelly Run
March 30-31

White Oak Road
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 3-12 March to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 16-22 Moved to Louisville, Kentucky, then to Jeffersonville, Indiana.
July 8 The 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment mustered out under Colonel Benjamin F. Partidge