United States Regiments & Batteries > Michigan


The 5th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment mustered 1,350 men and lost 16 officers and 247 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 188 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
August 28 Organized at Detroit, Mich., and mustered in
September 11 Left State for Washington, D.C.
September 13 Attached to Richardson’s Brigade and duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.
October 3 Attached to Richardson’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army of the Potomac
October 21-24 Reconnaissance to Occoquan
1862
January 9 Pohick Run, Va.
March, 1862 Attached to Berry’s 3rd Brigade, Kearny’s 3rd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15 Advance to Manassas, Va.,
March 17 Moved to the Virginia Peninsula
March to August. Peninsula Campaign
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown, Va.
May 31-June 1 Battle of Fair Oaks, or Seven Pines
June 25-July 1 Seven days before Richmond
June 25 Oak Grove
June 29 Savage Station and Peach Orchard
June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1 Malvern Hill
July 2 – August 16 Duty at Harrison’s Landing
August 16-26 Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville; attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps
August 29 Battle of Groveton
August 30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1 Chantilly
September 2 – October 11 Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D, C.
October 11-November 23 March up the Potomac to Leesburg, and then to Falmouth
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
January 25 – April 27 At Falmouth
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5
Battle of Chancellorsville
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The Regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Lieutenant Colonel John Pulford, who was wounded on July 2nd – the third of five times during the war.

From the Gettysburg monument:

Effective strength July 2nd 1863; present and detached service 21 officers and 262 men, total 283. Casualties: Killed 2 officers, 17 men; Wounded 8 officers 78 men; Missing 4 men; Total 109.

The regiment fought here about 4:30 o’clock p.m., July 2, 1863, after it had been assembled from the skirmish line far in advance of this position. It moved to the support of the 2nd Corps in resisting Pickett’s Charge, July 3.

July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
July 23 Action at Wapping Heights, Va.
August 16-September 17 On detached duty at New York City and at Troy, N.Y.
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 13 Auburn
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7 Kelly’s Ford
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
November 27 Payne’s Farm
1864
January 4 to
February 14
Veterans on furlough
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps
May 4-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 8 Laurel Hill
May 10 Po River
May 12 Assault on the Salient (“Bloody Angle”)
May 19
Harris Farm, Fredericksburg Road
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 8-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 16-18 First Assault on Petersburg
June 16 Siege of Petersburg begins
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad
July 27-29 Demonstration on north side of the James
July 27-28 Deep Bottom
August 13-20 Demonstration on north side of the James at Deep Bottom
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains
September 29-October 2 Poplar Springs Church
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
March 25 Watkins’ House
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
March 30-31 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
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army

May 2-12 March to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 10-14 Moved to Louisville, Ky.
June 15 – July 5 At Jeffersonville, Ind.
July 3 Mustered out