United States Regiments & Batteries > Wisconsin > 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment


The 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment mustered 973 men when it mustered in. During the course of the Civil War it added recruits (but no drafter men) for a total of 1,484 men. It lost 2 officers and 41 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 115 enlisted men to disease.

1862
Organized at Racine but transferred to Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin to guard Confederate prisoners from Fort Donelson and Island No. 10.

Organization of the Regiment
  • Company A – Captiain Rollin M. Strong
  • Company B – Captiain William H. Tucker
  • Company C – Captiain John A. Chandler
  • Company D – Captiain Samuel K. Vaughan
  • Company E – Captiain Patrick Bennett
  • Company F – Captiain Martin Scherff
  • Company G – Captiain John N. Stone
  • Company H – Captiain Albert Grant
  • Company I – Captiain Amos O. Rowley
  • Company K – Captiain William W. Bates
April 30 The 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment mustered in for three years Federal service under the command of Colonel Horace T. Sanders, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whipple, and Major Alvin E. Bovay.
June 2 Left Wisconsin for Washington, D.C.
June 5 Arrived at Washington, D.C.
June 8 Moved to Alexandria and then to Fortress Monroe at Hampton, Virginia
June 29 Moved to Norfolk, Virginia
July-April Garrison duty at Norfolk, Virginia, attached to District of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., 7th Corps, Department of Virginia. Colonel Horace T. Sanders was appointed Provost Judge and regiment Provost Guard for Norfolk and Portsmouth.
September 29 Captain William W. Bates of Company K resigned fdue to disability.
1863
January 5 First Lieutenant Hannon Wentworth was promoted to Captain of Company K.
April 11-14 Captiain Martin Scherff of Company F marched a detachment to the head of tidewater on the west branch of the Elizabeth River and constructed about a mile and a half of rifle pits.
April 14 Ordered to Suffolk, Virginia and camped at Jericho Creek. Attached to Reserve Brigade, 3rd Division, 7th Corps, Deprtment of Virginia and employed on picket and fatigue duty and the construction of rifle pits and corduroy roads.
April 14-May 4

Siege of Suffolk

April 24

Action at Edenton Road, Suffolk

May 15-18

Operations on Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad

May 17 Near Providence Church
June 1 Captain John N. Stone of Company G resigned, and First Lieutenant Henry W. Kingsbury was promoted to Captain of Company G.
June 17 Moved to Norfolk
June 18 Embarked for Yorktown. Attached to Wistar’s Independent Brigade, 7th Corps, Department of Virginia
June 24-July 7

Dix’s Peninsula Campaign

June 25 At West Point.
July 8 Returned to Yorktown and assigned to garrison duty.
July 30 Captain John A. Chandler of Company C resigned. First Lieutenant Charles Case was promoted to Captain of Company C.
August 16 Moved to Newport News
September 11 Captain William H. Tucker of Company B resigned. First Lieutenant Alvin York was promoted to Captain of Company B.
September 29
  • Major Alvin E. Bovay resigned
  • Captain Rollin M. Strong of Company A was promoted to Major
  • First Lieutenant Henry A. Tayor was promoted to Captain of Company A
October 8-11 Moved to New Berne, North Carolina and assigned to outpost aud picket duty.
Fall Outpost and picket duty at New Berne, North Carolina attached to Department of Virginia and North Carolina

  • Company A under Captain was stationed at Evans’ Mills, eight miles from New Bern, in a fortified position with an earthwork and blockhouse, and one piece of artillery
  • Company B was positioned duty two miles from New Bern with two pieces of artillery
  • Company F was at Havelock Station, twenty miles from Newbern, with one piece of artilleiy. T
  • The remainder of the regiment were assigned to barracks on the south side of the Trent River, half a mile from the town.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Strong was placed in command of the defenses on the south side of the river.
December 3 Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whipple resigned. Major Rollin M. Strong was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Captain Samuel K. Vaughan of Company D was promoted to Major.
1864
January 18-February 10

Operations about New Berne against Whiting

February 1-3

 Defense of New Berne

Confederates attacked Beech Grove and Batchelor’s Creek.

  • The assault on Union positions south of the Trent was successfully repulsed.
  • Company A at Evans’ Mills, was attacked by superior numbers, but held their position until reinforcements arrived and the enemy abandoned the attack.
  • The post at Havelock was outfianked by the Confederates and abandoned. Its garrison, Company F, was movrd to Fort Spinola.
February 7 Captain Chrles Case of Company C resigned, and First Lieutenant Henry B. Nichols was promoted to Captain of Company C.
February 15 First Lieutenant William H. Spain was promoted to Captain of Company D.
March 20 Company E was ordered to Fort Gaston.
March 25 Captain Henry W. Kingsbury of Company G resigned.
March 28 Company H replaced Company E at Forst Gaston.
April 13 First Lieutenant Otto Puhlman was promoted to Captain of Company G.
April 19-24

Expedition to relief of Plymouth

Six companies were sent to reinforce the garrison at Plymouth, North Carolina, but it surrendered before reinforcements could arrive and the detachment returned.

April 26-28 Moved to Yorktown and assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, Department of Virginia and North Carolina.
May 4-28
Butler’s operations on south side of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond.
May 5 Occupation of Bermuda Hundred.
May 9

Movement to Walthal Junction

Destroyed three miles of the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad.

May 12-16
Operations against Fort Darling
May 14-16

Battle of Drury’s Bluff

Companies A, C, D, E aud F, were sent forward as skirmishers while the remainder of the regiment was on picket duty. Eleven men were wounded.

On the 16th the Confederates launched a heavy attack under the cover of a dense fog. The Union right wing was driven back. In the center, commanded by Colonel Horace Sanders, Ashby’s Battery was captured and the brigade fellback and formed a new defensive line on the Pike near the Halfway House. The regiment lost 7 men killed and 32 men wounded.

June 16-July 20 Returned to Bermuda Hundred. Companies B, C & I were detached to General Butler’s headquarters, while the rest of the regiment engaged in picket duty.
June 17

Assault on Port Walthal

Destroyed three miles of track on the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad.

June 20 Transferred to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James.
June-August In trenches before Petersburg
June 30 Captain Albert Grant of Company H was captured.
July 3 Second Lieutenant John S. Harris of Company G was wounded.
August At Norfolk, Virginia
August 13 250 Reenlisted Veterans left for Wisconsin.Non-Veterans were assigned to provost duty at Norfolk, Virginia.
August 22 The Veterans arrived at Madison and began a 30 day furlough.
October 12 The Veterans returned from furlough, embarking at Aiken’s Landing. They marched to Chapin’s farm and were assigned to Atached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James
October 27-28

Battle of Fair Oaks

The returned Veterans of the regiment took part in a reconnaissance in force to the old Fair Oaks battlefield east of Richmond. Their brigade was ordered to charge a Confederate fort across an open plain, losing half their men. The charge was unable to advance closer than 100 yards from the fort. The men laid in position under intense fire waiting for supports that never arrived. After two hours a Confederate charge from the fort captured almost the entire regiment.

Nine officers and 180 enlisted men went into the charge. Eight officers and 136 enlisted men were lost, of whom 2 officers and 17 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded and 64 were taken prisoner.

  • Captain Patrick Bennett of Company E and First Lieutenant John Wright of Company H were killed.
  • First Lieutenants Wilhelm Spriegelberg of Company F and Henry R. Howard of Company I were wounded.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Rollin M. Strong was wounded and captured.
  • Second Lieutenant James G. Lowery of Company D was wounded and captured.
  • Captains Martin Scherff of Company F and Hannon Wentworth of Company I and Adjutant Chipman A. Holly were captured.
October 30 The surviving 80 Veterans returned to the camp at Chapin’s Farm and were joined by the non-Veterans who had been on provost duty in Norfolk. They were engaged in picket duty on the lines under the command of Acting Lieutenant Colonel Samuel K. Vaughan.
December Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 24th Corps, Army of the James
1865
April 3

Occupation of Richmond

The regiment entered Richmond around 8 a.m. Acting Lieutenant Colonel Samuel K. Vaughan placed the colors on City Hall, the first regimental colors raised over the city. The 19th Wisconsin was assigned provost duty.

April 19 Captain Albert A. York of Company B resigned.
April 28 The regiment moved to Fredericksburg. Non-Veterans mustered out. Acting Lieutenant Colonel and Major Samuel K. Vaughan was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
April 30 First Lieutenant Theophilus Charroin ompany H in Richmond.
May-July
Provost duty at Fredericksburg, Virginia
May 23
  • First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Russel was promoted to Captain of Company C
  • Second Lieutenant James G. Lowery was promoted to Captain of Company D
  • First Lieutenant Alexander P. Ellinwood of Company A was promoted to Captain of Company E.
May 29 First Lieutenant Jonathan S. Patten was promoted to Captain of Company B.
July 24 Moved to Warrenton, Virginia and assigned to provost duty attached to 1st Independent Brigade, 24th Corps
August 4 Moved to Richmond, Virginia.
August 9 The 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment mustered out of Federal service at Richmond under the command of Colonel Horace F. Sanders and Lieutenant Colonel Samuel K. Vaughan and was ordered to report to Madison, Wisconsin.
August 15 Arrived at Madison
August 27 The men were paid and received their final discharge.