United States Regiments & Batteries > Wisconsin
The 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 10 officers and 228 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 77 enlisted men to disease in the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.
1861
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Organized at the Wisconsin Agricultural Society Fairgrounds at Madison, Wisconsin, named Camp Randall after the Governor of Wisconsin. | |
June 11 | Mustered in for three years service under Colonel S. Park Coon, Lt. Colonel Henry W. Peck and Major Duncan McDonald. |
June 20 | After a speach by Governor Randall the regiment boarded a train for Washington. It was made up of 1,048 men in plain grey uniforms and included a 34 piece regimental band. The regiment was fully equipped except for weapons. |
June 20-25 | Moved by train to Washington, D.C. via Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburg and Baltimore, met by cheering crowds at every stop, including Baltimore, where crowds cheered the men as they marched between train stations. |
June 25 | Arrived in Washington. The Second Wisconsin was the first of the Three Years Regiments to reach the capital. |
June 27 | The officers met with Colonel Coon to request his resignation. |
end of June | Crossed the Georgetown Aqueduct into Virginia and moved to Fort Corcoran. Attached to Sherman’s Brigade, Tyler’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeast Virginia. |
July 16-21 | Advance on Manassas, Va. |
July 17 | Occupation of Fairfax Court House |
July 18 | Action at Blackburn’s Ford |
July 21 |
Battle of Bull Run
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July 29 – 30 | Colonel Coon and Lt. Colonel Peck resigned. Major McDonald was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assumed command of the regiment. |
July-August | Duty at Fort Corcoran, Defenses of Washington, D.C. |
August | Camp at Meridian Hill and duty at Fort Tillinghast and Fort Corcoran, Division of the Potomac. |
August 3 | Edgar O’Connor was appointed Colonel to command the regiment. |
August 9 | Lieutenant Colonel McDonald resigned |
August 20 | Lucius Fairchild was appointed lieutenant colonel. |
August 28 | Thomas S. Allen was appointed major. |
August-October 10 | Company K assigned to duty as Heavy Artillery at Forts Corcoran, Marcy and Ethan Allen |
September 25 | Reconnaissance to Lewinsville, Va. |
October | Attached to King’s Brigade, McDowell’s Division, Army of the Potomac |
December 9 | Company K permanently transferred to 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery as Battery A |
December 20 | New Company K organized |
1862
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March | Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
March 10-16 | Advance on Manassas, Va. |
March 18-April 23 | Advance to Falmouth |
April | Attached to 3rd Brigade, King’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock |
April 1 | Woodstock |
May 25-29 | McDowell’s advance on Richmond |
June 2-11 | Operations against Jackson attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia |
July 24-26 | Reconnaissance to Orange Court House |
August 5-8 | Expedition to Frederick’s Hall Station and Spotsylvania Court House |
August 5-6 | Thornburg’s Mills or Massapona Church |
August 16-September 2 | Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia |
August 21-23 | Fords of the Rappahannock |
August 21 | Catlett’s Station |
August 28 |
Battle of Groveton (Brawner’s Farm)The regiment lost 298 men killed and wounded out of 500 men on the field in a brutal stand-up firefight with the Confederate Stonewall Brigade. Colonel O’Connor was mortally wounded. Major Allen was hit twice but stayed on the field. The regiment is referenced by a trailside marker on Brawner’s Farm on the Manassas battlefield. |
August 29-30 |
Second Battle of Bull Run |
September 1 | Battle of Chantilly (Reserve) |
September 6-22 | Maryland Campaign. Attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
September 8 | Lt. Colonel Fairchild was promoted to colonel and Major Allen to lieutenant colonel |
September 14 |
Battle of South Mountain |
September 16-17 |
Battle of Antietam
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September-October | At Sharpsburg, Md |
October 30- November 22 |
Advance to Falmouth, Va. |
December 12-15 |
Battle of Fredericksburg |
1863
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January 14 | Lt. Colonel Allen was transferred to become colonel of the 5th Wisconsin Infantry. Major Stevens was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John Mansfield of Company G promoted to major. |
January 20-24 | “Mud March” |
February-April | At Belle Plains |
February 2 | |
March 25-29 | Expedition from Belle Plains into Westmoreland County |
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 Chancellorsville |
May 20-26 | Operations on Northern Neck |
June | Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps |
June 9 |
Battle of Brandy StationTwo companies were temporarily attached to the 7th Wisconsin Infantry and were part of one of the composite infantry brigades that took part in the battle. |
June 11-July 24 | Gettysburg Campaign |
July 1-3 |
Battle of Gettysburg
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July 5-24 | Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va. |
August-October | Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan |
August 13 | Major Mansfield was promoted to lieutenant colonel. |
October 9-22 | Bristoe Campaign |
October 19 | Haymarket |
October 20 | Colonel Fairchild was promoted to brigadier general. He would shortly resign his commission due to his Gettyburg wound. |
November 7-8 | Advance to line of the Rappahannock |
November 26-December 2 | Mine Run Campaign |
1864
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February 9 | Lieutenant Colonel Mansfield was promoted to colonel. |
March | Attached to 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 5th Army Corps |
May 3-June 15 | Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River |
May 5-7 |
Battle of the Wilderness
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May 8 | Battle of Laurel Hill |
May 8-21 |
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House |
May 11 | Reduced to less than 100 men, the 2nd was detached from the Brigade and assigned to duty as Provost Guard of the 4th Division, 5th Army Corps |
May 12 | Assault on the Salient |
May 23-26 | North Anna River |
May 25 | Major Parsons was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Captain George H. Otis was promoted to major. |
May 26-28 | On line of the Pamunkey |
May 28-31 | Totopotomoy |
June 1-12 |
Battle of Cold Harbor |
June 11 | The regiment’s three year term of service was over. Non-Veterans were ordered to Madison, Wisconsin to muster out under Major Otis. Veterans and Recruits were consolidated to a battalion of two companies under Captain Dennis B. Daily of Company B known as the Independent Battalion Wisconsin Volunteers. |
June 16-18 |
First Assault on PetersburgSiege of Petersburg begins |
July 2 | Non-Veterans were mustered out at Madison, Wisconsin. |
August 18-21 |
Weldon RailroadAttached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps |
September | Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps |
October 27-28 |
Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run |
November 30 | Battalion consolidated with 6th Wisconsin Infantry as Companies G and H |