United States Regiments & Batteries > Wisconsin


The 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 10 officers and 271 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 143 enlisted men by disease during the Civil War. The Seventh Wisconsin is honored by a monument on the Gettysburg battlefield.

Four men of the 7th won the Medal of Honor: Francis J. CoatesHorace EllisAlbert O’Connor and William H. Sickles, the most of any Wisconsin regiment.

1861
August Organized at Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin
September 2 Mustered in under Colonel Joseph Vandor, Lieutenant Colonel William W. Robinson and Major Charles A. Hamilton.
September 21 Left State for Washington, D.C.
October 1 Arrived in Washington and attached to King’s Brigade, McDowell’s Division, Army of the Potomac and duty in the Defenses of Washington
1862
January 30 Colonel Vandor resigned.
February 3 Lieutenant Colonel Robinson was promoted to colonel, Major Hamilton to lieutenant colonel, and Captain George Bill of Company A to major.
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-16 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 9-19 Advance to Falmouth, Va. and duty at Falmouth and Fredericksburg
April Attached to 3rd Brigade, King’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
May 25-29 McDowell’s advance on Richmond
June 2-11 Operations against Jackson
June Attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia
July 24-27 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 Massaponax Church
August 9 Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 16 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 21-23 Fords of the Rappahannock
August 22 Catlett’s Station
August 28
Battle of Groveton, or Brawner’s Farm

Colonel Robinson, Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton and Major Bill were wounded, although Hamilton remained on the field until the end of the fighting. Captain John B. Callis of Company F then took command of the regiment as senior captain.

The regiment is referenced on a trailside marker along the Brawner’s Farm loop trail on the Bull Run battlefield.

August 29-30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1 Battle of Chantilly (Reserve)
September 6 Maryland Campaign. Attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14
Battle of South Mountain

The regiment assaulted Turner’s Gap, suffering 147 casualties out of 375 men engaged. The brigade earned the name, “Iron Brigade.”

September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

The brigade was the spearhead of Hooker’s early morning attack down the Hagerstown Pike. The 7th Wisconsin took about 190 men into action and lost 9 men killed, 26 wounded and 5 missing.

From the marker for Gibbon’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

On the morning of the 17th, with its right on the Hagerstown Pike, Gibbon’s Brigade, which three days before had earned the title of the “Iron Brigade”, advanced in the direction of the Dunkard Church. When 135 yards north of this point Confederates, deployed under cover of the ledge and woods west of the pike attacked the flank, upon which the 19th Indiana and 7th Wisconsin were deployed on the plateau and in the woods west of the pike and the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin in the infamous Cornfield east of it. Battery B, 4th U. S. Artillery, went into position west of the pike and a few yards south of Miller’s barn. Supported by Patrick’s Brigade and the Battery on the right and Phelps’ Brigade on the left, Gibbon’s Brigade advanced to and south of this point but was forced back. Charge and countercharge of the most deadly character were made across the open plateau west of and in the Cornfield and ground south of it, east of the pike, and the Iron Brigade was compelled to retire to the field north of D. R. Miller’s and then to the cover of the high ground north and east of Joseph Poffenberger’s.

September 18 At Sharpsburg, Md.
October 30-November 22 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.
1863
January 5 Major Bill had never recovered from his Brawner Farm wound enough to return to the field and resigned.
January 20-24 “Mud March”
January 25 At Belle Plain
February 26 Captain John B. Callis of Company F was promoted to major effective to January 5.
March 3 Major Hamilton was discharged due to his wound from Brawner’s Farm, the doctors never having been able to successfully extricate a bullet from his thigh.
March 9 Major Callis was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Mark Finnicum of Company H was promoted to major.
April 27 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Pollock’s Mill Creek
April 29-30
Fitzhugh’s Crossing

Captain Alexander Gordon and Lieutenant Wiliam O. Topping were killed.

May 2-5
Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 3 men killed, 5 wounded and 1 missing

June Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps
June 9
Battle of Brandy Station

Commanded by Colonel William Robinson, the regiment was temporarily attached to a composite brigade of infantry that supported the left flank of the Cavalry Corps in the battle.

June 11 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

Colonel Robinson took over the brigade during the battle, and Major Mark Finnicum led the regiment. From the monument:

It went into action with 370 and lost killed – 39, wounded – 103, missing – 52, total – 194. Francis Jefferson Coates of Company H was awarded the Medal of Honor “In action at Gettysburg, PA on July 1, 1863 for unsurpassed courage in battle where he had both eyes shot out.”

July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
July 25 Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan
October 9 Bristoe Campaign
October 19
Haymarket

Lost 40 men skirmishing

November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26 Mine Run Campaign
December Lieutenant Colonel Callis was discharged due to disability from his Gettysburg wound. Major Finnicum was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and Captain Hollon Richardson was promoted to major.
1864
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 5th Army Corps
May 4 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8 Battle of Laurel Hill
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Lieutenant Colonel Finnicum was wounded.

May 12 Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle”
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 23 Jericho Ford
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
May 31 Lieutenant Colonel Finnicum returned to duty after his Spotsylvania wound.
June 1-12
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 1-3 Bethesda Church
June 16-18
First Assault on Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg begins

July 9 Colonel Robinson resigned.
August Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps
August 3 Major Richardson was promoted to acting lieutenant colonel.
August 18-21
Weldon Railroad

Corporal Horace Ellis was awarded the Medal of Honor “for action at Weldon Rail Road Station, Virginia on August 21, 1864. Captured the flag of the 16th Mississippi.”

September Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps
October 27-28
Boydton Plank Road (First Hatcher’s Run)
December 17 Lieutenant Colonel Mark Finnicum resigned. Major Richardson was confirmed as lieutenant colonel.
December 29 Captain George S. Hoyt was promoted to major.
1865
February 5-7
Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
March 28
Lewis Farm, near Gravelly Run

Albert O’Connor and William H. Sickles were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at Gravelly Run.

March 30-31 Boydton and White Oak Roads
April 1
Battle of Five Forks

Lieutenant Colonel Richardson was wounded in the final attack against the Confederate rear guard when he threw himself in front of General Warren to shield him from Confederate fire. Richardson was breveted colonel for his heroic actions in the battle.

April 2 Fall of Petersburg
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.

May Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 16 Moved to Louisville, Ky.
July 2 Mustered out