2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade
of the Army of the Potomac
.
, Alexander W. Randall (R
), issued a call to arms throughout the state of Wisconsin
following President Abraham Lincoln
's April 15, 1861, proclamation for troops to put down the rebellion. Enough Wisconsin men enrolled to allow the formation of two regiments, one more than the single regiment quota from Lincoln's directive. The 2nd Wisconsin was primarily raised in Madison
, Racine
, Milwaukee
, Oshkosh
, and La Crosse
. It assembled in Madison and was mustered into Federal service on June 11, 1861, as a three years regiment (reorganized from the original three months regiment). Governor Randall commissioned S. Park Coon
, a 41-year-old native of New York
and Wisconsin's attorney general
prior to the war, as the new regiment's first colonel
. The lieutenant colonel
, Henry W. Peck, was an Ohio
an who had graduated from West Point in 1851 and provided some professional military experience and training, versus the political appointee Coon.
The regiment was transported to Washington, D.C.
, and saw its first combat at the First Battle of Bull Run
in July 1861 in a brigade
under William T. Sherman. Coon, never comfortable in his role as a military man, resigned July 30 to return to politics. Peck and the major
also resigned, all were considered victims of the regiment's poor performance at Bull Run. Three new field officers replaced them—Col. Edgar O'Connor, Lt. Col. Fairchild
, and Maj. Thomas S. Allen. The appointment of O'Connor, married to a Southern woman and an outspoken Democrat
, was met with sharp criticism in Wisconsin's media, particularly in the Republican newspapers. He would prove to be a brave and competent leader, however, and was killed in action in Virginia
in late summer 1862. Lt. Col. Fairchild was promoted to the rank of full Colonel on September 8th, 1862 to become the third Commander of the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteers.
The regiment suffered severe casualties during the 1862 Northern Virginia Campaign
, fighting against Stonewall Jackson
's Confederates
at the Battle of Groveton, and seeing more action at the Second Battle of Bull Run
. During the subsequent Maryland Campaign
, the 2nd Wisconsin attacked Turner's Gap during the Battle of South Mountain
, and then again took high casualties in the Cornfield at Antietam
.
Perhaps the regiment's finest hour came at Gettysburg
, where it lost 77% of its strength (233 casualties out of 302 effectives) in stubborn fighting on McPherson's Ridge
during the Iron Brigade's lengthy action on July 1, 1863. Colonel Fairchild lost an arm due to severe wound, and most of the line officers went down as well. The regiment reformed on Culp's Hill
and entrenched for the rest of the battle. It later served in the Bristoe
and Mine Run Campaigns.
Although the 2nd Wisconsin was able to replenish some of its losses, it was never the same fighting force again. The regiment was mustered out on July 2, 1864. New recruits and later enlistees were consolidated into a battalion
which was amalgamated with the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
on November 30, 1864.
The regiment lost 10 officers and 228 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 77 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 315 fatalities.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade
Iron Brigade
The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought entirely in the Eastern Theater, it was composed of regiments from Western states...
of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
.
Service
The Governor of WisconsinGovernor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
, Alexander W. Randall (R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
), issued a call to arms throughout the state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
following President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's April 15, 1861, proclamation for troops to put down the rebellion. Enough Wisconsin men enrolled to allow the formation of two regiments, one more than the single regiment quota from Lincoln's directive. The 2nd Wisconsin was primarily raised in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Racine
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
, Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
, and La Crosse
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
. It assembled in Madison and was mustered into Federal service on June 11, 1861, as a three years regiment (reorganized from the original three months regiment). Governor Randall commissioned S. Park Coon
S. Park Coon
Squire Park Coon was an American politician and soldier from Wisconsin.Coon served as Wisconsin Attorney General 1850-1852. Later, during the American Civil War, he served in the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment as colonel, but resigned soon after. He died on October 12, 1883.-Notes:...
, a 41-year-old native of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Wisconsin's attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
prior to the war, as the new regiment's first colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. The lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, Henry W. Peck, was an Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
an who had graduated from West Point in 1851 and provided some professional military experience and training, versus the political appointee Coon.
The regiment was transported to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and saw its first combat at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
in July 1861 in a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
under William T. Sherman. Coon, never comfortable in his role as a military man, resigned July 30 to return to politics. Peck and the major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
also resigned, all were considered victims of the regiment's poor performance at Bull Run. Three new field officers replaced them—Col. Edgar O'Connor, Lt. Col. Fairchild
Lucius Fairchild
Lucius Fairchild was an American politician, army general, and diplomat. He served as the tenth Governor of Wisconsin and as U.S. Minister to Spain.-Military career:...
, and Maj. Thomas S. Allen. The appointment of O'Connor, married to a Southern woman and an outspoken Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, was met with sharp criticism in Wisconsin's media, particularly in the Republican newspapers. He would prove to be a brave and competent leader, however, and was killed in action in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in late summer 1862. Lt. Col. Fairchild was promoted to the rank of full Colonel on September 8th, 1862 to become the third Commander of the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteers.
The regiment suffered severe casualties during the 1862 Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign
The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E...
, fighting against Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
's Confederates
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
at the Battle of Groveton, and seeing more action at the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
. During the subsequent Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
, the 2nd Wisconsin attacked Turner's Gap during the Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
, and then again took high casualties in the Cornfield at Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
.
Perhaps the regiment's finest hour came at Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, where it lost 77% of its strength (233 casualties out of 302 effectives) in stubborn fighting on McPherson's Ridge
Edward McPherson
Edward McPherson was a prominent Pennsylvania newspaperman, attorney, and United States Congressman. As a director of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, he effected efforts to protect portions of the Gettysburg Battlefield.-Early life and career:McPherson was born in Gettysburg,...
during the Iron Brigade's lengthy action on July 1, 1863. Colonel Fairchild lost an arm due to severe wound, and most of the line officers went down as well. The regiment reformed on Culp's Hill
Culp's Hill
Culps Hill is a Battle of Gettysburg landform south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with a heavily wooded summit of . The east slope is to Rock Creek , 160 feet lower in elevation, and the west slope is to a saddle with Stevens Knoll with a summit lower than the Culps Hill summit...
and entrenched for the rest of the battle. It later served in the Bristoe
Bristoe Campaign
The Bristoe Campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, began to maneuver in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern...
and Mine Run Campaigns.
Although the 2nd Wisconsin was able to replenish some of its losses, it was never the same fighting force again. The regiment was mustered out on July 2, 1864. New recruits and later enlistees were consolidated into a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
which was amalgamated with the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 6th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac.-Service:...
on November 30, 1864.
Total enlistments and casualties
The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry initially mustered 1051 men and later recruited an additional 152 men, for a total of 1203 men.The regiment lost 10 officers and 228 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 77 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 315 fatalities.
Colonels
- Colonel S. Park CoonS. Park CoonSquire Park Coon was an American politician and soldier from Wisconsin.Coon served as Wisconsin Attorney General 1850-1852. Later, during the American Civil War, he served in the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment as colonel, but resigned soon after. He died on October 12, 1883.-Notes:...
- April 24, 1861, to July 30, 1861 - Resigned. - Colonel Edgar O'Connor - August 3, 1861, to August 28, 1862 - Killed in action at Gainesville, VirginiaGainesville, Virginia-Demographics:Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the census estimate of 2009, there were 28,662 people, 10,300 households, and 8,604 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile . There were 10,300 housing units...
. - Colonel Lucius FairchildLucius FairchildLucius Fairchild was an American politician, army general, and diplomat. He served as the tenth Governor of Wisconsin and as U.S. Minister to Spain.-Military career:...
- September 8, 1862, to October 20, 1863 - Promoted to Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
by President Lincoln. - Colonel John Mansfield - February 9, 1864, to August 14, 1864 - Mustered out with the regiment
External links
- Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry - A large website with comprehensive information on the 2nd Wisconsin, as well as many other Wisconsin-based Civil War regiments and civilian life in the state during the period.
- Wisconsin Battle Flags- A website by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation showcasing the battle flags of Wisconsin regiments, including the 2nd Wisconsin.