9th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 9th Regiment Michigan Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
, near Detroit, Michigan
, from independent companies recruited throughout the state, and mustered into Federal service for a three year enlistment on October 15, 1861. The Regiment was under the command of William Ward Duffield
as colonel and John G. Parkhurst as lieutenant colonel. The Ninth was the first Michigan regiment ordered to the western army or the "Army of the Ohio", as it was called at the time. The regiment was sent to West Point, Kentucky to build fortifications on Muldraugh's Hill.
March 9, the 23rd Brigade was created, consisting of the Ninth Michigan, the 3rd Minnesota, and the 8th and 23rd Kentucky regiments. Col. Duffield was placed in command of the brigade which was ordered to Nashville. This left Parkurst in command of the Ninth, which was ordered to Nashville. The Regiment arrived in Nashville on March 23rd, and soon moved South to occupy the important city of Murfreesboro. Colonel Duffield left the brigade on May 9th, to take command of the Department of Kentucky from the ailing Gen. Burnbridge. This left Col Lester of the 3rd Minnesota in charge of the brigade. Monday, June 30th, four companies (D, E F and I) of the 9th Michigan, under the command of Major Fox, left Murfreesboro for Tullahoma. Col Duffield rejoined the 9th in Murfreesboro on July 11th 1862.
in what was to be called the First Battle of Murfreesboro
. Because of decisions made by Col. Lester, the various union forces were camped in different locations. The 9th were attacked furiously by Forrest's forces. At three different times during the fighting, the 9th sent messengers to Col. Lester and the 3rd Minnesota requesting reinforcements. Each time, the request was denied, even though the 3rd Minnesota were not under attack. After 8 hours of intense fighting, and suffering casualties of 1/3 of the fighting force, the 9th surrendered to Forrest. Col. Duffield was wounded twice during the battle and never returned to the Regiment.
Forrest then invited Lester, under a flag of truce, to meet with the capture Union officers. Forrest lined the streets of town with as many Confederate soldiers as he could muster, giving the Union commander the impression that he was desperately outnumbered. After returning to his camp, Col. Lester and the 3rd Minnesota surrendered to Forrest, without having fired a shot.
The six captured companies of the Ninth were paroled, and made their way to Camp Chase, just outside of Columbus Ohio. Eventually most of the regiment found their way home, waiting for word of their exchange so they could again take up arms.
The Court of Inquiry report was so favorable to Colonel Parhurst that that Gen Thomas appointed him Provost Marhall of the XIV Corp, and the ninth was made provost guards of General George Thomas' Fourteenth Corps, Army of the Cumberland as it was now called.
on 26 December 1862, When the Union right was crushed at Stone River, the Ninth did most gallant service in checking the stampede to the rear, by firmly holding the Nashville Pike, the disorganized forces were stopped and returned to their commands. Major General Thomas complimented Colonel Parkhurst and the Regiment for the very important service rendered at this critical point of battle.
The regiment was mustered out on September 15, 1865.
The 9th Michigan lost 2 officers and 22 enlisted men killed in action or mortally wounded and 4 officers and 281 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 309
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...
.
Service
The Ninth Michigan Infantry organized at Fort Wayne (Detroit)Fort Wayne (Detroit)
Fort Wayne is located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, at the foot of Livernois Avenue in the Delray neighborhood. The fort is situated on the Detroit River at a point where it is about a mile to the Canadian shore. The original 1848 limestone barracks still stands, as does the 1845 star...
, near Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, from independent companies recruited throughout the state, and mustered into Federal service for a three year enlistment on October 15, 1861. The Regiment was under the command of William Ward Duffield
William Ward Duffield
William Ward Duffield was an executive in the coal industry, a railroad construction engineer, and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war he was appointed Superintendent of the U.S...
as colonel and John G. Parkhurst as lieutenant colonel. The Ninth was the first Michigan regiment ordered to the western army or the "Army of the Ohio", as it was called at the time. The regiment was sent to West Point, Kentucky to build fortifications on Muldraugh's Hill.
March 9, the 23rd Brigade was created, consisting of the Ninth Michigan, the 3rd Minnesota, and the 8th and 23rd Kentucky regiments. Col. Duffield was placed in command of the brigade which was ordered to Nashville. This left Parkurst in command of the Ninth, which was ordered to Nashville. The Regiment arrived in Nashville on March 23rd, and soon moved South to occupy the important city of Murfreesboro. Colonel Duffield left the brigade on May 9th, to take command of the Department of Kentucky from the ailing Gen. Burnbridge. This left Col Lester of the 3rd Minnesota in charge of the brigade. Monday, June 30th, four companies (D, E F and I) of the 9th Michigan, under the command of Major Fox, left Murfreesboro for Tullahoma. Col Duffield rejoined the 9th in Murfreesboro on July 11th 1862.
Capture at Murfreesboro
At 4:00 A.M. on the morning of July 13th, the Union garrison was attacked by a force of 2500 cavalry led by Confederate General Nathan Bedford ForrestNathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
in what was to be called the First Battle of Murfreesboro
Battle of Murfreesboro I
The First Battle of Murfreesboro was fought on July 13, 1862, in Rutherford County, Tennessee, as part of the American Civil War.-Background:...
. Because of decisions made by Col. Lester, the various union forces were camped in different locations. The 9th were attacked furiously by Forrest's forces. At three different times during the fighting, the 9th sent messengers to Col. Lester and the 3rd Minnesota requesting reinforcements. Each time, the request was denied, even though the 3rd Minnesota were not under attack. After 8 hours of intense fighting, and suffering casualties of 1/3 of the fighting force, the 9th surrendered to Forrest. Col. Duffield was wounded twice during the battle and never returned to the Regiment.
Forrest then invited Lester, under a flag of truce, to meet with the capture Union officers. Forrest lined the streets of town with as many Confederate soldiers as he could muster, giving the Union commander the impression that he was desperately outnumbered. After returning to his camp, Col. Lester and the 3rd Minnesota surrendered to Forrest, without having fired a shot.
The six captured companies of the Ninth were paroled, and made their way to Camp Chase, just outside of Columbus Ohio. Eventually most of the regiment found their way home, waiting for word of their exchange so they could again take up arms.
Tullahoma Companies
The other four companies remained at Tullahoma for some time, continuing to fortify that location. A month later, 29 August 1862, Forrest attacked the Union garrison at McMinnville, Tennessee, which consisted of the 18th Ohio and Company D of the Ninth Infantry. Thirteen of Forrest's men were killed in the attack; however none the Union garrison's defenders were mortally wounded. The following month, 11 September 1862, the companies engaged Forrest at Tyree Springs, Tennessee. Its only casualty was Major Fox's son, Charles, who died twelve days later. The Ninth would endure only two other combat deaths during its existence. Both of them died in October 1864, from wounds suffered at Atlanta. Major Fox escorted his son's body home for burial, but did not return to the Ninth Regiment. He resigned on 29 January 1863, and was immediately commissioned colonel and charged with raising and organizing the Twenty-seventh Michigan Infantry.Reconstitution at Bowling Green
After finally being exchanged, the six captured companies rejoined the regiment in Bowling Green on November 3 1862. On Christmas eve, three events happened which lifted the regiment's spirits tremendously. First a Court of Inquiry into the events at Murfreesboro praised the actions of the Ninth, and laid all the blame for the failures at Murfreesboro at the feet of Col. Lester, whom it cashiered Four other officers from the 3rd Minnesota were also court-martialed for cowardice at Murfreesboro. Second, General Thomas assigned the Ninth to be his headquarters guard. Men of the regiment believed that Gen. Thomas said that "he had a special duties for the regiment that had repulsed Forrest three times" Finally, Colonel Parhurst returned to the Regiment.The Court of Inquiry report was so favorable to Colonel Parhurst that that Gen Thomas appointed him Provost Marhall of the XIV Corp, and the ninth was made provost guards of General George Thomas' Fourteenth Corps, Army of the Cumberland as it was now called.
General Thomas' XIV Corps Headquarters Guard
At the Battle of Stones RiverBattle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
on 26 December 1862, When the Union right was crushed at Stone River, the Ninth did most gallant service in checking the stampede to the rear, by firmly holding the Nashville Pike, the disorganized forces were stopped and returned to their commands. Major General Thomas complimented Colonel Parkhurst and the Regiment for the very important service rendered at this critical point of battle.
The regiment was mustered out on September 15, 1865.
Total strength and casualties
Over its existence, the regiment carried a total of 2074 men on its muster rolls.The 9th Michigan lost 2 officers and 22 enlisted men killed in action or mortally wounded and 4 officers and 281 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 309
fatalities.