Clark County WI
Civil War Unit Histories
Compiled by Paul Forester, Janet Schwarze, Allan Wessel & Ken Wood
16th Wisconsin Infantry
By E. B. Quiner, transcribed by Janet Schwarze.
~Page 2~
Advance of the Federal Troops on Corinth
General Hurlbut's Division forcing their way through the mud.
The regiment remained in the vicinity of Pittsburg Landing until about the 1st of May, when it moved forward towards Corinth and took part in the investment of that place. It was in the First Brigade, of which General McArthur took command on the 24th of May, in the Sixth Division. On the 29th, the enemy evacuated Corinth, and the forces of General Halleck entered and took possession. On the 6th of June, the regiment went into camp a short distance south of the town, where it remained stationed in the fortifications until the 17th of September, when the division, forming part of the left wing of the Army of the Tennessee, under General Ord, marched by a circuitous route to cooperate with the forces of General Rosecrans in an attack on the rebel General Price, who was then in force at Iuka. General Hamilton's division, however, encountered the rebel General on the 19th., and after a hard day's fight, completely routed him before the forces of General Ord could reach the town, which they entered the day after the battle. Here rumors were prevalent that the rebels were advancing on Corinth, and the left wing was immediately put in motion, and by a forced march, reached that place next day.
General Price, after the battle of Iuka, by a rapid movement, succeeded in
forming a junction with General Van Dorn at Ripley. With a large force, these
two Generals advanced to the attack on Corinth by the Chewalla road. The greater
portion of General Grant's army was at Bolivar, and the force at Corinth was
greatly inferior to that of the rebels. The Fourteenth and Eighteenth Wisconsin,
with Oliver's brigade, was sent out on the 1st of October, to near Chewalla. The
enemy was found advancing in force, and the brigade slowly retired to within
four miles of Corinth. Here it formed line of battle two miles in advance of our
works. On the night of the 2d, the Sixteenth, under Major Reynolds, who was in
command, (Colonel Allen being in command of the brigade,) marched out to the
same line. In the morning, Companies B and C acting as skirmishers, engaged the
rebel skirmishers and drove them back. The enemy advanced in line of battle, and
opened a heavy fire of artillery which compelled the Union force to fall back to
a position within half a mile of the works. The regiments on the left, found it
impossible to stand against the overwhelming force which the rebels displayed,
and after holding the ground a short time, the division of General McArthur
withdrew within the works, where they remained until the enemy were turning the
right flank, when another line was formed still nearer the town. About five
o'clock in the afternoon still another retreat was ordered, and the left wing
fell back behind the new line of works, nearest the town. here the enemy ceased
to molest them for the night. On the next day, the Sixteenth, with the division,
took a position near the Seminary and aided in repulsing the several charges
made by the enemy, although not greatly exposed. After a terrible contest all
the morning, the rebels were repulsed at all points, and at midnight, the
division of General McArthur started in pursuit. A part of the Sixteenth was
kept in front as skirmishers under Captain Hovey. The pursuit continued to
Ripley, where it was abandoned and the troops returned to Corinth, having
occupied a week in going to Ripley and returning. The regiment was under command
of Major Reynolds, assisted by the able Adjutant of tha regiment, Lieutenant
Sabin, and Captain Osborn, acting as Major.
The casualties in the Sixteenth, we find in the records of the Adjutant
General's office, and the list of wounded is as reported:
KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS.--
Company B--
Private John Rouser. Company C-- Sergeant David Hewes and Privates Robert
D. Roberts and George C. Swinger. Company
E--Corporal George K Sheldon and Private Ira Dimmick.
Company F-- First
Lieut. Angus S. Northrop, Company I--Sergeant Edwin T. Winchester and
Corporal William Tipping. Company K--Sergeant K D. Bradford--10.
WOUNDED.-- Company A--Captain John W. Cotanch, Sergeants James Biggart and
James O. Champlin. Company B--Sergeant Joseph H. Mann, Corporal John B.
Colby and Private Amos Brown. Company C--Privates Byron C. Randall, Martin
M. Eldred, Thomas G. Ross, W. J. Jones and Frank Melons. Company D--Private
Jacob Beck, James Cook, Hiram B. Whitney and John Cook. Company E--Sergeant
William C, White, Corporal John B. Keys and Private Perry B. Proper. Company
F-- Private Daniel M. Fine. Company G--Privates William Marks, Michael
McGillon, Charles Richardson, William Stewart and Frank Seigrist. Company H--
Private Solon N. Weston. Company I-- Corporal P. H. Demphy. Company K--Corporal Louis De Condre --27.
They remained in camp near Corinth until the 2d of Novem. ber, when the division moved to Grand Junction, and encamped on the 4th, within three miles of the place.
The regiment having become reduced by the casualties of battle and sickness, a
field order was issued on the 8d of November, for the consolidation of the
regiment into five companies, viz:
A, C, E, G and I--Companies A and B, C and F, D and E, G and K, and H and I, were
consolidated together, and the Company officers of B, D, F, H and K, were
discharged. Colonel Allen returning to Wisconsin, the regiment was under the
command of Major Reynolds, Lieutenant Colonel Fairchild still being disabled
from his wound.
On the 28th, the movement to the southward began, the division taking part in
the advance of the army of General Grant until recalled by the disaster at Holly
Springs. The command then returned to Moscow, Tenn., where they engaged in rail.
road guard duty on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, until the 10th of
January, when the division of General McArthur moved to Memphis, and embarked
for Vicksburg, where they remained till the 9th of February. Then with the
division, the regiment was transferred to Lake Providence, seventy-five miles
above Vicksburg, on the Louisiana Bide, and took part in the .work of cutting a
canal to the Lake, in compliance with General Grant's design to open a new route
below Vicksburg. Here the regiment remained until about the 1st of August.
During this time, two or three skirmishes took place with the rebels, but the
regiment was chiefly engaged in provost and guard duty, Major Reynolds acting as
Provost Marshal. Colonel Allen returned to the regiment in April, and Lieutenant
Colonel Fairchild in May. Colonel Allen resigned on the 17th of July.
About the 1st of August, the Sixteenth moved down the river to Vicksburg, and on
the 28th of September, marched out to Redbone Church, near Big Black River,
twelve miles from Vicksburg. Here Lieutenant Colonel Fairchild was placed in
command of the Sixteenth, and the Second Wisconsin Cavalry, under command of
Major Eastman, and ordered to protect the Union citizens and to prevent the
guerillas from coming across the Big Black, and to stop all travel to Vicksburg
except such persons as he should se fit to allow to pass the lines. Frequent
skirmishes were had with detachments of Wirt Adams' rebel cavalry. Here they
remained until the 5th of February, 1864, when they moved into the
fortifications at Vicksburg, and acted as part of the garrison. On the 4th of
March, 1864, they were joined by Companies F, H and K, which had been recruited
in Wisconsin for the regiment.
The old companies reenlisted, and on the 6th, left Vicksburg for Wisconsin, on
veteran furlough, arriving at Madison on the 16th, where they were publicly
welcomed by the State authorities, and the members of the Legislature.
Dispersing to their several homes, and after enjoying their thirty days of
respite from military matters, they rendezvoused at Camp Randall, Madison, on
the 18th of April, and reached Cairo on the 22d, where the non-veterans and the
new companies, together with a new Company B, which had been recruited and sent
from Wisconsin, rejoined the regiment, making nine companies. While at home on
furlough, Lieutenant Colonel Fairchild returned to Governor Lewis, the old
colors received from Governor Harvey, which had passed through the fiery ordeals
of Shiloh and Corinth, and other battles. They are now deposited with the battle
flags of other regiments in the State Capitol.
On the 17th of March, Lieutenant Colonel Fairchild was appointed Colonel, Major
Reynolds, Lieutenant Colonel, and Cap.. tam William F. Dawes, Major. At Cairo,
the regiment found the Seventeenth Army Corps on its way to join General
Sherman, and was assigned to the First Brigade, Third Division, with which it
left Cairo on the 4th of May, proceeding by transports up the Tennessee River to
Clifton, Tenn. Here they were rejoined by the remainder of the division under
General Leggett. Taking up their line of march to join Sherman's army then en-
route for Atlanta, they proceeded by way of Huntsville, Warrenton, Ala., and
Rome, Ga., and reached Ackworth, near which General Sherman's army was
operating, on the 8th of June, after a march of 320 miles.
Here they took their position in the left wing of the army of the Tennessee, and
on the 10th, began their advance southward, the First Brigade being in the
advance of the corps. The enemy were first encountered on the 15th, in the
vicinity of Kenesaw Mountain. The Sixteenth relieved an Illinois regiment, when
they became hotly engaged as skirmishers, and John Whipple, of Company K, was
mortally wounded. Continuing in the trenches, constantly skirmishing, until the
19th, the division moved forward and occupied Brush Mountain, and subsequently
took part in a reconnaissance to the left, and on the 28th, made a demonstration
on the enemy's right. It accompanied General McPherson's movement to the right,
on the 2d of July, which turned the enemy's position on Kenesaw, and compelled
its evacuation. They accompanied a reconnaissance to the extreme right, and
ascertained the enemy's new position, when they returned and encamped on the
extreme right of the army, where they remained till the 10th, when they moved to
Sweetwater Creek, and remained as guard until the 16th, and on the next day,
crossed the Chattahoochee, with the Seventeenth Corps, and encamped three miles
south of the river. On the 20th, they passed through Decatur, and took position
in line of battle on the extreme left of the army. The Twelfth and Sixteenth
Wisconsin regiments were in the same brigade in the Third Division, and on the
21st of July, were under the command of General Force. With the Twelfth
Wisconsin, the Sixteenth, on that day, led the assaulting column, composed of
the Third division, under General Leggett, against the rebel works on Bald Hill.
The Third and Fourth divisions were engaged in this assault. The march was
across a cornfield on the side hill, and for a quarter of a mile was exposed to
the full force of the enemy's fire. The Fourth Division failed to hold its
position in the advancing column, and fell back, which enabled the rebels to
pour in a cross fire on the Third division. With fixed bayonets, the Third
Division, led by the Sixteenth and Twelfth Wisconsin, charged, with a terrific
yell, up the hill, and over and into the works, driving the rebel troops out of
and beyond the entrenchments. In the history of the Twelfth, we have given a
description of the assault on Bald Hill, more in detail. A full description here
of the doings of the Sixteenth, would be nearly a repetition. On the 22d, the
Twelfth and Sixteenth were inseparably connected, and in the bloody fight of
that day the two regiments showed the greatest valor and bravery. On the 21st,
the enemy were driven a considerable distance beyond the works, the ground being
strewn with their dead and wounded. Here it was that Captain Wheeler, of Company
G, was shot through both thighs. On the return of the regiment to the captured
works, Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds was wounded in the thigh by a shot from a
rebel sharpshooter. Captain Hovey, of Company C, of Beaver Dam, was mortally
wounded.
After the battle of the 22d, the regiment was engaged until the 26th of July, in
strengthening the works, and gradually advancing towards the enemy's defenses.
On that day, they took part in the movement to the right, against the enemy's
communications to the west and south of Atlanta, taking position in the centre
of the investing force. Here they were employed in siege and fatigue duty until
the 26th of August, when they accompanied the movement of the army of the
Tennessee, and struck the railroad leading from the southwest into Atlanta, on
the 28th, and took part in destroying it from that point to Jonesboro, where
they arrived on the 80th, and assisted in repulsing the attack of the next day.
Moving forward to Lovejoy, they participated in the $kirmish near that place,
where Walter Divan, of Company K, was reported as killed, and Silas Lloyd, of
Company E, as dying of wounds, September 15th. Returning with the rest of
Sherman's forces, they went into camp near Atlanta, on the 9th.
The following is a list of the casualties in the Sixteenth regiment, from June
9th to September 9th, 1864. The casualties occurred on the 21st and 22d of July,
except where otherwise noted:
KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS.--
Company A--Sergeants
Stephens McNeely and Chas. Graves, Privates Andrew Cronk, Fred W. Wright, Reuben
Wakeman, Joseph Charter and Lloyd Wakeman. Company B--Corporal Peter
Purthe, Privates Uriab Ensign, C. Edward Fuller, Orren hastings, Andrew Pringle,
James Robbins and Adelbert Warren. Company C--Captain Pachal liovey,
Privates William Adams, Joseph Duckworth, Willard .1. Harrington, July 7, and
Theodore Foster. Company E--Sergeants Ira P. Sands and Hiram L. Stone,
Corporal Oren Hugaboom, Privates Ezra L. Chapman, Fred Guntech, Hugh G. Luminson,
Asa M, Stoddard, Michael Ryan arid Frederick Wolf. Company F--Privates
Ebenezer Wright and Edmund Starr, at Andersonville. Company G-- Privates
W. W. Bartlett, Robert A. Coleman and Zachariab C. Riley. Company H--Privates
George K Stilman, Francis Welcome and Lynn J. Morgan. Company I-- First
Sergeant Adrian T. Haroun, Sergt. Terrence O'Brien and Private Ole Iverson. Company K-- Privates John K. Glass, Julius C. Huriburt and John Gleason -- 38.
WOUNDED--Field Officer--Lieutenant Colonel
Thomas Reynolds, severely In thigh. Company A--Capt. James A.
Biggert, Corporal Jerome Adams, Privates John Fratzkee, Marion Perry, Charles H.
Smith, Daniel E. Eldridge, Aug. 13, Thomas Prothero, Aug. 1, John Jones, Aug. 9,
and Cortland Gorman, Aug. 9. Company B--Corporals Lester Stevens and
Charles Smith, Privates Philip Ryan, John Johnson. Eli Field, Hiram Kezer and
Blake L. De Land. Company C--First Sergeant D. Lloyd Jones, Sergeant F. P.
Thompson, Corporal Richard Powers, Privates James L. Rogers, July 4, Thomas O.
Ross and Archibald Pringle. Company E--Sergeant Curtis B. Stone, July 23,
Privates Melvin W. Burdick, Edward 3. Bonnell, John W. H. Craig, Engle
Halverson, July , Henry Rigger, Edward A. Salomon, Aug. 4, James W. Shanks, Aug.
5, Jos. Smith and Jno. Schaller. Company F--Capt. Joseph Craig, Sergts J.
R. West and Vincent O. Willard, Aug. 12, Corps. Daniel Porter and Dennis
Kavanaugh, Privates Herman Wedder, Stephen Corey, Stephen A. Carey, Francis E.
Peck, Perry Dunning, Wm. O'Connor, John Hilton, Josiah Hayden, Aug. 6, and
Dudley Pray. Company G--Captain John R. Wheeler, Lieut. Thos. W. M. Macaly,
Aug. 5, Sergeant William Lake, Privates Patrick Keogh, James O. Hatch, Aug. 4,
and John 0. Shaw, Aug. 13. Company H--Privates Peter Dewey. Edwin Prindie,
Alfred Bolton, Ever Nelson, Abraham O. Abbott, Ferdinand Baster, Poll C.
Stephenson, July , and William H. Fox, Aug. 3. Company I--Corporals
Thomas H. Leslie, Jacob Fawcitt and Charles Eckerson, Privates Lafayette Bishop,
Charles O. Harris, Michael O'Connor, William E. Tuthill, Nathan B. Underwood,
Samuel Worrill, James H. Williamson, William H. Rice, Leander Roberts, Thomas
Pendagrass, July 27, and John Cooper, Aug. 13. Company K-- Lieutenant H.
O. Cleveland, Privates John Trogner, John Allright, Sumner Wiggins, Chas. Linsey,
John W. Cline and Robt. McNight--72.
They remained near Atlanta until the 3d of October, when the regiment, with the
rest of the Seventeenth Corps, marched back towards Chattanooga, in pursuit of
General Hood, who had crossed the Chattahoochee, and was endeavoring to destroy
Sherman's communications. The forces of General Sherman followed him to
Allatoona, Resaca, and Fayette, and drove him into Central Alabama. Martin
Niles, of Company C, is reported as having died at Marietta, Ga., the 20th of
October.
Returning from the pursuit, Sherman began his preparations for the Savannah
campaign. As his force returned towards Atlanta, they totally destroyed the
railroad from Tunnel Hill to Atlanta, and on the 15th of November, destroyed, as
far as possible, the city of Atlanta, and next day commenced the march to
Savannah. The Sixteenth accompanied the expedition, attached to the First
Brigade, Third Division, doing its share towards the destruction of the
railroads, and effecting the other objects of the expedition. On the march, the
Sixteenth was tinder the command of Major Dawes, until the 21st of December,
when he turned the command over to Captain Joseph Craig, of Company F. Colonel
Fairchild rejoined the army at l3eaufort, S. C., and General Force being in
command of the division, Colonel Fairchild assumed command of the brigade, which
position he retained until reaching Goldsboro, and the Sixteenth was commanded
by Captain Craig.
We have given the general history of this movement. Nothing occurred in the
operations of the Sixteenth on this march from Atlanta to Savannah, or from
Savannah to Goldsboro, which would prove of interest to the general reader. The
march was accomplished without casualty of any kind. Joining in pursuit of
Johnston's army, they marched from Goldsboro to Raleigh, where that rebel
general surrendered, on the 26th of April, 1865.
The march homeward was by the way of Richmond and Washington City, where the
regiment took part in the grand review. From thence, on the 7th of June, they
were ordered to move to Louisville, Ky., reaching there on the 12th of June, and
going into camp, until the 12th of July, when they were mustered out, and on the
14th, took cars for home, reaching Madison on the evening of July 16th, where
they were publicly received by the State officers, and received permission to go
home until arrangements could be made to pay them off This was done on the 19th
of August, and the regiment was disbanded.
Colonel Fairchild was brevetted Brigadier General, for meritorious services
during the war.
Regimental Statistics.--Original strength, 1,066. Gain--by recruits in 1863, 70,
in 1864, 547, in 1865, 12; by substitutes, 88; by draft, in 1864, 155, in 1865,
19; veteran reenlistments, 248; total, 2,200. Loss --by death, 363; missing, 46;
deserted, 115; transferred, 38; discharged, 386; mustered out, 1,252.
