Statewide County WI Archives Military Records.....History Of The Iron Brigade, 2nd WI Infantry Civilwar ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/wifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 3, 2007, 9:51 pm History Of The Iron Brigade, 2nd WI Infantry IRON BRIGADE. SECOND REGIMENT. The Second regiment, like the First, was originally enrolled under the President's call for 75,000 three months' volunteers. The various companies were ordered to rendezvous at Camp Randall during the first week of May, 1861, where the regimental organization was effected under the supervision of Colonel S. Park Coon, of Milwaukee. Meanwhile the General Government had decided to accept no more troops for this short term of service, and accordingly on the 16th of May, the regiment was called upon to re-enlist "for three years or during the war." The men complied enthusiastically, with the exception of one company, which was immediately disbanded, its place in the regiment being supplied by the "Wisconsin Rifles," of Milwaukee, under command of Captain A. J. Langworthy. On the 11th of June, the Second regiment, thus reorganized, was mustered into the United States service for "three years or during the war," being the first Wisconsin organization so mustered. Having been completely uniformed and equipped by the State, with the exception of arms, they left Madison for service in the field, on the 20th of June, and proceeding by way of Chicago, Pittsburg and Baltimore, arrived on the 25th at Washington, the first regiment of three years' men to appear in the capital, encamping in the suburbs of the city, whence they marched on the 2d of July, by the Georgetown Aqueduct, to a point two miles west of Fort Corcoran, on the Fairfax road. In this camp the regiment was brigaded with three New York regiments, under command of Colonel (now Major General) W. T. Sherman, Colonel Coon being detached for staff duty. The movement upon Manassas began on the 16tli of July, General Tyler's division, to which they were attached, moving by way of Falls Church, Vienna and Germantown, a distance of twenty-three miles, to Centreville, at which place they bivouacked on the 18th, About noon, the regiment was ordered up to support the remainder of the division, which had come up with, and engaged the enemy at Blackburn's Ford, on Bull Hun. Advancing on the double quick upwards of three miles, they deployed under heavy artillery fire in the second line of battle, but without becoming actively engaged. In the evening they retired to Centreville, taking position one mile from that place, on the Warrenton turnpike. At an early hour on the 21st, Tyler's division moved down the Warrenton road to occupy and hold a position near the Stone Bridge, while Hunter's division flanked the enemy's left by way of Sudley's Ford. The latter movement proving successful, Tyler's division, filing to the right, forded Bull Kun a short distance above Stone Bridge, and joined in the pursuit of the enemy towards Manassas. On a range of hills a little south of the Warrenton pike, at right angles with the Sudley road, the enemy made a stand; his batteries being advantageously posted, and his infantry supports concealed and protected by the heavy growth of timber. Being ordered to assault one of the batteries on the east side of the Sudley road, the Second moved up under a terrific enfilading fire of shell and canister from other batteries, formed in line at the foot of the hill and charged up, driving back the enemy's infantry, which had emerged from cover in pursuit of a body of our troops, just repulsed in a similar assault, and almost reaching the guns. At this critical moment, the absence of their two field officers led to a confusion of orders, which caused the two wings to be separated and eventually threw them into disorder. But the spirit of the men was unbroken and they remained on the field, fighting in squads, under the direction of company officers, for nearly an hour longer, when the rebels being reinforced by the arrival of Johnson's troops from the Shenandoah, they were attacked on their right flank and subjected to a cross fire which compelled them to fall back in disorder, having suffered a loss of thirty killed, one hundred and five wounded and sixty-five missing; most of whom, with a number of the wounded, were taken prisoners. By noon of the following day, the regiment had assembled at Port Corcoran, and on the morning of the 23d, they went into camp close to the left of the fort, where they remained, perfecting their discipline and engaged in the performance of outpost duty, in the vicinity of Ball's Cross Roads, and on the Alexandria and Leesburg railroad until the 27th of August, when they were transferred from Colonel Sherman's command, to that of Brigadier General Rufus King, which then consisted of the Fifth and Sixth Wisconsin, together with the Nineteenth Indiana, since proudly known by the title given by the acclamation of their comrades in arms, as the "Iron Brigade." It may here be stated that on the 9th of December following, company K was permanently detached from the regiment, by order of the War Department, and organized as heavy artillery, its place in the line being filled by the present company K, whose muster dates from the 20th of December, 1862. The subsequent history of the regiment was identified with that of the "Iron Brigade," until the month of May, 1864, when they were engaged with the army of the Potomac, in the advance upon Richmond, under General Meade. After the battle of Laurel Hill, the Second regiment, having become so reduced that less than one hundred men were present for duty, was permanently detached, on the 11th of May, 1864, from the celebrated brigade, whose movements they had accompanied from its organization, and to whose reputation their valor had so signally contributed. Thenceforward they were employed as provost guard of the Eourth division, Fifth army corps, and following the march of that division, in the grand movement to the left, crossed the North Anna River on the 23d, arriving on the 6th of June at Bottom's Bridge on the Chickahominy, where they remained until the expiration of their term of service as soldiers in the army of the United States. The following graceful valedictory from the division commander, himself a citizen of Wisconsin, needs neither preface nor comment: "HEADQUARTERS, FOURTH DIVISION", FIFTH ARMY CORPS, June 10th 1864. "The Second Wisconsin Volunteers, having served their full term of three years in this army, and being about to leave for their homes, the General Commanding deems it proper for himself, and in behalf of those of their comrades who remain behind, to address the officers and men of that command a few parting words, "Three years ago you entered the service more than a thousand strong. You now leave us with one hundred and thirty-three all told. Where are they? O'Connor, Stevens, Colwell, Randolph and many others, both officers and men, are mustered with the hosts on high. Others are disabled for life. Others still are in rebel prisons. "Among all these things you have always been true to your flag and your country. You have never failed in any duty required of you. You have a right to be proud of your record. The state has reason to be proud of you. You leave with the best wishes of all your comrades, and to that I wish to add my most cordial desire for your future honor and prosperity, collectively and individually. "(Signed) L. CUTLER, "Brig. General Commanding" Members of the regiment on detached duty in the various departments of the army, were recalled, and on the morning of the 11th of June, the remnant of the Second Wisconsin was finally relieved from the front and marched to White House Landing, where they embarked. They arrived in Washington on the 13th, and proceeding thence by rail arrived on the 18th at Madison, Wisconsin. They were greeted at the capital of the state with an enthusiastic welcome from the state authorities and citizens, and after a delay of some days, awaiting the arrival of the necessary papers from Washington, the last company was finally mustered out of service on the 2d of July, 1864, Additional Comments: Extracted from: ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, WITH REPORTS FROM THE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL AND SURGEON GENERAL, FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 30th, 1865. MADISON, WIS.: WILLIAM J. PARK & CO., B00KSELLERS, BINDERS AND STATIONERS. 1866. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/statewide/military/civilwar/other/historyo373gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 8.9 Kb