The 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. It was part of the Union

Iron Brigade The Iron Brigade, also known as The Black Hats, Black Hat Brigade, Iron Brigade of the West, and originally King's Wisconsin Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought ent ...

. It was chosen to be the honor guard for the Funeral of Abraham Lincoln. 24th Michigan Infantry National Color

Service

The 24th Michigan Infantry was organized at

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

and mustered into Federal service on August 15, 1862. It was assigned to the famous

in the Army of the Potomac. The brigade's commander General

John Gibbon John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Early life Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Holmesburg section ...

had requested a new regiment be added to his command because its four original regiments (the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin and the 19th Indiana) had been severely depleted by combat action and numbered less than 1000 men total by October 1862. He said that ideally it should be a Western regiment since the others were from that part of the country. Gibbon's request granted, the 24th Michigan joined the brigade and saw its first action at Fredericksburg taking on a nuisance battery of Confederate horse artillery south of the town. The regiment would follow up its actions at Fredericksburg with a raid on

Port Royal, Virginia Port Royal is an incorporated town in Caroline County, Virginia, United States. The population was 126 at the 2010 census. Port Royal was established in the mid-17th century in the Colony of Virginia primarily as a port at the head of the navig ...

and fighting at Fitzhugh Crossing. It would earn the Model 1858 Hardee Hat of the Iron Brigade in May, 1863. The 24th saw no major action during the Chancellorsville campaign, but at Gettysburg it "Went into action with 496 officers and men. Killed & mortally wounded: 89; Otherwise wounded: 218; Captured: 56; Total casualties: 363. Nine color bearers were killed or mortally wounded and two wounded, of 13 men to hold onto the flag during the first day of the battle, and all the color guard killed or wounded, a net loss of 80%. The 24th Michigan alongside the

1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment The 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment was a Union infantry regiment active during the American Civil War that participated in the battles of First Bull Run, Antietam and Gettysburg. The regiment is famous for charging into a brigade of Confederat ...

suffered the highest casualties of any Union forces that fought at Gettysburg." Colonel Morrow was wounded while holding the regimental flag. "Just before reaching the fence, Col. Morrow was wounded in the head while bearing the colors. He was stunned by the wound and fell down. He was then helped from the field by Lt. Charles Hutton of Company G, with the last alive and non-wounded officer, then Captain Albert M. Edwards, assuming command of the regiment." Thereafter, the 24th participated in the rest of the Army of the Potomac's campaigns and battles, participating in the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...

, being heavily engaged at both the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

and the

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

, with Colonel Morrow being wounded in the Wilderness and Lieutenant Colonel William Wight would take command through the rest of the Overland Campaign except for the latter portion of the

when he was sick and led by Albert M. Edwards, by then a major, until he was forced to resign to his wounds he sustained at Gettysburg, with command of the Regiment once again falling on Albert M. Edwards, who was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel with Captain William Hutchinson being promoted to Major and Edwards would be the commander of the regiment until December, 1864 when Colonel Morrow would return and then would become commander once again when Morrow was promoted to Brevet Brigadier General. The 24th after the Overland Campaign would participate in the

Petersburg Campaign The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

, participating in various battles during the siege such as the Battle of Weldon Railroad and the Battle of Peeble’s Farm but was not present at Appomattox because it had been reassigned to Camp Butler (Illinois) in Illinois two months earlier after the

Battle of Hatcher's Run The Battle of Hatcher's Run (also known as the Battle of Dabney's Mill) took place from February 5 to 7, 1865, during the American Civil War. Fighting occurred at several locations in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, southwest of Petersburg. The battl ...

. The regiment was selected as an escort at the funeral of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. The regiment was mustered out on June 30, 1865. 24th Michigan Infantry on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 12 officers and 177 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 3 officers and 136 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 328 fatalities, including John Litogot, the maternal uncle of auto tycoon

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialist and business magnate. As the founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automob ...

, who was killed at the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

. Barney Litogot, another uncle of Ford’s, was wounded at Gettysburg and would serve with the regiment till the end of the war and serve on the honor guard for Lincoln’s funeral.

Commanders

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Henry Andrew Morrow, he would be regimental commander from its inception to his promotion to Brigadier General in January 1865, outside of his recovery from wounds he suffered at Gettysburg and The Wilderness and temporary brigade command. He was wounded three times during the war, he received a head wound while holding the regimental colors at Gettysburg, during the opening fighting at the Wilderness, where he was wounded in the leg, and while as a general at Hatchers Run, being shot in the shoulder. When he was promoted to General he commanded the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps until his wounding at Hatcher’s Run and then after his recovery became the last commander of the Iron Brigade. Originally from Virginia, he served as a page at the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

, where he was a favorite of Michigan senator

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1 ...

, who convinced him to move to Detroit and he also would fight in the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

, seeing fighting at the

Battle of Monterrey In the Battle of Monterrey (September 21–24, 1846) during the Mexican–American War, General Pedro de Ampudia and the Mexican Army of the North was defeated by the Army of Occupation, a force of United States Regulars, Volunteers, an ...

. Before the war he was a judge for Wayne County and after the war he would return to the army. Breveted Major General. * Lieutenant Colonel Albert M. Edwards, originally the commander of Company F, he was the highest-ranked officer alive and unharmed at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

from the regiment and was the unofficial regimental commander from Gettysburg to his promotion to permanent commanding officer in January, 1865 after Colonel Morrow was promoted except at the times that Colonel Morrow would return from recovering from his wounds and when Lieutenant Colonel William Wight would return briefly in May, 1864. Edwards would be promoted to Major in February, 1864 then Lieutenant Colonel in July, 1864, became permanent commander in January, 1865 after Colonel Morrow’s promotion and served in the capacity for the rest of the war and served as the head of the honor guard for Abraham Lincoln's funeral. At the

Edwards, then a Major, captured the flag of the 48th Virginia Infantry during the opening stages of the battle and at the same time of Colonel Morrow’s wounding and would hand the Colonel the flag before he was sent to a hospital. Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was a rarity in the regiment as he fought in every single battle the regiment was in and was never wounded with the regiment, with his only injury during the war happening when he was serving as a sergeant with the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment where he was wounded and captured at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

. Before the war he was a journalism student at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. Breveted Colonel. * Lieutenant Colonel Mark Flanigan, who was the original Lieutenant Colonel for the regiment and would be active commander when Colonel Morrow was serving as brigade commander. He was wounded at Gettysburg, losing a leg and being discharged for wounds. Before the war he was the Wayne County Sheriff and after his wounding and discharge he was appointed Provost General for the State of Michigan. Breveted Brigadier General and Major General. * Lieutenant Colonel William Wight, who would command the regiment after Colonel Morrow's wounding at the

until he would resign due to poor health in June, 1864. He was originally commander of Company K and was wounded at Gettysburg. *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

William Hutchinson, who would command the regiment at times in late 1864 and early 1865 especially after Colonel Morrow was promoted and Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was on leave for a brief period in January, 1865 and when Edwards was in charge of a court martial board in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

after the regiment was assigned to Camp Butler. He was wounded three times during the war. Breveted Lieutenant Colonel. *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

George C. Gordon, he would command the regiment at times when Lieutenant Colonel Edwards and Major Hutchinson were otherwise busy between the end of the war and the muster out of the regiment. He was wounded and captured at Gettysburg and taken to

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate States of America, Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army, taking in numbers from the nearby Seven Days battl ...

before escaping the prison later. Breveted Major. The original field and staff officers and company commanders and their fates during the war where information is available: Colonel-Henry A. Morrow, wounded 3 times, promoted to Brigadier General. Lieutenant Colonel- Mark Flanigan, wounded, lost a leg at Gettysburg, discharged for wounds. Major- Henry W. Nall, resigned due to contracting

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. Adjutant- James J. Burns- resigned Quartermaster- Digby V. Bell Jr.- resigned. Surgeon- Dr. John H. Beech- promoted to brigade surgeon before resigning due to poor health in April, 1865. Assistant Surgeon- Dr. Charles C. Smith Assistant Surgeon- Dr. Alexander Collar Chaplain- Reverend William C. Way-Only regimental Chaplain for a Michigan regiment to last from muster in to muster out. Sergeant Major- Edwin Norton- wounded and captured at Gettysburg, after release was commissioned a lieutenant. Quartermaster Sergeant- Alonzo Eaton-commissioned Lieutenant. Commissary Sergeant- Gilbert Dickey- killed at Gettysburg, Dickey was a member of

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

first graduating class and among the first names to be enshrined on MSU Alumni Memorial Chapel walls. Dickey was one of the very few original members of the regiment that wasn’t from Wayne County as he came from

Marshall, Michigan Marshall is a city and the county seat of Calhoun County, Michigan. The population was 6,822 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Marshall is best known for its cross-section of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture and as the futu ...

. His brother Harrison also served with the regiment and served till the end of the war. Hospital Steward- Elmer D. Wallace- Commissioned Lieutenant, after the war became Lieutenant Governor of

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

. Chief Musician- James F. Raymond Drum Major- Daniel B. Nichils Fife Major- Charles M. Phillips Company A- Captain Edwin B. Wight- promoted to Major and he was wounded and lost an eye at Gettysburg, resigned and discharged for his Gettysburg wounds. He was the younger brother of William Wight. Company B- Captain Isaac W. Ingersoll-resigned Company C- Captain Calvin B. Crosby Company D- Captain William J. Speed- killed at Gettysburg, he was a Detroit city attorney before the war. Company E- Captain James Cullen- resigned. Company F- Captain Albert M. Edwards- promoted to Major and then Lieutenant Colonel and breveted Colonel, became regimental commander. Company G- Captain William A. Owen- wounded at Gettysburg and he was discharged for wounds. Company H- Captain Warren G. Vinton- wounded at Gettysburg and he was discharged for wounds. Company I- Captain George C. Gordon- wounded and captured at Gettysburg, escaped prison and was breveted Major when the regiment was at Camp Butler. Company K- William W. Wight- wounded at Gettysburg, he was promoted to Major in October, 1863 then Lieutenant Colonel in early 1864, he would command the regiment after Colonel Morrow’s wounding at the Wilderness and would lead the regiment at Spotsylvania Court House before resigning in June, 1864 due to impaired health from his Gettysburg wound. He would be the inspecter sent by the State of Michigan for the regiment during the Election of 1864. He was Edwin Wight’s older brother. COL Henry Morrow

References

Bibliography

* Curtis, O. B. History of the Twenty-Fourth Michigan of the Iron Brigade, Known As the Detroit and Wayne County Regiment. Detroit, Mich: Winn & Hammond, 1891. * Hadden, Robert Lee. "The deadly embrace: the meeting of the Twenty-Fourth Regiment, Michigan Infantry and the Twenty-Sixth Regiment of North Carolina Troops at McPherson's woods, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1, 1863." Gettysburg magazine. No. 5 (July 1991). Pages 19–33: ill., map. * Johnson, Chauncey A. Johnsons Military Company and Regimental Record. Company A, Michigan Volunteer Infantry. 24th Regiment. Mustered into the United States Service, August 15, 1862, at Detroit, Michigan. Milwaukee: Chauncey A. Johnson, 1862. * Kochanowski, Givey, and Givey Kochanowsky. Western Pride: the Iron Brigade from Its Creation to South Mountain. 1999. Term paper written by Kochanowski while a student at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado providing a history of the Iron Brigade in the Civil War, which was composed of the 2nd, 6th, 7th Wisconsin; 19th Indiana; and 24th Michigan Infantries. Consisting mainly of research from secondary sources, the paper addresses the origin of the Iron Brigade and follows the unit until 1862. Included is a bibliography of sources. * Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Guards at Lincoln's Tomb. 1925. * Michigan, and George H. Turner. Record, Twenty-Fourth Michigan Infantry, Civil War, 1861–1865. Kalamazoo: Ihling Bros. & Everard, 1904. * Milwaukee Public Library. Bibliography of the Iron Brigade: 2nd, 6th and 7th Wisconsin Infantry, 19th Indiana Infantry, 24th Michigan Infantry. 1972.
Our national liberties--the dearest rights of freemen: Company F, 24th Michigan Vol. Infantry
Bentley Image Bank, Bentley Historical Library, 1865. * Pardington, John Henry, and Coralou Peel Lassen. Dear Sarah: Letters Home from a Soldier of the Iron Brigade. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999. Collection of over 80 letters written by a Union soldier, Cpl John H Pardington, a member of the 24th Michigan Infantry of the famous Iron Brigade. They are filled with patriotic dedication to the Cause, longing for his wife and baby, details of camp life, and reflections on the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and other engagements. * Smith, Donald L. The Twenty-Fourth Michigan of the Iron Brigade. Harrisburg, Pa: Stackpole Co, 1962. * Twenty-Fourth Michigan Volunteers, Co. D, Letters, Clothing Distribution List, Clothing Receipts. 1862. * United States. The Iron Brigader: Newsletter of the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. Lansing, Mich: 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Inc, 1980. * Woodworth, George Porter. Abel Peck, Color Bearer, 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment. Milford, Mich: G.P. Woodworth, 1991.

External links

Flags of the First Day: An Online Exhibit of Iron Brigade and Confederate battle flags from July 1, 1863
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316173606/http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg/gettysburg-history-articles/flags-of-the-first-day/ , date=March 16, 2011 : (

Civil War Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization (501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War, through the acquisition of battlefield lan ...