The 13th Wisconsin 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 ...

Service

The 13th Wisconsin was raised at

Janesville, Wisconsin Janesville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 65,615, making it the List of cities in Wisconsin, tenth-most populous city in Wis ...

, and mustered into federal service October 17, 1861. March to Fort Scott, Kansas, March 1-7, 1862, and duty there till March 26. Ordered to Lawrence, Kansas, March 26, thence to Fort Riley April 20 and to Fort Leavenworth May 27. Moved to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Columbus, Ky., May 29-June 2. Guard duty along Mobile & Ohio Railroad from Columbus, Ky., to Corinth, Miss., till August. Moved to Fort Henry, Tenn., thence to Fort Donelson, Tenn., September 2 and garrison duty there till November 11. Expedition to Clarksville September 5-10. Action at Rickett's Hill, Clarksville, September 7. Hopkinsville, Ky., November 6. Moved to Fort Henry November 11, and duty there as garrison and guarding supply steamers between the Fort and Hamburg Landing till February 3, 1863. Moved to relief of Fort Donelson February 3. Duty at Fort Donelson till August 27. March to Stevenson, Ala., August 27-September 14 and duty there guarding supplies till October. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., and duty there till February, 1864. Veterans on furlough February-March. Return to Nashville March 28. Garrison duty and guarding railroad trains from Louisville to Chattanooga till April 26. Guard duty along Tennessee River between Stevenson and Decatur till June. Moved to Claysville, Ala., June 4. Picket and patrol duty along Tennessee River till September. Scout from Gunter's Landing to Warrenton July 11 (Co. "C"). March to Woodville, thence to Huntsville, Ala., and guard Memphis & Charleston Railroad from Huntsville to Stevenson, Ala., with headquarters at Brownsboro till November. Repulse of Hood's attack on Decatur , October 26-29. At Stevenson till December. At Huntsville till March, 1865. Paint Rock Ridge December 31, 1864 (Co. "G"). Operations in East Tennessee March 15-April 22. At Nashville, Tenn., till June. Ordered to New Orleans June 16, thence to Indianola, Texas, July 12. Duty at Green Lake and San Antonio, Texas, till November. The regiment was mustered out on November 24, 1865, at

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

Casualties

The 13th Wisconsin suffered 5 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 188 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 193 fatalities.

Colonels

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 ...

Maurice Maloney (October 15, 1861August 1, 1862) was a U.S. Army captain in the 4th U.S. Infantry and retired in August 1862. * Colonel William P. Lyon (August 6, 1862November 24, 1865) began the war as captain of Co. K in the

8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The 8th Wisconsin's military mascot was Old Abe, a bald eagle that accompanied the regiment into battle. Servic ...

. He received an honorary brevet to brigadier general at the end of the war. After the war he became the 12th

speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly The Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the Wisconsin Wisconsin State Assembly, State Assembly, the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Article IV of the Constitution of Wisconsin, ratifi ...

and the 7th chief justice of the

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...

Notable members

* Ira Barnes Dutton, also known as

Joseph Dutton Joseph Dutton (April 27, 1843 – March 26, 1931) was an American Civil War veteran and Union Army lieutenant,who converted to Catholicism and later worked as a missionary with Father Damien. He was a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis. ...

, was quartermaster sergeant and was later commissioned 2nd lieutenant and promoted to 1st lieutenant in Co. I, finally promoted to quartermaster near the end of the war. After the war he became a Catholic missionary in Hawaii, ministering to the leper colony on

Molokai Molokai or Molokai ( or ; Molokaʻi dialect: Morotaʻi ) is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its g ...

until his death. He is a candidate for sainthood. * John M. Evans was the regiment surgeon. After the war he served as a Wisconsin legislator and was the first mayor of

Evansville, Wisconsin Evansville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,703 at the 2020 census. Evansville is a part of the Janesville- Beloit Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Madison-Janesville-Beloit CSA. History Evansvil ...

. * John Fish, was the 2nd Lieutenant of Company C until he was promoted to Captain in 1865. His son,

Irving Fish Irving Andrews Fish (August 25, 1881 – April 22, 1948) was a lawyer and member of the Wisconsin National Guard and Major general in the United States Army during World War II. A veteran of World War I, Fish rose to the command of 32nd Infant ...

later became a Major General in charge of the 32nd Infantry Division of the

Wisconsin National Guard The Wisconsin National Guard consists of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the Wisconsin Air National Guard. It is a part of the Government of Wisconsin under the control of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. The Wisconsin Nation ...

. * Ezra Foot, Wisconsin state politician, chaplain of the regiment *

Edward Lee Greene Edward Lee Greene (August 20, 1843–November 10, 1915) was an American botanist known for his numerous publications including the two-part ''Landmarks of Botanical History'' and the describing of over 4,400 species of plants in the American W ...

was a private in Co. K. After the war he wrote an extensive botanical record of the plant species of the American west. *

Simon Lord Simon Locke Lord (first name sometimes Simeon; March 8, 1826 – February 17, 1893) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate. Biography Lord was born in Limington, Maine, in 1826. After graduating from the Je ...

was the 2nd assistant surgeon until 1863, when he was promoted out of the regiment to become surgeon of the

32nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 32nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 32nd Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Camp Bragg in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and mustered into servi ...

. After the war he served as a Wisconsin state senator. * Frederick F. Norcross, brother of Pliny Norcross, was a corporal in Co. K and died of disease at Nashville, in May 1865. * Lanson P. Norcross, brother of Pliny Norcross, was a private in Co. K and served through the whole war with the regiment. *

Pliny Norcross Pliny Norcross (November 16, 1838July 11, 1915) was an American lawyer, businessman, and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from Janesville, Wisconsin. He was the 20th mayor of Janesville, and an important character in the de ...

was captain of Co. K for three years. Earlier in the war, he served as a corporal in Co. K of the

1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The original 1st Regiment Wisconsin was raised at Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 16, 1861, and mustered into Federa ...

. After the war he became a Wisconsin state legislator and the 20th mayor of Janesville, Wisconsin. * Archibald N. Randall was captain of Co. G. After the war he became a Wisconsin state senator. * Hezekiah C. Tilton was chaplain of the regiment. After the war he served as a Wisconsin legislator. * Edwin E. Woodman was captain of Co. B, but was detailed for much of the war as an engineering aide on the brigade and division staff. After the war he served as a Wisconsin state senator.

Notes

References