The 27th Wisconsin Volunteer 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 ...

. The regiment began organizing in August 1862 but recruiting problems delayed its entry into federal service until March 1863. Predominantly from the

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shore counties of the state, the regiment was mainly composed of German immigrants. The 27th Wisconsin played a supporting role in the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed th ...

and participated in the capture of

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

during the year. The regiment served in the Little Rock garrison and saw its first serious combat in the

Camden Expedition The Camden Expedition (March 23 – May 3, 1864) was the final Military campaign, campaign conducted by the Union Army in south Arkansas during the American Civil War, Civil War. The Offensive (military), offensive was designed to cooperate w ...

of 1864, during which it fought in the

Battle of Jenkins' Ferry The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, also known as the Engagement at Jenkins' Ferry, was fought on April 30, 1864, in Hot Spring and Saline counties (present-day Grant County), Arkansas, during the American Civil War The American Civil War ...

. The regiment was among the Union forces in the

Mobile campaign A mobile campaign is a campaign, usually marketing, advertising, or public relations-related, through which organizations contact their audience through SMS (text messaging). This form of campaigning allows organizations to reach out and establish ...

in early 1865, and was involved in the

Battle of Spanish Fort The Battle of Spanish Fort took place from March 27 to April 8, 1865, in Baldwin County, Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. After the Union victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, Mobile ne ...

. Ending the war in the occupation of Texas, the regiment was mustered out in August before returning to Wisconsin.

Organization

The regiment was one of seven new Wisconsin regiments formed under Lincoln's 300,000-man militia draft call of August 5, 1862. The plan offered advance pay and enlistment bounties to encourage volunteering, but included a draft of the state militia if volunteer quotas were not met. By the time these incentives expired on August 22, only seven companies of the regiment had been organized mostly in Sheboygan and Manitowoc Counties. These companies were ordered to Camp Sigel at

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

on September 17. The War Department authorized the recruitment of the remaining three companies, while the previously organized companies spent the winter in the city. During this period the regiment was guarded the imprisoned Ozaukee draft rioters. German immigrants formed more than half of the regiment but it also included Irishmen and the Norwegian Company H. With the last three companies organized, the regiment was mustered into federal service on March 7, 1863, under the command of Sheboygan lawyer and German Forty-Eighter Colonel Conrad Krez, and left Wisconsin for

Columbus, Kentucky Columbus is a home rule-class city in Hickman County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 140 at the 2020 census, a decline from 229 in 2000. The city lies at the western end of the state, less than a mile from the Mississippi ...

on March 16. John J. Brown was lieutenant colonel and Ten Eyck G. Olmsted major. The regiment had a strength of 865 officers and men upon muster. However, when the regiment passed through Chicago en route to Columbus, the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' reported that 52 men of the regiment were absent without leave, including thirty

bounty jumper Bounty jumpers were men who enlisted in the Union or Confederate army during the American Civil War only to collect a bounty and then leave. The Enrollment Act of 1863 instituted conscription but allowed individuals to pay a bounty to someone el ...

s – draft substitutes who promptly deserted after being mustered in.

Vicksburg

The 27th Wisconsin served on garrison duty at Columbus until May 30, when it was sent to aid in the

via

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

. The 27th Wisconsin arrived at the mouth of the

Yazoo River The Yazoo River is a river primarily in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the Ame ...

on June 4 and went upriver to Satartia, Mississippi. The regiment remained there for two days while Confederate artillery dueled with escorting gunboats. At Satartia, companies A, B, and C were sent out as skirmishers while the rest of the regiment remained in reserve, but they was not actively engaged. The 27th Wisconsin marched 30 miles downriver to Haines' Bluff on June 6. The exhausted Wisconites arrived the next day with many suffering from heatstroke. During the march, Captain Erastus W. Stannard of Company B was mortally wounded by the accidental discharge of a musket. The regiment was brigaded with the 25th Wisconsin and 40th Iowa in Montgomery's Brigade of Kimball's Third Division of XVI Corps. The regiment moved four miles to

Snyder's Bluff Snyder's of Hanover, Inc. is an American bakery and pretzel brand distribution company based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, specializing in German traditional pretzels. Its products are sold throughout the United States, Canada, many European nations, ...

on June 11, forming part of the outer siege lines. Until the Confederate surrender on July 4, the regiment performed picket duty and built fortifications and trenches there.

Arkansas

Following the surrender of Vicksburg, the regiment moved to

Helena, Arkansas Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phil ...

. Transferred to

Frederick Steele Major General Frederick Steele (January 14, 1819 – January 12, 1868) was an American military officer who served in the Army in the Mexican-American War, Yuma War, and American Civil War. He is most noted for capturing the Arkansas state capi ...

Army of Arkansas The Army of Arkansas was a Union Army that served in the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the American Civil War. This force functioned exclusively in the state of Arkansas. History The Army of Arkansas was created on July 27, 1863, with Major G ...

on August 13, the regiment went with the army up the White River to

DeValls Bluff DeVall's Bluff, officially the City of DeVall's Bluff, is a city in and the county seat of the southern district of Prairie County, Arkansas, Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 619 at the 2010 census. History Prairie ...

for the

Little Rock campaign The Little Rock Campaign (August 1 – September 14, 1863), officially known as the Advance of the Union forces upon Little Rock, Arkansas, was a Military campaign, campaign conducted by the Union Army in Arkansas during the American Civil Wa ...

. Marching to

Little Rock Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

, the regiment participated in the capture of the state capital. At Little Rock, the regiment was involved in garrison and picket duty with occasional forays into the region surrounding the city. Part of

Adolph Engelmann Adolph Engelmann (February 11, 1825 – October 5, 1890) was a farmer, lawyer, postmaster, Mexican–American War veteran, and Union Army colonel during the American Civil War. On May 18, 1866, the United States Senate confirmed his appointment ...

's 3rd Brigade of

Frederick Salomon Frederick (''Friedrich'') Charles Salomon (April 7, 1826March 8, 1897) was a German immigrant to the United States who served as a Union Army officer and general during the American Civil War. He was an elder brother of the Civil War-era Wiscon ...

's 3rd Division of Steele's

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII ...

, the 27th Wisconsin participated in the

. Steele's expedition aimed to link up with

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local ...

' Red River Expedition. The regiment departed Little Rock with the force on March 23, 1864. On April 1, the troops guarding the expedition's trains came under attack near Hollywood. The 27th was detached to guard the train, which reached the camp safely. The brigade was left behind at Okolona on April 3, with it and Ritter's cavalry brigade ordered to link up with

Thayer Thayer may refer to: Places ;United States * Thayer, Illinois * Thayer, Indiana * Thayer, Iowa * Thayer, Kansas * Thayer, Michigan * Thayer, Missouri * Thayer, Nebraska *Thayer, West Virginia * Thayer County, Nebraska * Thayer Street, Providence, ...

's troops at Hollywood. Before the cavalrymen arrived at Okolona, Englemann's brigade was attacked. The 27th Wisconsin repulsed the Confederates and pursued them for two miles. After Ritter's brigade arrived, Englemann continued to Hollywood and rejoined the division near Elkins' Ferry on April 5. The division left camp on the next day and moved forward behind Carr's cavalry division, encamping halfway between the Little Missouri River and the abandoned Confederate breastworks at Prairie D'Ane. The division remained there for the next three days to forage and repair the roads. The division advanced to Prairie D'Ane on April 10, emerging victorious in a skirmish and repulsing a Confederate night attack during the

Battle of Prairie D'Ane The Battle of Prairie D'Ane (April 9 – 13, 1864), also known as the Skirmish at Prairie D'Ane, Battle of Gum Springs, or Battle of Moscow, was fought in present-day Nevada County, Arkansas, as part of the Camden Expedition, during the American ...

. In the first ten days of the expedition between April 1 and 10, the regiment lost five killed or mortally wounded and two wounded. Salomon resumed his advance on April 12 with minor skirmishing. The expedition continued advancing along the Camden road via Moscow, Arkansas and entered Camden on April 16. Salomon's division served on picket, provost, escort and fatigue duty during the occupation of Camden. Due to supply problems and the failure of Banks' expedition, he began retreating to Little Rock. The army left Camden with Salomon's division as its rear guard on April 26. Three days later, pursuing Confederates fired on the division at Saline Bottom. During the skirmish, Engleman's brigade, which also included the 40th Iowa, 43rd Illinois and the Springfield Light Artillery, occupied the crest of a hill and held it to cover the withdrawal of the division trains, stopping the lightly armed Confederate cavalry of

Colton Greene Colton Greene (July 7, 1833September 23, 1900) was an officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded cavalry in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. After the Civil War Greene pursued several successful civic projects a ...

. During the subsequent

, the regiment was split from the rest of the brigade to reinforce the left of

Rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

's brigade, which had been forced back by the Confederate attack. The 27th Wisconsin and 40th Iowa counterattacked to drive back Burns' Missouri brigade. The division repulsed several attacks and was able to conduct an orderly retreat across the Saline River. At Jenkins' Ferry, the regiment lost eleven killed or mortally wounded and nine wounded. The expedition returned to Little Rock on May 3. 27th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment September 1864 recruiting ad

27th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment September 1864 recruiting ad

The 27th Wisconsin was transferred to the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division of VII Corps on May 14. Lieutenant Colonel Brown was discharged and replaced by Major Olmsted on May 24 with Company A Captain Charles H. Cunningham taking over Olmsted's position. In a letter home, Private Daniel Carver of Company B commented that "we would be better off" if the original officers left since these "do not amount to any great sum, in fact they are a damage to the Regt." The regiment's prolonged garrison duty at Little Rock gave it a reputation as a relatively safe unit, and in September its recruiters in Manitowoc offered a $350 bounty to volunteers with the promise of "light duty and a healthy climate." The regiment descended the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

to Pine Bluff on October 3 to reinforce the garrison, threatened by Magruder's superior forces. The regiment remained there until the danger had passed on October 22 and returned to Little Rock. Soon afterwards, Companies A, D, E, and H were detached to serve as guards on the

Memphis and Little Rock Railroad The Memphis and Little Rock Railroad was chartered in the U.S. state of Arkansas in 1853. The line ran from Hopefield, Arkansas (now West Memphis) on the east, to Huntersville (now North Little Rock, Arkansas) on the west. The eastern third was co ...

west of Brownsville. Like most other Wisconsin units, the 27th overwhelmingly supported Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election, although the regiment's home counties voted for McClellan. The soldier vote helped contribute to Lincoln's majority in Wisconsin. Nevertheless, the Copperhead editor of the ''Manitowoc Pilot'', who had earlier railed against the war as depriving the region of "its best producers for the sake of the nigger," reported that the ballots of the strongly Democratic Company D from Manitowoc had been thrown out.

Mobile and Texas

For the

, the regiment boarded transports to depart Little Rock on February 7. Joining

Edward Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. He served as a military governor after the war. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Depart ...

's forces at

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on February 12 after the journey down the Arkansas and

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

s, the regiment reembarked from

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on February 20 for the voyage to Mobile. After disembarking at Navy Cove on

Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. T ...

, the regiment encamped on Mobile Point near Fort Morgan, where it was assigned to the 3rd Brigade of Benton's 3rd Division of

Granger Granger may refer to: People and fictional characters * Granger (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Granger (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Granger (Tourtechot) (c. 1680s–1734), French physician a ...

's XIII Corps on February 27. Krez was placed in command of the brigade, which also included the 33rd Iowa, 77th Ohio, and the 28th Wisconsin. Major Charles H. Cunningham became regimental commander. With Canby's army, the regiment left camp on March 17 and occupied trenches besieging Spanish Fort on March 27. The regiment lost five killed and five wounded during picket and fatigue duty before the Confederates evacuated the fort on the night of April 8. On the next morning. the 27th Wisconsin marched five miles to

Fort Blakeley The Battle of Fort Blakeley took place from April 2 to April 9, 1865, in Baldwin County, Alabama, about north of Spanish Fort, Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign of the American Civil War. At the time, Blakeley, Alabama, had been the count ...

, arriving just as Steele's troops captured it. The fall of Fort Blakeley allowed for the capture of Mobile, ending the campaign. After marching through Mobile, the regiment rejoined the brigade at Whistler's Station on April 15, camping there for four days. Beginning on April 19, the regiment marched at least fifty miles up the

Tombigbee River The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi (325 km) long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. Together with the Alabama, it merges to form the short Mobile River before the latter empties i ...

to McIntosh's Bluff to build fortifications. Krez remained in command of the brigade and Olmsted was recorded as regimental commander on April 30. After Confederate general Richard Taylor surrendered his forces in the region, the fortifications were rendered unnecessary and the regiment was transported back to Mobile on May 9. After several weeks in camp near Mobile, the regiment was embarked for the voyage across the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

to occupy Texas on June 1. The regiment arrived at

Brazos Santiago Brazos Island, also known as Brazos Santiago Island, is a barrier island on the Gulf Coast of Texas in the United States, south of the town of South Padre Island. The island is located in Cameron County. Brazos Santiago Pass partitions the b ...

on June 6, marching to Clarksville, opposite Bagdad at the mouth of the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

on June 13. The regiment finished its active service there conducting picket and guard duty on the

Mexican border Mexico shares international borders with three nations: *To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. *To the sou ...

before being sent to Brownsville for mustering out on August 2. After the completion of this process, the regiment departed for home on August 29. Reaching New Orleans on September 5, the regiment was transported up the Mississippi to

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...

, where they boarded trains on the

Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the Central United States. Its primary routes connected Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, and thus, ...

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...

. The regiment was paid off and disbanded soon after it arrived there on September 17.

Strength and casualties

The 27th Wisconsin was mustered in with 865 men, and gained 24 recruits in 1863, 236 in 1864, and 68 in 1865, mustering out with 585 men. A total of 1,196 men served with the regiment. According to wartime records, 244 died, four were reported missing, 56 deserted, 57 were transferred, and 248 discharged. According to ''

Dyer's Compendium Frederick Henry Dyer (July 2, 1849 – September 21, 1917) served as a drummer boy in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he wrote ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' – a complete record of every regiment ...

'', the regiment lost 22 men killed in action or mortally wounded, and five officers and 232 men to disease, for a total of 259 deaths.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Cite book , title=Wisconsin at Vicksburg , publisher=Wisconsin-Vicksburg Monument Commission , editor=Hosea W. Rood , year=1914 , location=Madison , ref={{sfnRef, Wisconsin at Vicksburg, 1914} Military units and formations established in 1863 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union army from Wisconsin 1863 establishments in Wisconsin