The 40th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a

volunteer Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency ...

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 among scores of regiments that were raised in the summer of 1864 as Hundred Days Men, an effort to augment existing manpower for an all-out push to end the war within 100 days.

Service

The 40th Wisconsin was organized at

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, and mustered into Federal service on June 14, 1864. The regiment was mustered out on September 16, 1864.

Casualties

The 40th Wisconsin suffered 1 officer and 18 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 19 fatalities.The Civil War Archive
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Notable people

* W. C. Bailey was corporal in Co. F. After the war he became a California state legislator and city manager of San Jose, California. * James M. Bingham was major of the regiment. After the war he became the 20th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the 13th

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Wisconsin, line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, ...

. * Charles H. Allen was the captain of Company D. After the war, he became the founding Principal of the

University of Wisconsin–Platteville University of Wisconsin–Platteville (UW–Platteville or UW Platt) is a public university in Platteville, Wisconsin, United States. Part of the University of Wisconsin System, it offers bachelor's degree, bachelor's and Master's degree, master ...

, and a Principal of

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...

. * Orrin W. Blanchard, the brother of Caleb S. Blanchard, was surgeon of the regiment. * William Avery Cochrane was a private in Co. B. After the war he became a Wisconsin state legislator. * Alexander J. Craig was adjutant of the regiment. After the war he became the 8th Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin. * Pitt Noble Cravath, son of Prosper Cravath, was a private in Co. D. * Samuel Fallows was lieutenant colonel of the regiment and later served as colonel of the 49th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Earlier in the war, he was chaplain of the 32nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. After the war he became the 9th Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin and Presiding Bishop of the

Reformed Episcopal Church The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican Church. It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins, a former bishop of the Episcopal Church (United States), Protestant Episcopal Church. The REC is a founding member of the ...

. * M. H. Fisk was a private in Co. E. After the war he became the first mayor of

De Pere, Wisconsin De Pere ( ) is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,410 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area. History When the first European, Jean Nicolet, visited the p ...

. * Edward E. Merritt was a private in Co. G. After the war he became a Wisconsin state legislator. *

John Coit Spooner John Coit Spooner (January 6, 1843June 11, 1919) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Hudson, Wisconsin. He represented Wisconsin as a United States Senator from 1885 to 1891, then again from 1897 to 1907. In his latter stint ...

was a private in Co. D. After the war he became a United States Senator. * Jesse B. Thayer was a private in Co. C. He later served in Co. D, 49th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, and rose to the rank of sergeant. After the war he became a Wisconsin legislator and the 13th Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin.

References

The Civil War Archive

Popular Culture

"Welcome Song of the 40th Wisconsin Volunteers"
Words by Lt. S. Fillmore Bennett, 1864, music by T. Martin Towne.

Notes