Jump to content

2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
ActiveJune 11, 1861 – July 2, 1864
CountryUnited States
AllegianceUnion
BranchInfantry
SizeRegiment
Nickname(s)"Ragged Asstetical" or "Ragged Ass Second"
EngagementsAmerican Civil War
Commanders
ColonelS. Park Coon
ColonelEdgar O'Connor
ColonelLucius Fairchild
ColonelJohn Mansfield
ColonelGeorge B. Ely
Insignia
I Corps badge (1st Division)

The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade of the Army of the Potomac. It suffered the largest number of casualties as a percentage of its total enlistment of any Union Army unit in the war.[1]: 65 

Establishment

[edit]

Following the Battle of Fort Sumter, on April 16, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation to call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion. Pursuant to that proclamation, the War Department requested each state provide a certain number of regiments of volunteers—they requested one regiment from the state of Wisconsin. However, following Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall's call to arms, 36 companies of men were enrolled to volunteer for the war effort—enough for more than three regiments. The Second Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was the second unit created from these original volunteer companies. The regiment was organized at Camp Randall, in Madison, Wisconsin, primarily composed of companies from Madison, Racine, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, and La Crosse.

Governor Randall appointed 41-year-old S. Park Coon colonel of the new regiment—Coon was a native of New York, had served as Wisconsin's 2nd Attorney General, and was an influential Milwaukee County Democrat. The lieutenant colonel, Henry W. Peck, was from Ohio and had graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1851—Peck provided some professional military experience and training, versus the political appointee Coon.[2]: 5 

The regiment formally mustered into federal service on June 11, 1861.[3]: 438  Although President Lincoln's original request was for three-month volunteers, by June the need had become apparent for longer enlistments, and the 2nd Wisconsin was mustered as a three-year regiment.[2]: 4 

2nd Wisconsin Regiment Company Organization[4][5]
Company Earliest Moniker Primary Place of Recruitment Earliest Captain
A Citizens Guard, Fox Lake Fox Lake, Columbia, Dodge, and Dane counties George H. Stevens
B La Crosse Light Guards La Crosse and La Crosse County Wilson Colwell
C Grant County Grays Boscobel, Potosi, Lancaster, and Grant County David McKee
D Janesville Volunteers Janesville and Rock County George Byron Ely
E Oshkosh Volunteers Oshkosh and Winnebago County Gabriel Bouck
F Belle City Rifles Racine and Racine County William Emerson Strong
G Portage City Guards Portage and Columbia County John Mansfield
H Randall Guards Dane, Columbia, and Rock counties Julius Fritz Randolph
I Miner's Guards Mineral Point, Dodgeville, and Iowa County Thomas Scott Allen
K Wisconsin Rifles Jefferson, Dane, Winnebago, Columbia, and Rock counties Andrew J. Langworthy

Service

[edit]
Field officers of the 2nd Wisconsin Vol. Infantry, photographed at a camp in northern Virginia circa 1862. The officers seated, from left, are surgeon A. J. Ward, Major Thomas S. Allen, Lt. Colonel Lucius Fairchild, and Colonel Edgar O'Connor.

The regiment was transported to Washington, D.C., and saw its first combat at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861 in a brigade under William T. Sherman. At the battle some of the men wore state militia grey uniforms, causing the 2nd Wisconsin to receive friendly fire from Union troops mistaking them for Confederates. Coon, never comfortable in his role as a military man, resigned July 30 to return to politics. Peck and the major also resigned, all were considered victims of the regiment's poor performance at Bull Run.[2]: 10  Three new field officers replaced them—Col. Edgar O'Connor, Lt. Col. Fairchild, and Maj. Thomas S. Allen. The appointment of O'Connor, married to a Southern woman and an outspoken Democrat, was met with sharp criticism in Wisconsin's media, particularly in the Republican newspapers. He would prove to be a brave and competent leader, however, and was killed in action in Virginia in late summer 1862.[2]: 11  Lt. Col. Fairchild was promoted to the rank of full colonel on September 8, 1862, to become the third commander of the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteers.

The regiment suffered severe casualties during the 1862 Northern Virginia Campaign, fighting against Stonewall Jackson's Confederates at the Battle of Groveton. The 2nd would advance alone, against superior forces. when it was joined by the rest of the Brigade, it had suffered heavily, the 2nd would lose 276 men killed or wounded out of a total strength of 430. The regiment would see more action at the Second Battle of Bull Run. During the subsequent Maryland Campaign, the 2nd Wisconsin attacked Turner's Gap during the Battle of South Mountain, and then again took high casualties in the Cornfield at Antietam.

Perhaps the regiment's finest hour came at Gettysburg, where it lost 77% of its strength (233 casualties out of 302 effectives) in stubborn fighting on McPherson's Ridge during the Iron Brigade's lengthy action on July 1, 1863. Where it assaulted McPherson's Woods and drove back a Brigade under the command of James J. Archer, capturing most of his Brigade and Archer himself, who was captured by Patrick Maloney. A young Irishman in the 2nd, Patrick would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. Sadly, Patrick Maloney would not live to see the sunrise of July 2.[6]: 239  The 2nd would be counterattacked in the late afternoon, and would be forced back, but not without putting up a stubborn fight. Colonel Fairchild lost an arm due to a severe wound, and most of the line officers went down as well. The regiment reformed on Culp's Hill and entrenched for the rest of the battle. Although the 2nd Wisconsin was able to replenish some of its losses, it was never the same fighting force again. It later served in the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns. The final campaign for the 2nd Wisconsin was Grant's bloody Overland Campaign.

With the regiment's original three-year enlistments expiring on June 11, 1864, those who chose not to re-enlist were sent back to Madison, with the final company mustering out on July 2, 1864. Newer recruits and re-enlisted veterans were restructured into a battalion of two companies, first under the command of Captain Dennis B. Dailey, then under Lt. Albert T. Morgan, and finally Lt. Henry Naegly. The battalion participated in the Siege of Petersburg—suffering several more casualties during that campaign—until they were ultimately consolidated into the 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment on November 30, 1864.

Total enlistments and casualties

[edit]

The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry initially mustered 1,051 men and later recruited an additional 152 men, for a total of 1,203 men.[7] The regiment lost 10 officers and 228 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 77 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 315 fatalities.[8]

Commanders

[edit]

Nicknames

[edit]

According to a veteran of the 2nd Wisconsin, Cullen B. Aubery, the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment's nickname was the "Ragged Asstetical". According to Aubery this came “from the fact that the government contractors had run short of good material when they made the pantaloons”, giving the 2nd Wisconsin a raggedy appearance when on parade.[9] Another common nickname closely associated with the 2nd Wisconsin would be the "Ragged Ass Second", a contraction of the former moniker.

Uniform

[edit]

The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment had a wide variety of unique uniforms during its service from 1861-1865, among them were the continual use of the iconic Hardee hat which gave the regiment and the rest of the Iron Brigade the iconic nickname "The Black Hats".[10] According to American historian Alan D. Gaff, author of If This is War: a History of the Campaign of Bull's Run by the Wisconsin Regiment Thereafter known as the Ragged Ass Second, the 2nd Wisconsin had the following uniforms when it was originally mustered into service on June 11, 1861:

  • Co. A – Citizens Guard (Fox Lake): Arrived at Camp Randall with two thirds of the men wearing gray suits, trimmed with red, having red epaulets, and blue caps similar to 7th New York Infantry Regiment.
  • Co. B – La Crosse Light Guard: Gray coats and pants trimmed with black, dark blue caps. Glazed linen havelocks.
  • Co. C – Grant County Grays: Arrive at Camp Randall unequipped
  • Co. D – Janesville Volunteers: Arrive at Camp Randall in civilian clothes.  Janesville later contracted with a manufacturer for 78  uniforms that had coats and pants made of gray cloth “in the regulation pattern.”  Ladies of Janesville made the men shirts, and various Janesville shops supplied shoes.
  • Co. E – Oshkosh Volunteers: Arrived at Camp Randall with no equipment or arms
  • Co. F – Belle City Rifles (Racine): Arrive at Camp Randall without arms or uniforms.  The uniforms components they later received were made of various shades of gray, and did not make for a uniform appearance.
  • Co. G – Portage Light Guard:   Dark gray coats, caps of the same material, black pantaloons, all trimmed with red.  Every man received a havelock, sewn by the ladies of Portage.
  • Co. H – Randall Guards: Gray cap, coat, and pants with black stripe on pants and black cloth buttons on coat.
  • Co. I – Miner’s Guard (Iowa County): Arrive wearing matching gray pants with a narrow stripe.
  • Co. K* – Wisconsin Rifles (Milwaukee): Arrived at Camp Randall wearing dark pants and red shirts.[11]

Due to the 2nd Wisconsin being involved in many issues of friendly fire during the First Battle of Bull Run the uniform was officially changed from the militia gray uniform to the official United States Army uniform.[12] The "official" Iron Brigade uniform in October 1861 consisted of a Hardee hat, the M1858 9-button infantry frock coat, and regulation dark blue trousers.[12] This uniform would be the most iconic uniform utilized by the 2nd Wisconsin for much of the regiments service, although the trousers were later phased out for the standard issue 1861 regulation trousers.[12]

By 1863 during the Gettysburg campaign the 2nd Wisconsin's uniform had largely changed to the standard issue uniform of the Union's Army of the Potomac while still retaining their iconic Hardee hat as a part of their regimental identity.[12]

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dawes, Rufus R. (1890). Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers. Marietta, Ohio: E. R. Alderman & Sons. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Nolan, Alan T. (1994). The Iron Brigade: A Military History. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-20863-7.
  3. ^ Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Regimental History – Second Infantry". The Military History of Wisconsin. Chicago: Clarke & Co. pp. 438–482. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  4. ^ Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers.
  5. ^ Estabrook, Charles E. (1912). Annual Reports of the Adjutant General of the State of Wisconsin for the Years 1860, 1861, 1862,1863,1864 (PDF). Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Co. pp. 34–37.
  6. ^ Busey, John W.; Martin, David G. (1994). Regimental Strengths and Losses at Gettysburg. Hightstown, New Jersey: Longstreet House. ISBN 0-944413-32-3.
  7. ^ 2nd Wisconsin Archived March 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Civil War Archive
  9. ^ Aubery, Cullen B. (1902). Echoes from the Marches of the Famous Iron Brigade : Unwritten Stories of That Famous Organization. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Society (published 2010). p. 50.
  10. ^ Schiller, Laurence D. (February 21, 2020). "Those Damned Black Hats! The Uniform of the Iron Brigade" (PDF). blueandgrayeducation.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  11. ^ Gaff, Alan D. (1991). If this is war: a history of the campaign of Bull's Run by the Wisconsin regiment thereafter known as the Ragged Ass Second. Dayton, Ohio: Morningside. p. 27. ISBN 0890295360.
  12. ^ a b c d "The Uniform of the Iron Brigade". www.secondwi.com. Retrieved 2025-05-22.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
  • Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry - A large website with comprehensive information on the 2nd Wisconsin, as well as many other Wisconsin-based Civil War regiments and civilian life in the state during the period.
  • Wisconsin Battle Flags- A website by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation showcasing the battle flags of Wisconsin regiments, including the 2nd Wisconsin.