The History of Genesee, MI, Ch. 11, First Engineers & Mechanics

FIRST ENGINEERS AND MECHANICS.

The regiment bearing this name was raised in the summer and autumn of 1861, under col. William P. Innes, as commanding officer, having its rendezvous at Marshall, Calhoun county. It was intended, as its name implies, to be principally employed in the numerous kinds of mechanical and engineering work incident to the operations of an army. Unlike many other special organizations, it was largely used for the purpose originally designed. It was also armed with infantry weapons, and whenever called on, its members showed themselves as prompt in battle as they were skillful in labor. The regiment contained a considerable number of men from Genesee county. At a meeting held in Flint, September 17, 1861, and composed largely of eligible men, it was resolved to form a company to join the engineers and Mechanics, and george t. Clark, was elected captain of the proposed organization. But for some cause the project failed, and no company distinctively of Genesee county material was formed, though the county contributed about one-third to the formation of company B, nearly one-fourth its members to company F, and slight to six other companies of the regiment.

The Engineers and Mechanics were mustered into the service of the United States at the rendezvous by Capt. H. R. Mizner, united States of American, October 28 to December 6, 1861. On the 21^st of the latter month, they left Marshall, about one thousand and thirty strong, for Louisville, Kentucky. On account of the peculiar nature of the service required of them, they were employed in detachments, and thus it would be impracticable to trace them through all, or half, their numerous marchings and labors. One of the detachments was under Gen. O. M. Mitchell in his advance on Bowling Green, and among the first Union troops to enter that town after is evacuation by the enemy. After the capture of Fort Donelson opened Tennessee to the Union forces, the Engineers and Mechanics were speedily at work in that state repairing bridges and railroads and opening lines of communication. For eight weeks immediately following the battle of Shiloh they were engaged in constructing steamboat-landings. In June, 1862, they built seven bridges on the Memphis & Charleston railroad, ranging from eighty to three hundred and fifty feet in length, and were also engaged throughout the season in opening and repairing railroads in Kentucky, Tennessee and North Alabama and Mississippi.

While at Lavergne, Tennessee, on the 1^st of January, 1863, a part of the regiment was attacked by two brigades of the enemy's cavalry under Generals Wheeler and Wharton, with two pieces of artillery, but succeeded in defeating them with serious loss. During the year the regiment, divided into detachments, was almost constantly engaged in building bridges, making pontoon-boats and other similar work in Tennessee and northern Alabama. One of these bridges, over the Elk river, Tennessee, was four hundred and sixty feet long. The same work was continued through the greater part of 1864 mostly in the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Decatur, Bridgeport, and Stevenson, Alabama. The men whose term has expired were mustered out in October, 1864, and there were enough re-enlisted men and recruits to keep the command up to its original strength.

About the 1^st of November, the regiment, except two companies, was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, where it destroyed an immense number of rebel foundries, rolling-mills and other similar works, and then marched with Sherman's army to Savannah. It was obliged to keep up with the columns and to perform an immense amount of labor in destroying railroads and bridges in the same time. After several weeks' labor in fortifying Savannah, the Engineers proceeded with Sherman through the Carolinas, and thence to Washington. In June, 1865,m the regiment was sent to Nashville, where it was employed on the defenses until the latter part of September, when it was mustered out of the service and order to Michgian. It was disbanded at Jacksonville, on the 1^st of October, 1865.

MEMBERS OF THE FIRST ENGINEERS AND MECHANICS FROM GENESEE COUNTY.
COMPANY B
Name, Rank, Residence	Enlisted	Information
Charles H. Cudney, Flint, Sergt.	.	Promoted to 1^st. Lieut., Co. E, Nov. 3, 1864, mustered out Sept. 22, 1865
PRIVATES
Oscar F. Allen, Burton	Oct. 13, 1864	Discharged at end of service.
John Arnot, Grand Blanc	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
George R. Boyer, Richfield	Dec. 9, 1862	Discharged for disability
Warren Buckley, Flint	Feb. 7, 1863	Discharged for disability
Edwin Bailey, Flushing	April 25, 1863	Discharged for disability
Michael Brown, Flint	March 20, 1862	Died of disease
Maynard Carter, Flint	April 3, 1862	Died of disease
Hiram F. Chapman, Flint	July 5, 1862	Discharged for disability
Jonathan Cudney, Flint	May 17, 1862	Discharged for disability
Jacob D. Carpenter, Davison	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Edward Funcheon, Flint	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Ami H. Field, Flint	Jan 1, 1864	Discharged to re-enlist as veterans
Henry E. Gidley, Davison	Oct. 4, 1865	Discharged by order
James Greenalch, Flint	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Julius Gordon, Mundy	Oct. 4, 1965	Discharged by order
Philo Gilbert, Flint	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Guy R. Gilbert, Flint	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Benjamin F. Gilbert, Flint	Oct. 1, 1862	Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn.
Albert S. Hart, Genesee	March 20, 1862	Died of Disease
Isaac Howell, Flint	April 16, 1862	Discharged for disability
James Hill, Vienna	Feb. 7, 1863	Discharged for disability
Frederick N. Hopkins, Flushing	June 13, 1863	Discharged for disability
Hiram Howe, Davison	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
John Link, Jr., Flint	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
John McKercher, Flint	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
David F Nelson, Mundy, veteran	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Fayette B. Nelson, Mundy	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Fernando C. Petty, Flushing	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Willard Petty, Flushing	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Don C. Petty, Flushing	May 6, 1862	Discharged for disability
Daniel J. Randall, Flint	March 6, 1862	Discharged for disability
Judson A. Stone, Clayton	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Theodore Standard, Flint	June 6, 1865	Discharged by disability
Frederick A. Smith, Flushing	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Charles K. Welch, Davison, veteran	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Henry R. Wallace, Flint	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Company F.
Allen Campbell, Davison, Quar.-Mast. Sergt., Co. F.	.	Promoted to 2d Lieut. Do. C, Nov. 23, 1864, mustered out Sept. 22, 1865.
George W. White, Fenton, Sergt.	.	Promoted to 2d Lieut., Aug 18, 1862; to 1^st Lieut. Jan. 1, 1864; mustered out Oct. 26, 1864, end of service.
PRIVATES-Sidney Arrowsmith, Genesee	June 28, 1862	Discharged for disability
William M. Barney, Fenton	May 5, 1862	Discharged for disability
Erastus Call, Flint	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Erastus Call, Jr., Fenton	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Alfred Call, Genesee	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
James Cartwright, Vienna	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged ar end of service
Alexander Campbell, Davison, veteran	Jan. 1, 1864	Discharged to re-enlist as veteran
Delavon Heath, Vienna	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Philip Housinger, Vienna, Corp.	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Norwin C. Johnson	July 5, 1862	Discharged for disability
Solomon S. Miles, Richfield	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Hugh McDonald	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
George Phelps, Grand Blanc	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Benjamin Paine, Vienna	May 14, 1862	Discharged for disability
Henry S. Pettingill, Vienna	Sept. 1, 1862	Discharged for disability
William Short, Burton	July 17, 1865	Discharged by order
Lewis A. Scott, Fenton	July 15, 1862	Discharged for disability
Cyrus J. Sillsby, Vienna	.	.
John Scriven, Fenton	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Daniel W. Turner	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Martin C. Tupper, Grand Blanc	July 17, 1865	Discharged by Order
In Other Companies.
Thaddeus S. Beers, Co. I	Oct. 24, 1862	Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn.
Joseph Bellinger, Thetford, Co. G	March 2, 1862	Discharged for disability
John Butler, Forest, Co. G	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Theodore E. Beers, Co. I	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Lorenzo Colby, Forest, Co. G.	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Jonathan Coomer, Co. G.	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Martin L. Cuddeback, Flint, Co. D	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Abraham F. Conant, Flint, Co. H	Feb. 12, 1863	Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn.
John S. Decker, Forest, Co. G	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Joel B. Fairchild, Flint, Co. H.	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
George D. Gerry, Richfield, Co. G	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Peter Gordon, Flint, Co. H	Feb. 13, 1864	Discharged for promotion
Henry C. Haskett, Co. I	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
George L. Judevine, Flint, Corp. Co. K. veteran	Dec. 2, 1862	Transferred to 5^th Battery, Light Artillery
Harris Marsh, Davison, Co. G	March 15, 1862	Died of disease at Louisville, Ky.
Reuben S. McCormick, Forest, Co. G	April 10, 1862	Died of disease at Bardstown, Ky.
Wm. Miller, Davison, Co. L	Sept. 25, 1863	Died of disease at Nashville, Ky.
Oren McComb, Forest, Co. G	July 17, 1863	Discharged for disability
Adelbert Pursell, Flint, Co. H	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Wm. B. Parker, Flint, Co. I	May 1, 1864	Transferred to Vet. Res. Corps
George W. Sweet, Burton, Co. I	June 6, 1865	Discharged by order
Charles Saunders, Forest, Co. G	Aug. 17, 1863	Discharged for promotion
Abel C. Smith, Forest, Co. G	Enlisted Nov. 21, 1861	Discharged at end of service-Oct. 31, 1864
Dennison W. Spencer, Co. L	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Wellington Teachout, Richfield, Co. G	Oct. 31, 1864	Discharged at end of service
Enoch B. Woodman, Forest, Co. G	April 21, 1862	Discharged for disability
Salmer wood, Co. I	Oct. 29, 1862	Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn.
Jacob W. White, Thetford, Co. G	Jan. 1, 1864	Discharged to re-enlist as veteran
Calvin Wakefield, Davison, Co. L	Sept. 22, 1865	Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn.
Charles L. Packard, Flint, Co. F, enlisted one year	June 6, 1865	Discharged by G. O.
David M. Twiner, Flint, Co. F, enlisted one year	June 6, 1865	Discharged by G. O.