American Civil War Regiments

REGIMENT: 11th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin

Compiled by Marsha Hosfeld and Janet Schwarze

Regimental History

Eleventh Infantry WISCONSIN

(3-YEARS)

Eleventh Infantry. -- Col., Charles L. Harris; Lieut.-Cols., Charles A. Wood, Luther H. Whittlesey; Majs., Arthur Platt, Jesse S. Miller Otis Remick.

This regiment was organized at Camp Randall, Madison and was mustered in Oct. 18, 1862, with a numerical strength of 1,029 It left the state Nov. 20, and performed railroad guard duty until spring when it was sent further south.

It was in a skirmish with the enemy at Bayou Cache, Ark., and was then on duty along the river until the spring of 1863, when it was sent to take part in the siege of Vicksburg. The regiment took part in the battle of Port Gibson and received a special compliment from Col. Stone, brigade commander, for its splendid work.

It was engaged at Champion's Hill, and at the Big Black River led the charge which carried the enemy's works, and captured several hundred prisoners. At Vicksburg its loss was heavy, the regiment occupying open ground which was swept by Confederate bullets.

Several months were then spent in arduous though uneventful campaigning, but the regiment received Maj.- Gen. Dana's compliments in an order "for the perfection of instruction discovered in picket and guard lines." Over three-fourths of the 11th reenlisted as a veteran organization and after a brief visit home it was sent on an invasion of western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, engaging Forrest's cavalry en route.

It was given outpost duty at Brashear City, Co. D being detached to Bayou Louis and Co. E to Tigerville. Continued skirmishes with Confederate cavalry, as well as scattered bodies of infantry, prevented the massing of Confederate troops, and the smuggling trade was broken up.

At Fort Blakely, Ala., its last engagement, the regiment held the record of 4 years by conspicuous work, being among the first to plant its colors on the enemy's parapet in the face of a murderous fire.

It was mustered out at Mobile Sept. 4, 1865. Its original strength was 1,029. Gain by recruits 364- substitutes, 62- drafts, 147; veteran reenlistments, 363; total 1,965.

Losses by death, 348; desertion, 25; transfer, 9; discharge, 31; mustered out, 1,264. Source: The Union Army, vol. 4

Source Information:

Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Regiments [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Original data: Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works. Copyright 1997-2000 Historical Data Systems, Inc. PO Box 35, Duxbury, MA 023.

This database contains regiment records from the American Civil War in the United States.