The Civil War in Michigan

During the war, Michigan fielded 31 Regiments of INFANTRY, 11 Regiments of CAVALRY 14 Batteries of ARTILLERY, 1 Regiment of SHARPSHOOTERS and 1 Regiment of ENGINEERS. As the men who volunteered exceeded Michigan's quotas, many men joined "UNITS IN OTHER STATES". Of these 90,000 Michigan men who left their homes, farms, businesses and loved ones many were to become one of 359,755 "DEATHS BY STATES"statistic of the Union deaths in the Civil War. Thousands were to return maimed and disabled, 14,434.

More than 90,000 Michigan men, nearly 23% of the state's male population in 1860, served in the United States Civil War. In addition to the approximately 600 men who joined the Navy, these men served in 31 infantry regiments, 11 cavalry, 14 batteries of artillery, and 1 unit each of engineers and sharpshooters. Dyer reports that 14,753 men from Michigan died in the War. 4,448 of these deaths were combat deaths while the majority, over 9000, were from disease, a constant fear in crowded army camps with poor food, sanitation and exposure issues and pre-modern medicine. This put Michigan's loss at sixth highest among the Union states.