21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment

Historical Notes:
The 21st Regiment, Michigan Infantry was organized at Ionia and Grand Rapids, Michigan and mustered in September 9, 1862. It was mustered out June 8, 1865. The regiment suffered 3 officers and 80 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 291 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 377 fatalities. Officers:

Brig. General Ambrose A. Stevens

Colonel William B. McCreery

Brev. Colonel Loomis K. Bishop

Brev. Major Arthur C. Prince

Assignments:
Organized at Ionia and Grand Rapids and mustered in September 9, 1862. Left State for Louisville, Ky., September 12, 1862. Attached to 37th Brigade, 11th Division, Army of the Ohio, September, 1862. 37th Brigade, 11th Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Right Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to November, 1863. Engineer Brigade, Army of the Cumberland, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 14th Army Corps, to June, 1865. Service:
SERVICE.--Pursuit of Bragg to Crab Orchard, Ky., October 1-16, 1862. Battle of Perryville October 8. March to Bowling Green, Ky., thence to Nashville, Tenn., October 17-November 12. Duty at Nashville until December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro until June. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Occupation of Middle Tennessee until August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga September 24-November 23. Battles of Chattanooga November 23-25. Stationed near Chattanooga, engaged in Engineer duty, building bridges, erecting storehouses, etc., until June 11, 1864, and at Lookout Mountain building hospitals, running mills, etc., until September 20. Relieved from duty with Engineer Brigade September 20. Pursuit of Forrest to Florence, Ala., September 28-October 11. Garrison duty at Dalton, Ga., October 18-30. Ordered to Join 14th Army Corps at Kingston, Ga. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Averysboro, N. C., March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 17. Grand Review May 24. Mustered out June 8, 1865. Rosters:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 2412 men.

Company A - Ionia County and Kent County

Company B - Kent County

Company C - Barry County

Company D - Ionia Countyand Montcalm County

Company E - Kent Countyand Barry County

Company F - Montcalm County and Kent County

Company G - Ottawa County and Kent County

Company H - Kent County

Company I - Ionia County and Barry County

Company K - Ionia County

Unassigned Company - Kent County

Bibliography for Research:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Cartersville, GA. Eastern Digital Resources.

U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War Cartersville, GA. Eastern Digital Resources.

Clark, James S. 'General Lyon and the Fight for Missouri.' In War Sketches and Incidents (MOLLUS, IA, Vol. 2). Des Moines, IA: Kenyon, 1897. pp. 274-92 (10 photocopied pages). E464M5.1991v56.

Michigan. Legislature. Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War 1861-1865. 46 vols. Kalamazoo: Everard, 1903. Minnesota.

Minnesota Adjutant General's Report of 1866. Roseville: Park Genealogical Books, 1997. Ingersoll, Lurton D. Iowa and the Rebellion.... Phila: Lippincott, 1867. E507I47. Brief Regimental Histories

Iowa. AGO. Roster and Records of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion Together With Historical Sketches of Volunteer Organizations, 1861-1865. Vol. 1. Des Moines, IA: E.H. English, 1908. UA43I82v1.

Ritner, Jacob B. Love and Valor: The Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner. [Ed by Charles F. Larimer] Western Springs, IL: Signourney, 2000. 453 p. E507.5.1st.L68.

Stuart, Addison. Iowa Colonels and Regiments.... Des Moines, IA: Mills, 1865. E507S92.

Wilkie, Franc B. Pen and Powder. Boston: Ticknor, 1888. 383 p. E601W69.