2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Camp Randall in Madison, and mustered into a three-year period of service on June 11, 1861. It left Wisconsin for Washington, D.C., June 20-26, 1861, and spent most of the war around the nation's capital, in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

It fought at the First Battle of Bull Run, the defenses of Washington D.C., Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. On June 11, 1864, soldiers who did not re-enlist were ordered home to Wisconsin, and the veterans and new recruits were consolidated into an independent battalion of two companies.

At the end of November 1864, the remaining members of the 2nd Wiscosnin Infantry were again consolidated, this time into the 6th Wisconsin Infantry as companies G and H. The regiment lost 315 men during service. Ten officers and 228 enlisted men were killed. Seventy-seven enlisted men died from disease.


Camp of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry, 1862 ca. Seated (left to right) are officers Lucius Fairchild, Colonel Edwin O'Connor, and Major Thomas Allen. With them are Mrs. Hathaway, Captain Hathaway (standing) and Mary Howe. Behind the tent is a man identified in Fairchild's own handwriting as Ralph, who wears one of the black hats for which the 2nd Wisconsin and other regiments in the Iron Brigade were famous. OFFICERS:
Lucius Fairchild, Colonel Edwin O'Connor, and Major Thomas Allen. ASSIGNMENTS:
Attached to Sherman's Brigade, Tyler's Division, McDowell's Army of Northeast Virginia, to August, 1861. Fort Corcoran, Division of the Potomac, to October, 1861. King's Brigade, McDowell's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1862. 3rd Brigade, King's Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, to March, 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 5th Army Corps, to August, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to September, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to October, 1864. SERVICE:
Advance on Manassas, Va., July 16-21, 1861. Occupation of Fairfax Court House July 17. Action at Blackburn's Ford July 18. Battle of Bull Run July 21. Duty at Fort Corcoran, Defenses of Washington, D.C., until August 27. Camp at Meridian Hill and duty at Fort Tillinghast until March, 1862. Reconnaissance to Lewinsville, Va., September 25, 1861. (Co. "K" transferred to 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery December 9, 1861. A new Co. "K" organized December 20, 1861.) Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-16, 1862. Advance to Falmouth March 18-April 23. Woodstock April 1. McDowell's advance on Richmond May 25-29. Operations against Jackson June 2-11. Reconnaissance to Orange Court House July 24-26. Expedition to Frederick's Hall Station and Spotsylvania Court House August 5-8. Thornburg's Mills or Massapona Church August 5-6. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the Rappahannock August 21-23. Catlett's Station August 21. Gainesville August 28. Battles of Groveton August 29. Bull Run August 30. Chantilly September 1 (Reserve). Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of South Mountain, Md., September 14, and Antietam, Md., September 16-17. At Sharpsburg, Md., until October 30. Advance to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 22. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. At Belle Plains until April 27. Expedition from Belle Plains into Westmoreland County March 25-29. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Pollock's Mill Creek April 29-May 2. Fitzhugh's Crossing April 29-30. Battle of Chancellorsville May 2-5. Operations on Northern Neck May 20-26. Brandy Station and Beverly Ford June 9. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Haymarket October 19. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 3-June 15, 1864. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spotsylvania May 8-12. Detached from Brigade May 11 and assigned to duty as Provost Guard, 4th Division, 5th Army Corps. Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Non-Veterans ordered to Madison, Wis., June 11, and there mustered out July 2, 1864. Veterans and Recruits consolidated to a Battalion of two Companies and assigned to duty as Provost Guard at Headquarters, 4th Division, 5th Army Corps, until September. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16 to November 30. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Battalion consolidated with 6th Wisconsin Infantry as Companies "G" and "H" November 30, 1864. ROSTERS:

The composite rosters of this unit contain the names of 2034 men.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2003.

Love, William D. Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion. Chicago: Church and Goodman, 1866. E537L79. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2011.

Quiner, E.B. The Military History of Wisconsin. Chicago: Clarke, 1866. E537Q75. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2011.

Rigdon, John C. Wisconsin Civil War Soldiers Index. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2011.

REFERENCES:
Dyer, Frederick H. - A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_in_the_American_Civil_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Awakes