CIVIL WAR INDEX
Primary Source Material
on the Soldiers and the Battles
Home The Armies The Soldiers The Battles Civilians Articles
 
If this website has been useful to you, please consider making a Donation.

Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do more research. Thank you for your support!

22nd Michigan Infantry
in the American Civil War

Regimental History
Twenty -second Michigan Infantry. — Cols., Moses Wisner, Heber Le Favour; Lieut. -Cols., Heber Le Favour, William Sanborn, Henry S. Dean; Majs., William Sanborn, Henry S. Dean, John Atkinson, Alonzo M. Keeler. This regiment was organized at Pontiac and was mustered in Aug. 29, 1862. It left the state Sept. 4, being ordered to Lexington, Ky., and was stationed at that point, Danville and Nicholasville until April, 1863. Col. Wisner died at Lexington of typhoid fever, Lieut. -Col. Le Favour was commissioned colonel, Maj. Sanborn, lieutenant-colonel and Capt. H. S. Dean, major. The regiment was attacked at Danville in March and fell back to Hickman bridge. It was stationed at Nashville from April 14 to Sept. 5, then moved to Bridgeport, Ala., thence to Ringgold, Ga. It participated at Chickamauga, where, after fighting for 3 hours, exhausting its ammunition, it charged into overwhelming numbers with the bayonet, driving the enemy back until overcome by too great a force, when most of the number were taken prisoners. Gen. Whittaker says he "never heard such heavy musketry and never saw such magnificent charges." Out of 584 officers and men who went into action, 36 were killed, 91 wounded and 262 captured, among the latter being Col. Le Favour. The remnant of the 22nd was ordered to the rear and proceeded to Moccasin point, where it was employed until Oct. 28, under constant fire from Lookout mountain, in building fortifications. It was attached to the 3d brigade, 2nd division, 14th corps. Its strength on Sept. 29 was 149 enlisted men, 9 lieutenants and 2 captains. At Chickamauga, Johnny Clem, the regiment's 10-year-old drummer, was acting as a marker, but finding his occupation gone, picked up a gun and commenced blazing away on his own hook. Left alone, a Confederate colonel found him and ordered him to surrender. Johnny swung his gun into range and the colonel tumbled from his horse. Johnny was captured later, but made his escape and trudged to Chattanooga by night. He afterwards received a military education and became an army officer. The regiment was attached to the engineer brigade in November and remained near Chattanooga until May 26, 1864, engaged in building bridges, roads and storehouses, cutting timber and getting out lumber. On May 31 it joined the Army of the Cumberland, when it and the 9th Mich, were organized into a "Reserve" brigade. It participated in the movement toward Atlanta, and was on provost duty in that city from Sept. 8 to Oct. 31. It moved to Marietta, thence to Chattanooga, where it remained until April, 1865, as a part of the "Reserve" brigade, and was engaged in provost and steamer guard duty. On April 1 it was transferred to Steedman's command, and on the 7th was attached to the 3d brigade, separate division, Army of the Cumberland. It was ordered to Nashville on June 20 and was mustered out June 26. Its original strength was 997 : gain by recruits, 589; total, 1,586. Loss by death, 374.

Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3

Whats New
Bibliography
About Us


Share this page with your friends!

 


 

Copyright 2010 by CivilWarIndex.com
A Division of Pier-Pleasure.com