Draw the Sword

A Fighting 300 Regiment

Location: Sickles Avenue, the Wheatfield near the Loop

Order of Battle: 3rd Corps, 1st Division, 3rd Brigade

Number Engaged: 283; 19 killed, 86 wounded, 4 missing

Commander: Lt. Col. John Pulford (1837-1896)

Raised: Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Sagniaw, and St. Clair counties.

Monument Specifications: Granite monument with relief of an infantryman holding his musket on the front, and bronze state shield below. It marks the position held by the 5th Michigan regiment on July 2, 1863, around 4:30 p.m.

Dedication Date: Installed Nov. 27, 1888. Dedicated June 12, 1889.

Sculptor/Artist/Company: Ryegate Granite Company, fabricator.

Main Inscription: 5TH.MICH.INF./THIRD BRIGADE/FIRST DIVISION/THIRD CORPS (On back of monument:) EFFECTIVE STRENGTH/JULY 2ND. 1863/PRESENT AND ON DETACHED SERVICE/21 OFFICERS AND 262 MEN/TOTAL 283./.CASUALTIES/KILLED/2 OFFICERS 17 MEN,/WOUNDED/8 OFFICERS, 78 MEN/MISSING/4 MEN, TOTAL 109./THE REGIMENT FOUGHT HERE ABOUT 4:30 O’CLOCK P.M. JULY 2ND, 1863,/AFTER IT HAD BEEN ASSEMBLED/FROM THE SKIRMISH LINE FAR IN/ADVANCE OF THIS POSITION, IT/MOVED TO THE SUPPORT OF THE 2ND CORPS IN RESISTING PICKETT’S/CHARGE JULY 3RD./MUSTERED IN U.S. SERVICE AT DETROIT MICH. AUGUST 28, 1861/MUSTERED OUT AT JEFFERSONVILLE IND. JULY 5, 1865./TOTAL ENROLLMENT 1950 OFFICERS AND MEN (counts of those killed in action, died of disease)/ENGAGED IN 47 BATTLES AND SKIRMISHES FROM POHICK/CHURCH VA./JAN. 9, 1862 TO APPOMATTOX VA. APRIL 9, 1865

Other Monuments and Memorials: None.

Supplemental Materials: After Action Report of Lieut. Col. John Pulford (will open a pop up window).

Regimental History ~ Dyer’s Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:

Organized at Detroit, Mich., and mustered in August 28, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., September 11. Attached to Richardson’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. Berry’s 3rd Brigade, Kearny’s 3rd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to August, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade. 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, to July, 1865.

SERVICE.–Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., September 13, 1861, to March 10, 1862. Reconnaissance to Occoquan October 21-24, 1861. Pohick Run, Va., January 9, 1862. Advance to Manassas, Va., March 10-15. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula March 17. Peninsula Campaign March to August. Siege of Yorktown, Va., April 5-May 4. Battle of Fair Oaks, or Seven Pines, May 31-June 1. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Oak Grove June 25. Savage Station and Peach Orchard June 29. Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. Duty at Harrison’s Landing until August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16-26. Battles of Groveton August 29, Bull Run August 30, Chantilly September 1. Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D, C., until October 11. March up the Potomac to Leesburg, and thence to Falmouth October 11-November 23. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. “Mud March” January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth until April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Action at Wapping Heights, Va., July 23. On detached duty at New York City and at Troy, N.Y., August 16-September 17. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Auburn October 13. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Kelly’s Ford November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Payne’s Farm November 27. Veterans on furlough January 4 to February 14, 1864. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 4-June 15, 1864. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7, Laurel Hill May 8, Spotsylvania May 8-12, Po River May 10, Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient (“Bloody Angle”) May 12. Harris Farm, Fredericksburg Road, May 19. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 8-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 16-18, Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad, June 22-23, 1864. Demonstration on north side of the James July 27-29. Deep Bottom July 27-28. Demonstration on north side of the James at Deep Bottom August 13-20. Strawberry Plains August 14-18. Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 2. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run, October 27-28. Warren’s Raid on Weldon Railroad December 7-12. Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run, February 5-7, 1865. Watkins’ House March 25. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. White Oak Road March 30-31. Crow’s House March 31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Sailor’s Creek April 6. High Bridge April 7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D.C., May 2-12. Grand Review May 23. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 10-14. At Jeffersonville, Ind., until July 5. Mustered out July 5, 1865. Regiment lost during service 16 Officers and 247 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 188 Enlisted men by disease. Total 454.

Comments on this Post

One Response to “* 5th Michigan Infantry”

1. Jack Dempsey says:

   August 28, 2007 at 8:09 pm

   Thanks for mentioning Michigan!