Question of the Week: 6/7-6/14/21

What’s your favorite regiment that fought in the Western Theater? And did they fight there exclusively or transfer?



16 Responses to Question of the Week: 6/7-6/14/21

  1. 21st Wisconsin Infantry is my favorite because my wife’s great grandfather was with it from muster in September 1862 to muster out June 1865. Fought in Perryville, Stone river, Chicamauga, Mission Ridge, and Resaca where he was wounded in the left arm. He and the regiment went on with Sherman to Atlanta, Savanah and up through the Carolinas and finally the last battle at Bentonville. They marched from there through Richmond and to Washington DC and marched in the Grand Review. They were put on a train to Milwaukee and mustered out. Of the 960 men who left with the regiment only 260 of these men returned with it.

    1. I had a relative in that unit from Perryville through Stones River. Private R.B. Schoonover, Company C.

      1. Great Grandfather was Wesley Miner Private Company G. John Otto from company D wrote a book called Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill. It about the entire 21st time on duty.

  2. 20th Illinois and Pvt. James H. Hunt. From Shiloh to Vicksburg. Back thru Tennessee and then March to the Sea with Sherman.

  3. The 1st Wisconsin comes immediately to mind. Not only did it have a great combat record, the unit also incubated leaders for many other Badger State units. Other ones I have taken a shine to are the 9th Ohio, 100th Pennsylvania, 79th Pennsylvania, 24th Wisconsin, the Army of the Cumberland’s Regular units, and the various Tennessee Union outfits.

    I also cannot forget the three units in which I had ancestors: 21st, 43d, and 46th Wisconsin.

  4. The 7th, 9th, and 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry regiments. They fought exclusively in the west. (Although the 15th began as the Anderson Troop and as such was involved with the Antietam Campaign)

  5. 63rd Indiana. Company G 3x great grandfather Beckwith Rogers, his brother James, and two brothers of James’ wife, Samuel and Lambert Spencer. All from White County Indiana.

  6. 31st Wisconsin Regiment (Co. C) – my 4x grandpa served and his son served with the 4th Wisconsin Light Art. I got to walk Bentonville battlefield twice where the 31st Wis. saw plenty of action on day one.

  7. How can we not have the 1st Minnesota in here. If it wasn’t for their charge at Gettysburg we’d all be speaking with a twang (which would be okay).

  8. One of my favorites is the 16th Battalion Georgia Partisan Rangers, later designated as the 13th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Cavalry. They operated mainly in Eastern Tennessee, but they also participated in Morgan’s first raid into Kentucky. In the latter part of the war, they saw action in Northern Virginia as well.

    1. I’d also like to add the 42nd and 52nd Regiments Georgia Volunteer Infantry. Besides the Western Theater, they also participated in the CaroIinas Campaign in 1865. I had ancestors in both of these units, as well as the 13th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Cavalry.

  9. That is an almost impossible question – there are too many! I would have to say the 1st/4th Missouri Consolidated, the 8th Missouri Infantry (the American Zouave Regiment), the 17th Missouri Infantry, the 31st Missouri, 21st Missouri, 25th Missouri, and the 15th Missouri. I have to also include the regiments my ancestors were in: the 41st Tennessee, 12th Tennessee, and 40th Illinois.

  10. I regard the 36th Illinois as my “hometown” regiment. Their GAR Hall still stands in Aurora IL

  11. Favorite Regiment? Easily, the 12th Indiana. Or, the 26th Indiana-my grandfather’s grandfather served in both outfits. Hmm…then there’s the 130th Indiana, where yet another gggrandfather served. These men had brothers in other regiments, too, like the 88th and the 129th. My Family Tree reads like a Hoosier Sampler of Regiments!

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