The 16th Michigan Infantry

Here is the narrative history of the 16th Michigan, from its formation as Stocktons Independent Regiment on through its service in the Eastern Theater of the war, beginning in the spring of 1861when Col. Thomas B.W. Stockton, attempting to answer the direct call of President Abraham Lincoln, found his path to command a state regiment blocked by Michigan Governor Austin Blair. Also presented is the previously untold story of the ill-fated Michigan Lancer Regiment, and how nearly 200 men who had originally wanted to fight in the manner of knights of old ended up in Stocktons command. Recounted too is the regiments role in the nightmarish battles that took place in darkness at Gaines Mill, Fredericksburg and Laurel Hill at Spotsylvania Court House, and in daylight attacks and charges across open ground at the Second Battle of Bull Run and Peebles Farm.

On the hot summer evening of July 2, 1863, at the climax of the struggle for a Pennsylvania hill called Little Round Top, four Confederate regiments charge up the western slope, attacking the smallest and most exposed of their Union foe: the 16th Michigan Infantry. Terrible fighting has raged, but what happens next will ultimately—and unfairly—stain the reputation of one of the Army of the Potomac’s veteran combat outfits, made up of men from Detroit, Saginaw, Ontonagon, Hillsdale, Lansing, Adrian, Plymouth, and Albion. In the dramatic interpretation of the struggle for Little Round Top that followed the Battle of Gettysburg, the 16th Michigan Infantry would be remembered as the one that broke during perhaps the most important turning point of the war. Their colonel, a young lawyer from Ann Arbor, would pay with his life, redeeming his own reputation, while a kind of code of silence about what happened at Little Round Top was adopted by the regiment’s survivors. From soldiers’ letters, journals, and memoirs, this book relates their experiences in camp, on the march, and in battle, including their controversial role at Gettysburg, up to the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House.

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- We Will Strive to Do Our Duty as American Soldiers -- The Loss Is Great, the Confusion Greater -- McClellan Moves Slow but Sure -- We Shall Go into the Storm of Battle with Brave Hearts -- A Whirlwind of Bullets, Yells, and Shrieks -- At It We Went Tooth and Nail -- The Sight Was Horrible and One I Hope I Never See Again -- Three Cheers for Colonel Jeffords -- Christ How the Canister Flew -- They Were Soon on All Sides of Us -- We Have Seen a Pretty Hard Campaign -- They Say Let the War Go On -- I Am Well but Don't Know How Long -- The Regiment Is in a Bad Situation at Present -- We Have Broke the Backbone of the Rebellion -- I Saw Passing a Great Army -- Roster of the 4th Michigan Infantry Regiment -- Notes -- Bibliography.

Portraits.

"The 19th Michigan, organized in the late summer of 1862 ... Early in March 1863 ... the 19th suffered the highest percentage of casualties of any regiment ... The unit was paroled, reorganized, rearmed ... In May, the regiment became part of Joe Hookers 20th Corps. Army of the Cumberland ..."--Invert Cover.

Excerpt from Roster of Survivors: 16th Michigan Veteran Volunteer Infantry Baker, Jacob. Indianapolis, ind. 10880 111. Bentley, William New Haven [st. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.