24th Michigan Infantry Regiment

The 24th Michigan Infantry was organized at Detroit, Michigan and mustered into Federal service on August 15, 1862. It was assigned to the famous Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac. The brigade's commander General John Gibbon had requested a new regiment be added to his command because its four original regiments (the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin and the 19th Indiana) had been severely depleted by combat action and numbered less than 1000 men total by October 1862. He said that ideally it should be a Western regiment since the others were from that part of the country. Gibbon's request granted, the 24th Michigan joined the brigade and saw its first action at Fredericksburg taking on a nuisance battery of Confederate horse artillery south of the town. The regiment would follow up its actions at Fredericksburg with a raid on Port Royal, Virginia and fighting at Fitzhugh Crossing. It would earn the Model 1858 Hardee Hat of the Iron Brigade in May, 1863.

The 24th saw no major action during the Chancellorsville campaign, but at Gettysburg it "Went into action with 496 officers and men. Killed & mortally wounded: 89; Otherwise wounded: 218; Captured: 56; Total casualties: 363. Nine color bearers were killed or mortally wounded and two wounded, of 13 men to hold onto the flag during the first day of the battle, and all the color guard killed or wounded, a net loss of 80%. The 24th Michigan alongside the 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment suffered the highest casualties of any Union forces that fought at Gettysburg."[http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=12635 24th Michigan monument, Gettysburg National Battlefield Park]

Colonel Morrow was wounded while holding the regimental flag. "Just before reaching the fence, Col. Morrow was wounded in the head while bearing the colors. He was stunned by the wound and fell down. He was then helped from the field by Lt. Charles Hutton of Company G, with the last alive and non-wounded officer, then Captain Albert M. Edwards, assuming command of the regiment."Hadden, Robert Lee. "The deadly embrace: the meeting of the Twenty-Fourth Regiment, Michigan Infantry and the Twenty-Sixth Regiment of North Carolina Troops at McPherson's woods, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1, 1863." Gettysburg magazine. No. 5 (July 1991). Pages 19-33: ill., map; 28 cm. Page 30.

Thereafter, the 24th participated in the rest of the Army of the Potomac's campaigns and battles, participating in the Overland Campaign, being heavily engaged at both the Battle of the Wilderness and the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, with Colonel Morrow being wounded in the Wilderness and Lieutenant Colonel William Wight would take command through the rest of the Overland Campaign except for the latter portion of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House when he was sick and led by Albert M. Edwards, by then a major, until he was forced to resign to his wounds he sustained at Gettysburg, with command of the Regiment once again falling on Albert M. Edwards, who was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel with Captain William Hutchinson being promoted to Major and Edwards would be the commander of the regiment until December, 1864 when Colonel Morrow would return and then would become commander once again when Morrow was promoted to Brevet Brigadier General. The 24th after the Overland Campaign would participate in the Petersburg Campaign, participating in various battles during the siege such as the Battle of Weldon Railroad and the Battle of Peeble’s Farm but was not present at Appomattox because it had been reassigned to Camp Butler (Illinois) in Illinois two months earlier after the Battle of Hatcher's Run.

The regiment was selected as an escort at the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln.

The regiment was mustered out on June 30, 1865.

File:24th Michigan Infantry on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.jpg

The regiment suffered 12 officers and 177 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 3 officers and 136 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 328 fatalities,http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unmiinf3.htm#24th The Civil War Archive website after Dyer, Frederick Henry. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. 3 vols. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1959. including John Litogot, the maternal uncle of auto tycoon Henry Ford, who was killed at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Barney Litogot, another uncle of Ford’s, was wounded at Gettysburg and would serve with the regiment till the end of the war and serve on the honor guard for Lincoln’s funeral.{{Cite web|url=http://blog.thehenryford.org/2013/05/john-and-barney-litogot-henry-fords-uncles-in-the-civil-war/|title = John and Barney Litogot: Henry Ford's Uncles in the Civil War -- the Henry Ford Blog - Blog - the Henry Ford}}

• Colonel Henry Andrew Morrow, he would be regimental commander from its inception to his promotion to Brigadier General in January 1865, outside of his recovery from wounds he suffered at Gettysburg and The Wilderness and temporary brigade command. He was wounded three times during the war, he received a head wound while holding the regimental colors at Gettysburg, during the opening fighting at the Wilderness, where he was wounded in the leg, and while as a general at Hatchers Run, being shot in the shoulder. When he was promoted to General he commanded the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps until his wounding at Hatcher’s Run and then after his recovery became the last commander of the Iron Brigade. Originally from Virginia, he served as a page at the United States Senate, where he was a favorite of Michigan senator Lewis Cass, who convinced him to move to Detroit and he also would fight in the Mexican-American War, seeing fighting at the Battle of Monterrey. Before the war he was a judge for Wayne County and after the war he would return to the army. Breveted Major General.
• Lieutenant Colonel Albert M. Edwards, originally the commander of Company F, he was the highest-ranked officer alive and unharmed at the Battle of Gettysburg from the regiment and was the unofficial regimental commander from Gettysburg to his promotion to permanent commanding officer in January, 1865 after Colonel Morrow was promoted except at the times that Colonel Morrow would return from recovering from his wounds and when Lieutenant Colonel William Wight would return briefly in May, 1864. Edwards would be promoted to Major in February, 1864 then Lieutenant Colonel in July, 1864, became permanent commander in January, 1865 after Colonel Morrow’s promotion and served in the capacity for the rest of the war and served as the head of the honor guard for Abraham Lincoln's funeral. At the Battle of the Wilderness Edwards, then a Major, captured the flag of the 48th Virginia Infantry during the opening stages of the battle and at the same time of Colonel Morrow’s wounding and would hand the Colonel the flag before he was sent to a hospital. Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was a rarity in the regiment as he fought in every single battle the regiment was in and was never wounded with the regiment, with his only injury during the war happening when he was serving as a sergeant with the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment where he was wounded and captured at the First Battle of Bull Run. Before the war he was a journalism student at the University of Michigan. Breveted Colonel.
• Lieutenant Colonel Mark Flanigan, who was the original Lieutenant Colonel for the regiment and would be active commander when Colonel Morrow was serving as brigade commander. He was wounded at Gettysburg, losing a leg and being discharged for wounds. Before the war he was the Wayne County Sheriff and after his wounding and discharge he was appointed Provost General for the State of Michigan. Breveted Brigadier General and Major General.
• Lieutenant Colonel William Wight, who would command the regiment after Colonel Morrow's wounding at the Battle of the Wilderness until he would resign due to poor health in June, 1864. He was originally commander of Company K and was wounded at Gettysburg.
• Major William Hutchinson, who would command the regiment at times in late 1864 and early 1865 especially after Colonel Morrow was promoted and Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was on leave for a brief period in January, 1865 and when Edwards was in charge of a court martial board in Springfield, Illinois after the regiment was assigned to Camp Butler. He was wounded three times during the war. Breveted Lieutenant Colonel.
• Captain George C. Gordon, he would command the regiment at times when Lieutenant Colonel Edwards and Major Hutchinson were otherwise busy between the end of the war and the muster out of the regiment. He was wounded and captured at Gettysburg and taken to Libby Prison before escaping the prison later. Breveted Major.

The original field and staff officers and company commanders and their fates during the war where information is available:

Colonel-Henry A. Morrow, wounded 3 times, promoted to Brigadier General.

Lieutenant Colonel- Mark Flanigan, wounded, lost a leg at Gettysburg, discharged for wounds.

Major- Henry W. Nall, resigned due to contracting tuberculosis.

Adjutant- James J. Burns- resigned

Quartermaster- Digby V. Bell Jr.- resigned.

Surgeon- Dr. John H. Beech- promoted to brigade surgeon before resigning due to poor health in April, 1865.

Assistant Surgeon-

Dr. Charles C. Smith

Assistant Surgeon- Dr. Alexander Collar

Chaplain- Reverend William C. Way-Only regimental Chaplain for a Michigan regiment to last from muster in to muster out.

Sergeant Major- Edwin Norton- wounded and captured at Gettysburg, after release was commissioned a lieutenant.

Quartermaster Sergeant- Alonzo Eaton-commissioned Lieutenant.

Commissary Sergeant- Gilbert Dickey- killed at Gettysburg, Dickey was a member of Michigan State University first graduating class and among the first names to be enshrined on MSU Alumni Memorial Chapel walls. Dickey was one of the very few original members of the regiment that wasn’t from Wayne County as he came from Marshall, Michigan. His brother Harrison also served with the regiment and served till the end of the war.

Hospital Steward- Elmer D. Wallace- Commissioned Lieutenant, after the war became Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota.

Chief Musician- James F. Raymond

Drum Major- Daniel B. Nichils

Fife Major- Charles M. Phillips

Company A- Captain Edwin B. Wight- promoted to Major and he was wounded and lost an eye at Gettysburg, resigned and discharged for his Gettysburg wounds. He was the younger brother of William Wight.

Company B- Captain Isaac W. Ingersoll-resigned

Company C- Captain Calvin B. Crosby

Company D- Captain William J. Speed- killed at Gettysburg, he was a Detroit city attorney before the war.

Company E- Captain James Cullen- resigned.

Company F- Captain Albert M. Edwards- promoted to Major and then Lieutenant Colonel and breveted Colonel, became regimental commander.

Company G- Captain William A. Owen- wounded at Gettysburg and he was discharged for wounds.

Company H- Captain Warren G. Vinton- wounded at Gettysburg and he was discharged for wounds.

Company I- Captain George C. Gordon- wounded and captured at Gettysburg, escaped prison and was breveted Major when the regiment was at Camp Butler.

Company K- William W. Wight- wounded at Gettysburg, he was promoted to Major in October, 1863 then Lieutenant Colonel in early 1864, he would command the regiment after Colonel Morrow’s wounding at the Wilderness and would lead the regiment at Spotsylvania Court House before resigning in June, 1864 due to impaired health from his Gettysburg wound. He would be the inspecter sent by the State of Michigan for the regiment during the Election of 1864. He was Edwin Wight’s older brother.

File:COL Henry Morrow.jpg

File:LTC Albert M. Edwards.jpg

File:LTC Mark Flanigan.jpg

File:Maj (Bvt Ltc) William Hutchinson of the 24th Michigan.jpg

File:CPT George C. Gordon.jpg

File:Chaplain William C. Way of the 24th Michigan Infantry of the Iron Brigade.jpg

• List of Michigan Civil War Units
• Michigan in the American Civil War

• Curtis, O. B. History of the Twenty-Fourth Michigan of the Iron Brigade, Known As the Detroit and Wayne County Regiment. Detroit, Mich: Winn & Hammond, 1891.
• Hadden, Robert Lee. "The deadly embrace: the meeting of the Twenty-Fourth Regiment, Michigan Infantry and the Twenty-Sixth Regiment of North Carolina Troops at McPherson's woods, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1, 1863." Gettysburg magazine. No. 5 (July 1991). Pages 19–33: ill., map.
• Johnson, Chauncey A. Johnsons Military Company and Regimental Record. Company A, Michigan Volunteer Infantry. 24th Regiment. Mustered into the United States Service, August 15, 1862, at Detroit, Michigan. Milwaukee: Chauncey A. Johnson, 1862.
• Kochanowski, Givey, and Givey Kochanowsky. Western Pride: the Iron Brigade from Its Creation to South Mountain. 1999. Term paper written by Kochanowski while a student at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado providing a history of the Iron Brigade in the Civil War, which was composed of the 2nd, 6th, 7th Wisconsin; 19th Indiana; and 24th Michigan Infantries. Consisting mainly of research from secondary sources, the paper addresses the origin of the Iron Brigade and follows the unit until 1862. Included is a bibliography of sources.
• Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Guards at Lincoln's Tomb. 1925.
• Michigan, and George H. Turner. Record, Twenty-Fourth Michigan Infantry, Civil War, 1861–1865. Kalamazoo: Ihling Bros. & Everard, 1904.
• Milwaukee Public Library. Bibliography of the Iron Brigade: 2nd, 6th and 7th Wisconsin Infantry, 19th Indiana Infantry, 24th Michigan Infantry. 1972.
• [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-BHL-X-BL006906%5DBL006906 Our national liberties--the dearest rights of freemen: Company F, 24th Michigan Vol. Infantry]. Bentley Image Bank, Bentley Historical Library, 1865.
• Pardington, John Henry, and Coralou Peel Lassen. Dear Sarah: Letters Home from a Soldier of the Iron Brigade. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999. Collection of over 80 letters written by a Union soldier, Cpl John H Pardington, a member of the 24th Michigan Infantry of the famous Iron Brigade. They are filled with patriotic dedication to the Cause, longing for his wife and baby, details of camp life, and reflections on the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and other engagements.
• Smith, Donald L. The Twenty-Fourth Michigan of the Iron Brigade. Harrisburg, Pa: Stackpole Co, 1962.
• Twenty-Fourth Michigan Volunteers, Co. D, Letters, Clothing Distribution List, Clothing Receipts. 1862.
• United States. The Iron Brigader: Newsletter of the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. Lansing, Mich: 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Inc, 1980.
• Woodworth, George Porter. Abel Peck, Color Bearer, 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment. Milford, Mich: G.P. Woodworth, 1991.

• [http://www.civilwararchive.com/unionmi.htm The Civil War Archive]
• [http://www.24thmichigan.org/Home_Page.html 24th Michigan Reenacting Unit ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724203424/http://www.24thmichigan.org/Home_Page.html |date=2011-07-24 }}
• [http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg/gettysburg-history-articles/flags-of-the-first-day/ Flags of the First Day: An Online Exhibit of Iron Brigade and Confederate battle flags from July 1, 1863] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316173606/http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg/gettysburg-history-articles/flags-of-the-first-day/ |date=March 16, 2011 }}: (Civil War Trust)
• [http://www.oocities.org/24th_michigan/ ((archived copy)) 24th Michigan Infantry Regimental Website]

Category:Iron Brigade

Category:Units and formations of the Union army from Michigan

Category:1865 disestablishments in Michigan

Category:1862 establishments in Michigan

Category:Military units and formations established in 1862

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1865