Enlisted on 8/11/1862 at Vassar, MI as a Private.

On 9/12/1862 he mustered into “D” Co. MI 23rd Infantry

He was Mustered Out on 6/28/1865 at Salisbury, NC

Other Information:

Buried: Fairgrove, MI

district, and was rendezvoused at Saginaw.  It was mustered

into service Sept. 13, 1862, with an enrollment of 983 officers

and men.

The field, staff and line officers at organization were as

follows:

Colonel, Marshall W. Chapin, Detroit.  Lieutenant Colonel,

Gilbert E. Pratt, Detroit.  Major, Benjamin F. Fisher, East

Saginaw.  Surgeon, Louis W. Fasquelle, St. Johns.  Assistant

Surgeon, Gilbert H. Blaker, Houghton.  Second Assistant

Surgeon, Gilbert Bogart, Jr., Flint.  Adjutant, Campbell

Montgomery, Detroit.  Quartermaster, Charles D. Little, Saginaw

City.  Chaplain, James S. Smart, Flint.

A.  Captain, Oliver L. Spaulding, St. Johns.  First

Lieutenant, William Sickles, St. Johns.  Second Lieutenant,

James Travis, St. Johns.

B.  Captain, Henry Woodruff, East Saginaw.  First

Lieutenant, Fayette Smith, Bridgeport.  Second Lieutenant,

William A. Lewis, East Saginaw.

C.  Captain, Charles E. McAllister, Flint.  First

Lieutenant, George W. Buckingham, Flint.  Second Lieutenant,

William C. Stewart, Flint.

D.  Captain, Benjamin W. Huston, Vassar.  First

Lieutenant, John Hamilton, Watrousville.  Second Lieutenant,

John G. Riggs, Millington.

E.  Captain, Henry C. Norville, Saginaw City.  First

Lieutenant, John Earl, Harrisville.  Second Lieutenant, Lester

E. Cross, Saginaw City.

F.  Captain, Henry S. Raymond, Bay City.  First

Lieutenant, Eben R. Ayers, Port Austin.  Second Lieutenant,

John S. McKinney, Portsmouth.

G.  Captain, Henry Walbridge, St. Johns.  First

Lieutenant, Stephen J. Wright, St. Johns.  Second Lieutenant,

Alonzo O. Hunt, St. Johns.

H.  Captain, John Carland, Caledonia.  First Lieutenant,

Benjamin F. Briscoe, Caledonia.  Second Lieutenant, Marvin

Miller, Corunna.

I.  Captain, Carlos D. Sheldon, Houghton.  First

Lieutenant, Graham Pope, Houghton.  Second Lieutenant, William

H. Patterson, Houghton.

K.  Captain, Damon Stewart, Flint.  First Lieutenant,

Samuel C. Randall, Flint.  Second Lieutenant, John Rea, Flint.

The regiment left Saginaw the 18th of September, and

proceeded to Kentucky, where it was assigned to the army

commanded by General Rosecrans.

The Twenty-third was at Bowling Green, Ky., also at

Carthage, Glasgow and Thompkinsville during the winter, and in

July, 1863, started on a long march after the confederate

General John Morgan, and during this campaign was at

Louisville, Ky., Jeffersonville, Ind., Cincinnati, Portsmouth

and Chillicothe, Ohio, and then returned to Paris, Ky.  It was

assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Twentieth

Corps Army of the Ohio, and started, in August, on the East

Tennessee campaign, and arrived at Knoxville Sept. 15.  After a

march through East Tennessee, the regiment returned to

Knoxville, and was stationed at Loudon to intercept General

Longstreet’s advance.  It came in contact with the

confederates, who were marching upon Knoxville, and heavy

skirmishing commenced at once.  The enemy attacked vigorously,

and the Union lines were slowly driven back, making an

obstinate defense of every foot of ground yielded.

At Campbell’s Station, a few miles west of Knoxville, a

battle was fought with Longstreet’s forces, in which the

Twenty-third lost heavily in killed and wounded.  The weather

was cold and rainy, the roads almost impassable on account of

deep mud, and the troops were but poorly supplied with rations,

and great suffering was caused by a lack of tents, clothing,

boots and shoes.  The Twenty-third acted as rear guard while

the corps was retiring upon Knoxville, and received special

commendation for its efficient work under the most trying

circumstances.

The regiment was actively engaged in the defense of

Knoxville, and when General Longstreet swept around the city

and marched into East Tennessee, the Twenty-third was one of

the regiments that followed him, but when General Grant decided

to allow the confederates to remain in Tennessee during the

winter, the Twenty-third returned to Knoxville, almost

destitute of equipments in the way of tents, blankets and

clothing.

The regiment shared the hardships of the East Tennessee

campaign until May, 1864, when it started upon the Atlanta

campaign with the army commanded by General Sherman.  After an

encounter with the enemy at Rocky Face Ridge, it moved through

Snake Creek Gap and made a desperate assault upon the enemy’s

works at Resaca, Ga., meeting with a loss of sixty killed and

wounded in a few minutes.

The Twenty-third took part in the various movements of the

Twenty-third Corps, frequently coming in contact with the enemy

at Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River and

Siege of Atlanta.

After the fall of Atlanta the Twenty-third was sent in

pursuit of the confederate General Hood, who marched his army

through Georgia and Alabama to Nashville, Tenn.  During this

march it retraced its steps over a portion of the ground it had

occupied on the march to Atlanta.  It reached Columbia on the

25th of November, where it joined the Union forces to oppose

the further advance of General Hood.  At Duck River the

regiment skirmished heavily with the enemy, and fell back to

Franklin, where a desperate battle was fought, the confederates

charging upon the works hastily thrown up, and were repelled by

a hand-to-hand conflict.  The obstinate resistance offered by

the Union forces delayed the march of General Hood so General

Thomas, at Nashville, could organize his troops for the final

struggle before that city.  Probably there was no more

desperate fighting in any battle of the war than at Franklin,

Tenn., and the Twenty-third was in the line when the fighting

was fiercest.  The Union forces fell back to Nashville, and on

Dec. 15 and 16 the Twenty-third, with the army under General

Thomas, in a two days’ battle, completely defeating the

confederates under General Hood, and drove them back in utter

rout to Duck River.

During the battle the Twenty-third charged the enemy,

securely placed behind a stone wall on the crest of a hill,

demoralizing the confederates and taking more prisoners than

there were men in the Twenty-third.

The crushing of General Hood by General Thomas relieved

the western department from immediate attack by the enemy, and

the Twenty-third Corps was ordered to Washington, D. C., to co-

operate with General Sherman’s army, then marching north

through the Carolinas.  The Twenty-third, with its corps, was

embarked at Alexandria, Va., on transports, and proceeded to

the mouth of Cape Fear River.  At Smithville, S. C., the

regiment was disembarked, and particpated in the attack upon

Fort Anderson, carrying the works in gallant style, the Twenty-

third being the first regiment to enter the fort.

The regiment marched to Wilmington, N. C., and upon the

evacuation of that place by the confederates, the Twenty-third

proceeded to Kingston, and then to Goldsboro, where it arrived

March 22, making a junction with General Sherman’s army, which

arrived the next day.

The Twenty-third marched to Raleigh, N. C., and then

started for Greensboro, N. C., ninety miles distant, where

General Johnson surrendered his army to General Sherman.

The Twenty-third was at Salisbury, N. C., June 28, at

which date it was mustered out of service, and returned to

Detroit, Mich., where it was paid off and disbanded July 20,

1865

The regiment during service had met the enemy at Paris,

Ky., July 29, 1863; Huff’s Ferry, Tenn., Nov. 12, 1863;

Campbell’s Station, Tenn., Nov. 16, 1863; siege of Knoxville,

Tenn., Nov. 17, to Dec. 5, 1863; Dandridge, Tenn., Jan. 14,

1864; Strawberry Plains, Tenn., Jan. 22, 1864; Rocky Face, Ga.,

May 8, 1864; Resaca, Ga., May 14, 1864; Etowah River, Ga., May

22, 1864; Dallas, Ga., May 27, 1864; New Hope Church, Ga., June

1, 1864; Lost Mountain, Ga., June 17, 1864; Kenesaw Ga., June

27 1864; Chattahoochee River, Ga., July 5 and 6, 1864; siege of

Atlanta, Ga., July 22 to Aug. 25, 1864; Lovejoy’s Station, Ga.,

Aug. 31, 1864; Columbia, Tenn., Nov. 25, 1864; Duck River,

Tenn., Nov 28, 1864; Spring Hill, Tenn., Nov. 29, 1864;

Franklin, Nov. 30, 1864; Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 12 to 16, 1864;

Fort Anderson, N. C., Feb. 18, 1865; Town Creek, N. C., Feb.

20, 1865; Wilmington, N. C., Feb. 21, 1865; Goldsboro, N. C.,

March 22, 1865.

Total enrollment……………………………..1477

Killed in action……………………………….38

Died of wounds…………………………………21

Died in Confederate prisons……………………..15

Died of disease……………………………….214

Discharged for disability (wounds and disease)……150

Source:  Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers 1861-65

********************************************************************************

Report of Maj. William W. Wheeler, Twenty-third Michigan Infantry.

  HDQRS. TWENTY-THIRD MICHIGAN INFANTRY,

Knoxville, Tenn., November 30, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report that while the Twenty-third Michigan

Infantry Volunteers (a part of the Second Brigade, Second Division,

Twenty-third Army Corps, Army of the Ohio) was in camp opposite

Loudon, Tennessee (after the evacuation of that place by our forces on

the 28th October, ultimo), by order of Brig. Gen. Julius White,

commanding said Second Division, I was directed, near midnight of the

13th and 14th instant, to proceed with the

Twenty-third Michigan Volunteers and one section of Henshaw’s

(independent Illinois) battery toward Huff’s Ferry (which is opposite the

lower fortification at Loudon) for the purpose of verifying the

information received of the passage of a portion of the enemy’s forces

on a pontoon bridge thrown across the river at that point.

About 2 o’clock on the morning of the 14th instant, I arrived with the

forces above mentioned at a point distant about 1 mile from Huff’s

Ferry, having marched about 5 miles on the route, when I received an

order from Brig.-Gen. White addressed to me, ordering me to

return immediately to camp with the forces under my command. On

reaching camp, in compliance with this order, I received instructions

from your headquarters to send all baggage and transportation of the

Twenty-third Michigan Volunteers to the rear toward Lenoir’s and to

march my regiment as escort of the division and brigade trains.

As directed, the Twenty-third Michigan Volunteers marched to Lenoir’s,

a distance of nearly 5 miles. At 12 m. of that day (Saturday, the 14th

instant) I received orders from you to march my regiment (the

Twenty-third Michigan Volunteers) toward Loudon, in rear of the other

troops forming the Second Brigade aforesaid.

Passing the site of our camp left that morning, the Twenty-third

Michigan, with the brigade column, had reached a point distant about

2 miles from Huff’s Ferry, when I received an order from

Brig.-Gen. White to march the regiment in support of Capt.

Sims’ (Twenty-fourth Indiana) battery, with which I proceeded in

advance about half a mile, taking a position there assigned, and

remained there during the night. Two sections of Henshaw’s

(independent Illinois) battery in the meanwhile came up and took

position at the same point. At 5 a.m. Sunday, the 15th instant, I

received orders from Gen. White to proceed to the rear as rapidly as

possible with the two batteries above mentioned.

For more than twenty-four hours the rain had fallen in torrents, and the

roads, difficult at the best were almost impassable for carriages. I

therefore distributed the men of my command along the traces attached

to the carriages, and by dint of the most arduous toil succeeded in

reaching Lenoir’s about 11 a.m., a distance of 9 miles. Here my

command was again assigned to the support of the Twenty-fourth

Indiana Battery, which was placed on a height commanding the river

road from Loudon.

At 3 a.m., Monday, the 16th instant, I received an order from your

headquarters to destroy my regimental wagons and to proceed toward

Knoxville, in escort of Henshaw’s (Illinois) battery. The

Twenty-third Michigan Volunteers Infantry arrived en route at

Campbell’s Station, a distance of 9 miles, about 11 o’clock that

morning. About noon the regiment was, by your direction, formed in

line of battle behind a small branch (or creek) in a meadow to the left

of the highway as one approaches Knoxville, and on the right of the

Thirteenth Kentucky Infantry Volunteers Shortly after as the rear guard

of the army came in, I was ordered by you to take up a new position

about 200 yards toward the enemy, just in advance of a barn. A brigade

of the Ninth Corps occupied the position between the right of my

regiment and the woods which skirted the open fields to our right, and

which were distant about 60 perches. I had previously thrown forward

Capt. Buckingham’s company (A) as skirmishers, who had orders

from you to retire without engaging the enemy.

About 1.30 p.m. the enemy advanced a line of skirmishers on our front.

Capt. Buckingham’s company (A) retired in accordance with your

instructions, leaving only the skirmishers of the Thirteenth Kentucky on

the front of the right with of your brigade. At this juncture my regiment

occupied the right center of our front, and was so placed that the right

wing was on a slope looking toward the front and the woods before

mentioned on our right, while the left wing occupied the crest and slope

descending from our front. Directly afterward the skirmishers of the

Thirteenth Kentucky Volunteers came in, leaving my regiment exposed

to a galling fire from the enemy’s skirmishers on our front and on our

right, which was replied to with considerable effect by Capt.

Raymond’s company (F), which I had posted in the barn above

mentioned. Having received orders from you to hold this position at all

hazards, I remained there with my regiment about two hours, suffering

a loss of 6 enlisted men killed, 1 officer slightly wounded, and of

enlisted men 2 mortally, 13 seriously, and 9 slightly wounded. At the

end of that time, perceiving the enemy making preparations to throw a

light battery into position on our front, at a distance of about 700 yards

(which I was unable to prevent), I sent an orderly to the rear to find you

or some officer of your staff, in order that I might apprise you of the

necessity of my forming a new line about 40 yards to the rear of my

position, which could be sheltered by the crest of a ridge on the exposed

of which the regiment was then posted. Presently Lieut.

Montgomery, your acting assistant adjutant-general, came up. I

explained the exigency to him, posted the markers and colors on the

new line, and had just given orders for the new formation when the

enemy opened his battery with a fire of spherical case, canister, and

grape with great precision, but fortunately with little effect beyond

dislodging Capt. Raymond’s company (F) from the barn already

mentioned.

About half an hour after the formation of this new line I received orders

from you through Capt. Gallup, brigade inspector on your staff, to

march in retreat. This, therefore, I proceeded to do, unmasking our

batteries, and exposed to the rear and severe fire of the enemy’s artillery

crossing the highway leading toward Knoxville, and continuing beyond

the range of the enemy’s batteries, with no further loss and without

confusion or trepidation in the ranks of the regiment. We remained in

this new position until nightfall, when the regiment took position in

column of the brigade which formed the rear guard of the army, and

about 7 p.m. proceeded toward Knoxville, which place we reached

about 4 a.m., Tuesday, the 17th instant, having been under arms without

rest four nights and three

days with the slightest allowance of food, exposed to most inclement

weather, and much of the time on fatiguing march in presence of the

enemy.

On Tuesday morning, 17th instant, the regiment was assigned a position

on Temperance Hill, Knoxville, and since that time has furnished heavy

details for grand guard and fatigue parties, besides fortifying its own and

adjacent front, but has not engaged the enemy.

Six enlisted men of this regiment, of a party left at Lenoir’s Station to

destroy ammunition, are still missing, and are supposed to have been

killed or taken prisoners by the enemy. The list of casualties,

therefore, of the past month in our engagements with the enemy’s is as

follows: Six enlisted men killed, 1 officer and 24 enlisted men wounded,

and 6 enlisted men missing. Total killed, wounded, and missing, 37.

In conclusion, sir, I am gratified to add my testimony of the gallant

conduct of the officers of the line and of the enlisted men of the

Twenty-third Michigan Volunteers, and of the untiring zeal and

efficiency of the regimental and medical staff, during the engagement at

Campbell’s Station, which was the first in which it has been its fortune

to take a part, and of the wonderful fortitude which has sustained them

in all these trying circumstances without a murmur and without a doubt.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. W. WHEELER,

Maj., Comdg. Twenty-third Michigan Infantry Volunteers.

Col. M. W. CHAPIN,

Comdg. Second Brig., Second Div., 23d Army Corps.