The 1st Michigan Infantry in 1864

 

    1864 dawned cold and rainy for the 1^st Michigan Infantry, who were in winter quarters at Beverly Ford on the Rappahannock River, just northeast of Brandy Station, Virginia. The three-year veterans’ enlistments were up in 1864, and for any man that would re-enlist in a veteran unit, they would be granted a 30-day furlough. For that furlough to be granted, the regiment had to meet a certain number of re-enlistees. 212 men re-enlisted and were able to visit their homes for 30 days. They returned to camp at Beverly Ford in early April, where they were to prepare for the nearing campaign season. A shift in Army command moved General Ulysses S. Grant was placed in overall command of all Union Armies. General Meade commanded the Army of the Potomac, General Gouverneur K. Warren replaced Sykes as commander of V Corps, and divisions were combined, further restructuring the army. Charles Griffin commanded the 1^st Division, and Joseph Bartlett commanded the 3^rd Brigade, which the 1^st Michigan was now a part of. This would be their designation until discharge in 1865.

General Gouverneur K. Warren

    On May 3^rd and 4^th, the army had begun to move. Grant’s Overland Campaign had launched, and the 1^st Michigan was soon to be engaged. Warren’s V Corps marched southeast and crossed Germania Ford on the Rapidan River, including 190 men of the 1^st. On the 4^th, V Corps stopped at the intersection of Germania Plank Road and Orange Court House Turnpike. Two companies of the 1^st were deployed as skirmishers, as Lee’s Confederates were near. In fact, Richard Ewell’s II Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was moving along OCTP towards Warren. However, this was the Wilderness, a thickly forested area with heavy underbrush that would do a good amount to balance the odds of an otherwise insurmountable imbalance in both troop number and equipment for those troops. On May 5^th, the men were formed into line of battle behind some recently built breastworks, while the 1^st was posted as pickets. They were met by Confederate cavalry and infantry skirmishers who tried to turn their right flank but were beaten back eventually. The 1^st then advanced through a rocky, unsteady clearing and engaged with the main Confederate line, primarily the men of the 1^st and 3^rd North Carolina regiments, Steuart’s Brigade of Johnson’s Division, as well as two batteries. They were engaged and took heavy losses before quickly withdrawing to the main battle line.

The Wilderness, Fight at Orange Turnpike, May 5th 1864. The First Michigan is deployed here as skirmishers, as was usually the case.

    Warren had been ordered by both Meade and Grant to attack the Confederates, the formers believing the opposing force to be smaller, perhaps one or two divisions, rather than an entire corps. Warren stalled however, due to the reports of a much larger force, via the 1^st Michigan. Around noon, however, Warren ordered an advance, in which Griffin’s Division overran the brigade of Virginians under General John M. Jones, who was killed in the attack. After continuous fire from the Confederates, at 3pm Bartlett’s Brigade fell back, after being relieved by Sedgewick’s VI Corps. They bivouacked for the night then in the morning of the 6^th were lined behind Upton’s brigade from the VI Corps, facing the west. The left of the line was touching the Orange Turnpike, while on the right, the 1^st was the far right of the brigade, with the 96^th Pennsylvania on their right. The 18^th Massachusetts was in their rear as support.

    All throughout the day, the men took heavy fire from Confederate Artillery and sharpshooters, though according to General Bartlett, his brigade only lost a handful of men. After about five hours, the brigade was ordered to fall back to their initial works, where they had begun the day prior. Gordon’s Brigade of Georgians and Johnston’s brigade of North Carolinians, both from Ewell’s Corps charged the far Union right, with Ewell pressing in the front. The men of the VI Corps had begun to give way, forcing the V Corps to fall back as well. This had the effect of creating a fishhook line of defense for the two corps, like the line of defense at Gettysburg. They held these positions until the evening of the 7^th, when at about 9 pm, they withdrew. 

May 6th, 1864. The Wilderness.

    Lt. Colonel William A. Throop, commanding officer of the 1^st Michigan Infantry at the time, makes note in the official report that his men were the first to discover the enemy, the first to engage the enemy, and therefore being the men to kick off the campaign. In the two days fighting at the Wilderness, the 1^st lost one officer killed, Captain Darius C. Bradish from company K. Four men were killed, while three officers were wounded as well as 44 men. Twelve men were reported MIA, totaling 64 casualties out of 188 men present for duty.

    Grant had ordered Warren to move to the southeast, towards Spotsylvania Courthouse. At about 8 am, the boys of the 1^st marched through Todd’s Tavern, fresh off the heels of a fierce cavalry fight. They stopped to make coffee but were ordered immediately towards SCH. Confederates of the I Corps built works on Laurel Hill and across the Brock Road, which Grant had ordered Warren to break through. Two charges were made, both unsuccessful. After exchanging fire with Confederates for most of the day, Sedgwick and his VI Corps finally arrived, which extended their line to the left. They coordinated another assault but were yet again repelled. After regrouping, Warren and Sedgwick decided to try to flank Anderson’s I Corps, however they soon discovered that elements of Ewell’s II Corps had filled the right and were able to stop any flanking actions on the 8^th.

Laurel Hill, on the way to Spotsylvania Court House. May 8th 1864.

    Lee had reached Spotsylvania first, immediately getting to work building earthworks and breastworks. Parallel to the Brock road ran Shady Grove Church Road, which formed a Y-intersection with Brock Road and ran SW into SCH. Lee’s line ran from Block House Bridge, which crossed Shady Grove over the Po River, on Laurel Hill, running NE across Brock
Road and into the woods, with Ewell’s II Corps folding into a mule shoe, and running SE on the east side of the Brock Road, down to link up with Early’s Corps that was just east of Spotsylvania Courthouse, down almost to Zion Church, which is still there today. Sedgwick had been killed on the 9^th, being replaced by General Horatio Wright. Hancock’s II Corps, as well as V and VI Corps were ordered to attack on the 9^th, but after numerous charges, they were repulsed each time. From the 10^th to the 12^th, the 1^st Michigan, as well as the 18^th Massachusetts and the 16^th Michigan were placed in rifle pits in front of the line. They exchanged fierce fire and even repulsed a Confederate attempt to clear the pits.

    Early on the 12^th they were moved to the right, where Confederate skirmishers were on the Union side of the Po River, with the intent of pushing them back. They did, however severe shelling from CSA batteries drove them back across the river, where they held the bank until late in the day. They drew back to their works until being relieved by the Second Division. On the 14^th, Grant shifted his army left, in front of Spotsylvania Courthouse, giving the boys of the 1^st 7 miles to march. This would absolutely exhaust them, so much so that they were unable to give battle and so formed their lines and occupied some old works, according to Lt. Col. Throop. Warren’s V Corps was now lined, facing the west, with their line running north to south from the Ni River down and across the Fredericksburg Road about half a mile south. Unfortunately, this area of the battlefield is highly developed. They held these positions until Tuesday May 17^th, when they were ordered to the left and front, or in other words, to the north and then west. The 1^st was once again being deployed in a skirmish line, opposite Early’s Corps. They would hold for about a day before being relieved by the 83^rd Pennsylvania Infantry on the 18^th. They fell back to the line of works and stayed there until the 20^th.

    That night, Grant decided to move south. He was racing his depleted army south to the North Anna River and Hanover Junction, where the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad intersected with the Virginia Central Railroad, hoping to beat Lee’s army. He sent Hancock’s II Corps ahead as bait, hoping to bring Lee out into the open and getting him to attack Hancock and then smashing Lee with his other corps. Lee was being re-enforced however, which Hancock discovered after skirmishing with George Pickett’s men near Guinea Station. Hancock halted, not wanting to risk his isolated corps. Grant sent Warren following Hancock, and when the bivouacked for the night, were passed by Lee’s Army moving south, hoping to intercept Grant’s Army. When Grant discovered that Lee had beaten him, he gave his men a day of light marching south along the Telegraph Road. On the 23^rd, Warren’s V Corps crossed the river at Jericho Mills, while Hancock’s II Corps attacked Lee along the Telegraph Road. V Corps was in opposition to A.P. Hill’s Corps, mainly the division of Cadmus Wilcox. Bartlett’s brigade was initially held in reserve, though a strong Confederate push drove back Sweitzer’s brigade, resulting in Bartlett’s men being pulled up. The two sides poured deadly volley after volley into them, until after grape and cannister from Union artillery drove the Confederates back over the railroad (VCR). Captain George Lockley was wounded in the days fighting.

    For days, the V Corps was in a stalemate with Hill’s Corps. The men of the first were put on picket duty and tasked with tearing up three miles of railroad, in the direction of Hanover Junction. They did this task until Grant decided to move again, pulling them back across the North Anna River and across the Pamunkey River. They looped southeast and then linked up and held position in line between IX Corps and XVIII Corps. On the 1^st, Griffin’s Division was along Beaver Dam Creek, facing west between east-west running Shady Grove Road and Old Church road. They stood opposing the division of John B. Gordon, who, along with Robert Rodes, attacked IX and V Corps, hoping to break them. Once again, the 1^st Michigan was moved to the front as skirmishers, building works and engaging with the advancing Confederates. However, the attack stalled, leaving both sides to shell each other with their artillery. Until the 12^th of June, the 1^st was deployed almost every day on picket duty.

    In the first month of the campaign, the 1^st Michigan suffered greatly. By June 15^th, from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, the 1^st lost 2 officers killed and 6 wounded, including Lt. Colonel Throop at Cold Harbor, 7 men killed with 75 wounded, as well as 34 reported missing from action. They went into it with 188 rifles, losing 124 of the men to death, wounds, or missing. On June 30^th, terms of service for the 4^th Michigan Infantry had expired and they were mustered out in Detroit, Michigan. Many of the men reenlisted with the 1^st Michigan. George Lockley, in his diary quotes the total of muskets in the 1^st being 350, with 60 men in his company in July 1864.

    Over the course of the next 6 months, the 1^st was engaged along with the rest of V Corps around Petersburg. In September of 1864, Grant ordered Warren to extend his left flank and cut Confederate lines on both flanks. Benjamin Butler would attack north of the James, at New Market Heights. Two divisions of V Corps and two from IX Corps were ordered to attack southwest of Petersburg, near Peebles’s Farm, with the intent of adding pressure opposite of General Butler, who had taken Fort Harrison near New Market Heights. Lee had shifted his units to that flank, hoping to retake the fort. Warren was ordered to relieve some of that pressure. He sent two divisions, including Griffin’s First Division. On September 30^th, Griffin attacked confederate skirmishers from A.P. Hill’s Corps, primarily the 8^th Georgia Cavalry and the 4^th and 16^th North Carolina Cavalry, of James Dearing’s Cavalry Brigade from W.H.F Lee’s Division of Hampton’s Cavalry Corps who were fighting dismounted.

Peebles's Farm, September 30th 1864. The 1st was a part of Gwyn's Brigade.

The Confederates had begun to construct a fort northwest of the now non-existent Poplar Springs Church. It was named Fort Archer, after Confederate General James Archer. Captain James H Wheaton, of Grass Lake in Jackson County, Michigan led the 1^st Michigan, as he was the ranking captain and all superior officers had been wounded at some point in the Siege at Petersburg. He enlisted in Company D in May 1861. He re-entered the 1^st in August 1861 as a Sergeant in Company F. Promoted to Second Lieutenant on July 14^th, 1862. Wounded at 2^nd Bull Run, he was promoted from 2^nd Lieutenant to Captain on January 1^st of 1864. He was killed storming the fort, along with Colonel Norval Welch of the 16^th Michigan Infantry. Colonel James Gwyn, commanding 3^rd Brigade, was wounded. The fort was recaptured and renamed Fort Wheaton in honor of Captain Wheaton. He was 24 or 25; his exact birthdate is unknown. He left behind a wife and a year-old daughter.

Captain James H. Wheaton, KIA at Peebles's Farm while storming Fort Archer, which was later renamed for him

Gwyn’s Brigade held back facing NW along the Church Road as General Heth of Hill’s Corps attempted an attack on the IX Corps. Warren rallied them and held for the next few days as Heth and Hampton attempted numerous attacks. On the 2^nd of October, General Gershom Mott, and his division from the II Corps arrived and formed the front lines of an attack to break through the line towards Boydton Plank Road. However, the Federals were unable to break through. As a result, the Union lines were extended and allowed for later attempts by the II Corps to sever the road. During the fighting at the Battle of Peebles’s Farm, the reported casualties of the 1^st Michigan are as follows: 1 officer killed, 2 men killed, 20 men wounded, 4 men missing or captured, totaling 27 casualties.

The NPS plan for Fort Wheaton as well as what the position looks like as of the 1990's.

From October to December, the 1^st was encamped first near Poplar Grove, and from November to December in camp before Petersburg. Thus, the year 1864 was up. The 1^st suffered heavy losses in Grant’s now infamous Overland Campaign. But the stage was set for the final maneuvers of the war, or at least for the men of the First.

 

Thank You for your patience and sticking with me through this. Life continues its chaos, but on the bright side an anniversary was celebrated and a four day weekend continues, and even as I post this I have already begun the final year of the war for the men of the 1st Michigan, the skirmishers of the V Corps. If you like this, let me know in the comments or by liking and subbing, making sure to catch any future content. Check out @MICivilWarBlog on Twitter and u/BoesBoy123 on Reddit for updates or other Civil War content. A resource page with all my links and sources will be posted along with the final 1st Michigan post, for anyone concerned.