6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The Sixth Infantry was organized at Kalamazoo, being accepted into the United States service on August 20, 1861. It was composed of the following companies: the "Berrian County Rifles" of Miles, the "St. Joseph Volunteers" of St. Joseph, the "Schoolcraft Light Guard", of Schoolcraft, the "Dowagiac Light Infantry" of Dowagiac, the "Wolverine Rifle Rangers" of Marshall, the "Saline Sharpshooters" of Saline, the "Littlejohn Light Guard" of Allegan, the "Eaton Rifles" of Charlotte, the "Albion Rifle Rangers" of Albion and the "Beardsley Guard" of Niles.

The Regiment, under the command of Colonel Frederick W. Cortenius of Kalamazoo, started from its rendezvous to join the Army of the Potomac, August 30, 1861, with an enrollment of 944 officers and men. While the Sixth expected to become part of the Army of the Potomac, the fortunes of war placed most of its service in the southwest, on the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. The Regiment was recruited for the Infantry arm of the service serving as such until July, 1863, when General Banks converted it into a Regiment of Heavy Artillery, on account of its valuable and faithful service, his official order stating that the Regiment is "to retain, until further official notice, its infantry number, and to have the organization, pay, clothing and equipment as prescribed by regulations for troops of the artillery arm." The Regiment is therefore frequently referred to as the Sixth Infantry and also the Sixth Heavy Artillery.

The Regiment spent the winter of 1861-62 in camp at Baltimore, Maryland, where from the following spring embarked upon steamers for Fortress Monroe, when it arrived Feb. 23, 1862. Again embarking with other Union troops, it proceeded by sea to Ship Island, Miss., from there soon after, was sent to General Butler's forces in an attack on New Orleans, La., arriving at that city May 2nd, after the fall of Forts Jackson and St. Phillips and the capture of the city. From this point the Regiment, as a whole, or in detachments, made many excursions into the surrounding country up and down the Mississippi River, capturing and destroying public property and Confederate supplies, many of the excursions being of a highly dangerous nature. August 5, 1862, the Sixth made a brilliant record in assisting to repulse a heavy attack on the Union forces at Baton Rouge, when in a desperate charge upon the Confederate works, captured the flag of the Ninth Louisiana Regiment. The Sixth suffered severely in killed and wounded in this engagement, including General Thomas Williams, in command of the Union forces who was killed.

In January 1863, the Regiment participated in an expedition under General Weitzel to Bayou Teche, destroying the rebel gunboat "Cotton". They then took part in the expedition against Ponchatoula in March, where the Regiment had 9 men wounded; but, captured a number of Confederate's. In April the Sixth was engaged at the Amite River and the Tickfaw River, followed by a raid on the Jackson Railroad at Pangipabo, where it captured 60 prisoners and destroyed an immence amount of contraband property. From May until July the 6th., it was engaged in the Seige of Port Hudson, where it received special commendation for its gallantry and daring. It made a desperate charge upon the Confederate entrenchments on the 27th of May, going through the works with a bayonet charge, the attack was unsuccessful by reason of the overwhelming numbers of the defending Confederates. After the seige of Port Hudson, the Regiment remained there until March of 1864, when 247 men re-enlisted and started for Michigan on veteran furlough.

The Regiment re-assembled at its former camp at Kalamazoo after the expiration of the thirty days furlough, then returned to Port Hudson, where it arrived on May 11th. The Sixth moved to Vicksburg, Miss., where it served as engineers, then moved to White River and soon after to Ashton, Ark. The Regiment was divided into detachments to serve as heavy artillery to be stationed at Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island and le Bay.

The Regiment performed valuable service under its assignments as heavy artillery until August, when it received orders to return to Michigan. It arrived at Jackson August 30th, was paid off and discharged on Sept. 5, 1865.

During their term of Federal Service, they were engaged at:

Sewell's Point,Va.	Fort Jackson,La.	Vicksburg,Ms.
Grand Gulf,Miss.	Amite River,Ms.	Baton Rouge,La.
Bayou Teche,La.	Ponchatoula,La.	Barataria,La.
Tickfaw River,La.	Port Hudson,La.	Tunica Bayou,La.
Ashton,Ar.	Fort Morgan,Al.	Spanish Fort,Al.
Fort Blakely,Ala.	Fort Huger,Al.	Fort Tracey,Al.

ORGANIZATION

Organized at Kalamazoo, Mich., and mustered in August 20, 1861.
Left State for Baltimore, Md., August 30, and duty there till February 22, 1862.
Attached to Dix's Command, Baltimore, Md. to February, 1862.
Butler's New Orleans Expedition to March, 1862.
2nd Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to November, 1862.
Sherman's Division, Dept. of the Gulf, to January, 1863.
1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1863.
Designation of Regiment changed to 6th Regiment Heavy Artillery July 28, 1863.
District of Port Hudson, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864.
Bailey's Engineer Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1864.
U. S. Forces, le Bay, Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864.
District Southern Alabama, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1865.

1861-1865

Total Enrollment	1992
Killed in Action	45
Died of Wounds	25
Died in Confederate Prisons	13
Died of Disease	432
Discharged from Wounds	327
Total Casualty Rate	42.3%

Rosters:

The roster of this unit has the names of 2111 men. A number of the men were from New Orleans and other towns in Louisiana.
Bibliography for Research:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Davenport, IA. Eastern Digital Resources.

U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War Davenport, IA. Eastern Digital Resources.

Clark, James S. 'General Lyon and the Fight for Missouri.' In War Sketches and Incidents (MOLLUS, IA, Vol. 2). Des Moines, IA: Kenyon, 1897. pp. 274-92 (10 photocopied pages). E464M5.1991v56.

Michigan. Legislature. Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War 1861-1865. 46 vols. Kalamazoo: Everard, 1903. Minnesota.

Minnesota Adjutant General's Report of 1866. Roseville: Park Genealogical Books, 1997. Ingersoll, Lurton D. Iowa and the Rebellion.... Phila: Lippincott, 1867. E507I47. Brief Regimental Histories

Iowa. AGO. Roster and Records of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion Together With Historical Sketches of Volunteer Organizations, 1861-1865. Vol. 1. Des Moines, IA: E.H. English, 1908. UA43I82v1.

Ritner, Jacob B. Love and Valor: The Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner. [Ed by Charles F. Larimer] Western Springs, IL: Signourney, 2000. 453 p. E507.5.1st.L68.

Stuart, Addison. Iowa Colonels and Regiments.... Des Moines, IA: Mills, 1865. E507S92.

Wilkie, Franc B. Pen and Powder. Boston: Ticknor, 1888. 383 p. E601W69.