Which Civil War Regiments Were The Lucky Ones?

Reconstructed Rebel

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Jun 7, 2021
Some units suffered terrible battle casualty rates (First Minnesota) or had assignments in locations that led to a high rate of misery and disease (Vicksburg). Which regiments, North or South, drew the lucky cards and after serving in relatively safe areas, came marching back home mostly intact? Is there any known political maneuvering involved in keeping some regiments out of harm's way?
 
I'm not sure the word 'lucky' applies, but the 3rd NC Cavalry spent most of the war in the Confederate areas of Eastern NC. As cavalry, they were employed mostly as recon, communications, etc., and were rarely sent into battle. This changed late in the war, however, and the regiment was sent to VA to fight in the Petersburg Campaign in '64-'65. So they were pretty lucky for the first three quaters of the war anyway.
 
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I had occaison to look at some of the history of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery recently.

The volunteer unit left NY in Feb. 1862 and was assigned duty in the defenses of Washington DC till March 1864. Essentially no enemy contact in that period.

The regiment was transferred to the AoP and saw action in the Overland Campaign and in the Petersburg and Appamattox campaigns.

Total killed or mortally wounded during the war --108. Seems kind of low given the unit enlisted about 2,000 men total.
 
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I had occaison to look at some of the history of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery recently.

The volunteer unit left NY in Feb. 1862 and was assigned duty in the defenses of Washington DC till March 1864. Essentailly no enemy contact in that period.

The regiment saw action in the Overland Campaign and the Peterburg Campaong, and the Apamattox Campaign.

Total killed or wounded during the war --108. Seems kind of low given the unit enlisted about 2,000 men total.
My first thought too👍
 
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Note: A distant relative, Edward Day, volunteered in this unit. He chose not to re-enlist at the end of the 90 days, or at any other time during the war.
No doubt plenty of other soldiers had seen enough of war in 90 days to last them a lifetime as well. Not many were fortunate enough to have a 90 day enlistment though.
I think it's a lot easier to find Union regiments with little experience of the War. The CSA regiments had a tougher time.
Agreed, but I thought I'd read of some Confederate units stationed in Florida who didn't see much action. Can't find any source to confirm that just now though...
 
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The 37th Iowa Volunteer Infantry was deliberately, composed of old men. It was nicknamed the Graybeard Regiment. In 1862, the War Department authorized the formation of the 37th to show that men who were past the draft age were willing and able to go to war. I would call this luck by design.

The Unit of 914 men assembled in December at Camp Strong near Muscatine, Iowa. The oldest man was 80-year-old Pvt. Curtis King. Six men were in their 70s, including 72-year-old drummer, Nicholas Ramey. Another 136 men were in their 60s. Most of the members of the regiment were over the age of 45. There were also 86 underage soldiers. Their Colonel George W. Kincaid, who would gain a poor reputation among his men and others.

Required to hike in the mud and sleep in the rain like other soldiers, the Graybeards were spared none of the rigors of army life. They were, however, exempted from combat duty, serving instead as guards of military prisons (Gratiot Street prison, Rock Island, Alton, Camp Chase among others), railroads, and arsenals in Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Only three men were killed in action, but 145 died of disease and 364 were discharged because of physical disabilities.
 
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I had occaison to look at some of the history of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery recently.

The volunteer unit left NY in Feb. 1862 and was assigned duty in the defenses of Washington DC till March 1864. Essentially no enemy contact in that period.

The regiment was transferred to the AoP and saw action in the Overland Campaign and in the Petersburg and Appamattox campaigns.

Total killed or mortally wounded during the war --108. Seems kind of low given the unit enlisted about 2,000 men total.
Apologies for the diversion, but being new to much of this terminology, would “mortally wounded” mean that a soldier was injured in battle and only died some time later as a result of his wounds? As a “casualty,” would he have been placed in the “wounded” category or in the “killed in action” category?
 
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In the Iron Brigade, I consider the 7th Wisconsin to have been the lucky one. At Antietam, they were just to the right of the Cornfield and escaped the carnage sown on the 2nd and 6th. At Gettysburg, they were just to the right of the apex of the fighting that decimated the rest of the brigade. They were the largest regiment in the brigade (for that reason) for a long while.
 
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Yes, but I left out the deaths from disease. Like most units Union or Confederate the death rate from disease was much higher than that from enemy action.
The Pennsylvania units seem to have made out the best here, with less than 50% from disease.
 
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Less than 50 percent? What does that mean -- 50 percent less died of disease in Penn. units than dies from disease in other Union units? Or what?
I thought we were talking about deaths from from disease, compared to deaths from battle. Solders from PA that died were: less than 50% died from disease, over 50% died from battle injuries or KIA
 
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Apologies for the diversion, but being new to much of this terminology, would “mortally wounded” mean that a soldier was injured in battle and only died some time later as a result of his wounds? As a “casualty,” would he have been placed in the “wounded” category or in the “killed in action” category?

Yes, mortally wounded means the death occured sometime after the time the wound wa first inflicted. Could be as little as one day, or several months later.

When talking about casualties, it is usually meant to include killed, wounded and missing.
 
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Oh, I see. That's pretty impressive. Did Penn. have more doctors and nurses, of just better doctors and nurses?
Likely more city boys, and people who traveled more, having been exposed to disease. Philadelphia (pop 565,529) was 2nd largest city in the country, and 5 others in the top 70.
 
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Yes, mortally wounded means the death occured sometime after the time the wound wa first inflicted. Could be as little as one day, or several months later.

When talking about casualties, it is usually meant to include killed, wounded and missing.
Thank you Bruce Vail. Would mortally wounded be counted as killed or as injured in reports of battlefield casualties?
 
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