Recommendations on 7th Wisconsin primary sources?

[JeffFromSyracuse]

I'm working on a treatment of a late 1863 skirmish that involved the 7th Wisconsin. I've found writings by other Iron Brigade units (Rufus Dawes' work was especially helpful), but I haven't found anything specifically on the 7th.

Any advice?

 

[General Casey]

I'd try to reach out to Lance J. Herdegen, who has written extensively about the Iron Brigade. He may be able to point you to some sources.

 

[7thWisconsin]

The Huckleberries are a tough subject. They didn´t talk about themselves much, and no one wrote their regimental history during the historical period. Mostly they get mentioned in other sources. The diary of Frederick Ray is a great resource. As mentioned, Lance Herdegen is the man to contact. He´s forgotten more about the Iron Brigade than the rest of us will ever know, and has written and edited a number of works. If you search him on amazon, you´ll hit all of them, including the Ray diary.

 

[Tom Elmore]

You might try:

-Diary of Corporal Horace Currier, Company I, 7th Wisconsin, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison.

-Diary of Elisha Dean of Columbia County, Company B, 7th Wisconsin, microfiche, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Division of Archives and Manuscripts. Dean served as an ambulance driver.

-Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion, by Wm. DeLoss Love, Chicago: Church and Goodman, Publishers, 1866. It may contain some material of interest. In it I found an item on the 7th at Gettysburg.

 

[JeffFromSyracuse]

I'd try to reach out to Lance J. Herdegen, who has written extensively about the Iron Brigade. He may be able to point you to some sources.

Thanks! I remember his presentation from last year. Does he have a user name on this site?

 

[General Casey]

Thanks! I remember his presentation from last year. Does he have a user name on this site?

I don't know if he's a member here, but I know he publishes through Savas Beatie. You could probably email them and see if they can forward your email to him. I also know that he does a lot with the Civil War museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin. You could probably reach out to the folks there as well.

 

[William Ray]

My Mother worked with Lance Herdegen and co-authored/edited the book
"Four Years with The Iron Brigade: The Civil War Journal of William Ray."

Seventh Wisconsin Volunteers Company F.
He wrote in 19 separate journals about all aspects of the enlisted man's life, the battles, the hardships, and the comradeship.

It may be of use to you though this question was asked years ago.

 

[William Ray]

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2015_2016/300_feature.pdf

 

[William Ray]

History of the 7th Wisconsin Infantry in the American Civil War

History of the 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War, with timeline of important events, movements, and battles.

civilwarintheeast.com

7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment

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United States Regiments & Batteries > Wisconsin > 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment​

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The 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment lost 10 officers and 271 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 143 enlisted men by disease during the Civil War. The Seventh Wisconsin is honored by a monument on the Gettysburg battlefield.
Four men of the 7th were awarded the Medal of Honor (see details below); the most of any Wisconsin regiment.

1861
August	Organized at Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin Company A – Captain George Bill Company B – Captain James H. Huntington Company C – Captain Samuel J. Nasmith Company D – Captain Emerson F. Giles Company E – Captain William D. Walker Company F – Captain John B. Callis Company G – Captain Samuel Stevens Company H – Captain Mark Finnicum Company I – Captain George H. Walther Company K – Captain Alexander Gordon, Jr.
September 2	The 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment mustered in under the command of Colonel Joseph Van Dor, Lieutenant Colonel William W. Robinson and Major Charles A. Hamilton.
September 21	Left Wisconsin for Washington, D.C.
October 1	Arrived in Washington and attached to King's Brigade, McDowell's Division, Army of the Potomac and duty in the Defenses of Washington
1862
January 30	Colonel Van Dor resigned.
February 3	Lieutenant Colonel Robinson was promoted to colonel Major Hamilton was promoted to lieutenant colonel Captain George Bill of Company A was promoted to major.
February 17	First Lieutenant Hollom Richardson was promoted to Captain of Company A.
March	Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-16	Advance on Manassas, Virginia
April 9-19	Advance to Falmouth, Virginia Duty at Falmouth and Fredericksburg
April	Attached to 3rd Brigade, King's Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April 29	First Lieutenant George H. Brayton was promoted to Captain of Company B.
May 24	Captain Samuel Stevens of Company G resigned,and First Lieutenant Homer Drake was promoted to Captain of Company G.
May 25-29	McDowell's advance on Richmond
June 2-11	Operations against Jackson
June	Attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia
July 22	Captain Samuel J. Nasmith of Company C transferred to the 25th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
July 24-27	Reconnaissance to Orange Court House
August 5-8	Expedition to Frederick's Hall Station and Spotsylvania Court House
August 5-6	Thornburg's Mills or Massaponax Church
August 9	Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 13	First Lieutenant Alan R. Bushnell was promoted to Captain of Company C.
August 16	Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 21-23	Fords of the Rappahannock
August 22	Catlett's Station
August 28	Battle of Groveton (Brawner's Farm, Gainesville) From "The Battle Begins" wayside marker: Late on the afternoon of August 28, Brig. Gen. Rufus King's division proceeded east towards Centreville. They marched in search of the elusive "Stonewall" Jackson, who was operating behind Union lines with half the Confederate army. As the head of the column passed the village of Groveton, Confederate artillery emerged from the woods and fired upon the unsuspecting Federals. Union troops turned to fight a fierce twilight battle near the Brawner Farm that began the three day battle of Second Manassas. From a trailside marker along the Brawner's Farm loop trail: "We soon found that we had to deal with General Ewell's whole division of picked men. We advanced within hailing distance of each other, then halted and laid down, and my God, what a slaughter! No one appeared to know the object of the fight, and there we stood on hour, the men falling all around; but we got no orders to fall back, and Wisconsin men would rather die than fall back without orders." – An Unknown Wisconsin Soldier Captain George H. Brayton of Company B was killed. Colonel William Robinson, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hamilton and Major George Bill were wounded, although Hamilton remained on the field until the end of the fighting. Captains William D. Walker of Company E and George H. Walther of Company I were wounded. First Lieutenant N.P. Bird of Company I was wounded. First Lieutenant Martin C. Hobart was wounded, and promoted to Captain of Company B. Captain John B. Callis of Company F took command of the regiment as senior captain after the battle
August 29-30	Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1	Battle of Chantilly (Reserve)
September 6	Maryland Campaign Attached to 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14	Battle of South Mountain The regiment assaulted Turner's Gap, suffering 147 casualties out of 375 men engaged. The brigade earned the name, "Iron Brigade." Second Lieutenant John W. McKenzie of Company F was wounded.
September 16-17	Battle of Antietam The brigade was the spearhead of Hooker's early morning attack down the Hagerstown Pike. The 7th Wisconsin took about 190 men into action and lost 9 men killed, 26 wounded and 5 missing. From the marker for Gibbon's Brigade on the Antietam battlefield: On the morning of the 17th, with its right on the Hagerstown Pike, Gibbon's Brigade, which three days before had earned the title of the "Iron Brigade", advanced in the direction of the Dunkard Church. When 135 yards north of this point Confederates, deployed under cover of the ledge and woods west of the pike attacked the flank, upon which the 19th Indiana and 7th Wisconsin were deployed on the plateau and in the woods west of the pike and the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin in the infamous Cornfield east of it. Battery B, 4th U. S. Artillery, went into position west of the pike and a few yards south of Miller's barn. Supported by Patrick's Brigade and the Battery on the right and Phelps' Brigade on the left, Gibbon's Brigade advanced to and south of this point but was forced back. Charge and countercharge of the most deadly character were made across the open plateau west of and in the Cornfield and ground south of it, east of the pike, and the Iron Brigade was compelled to retire to the field north of D. R. Miller's and then to the cover of the high ground north and east of Joseph Poffenberger's.​
September 18	At Sharpsburg, Md.
October 30-November 22	Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15	Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia Captain Alexander Gotdon of Company K was wounded.
December 22	Second Lieutenant Levi E. Pond was promoted to Captain of Company E.
1863
January 5	Major George Bill resigned, never having recovered from his Brawner Farm wound Captain John B. Callis of Company F was promoted to Major effective January 5 First Lieutenant Henry F. Young was promoted to Captain of Company F
January 20-24	"Mud March"
January 25	At Belle Plain
January 30	Captain George H. Walther of Company I was transferred to the 34th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and promoted to Major.
Febtuary 1	First Lieutenant Joseph N.P. Bird was promoted to Captain of Company I.
February 9	Captain Emerson F. Giles of Company D resigned, and Second Lieutenant Alexander W. Bean was promoted to Captain of Company D.
February 11	Captain Homer Drake of Company G resigned, and First Lieutenant Frederick L. Warner was promoted to Captain of Company G.
March 3-4	Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hamilton was discharged due to his wound from Brawner's Farm, the doctors never having been able to successfully extricate a bullet from his thigh. Major John Callis was promoted to lieutenant colonel Captain Mark Finnicum of Company H was promoted to Major First Lieutenant Robert C. Palmer was promoted to Captain of Company H
March 8-9	First Lieutenant Jefferson Newman was promoted to Captain of Company C.
April 27	Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2	Operations at Pollock's Mill Creek
April 29-30	Fitzhugh's Crossing Captain Alexander Gordon of Company K and Second Lieutenant Wiliam O. Topping of Company C were killed Second Lieutenant William W. Ryan of Company A was wounded First Lieutenant George S. Hoyt was promoted to Captain of Company K
May 2-5	Battle of Chancellorsville The 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment lost 3 men killed, 5 wounded and 1 missing
June	Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 9	Battle of Brandy Station Commanded by Colonel William Robinson, the regiment was temporarily attached to a composite brigade of infantry that supported the left flank of the Cavalry Corps in the battle.
June 11	Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3	Battle of Gettysburg Colonel Robinson took over the brigade during the battle, and Major Mark Finnicum led the 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. From the monument to the 7th Wisconsin at Gettysburg: It went into action with 370 and lost killed – 39, wounded – 103, missing – 52, total – 194. Captains Alexander W. Bean of Company D and Levi E. Pond of Company E were wounded First Lieutenant Charles Fulks of Company H and Second Lieutenants James Johnson of Company A, Ren L. Estes of Company D, Alonzo A. Kidd of Company F and John W. Bruce of Company K were wounded. Francis Jefferson Coates of Company H was awarded the Medal of Honor "In action at Gettysburg, PA on July 1, 1863 for unsurpassed courage in battle where he had both eyes shot out."
July 5-24	Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
July 25	Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan
October 9	Bristoe Campaign
October 13	Captain Robert C. Palmer of Company H resigned and Adjutant Robert Monteith was promoted to Captain of Company H.
October 19	Haymarket The 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment lost 40 men skirmishing.
November 7	Battle of Rappahannock Station First Lieutenant Frank W. Oakley of Company K was wounded, losing his arm.
November 26	Mine Run Campaign
December	Lieutenant Colonel Callis was discharged due to disability from his Gettysburg wound, and Major Mark Finnicum was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
1864
January 18	Captain Hollon Richardson of Company A was promoted to Major
February 20	First Lieutenant James Johnson was promoted to Captain of Company A.
March	Attached to 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 4	Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7	Battle of the Wilderness Captain Jefferson Newman of Company C and Second Lieutenant William W. Walrath were killed Captains James Johnson of Company A, Henry F. Young of Company F and George S. Hoyt of Company K were wounded Second Lieutenant Alonzo Kidd of Company F was wounded Captain Martin C. Hobart of Company B was wounded and captured
May 8	Battle of Laurel Hill First Lieutenant Amos D. Rood of Company K and Second Lieutenants Oley Grasley of Company A and Judson H. Holcomb of Company C were wounded.
May 8-21	Battle of Spotsylvania Court House First Lieutenant James Holes of Company A was killed. Lieutenant Colonel Finnicum was wounded.
May 12	Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle"
May 23-26	North Anna River
May 25	Jericho Ford First Lieutenant Burns Newman of Company G was killed.
May 26-28	On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31	Totopotomoy
May 31	Lieutenant Colonel Finnicum returned to duty after his Spotsylvania wound.
June 1-12	Battle of Cold Harbor
June 1-3	Bethesda Church First Lieutenant William E. Sloat of Company F was wounded.
June 16-17	Grant's First Assault on Petersburg Second Lieutenant Tanner Thomas of Company H was killed Captains Alexander W. Bean of Company D, Levi E. Pond of Company E, Francis A Boynton of Compny F and Charles Fulks of Company H were wounded First Lieutenant Andrew J. Compton of Company D was wounded
June 16-18	Siege of Petersburg
June 27	First Lieutenant Ethan A. Andrews was promoted to Captain of Company C.
July 9	Colonel William Robinson resigned.
August	Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac
August 3	Major Richardson was promoted to acting lieutenant colonel.
August 18-21	Weldon Railroad Corporal Horace Ellis was awarded the Medal of Honor "for action at Weldon Rail Road Station, Virginia on August 21, 1864. Captured the flag of the 16th Mississippi."
September	Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac.
September 17	Captain Frederick L. Warner of Company G mustered out.
September 26	Captains Robert Monteith of Company H and Joseph N.P. Bird of Company I mustered out.
September 30	Captain Alexander W. Bean of Company D mustered out.
October 1	First Sergeant Edson Terrill was promoted to Captain of Company I.
October 10	Captain Charles Fulks of Company H mustered out.
October 22	First Lieutenant Frederick R. Dearborn was promoted to Captain of Company D First Lieutenant Walter B. Peck was promoted to Captain of Company G First Lieutenant Charles Fulks was promoted to Captain of Company H
October 27-28	Boydton Plank Road (First Hatcher's Run)
December 3	Captains James Johnson of Company A and Henry F. Young of Company F mustered out.
December 13	First Lieutenants Oley Grasley was promoted to Captain of Company A, Francis A. Boynton to Captain of Company F and Nicholas Heber to Captain of Company H.
December 17	Lieutenant Colonel Mark Finnicum resigned. Major Richardson was confirmed as Lieutenant Colonel.
December 29-30	Captain George S. Hoyt was promoted to Major Captain Levi E. Pond of Company E was discharged for disability First Lieutenant William H. Gildersleeve was promoted to Captain of Company E First Lieutenant John M. Hoyt was promoted to Captain of Company I
1865
February 5-7	Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run Captains William H. Gildersleeve of Company E and Walter B. Peck of Company G were wounded. First Lieutenant Thomas C. Alexander was wounded and taken prisoner.
March 28-April 9	Appomattox Campaign
March 28	Lewis Farm
March 30-31	Boydton Plank Road and White Oak Road (Gravelly Run) First Lieutenant Onesime Rondeau of Company G was wounded. Albert O'Connor was awarded the Medal of Honor when "On 31 March 1865, with a comrade, recaptured a Union officer from a detachment of nine Confederates, capturing three of the detachment and dispersing the remainder, and on 1 April 1865, seized a stand of Confederate colors, killing a Confederate officer in a hand-to-hand contest over the colors and retaining the colors until surrounded by Confederates and compelled to relinquish them." William H. Sickles was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Gravelly Run. "For extraordinary heroism on 31 March 1865, while serving with Company B, 7th Wisconsin Infantry, in action at Gravelly Run, Virginia. With a comrade, Sergeant Sickles attempted capture of a stand of Confederate colors and detachment of nine Confederates, actually taking prisoner three members of the detachment, dispersing the remainder, and recapturing a Union officer who was a prisoner in hands of the detachment."
April 1	Battle of Five Forks Lieutenant Colonel Holton Richardson was wounded in the final attack against the Confederate rear guard when he threw himself in front of General Warren to shield him from Confederate fire. Richardson was breveted Colonel for his heroic actions in the battle. First Lieutenant Augustus M. Hubbard of Company E was mortally wounded. First Lieutenant Jesse M. Roberts of Company F was wounded.
April 2	Fall of Petersburg
April 9	Appomattox Court House Surrender of Lee and his army.
May	Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23	Grand Review
June 16	Moved to Louisville, Ky.
July 2	The 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hollon Richardson and Major George S. Hoyt.

 

[Stryker65]

Look through this site: https://content.wisconsinhistory.or...7th infantry/field/regime/mode/exact/conn/and
There are tons of photographs of the 7th, other histories, personal accounts, commemorative rosters, etc., that could help you. For example: This and the next four pages are newspaper clippings by or involving members of the 7th Wisconsin.