"We don't surrender much." Using engineers as infantry.

[major bill]

During the Battle of Stones River, General Rosecrans ordered Colonel William P Innes to have the First Regiment of Michigan Engineers and Mechanics to help defend the army's supply lines. Confederates under General Wheeler was sent to disrupt the supply lines and soon attacked the First Regiment of Michigan Engineers and Mechanics. The approximately 391 engineers were assaulted by overwilling numbers of Confederate cavalry and light artillery. General Wheeler sent a demand that they surrender. Colonel Innes reportedly replied "We don't surrender much." After losing many men in several attacks the Confederates withdrew with an estimated 100 casualties. The Engineers lost one killed and six wounded.

Although engineer units were armed as infantry this appears to be so they could protect themselves, not so they could be used as infantry. I was wondering how often Union engineers were pressed into service as normal infantry. I assume there are other examples of engineers repelling attacks.

 

[Dan Kohli]

A detachment of the 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics (again) with the help of the 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry had repeatedly fended off raids of Confederate attackers while repairing the railroad between Stevenson and Murfreesboro. This action happened December 12th-15th and was recorded by Leander Stillwell.

The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War, 1861-1865

The Story of a Comman Soldier is the description of Leander Stillwell's experiences as an average soldier in the Union Army.

books.google.com

 

[uaskme]

Used them all thru the ATL Campaign. Yankees were putting down new RR track about as quick as the Confederates could pull the old up. Mobile units in some instances got there before the raid ended. Engineers ran off the Raiders then fixed what was broken.

They weren't designed to fight as regular Infantry. They were a self sustaining force. Designed to keep the RR running.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

At Fredericksburg (December 11, 1862), the 15th​ Volunteer New York Engineers led by Major James Magruder and the Battalion of Regular US Engineers led by Lt. Charles Cross, constructed pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River, one mile south of Fredericksburg, below Deep Run. While the engineers were finishing their work on the southern side of the river, Texans from Robertson's Brigade rushed out of the Deep Run Ravine and attacked them. Some of the engineers grabbed their rifles and returned fire, and supported by fire from both Federal artillery and the 10th​ Pennsylvania Infantry Reserves, they forced Robertson's soldiers to retreat to the Bowling Green Road. (The engineers subsequently resumed their bridge-building work).

 

[Mk VII]

It's a misuse of their specialist skills to press them into an infantry role. Nonetheless, "soldier first, tradesman second" and many times they have been forced to fight where necessary.

 

[DixieRifles]

I have not read of any engineer units used as Infantry in the Civil War. I've read little accounts of engineers at all.

I am familiar with Combat Engineers used as infantry in WW2. The 36th Engineering Battalion being the most famous one.

Map showing the push on Rome after the breakout of the Anzio beachhead. Here the 36th Engineers were used to hold the far East end of the line until they were relieved by the II Corps. Note the 36th Engineers were not part of the 36th "Texas" Infantry Division.
The 36th Engineers are high-lighted in Mauve. My father's 85th Division in BLUE.

 

[Tennessee Union Gal]

Would it be fair to say that the Engineers and Pioneers were the Seabees of the ACW?

 

[Dan Kohli]

Would it be fair to say that the Engineers and Pioneers were the Seabees of the ACW?

No, they were the Seamonkeys of the ACW. ; )
In all seriousness they were more inline with modern combat engineers then anything else.

 

[1SGDan]

See my review of this small fight

Lavergne - Battle Perspective | South & Western Theaters

Introduction - Six views of the same fight. Battles are complex affairs. The Civil War is no different in this respect. In some cases the result of these battles is plain to see, while in others the outcome is not so obvious. As modern day observers of these battles we have the benefit of...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Old Soldier]

The field engineers have always been thought of as a tooth arm - one in the line of battle. Pioneers were usually part of an Infantry regiment, the guys who made movement easier by clearing areas, camp sites and building small bridges, buildings - usually of wood from that clearing - hence the ax as their badge.

The engineers (officers, planners), with sappers and miners (the guys who got their hands dirty) were a brigade or division formation. Initially they dug saps - long covered approaches to enemy fortifications - and dug mines - to 'undermine' those fortifications and blow them up. This was extended to combat river and obstacle crossing - often within sight of the enemy - who usually gave them what-for! They were usually armed with a short rifle, not a carbine, which gave them the range to cover their own people when necessary.

 

[Belfoured]

The US Engineers Battalion in the Army of Potomac was put into the front line during the Battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864. They also were issued 20 rounds on May 12 but it doesn't appear they were issued accompanying orders.

 

[1SGDan]

The engineers (officers, planners), with sappers and miners (the guys who got their hands dirty) were a brigade.

In the Army of the Potomac engineers were never fielded in anything more than an independent brigade. It contained 15th New York Engineers, and the 50th New York engineers. Later they as the 15th NY shrank by muster outs eight companies of the 1st New York Engineers came north from their duty in the south. First they were assigned to the Army of the James but were later absorbed into the AoP.

The Regular Engineer Battalion operated as a separate entity. The companies of the Engineer Brigade were generally broken up to form separate support Battalions for the individual corps.