Tag: Michigan

1st Michigan – August 1861

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026 BD No Comments

The picture below shows the 1st Michigan soldiers standing around Fort Wayne, Detroit, in 1861. This black and white photo is 165 years old this month. Look at the contrast of the uniforms and the glare of the soldiers onto the photographer. It seems like they are are dressed in Federal uniform before they depart for Washington D.C. Upon a zoomed-in version of the picture, most of the soldiers on the left have their bayonets in their rifles and are ready to get marching. All of the soldiers in this photograph have their caps on, along with nice black shoes.

What else would these soldiers of the First Michigan be thinking about heading off to war? Some of them are smiling at the camera, while the ones on the extreme right seem to be sitting and pondering the task at hand. I wonder how many of these soldiers actually survived the Civil War. The world will never know, because there are no names to the soldiers within this picture.

Detroit, Gettysburg, Michigan, Union

Three Month Regiment – 1st Michigan

August 2, 2026August 10, 2026 BD No Comments

To uphold the United States Constitution, each state had to commit one regiment to the United States military. On April 16, 1861, one regiment from the state of Michigan was formed. The signed a three-month volunteer paperwork to serve. This one regiment had ten companies included within it, and it was completed on April 29th, 1861. The reason for this was the attack on Fort Sumter on the 12th of April.

Within these 10 companies were approximately 798 soldiers and enlisted officers. This photograph shows the presentation of colors to the 1st Michigan Infantry on their departure on May 11, 1861. They arrived in Washington D.C. five days later. A few days after their arrival, they attacked Alexandria, Virginia, a day after the state seceded from the Union. Little incident occurred on May 24th, but martial law was enforced for the city throughout the Civil War. When Alexandria, Virginia fell to the 1st Michigan, Col. Orlando Wilcox stated “Alexandria is ours” as two-thirds of the population fled the town. The city became a headquarters for U.S. military railroad, along with one of the largest Union hospital centers.

Courtesy of the George Eastman Museum – Matthew’s House at 1st Manassas

A few months later, on July 21, 1861, the first battle of Manassas began. The 1st Michigan was commanded by Major A.F. Bidwell within the 2nd Brigade that was commanded by Col. Orlando Wilcox. It was a hard-fought battle, but the Union loss with over 2700 hundred soldiers causalities, with around 90 causalities from the regiment itself. The 1st Michigan was then sent home and was mustered out on August 7th, 1861.

However, once returning to Michigan, the regiment morphed and signed three year papers and served as the 1st Michigan through Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg, and other battles after 1863.

Detroit, Gettysburg, Michigan, Union

Battle of Antietam – 7th Michigan

July 27, 2026August 10, 2026 BD No Comments

The Battle of Antietam was on September 17th, 1862, marking this year as the 164th anniversary of the battle. Soldiers in battle today have dog-tags with their name, rank, and possibly a location of what unit they served with. However, in the 1860s, this was not on the minds of soldiers. They would usually write letters and leave them on them. When they passed, the letters would tell the future person that if they were killed in battle, here’s who they would have to contact. One of these such soldiers is Captain Allen Zacharias of Company K within the 7th Michigan.

A little background about this soldier is very interesting. Even though he was a native of Washington County, Maryland, he moved to Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan. When he was fighting within the Peninsula Campaign, he wrote a short autobiography on a piece of paper which he kept with him. On the other side of the note he wrote:

Friend: If you find my body lifeless upon the field, bury it decently, mark its resting place, and inform my friends in the regiment and my father. Do this and you shall be liberally rewarded and have the gratitude of my friends.

He would survive the Peninsula Campaign and move with the 7th Michigan towards Antietam. Here, sadly, his fate would change and he knew he had little time left after getting shot. When he was lying on the ground between the West Woods and Dunker Church, Capt. Allen Zacharias wrote a note to his family:

Dear Parents, Brothers and Sisters: I am wounded, mortally I think. The fight rages around me. I have done my duty, this is my consolation. I hope to meet you all again. I left not the line until nearly all had fallen and the colors gone. I am getting weak, my arms are free, but my chest is all numb. The enemy trotting over me, the numbness up to my heart. Goodbye all. Your son, Allen.

(Courtesy of The Red Book of Michigan; a Civil, Military, and Biographical History by Charles Lanman)

In fact, Capt. Zacharias was mortally wounded at Antietam. When soldiers found him, he was taken to a hospital in Hagerstown and died on December 31st. His letters to his family were sent to his father. When he passed away, several family members from Maryland were there with him, and he would pass away in the same county in which he was born.

His family story is unique. He had two brothers that also served in the Civil War, one within his own company.

His first brother was Alexander K. Zacharias. He would enlist with Company K in the 7th Michigan in August 1861 along with his brother, Allen. He would survive Antietam.
His second brother, Private Melville Zacharias, would enlist in Company M, of the 8th Cavalry. He was captured in November 1864, and became a prisoner of war.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress – April 26th, 1865

The steamer Sultana had a max capacity of 375 passengers, but during the explosion, over 2,300 soldiers were on board at the time. Over 1547 lives were lost, with soldiers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia heading north on the river. Both brothers somehow ended up on the Sultana on April 27th, 1865 when the ship exploded. Allen’s first brother, Alexander, survived the explosion, while Melville perished. There were prisoners from Andersonville and Cahaba gaining their freedom back, only to lose their lives on the mighty Mississippi.

Antietam, Detroit, Michigan, Union

June 21, 1863 – Upperville

June 21, 2026August 10, 2026 BD No Comments

On the frontier of Virginia, Confederate and Union soldiers clashed near Upperville. In the midst of the Gettysburg Campaign, the Union were trying to figure out what the Confederates next move was. Over the following six weeks, there has been a drought across the Mid-Atlantic. On June 19th, a heavy rainstorm soaked the valley. During the downpour, Confederate cavalry was deployed near the Ashby Gap Turnpike.

Courtesy of the American Battlefield Trust

However, Union cavalry commander Alfred Pleasonton had asked for reinforcements to support him and the battle that would ensue. He was granted some infantry support from General George Meade’s 5th Corps. Colonel Strong Vincent’s brigade along with another cavalry division was in reserve. On this morning, Union cavalry was held back from Confederate forces under J.E.B. Stuart that were hidden behind stone walls and steep slopes near the creek. However, as Union soldiers within the reserve pushed forward, the Confederates started to falter. Here at Goose Creek, the Confederates held for approximately two hours before the 16th Michigan arrived.

Overall, there was no real advantage here at Upperville on who won the small skirmish. However, around 200 soldiers of the Union and 175 of the Confederacy was wounded in this attack.

Artillery, Confederate, Gettysburg, Union