Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion

FIFTH INFANTRY

The record of the Fifth Infantry from its origin through the Peninsular Campaign, has been made, pages 260 to 287. Its movement from Malvern Hill to the field of the second Bull Run battle, 315, 316; thence to Crampton's Pass battle, 321, 325; at Antietam, 324 ; from Antietam to Fredericksburg, 342 to 344; battle of Fredericksburg, 344 to 350; battle of Chancellorsville, 350 to 357; at Gettysburg, 415, 417. The regiment was sent, with other troops, to New York, Albany and Troy, to aid in executing the draft of 1863.

November 7th, they, with the Sixth Maine, charged at Rappahannock Station, across an open field half a mile wide, under a destructive fire of grape, cannister and musketry, and stormed and carried the main fort and redoubts at the point of the bayonet, capturing seven pieces of artillery, and preventing the escape of the rebels. Eight regiments, with their colors, were captured, and the Fifth lost ten killed and fourteen wounded. November 26th and 27th they took part in the battle of Locust Grove and Mine Run, where the Federals lost 1,000 and the Confederates 2,500. December 2d, they went into winter quarters at Brandy Station.

Their action in the battle of the Wilderness is recorded on page 935; at Spottsylvania, 937; at Cold Harbor, 940; at Petersburg, 945. July 11th, they moved to Washington to assist in the defence of that city. Their original term of service expired on the following day, but they volunteered to remain to defend the capital. On the 16th, they left for Madison, Wisconsin, where they were warmly welcomed by the state authorities, and mustered out August 3rd.

The reenlisted veterans and recruits were organized into an Independent Battalion of three companies, under command of Captain Kempf, of Campany A, and moving into the Shenandoah Valley, engaged in the, action at Snicker's Gap, on the 18th, after which they returned to Washington, having marched one hundred and fifty miles. On September 19th, they participated in the battle between the forces of Sheridan and the rebel Early, at Cedar Creek, in which they lost four men killed and eleven wounded.

After the muster-out of the main part of the regiment, in August, 1864, seven new companies were recruited in Wisconsin, and Colonel Allen recommissioned as colonel. These companies were mustered in and left the State October 2d. October 20th, they joined the Independent Battalion, and December 4th, took position before Petersburg. Their action at Hatcher's Run is given on page 955; that in the charge on Petersburg, April 2d, 1865, page 968. In the pursuit of the enemy; they marched through a deep swamp at Sailor's Creek, and came under a heavy fire, but pressed bravely after the rebels, and General Ewell and staff surrendered to Sergeant Cameron and six men of Company A. The sergeant was thenceforth lieutenant for his gallantry. The regiment was highly praised by division and corps commanders. They lost sixteen killed and seventy-nine wounded. They shared in the review at Washington and reached Madison June 20th.

Captain Louis G. Strong, killed in the assault on Marye's Heights, May 3rd, 1863, was one of the first volunteers from Berlin, his home in Wisconsin. He was for three years a student in Lawrence University, and a graduate of Union College and Albany Law School. He was a generous hearted, noble young man, and a heroic soldier.

How often mankind are eager for some step in life which proves the cause of their death! George W. Adams, of Milwaukee, was rejected from the First Wisconsin, because he lost one finger when a child, but through the personal efforts of friends, was admitted to the Company of Milwaukee Zouaves, which joined the Eifth. He was wounded at Williamsburg, and fell, shot through the head, in the celebrated charge on Marye's Heights, at Fredericksburg. He was brave, respected and beloved.

The bravery and hazards of skirmishers and outlying pickets generally fail to be duly esteemed. But many soldiers before Petersburg learned it all, as they so often saw their wounded or dead comrades brought in from the picket line, and heard the whistling of bullets through their tents. Charles S. Fourt, of Company K, when on picket, near Yorktown, early on April 24th, 1862, gave a most seasonable alarm, and shot the advance officer of an approaching rebel force, though receiving a severe wound himself that caused him months of suffering. Samuel E. Orvis, of Company E, came out of a storm of bullets at the battle of the Wilderness, with a shattered arm, whose broken bones grated as it swung by his side, and walked more than a mile rather than take the place in an ambulance that some more needy one might want. Chaplain Reid superintended building rough chapels for the regiment, in which were held preaching services, prayer-meetings, Bible classes, class meetings, spelling schools, temperance meetings, debating societies. Union League meetings, and choir practice. Colonel Allen was leader of the regimental choir.

Thomas Scott Allen was born in Andover, Alleghany County, New York, in 1824. He was, in succession, a printer-boy, teacher, student at Oberliu, Ohio, printer in Chicago, Galena and Mineral Point, county clerk, and member of the "Wisconsin Assembly. He enlisted as a private, became lieutenant, captain, major, and lieutenant colonel of the Second Wisconsin, then colonel of the Fifth, and was brevetted brigadier general for gallant services. He was a hero in many battles, was four times wounded, had several horses shot under him, and his clothes often cut with bullets. His father, Rev. A. S. Allen, of Black Earth, built forts to protect our seaboard against the English, in the war of 1813, his father's father fought in the Revolution, and the family are of English and Scotch Pui'itan lineage. A younger brother of the general, William Wirt, was taken prisoner at the second Bull Run battle, and nearly starved to death. He was afterward assistant surgeon of the Fifth. The father so long and so earnestly hated slavery, that the sons had a special right to fight for its destruction. The general was elected secretary of state in November, 1865. The muster-out roster was as follows:

Colonel-THOMAS S. ALLEN
Lieut. Colonel-James M. Bull		Surgeon-George D. Wilbur
Major-Charles W. Kempf		1st Ass't Surgeon-Ambrose Jones
Adjutant-William B. Sturges		2d Ass't Surgeon-Wm. W. Allen
Quartermaster-Alexander Samuels		Chaplain-Brant C. Hammond
Company	Captains	1st Lieutenants	2nd Lieutenants
A	Evan B. Jones	Thomas Blair	Francis Kelly
B	Charles D. Moore	Theodore Marcoe
C	Miles L. Butterfield	Henry H. Linnell	Angus Cameron
D	Jonas W. Van Myers	James La Count	James Young
E	Charles R. Nevitt	John McCabe
F	William Bremner	Calvin D. Richmond	William J. Baker
G	Henry Curran	Ransom D. Squires	Charles Bracken
H	Charles T. Wyman	Harmon S. Kribb	H. Levander Farr
I	Thomas Flint	Lars E. Johnson	Henry B. Mason
J	Shadrach A. Hall	Alfred T. Fleetwood	Philetus Tiffany

Regimental Statistics. — Original strength, 1,058. Gain: by recruits in 1863, 210; in 1864, 684; in 1865, 25; substitutes, 50; draft in 1865, 25; veteran reenlistments, 204; total, 2,256. Loss:— by death, 285; missing, 4; desertion, 105; transfer, 33; discharge, 405; muster-out, 1,424.

SOURCE: Wm. DeLoss Love, Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion: A History of all Regiments and Batteries... (Chicago: Church and Goodman, 1866), pp. 978-981.