The Wisconsin 5th Infantry Regiment:
Contributions of the “Fighting Fifth”
to the Ending of the Civil War
from December 1864 to July 1865
By: Jonathan Wanzer ORCiD 0009-0004-9275-7410
Submitted on: February 23, 2022
Submitted to: Dr. Nathan Martin
Course: HIST 501 Historical Methods
Chicago Citation:
Wanzer, Jonathan. “The Wisconsin 5th Infantry Regiment: Contributions of the “Fighting Fifth” to the Ending of the Civil War from December 1864 to July 1865.” Historical Interpretations. Jonathan Wanzer, February 23, 2022. http://wanzer.org/the-wisconsin-5th-infantry-regiment/.
Notes: This is a first foray into Documentary Editing although this was not the specific purpose for the paper at the time. This research is also part of my genealogical
A note on documentary conventions in this paper; the spelling, spacing, and punctuation of the original text will be retained. Within the text, moving from one line to the next, the line change in this paper is indicated by a forward slash (/). If a quote spans pages it will be indicated with a double forward slash (//). Elipsis (…) will be used to indicate the there is preceding or proceeding text. The original document text will be in italics to more easily differentiate it from the rest of the text.
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into how the Wisconsin 5th Infantry Regiment contributed to the ending of the Civil War. It will focus on the period from December 1864 to July 1865. The research centers on four personal letters of a Union soldier in the Wisconsin 5th Infantry Regiment to his wife containing his perspective on the events during this period. This information is placed in context provided by the National Archives military unit database establishing a framework of unit actions and positions on specific dates. The remainder of the information is from primary and secondary sources providing greater detail on specific events and locations, either corroborating or contradicting the eyewitness account of the author of the letters.
This research paper is limited to this specific unit and this specific time frame, a wider view will be provided for a broader context but will be limited to major details, and only in brief. The research is also limited due to the available time to complete the research in an eight-week condensed course. This research is being conducted by a direct descendant of the author of the letters, therefore it is recognized that the potential exists for some unintentional bias.
The Wisconsin 5th Infantry
The Wisconsin 5th Infantry Regiment was organized and mustered on July 13th, 1861, at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin under the command of Colonel Amasa Cobb. On July 24th the unit was ordered to Washington D.C. to a Camp on Meridian Hill where it was attached to Brigadier General Rufus King’s Brigade, Brigadier General George A. McCall’s Division “The Pennsylvania Reserves”, of the Army of the Potomac.[1]
Over the unit’s 4 years in service from July 12, 1861, to July 11, 1865, it had a reputation for being one of the Army’s best units, a proud tradition carried by many of the units Wisconsin sent to Washington. 91,194 men from Wisconsin served the Union in 54 infantry, 4 cavalry and 1 heavy artillery regiment, 13 light artillery batteries, and 1 sharpshooter company.[2]
From the time the unit was formed until December of 1864, the Wisconsin 5th was engaged in several high-profile battles including the Battle of Antietam September 16-17, 1862, and the Battle of Gettysburg July 2-4, 1863. At Gettysburg the unit was commanded by Colonel Thomas S. Allen taking a reserve position protecting the flank with 491 men, later aiding in repelling an attack and taking a position on the crest of Big Round Top. They had no casualties during the battle. They also fought in the Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House May 8-21, 1864, the Battle of Cold Harbor June 1-12, 1864, and the Siege of Petersburg June 17-18, 1864,[3] though they were given another task away from Petersburg, they would later return.
On July 16, 1864, Non-veterans were ordered back to Wisconsin. The veterans were then consolidated into a Battalion of three Companies, A, B, and C.[4] On August 3, 1864, the non-veterans were mustered out, and from August 7 to November 28, the Wisconsin 5th was assigned to Major General Philip Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign and attached to the Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, Col. Oliver Edwards Third Brigade, under Col. Thomas S. Allen.
In September the “Old Fifth” was mustered out and the regiment was reorganized in Wisconsin with the addition of seven new companies. The units already in the field of the reorganized Wisconsin 5th served Provost duty at Winchester and Cedar Creek, Virginia. On October 2, 1864, the newly formed Companies left Wisconsin for Winchester and Alexandria Virginia and on October 20, 1864, the new Companies joined the Regiment at Cedar Creek.[5] The united, reorganized Regiment left for Petersburg on December 1 and rejoined the Army of the Potomac and the Siege of Petersburg on December 4, 1864.
December 27, 1864, Parkes Station, Virginia
In his letter home, A.J. Wanzer, further referred to as Jack is predicting an end to the war in just two months and being home in three, he also alludes to significant reinforcements being expected.
…We have got good news / down here and the opinion of / all of the army thinks that this / war will close in 2 months from / this time and I think that it will / soon for I dont think that / the Johneys can stand the presure / the Johneys comes in to our lines / eavery night I think at this / timethat I will be at home / in three months or at least / it is the opinon of all the army // …thing is all quiet on our / lines this morning I dont think / that thare will be no more / fightting down here I think / that we will starve the rebel / out in a short time and I / think so we ar a getting a big / army and we will all around // them and starve the Johneys / right to tearmes[6]
Jack is not far off. The Siege of Petersburg will continue until April 2, 1865, just a few weeks before Lee’s surrender. In the meantime, the 5th continues in the campaign on Petersburg with actions at Dabney’s Mills and Hatcher’s Run February 5-7, 1865. It was here that the Wisconsin 5th was guarding the flank of the Petersburg assault. Lee was in Petersburg having just been given command of all Confederate Armies on February 6th, the 5th‘s task was to prevent Lee’s escape from the area.[7]
March 21, 1865, Warnes Station, Virginia
In this letter, Jack indicates that they are planning to march soon, though he does not indicate where to. Again, he is seeing an end to the war soon. The Union forces were closing in on Confederate units and continued to win engagement after engagement and the frustration caused by Generals Sheridan and Sherman.
… I / dont know how soon we / will have to march from / here our orders is just the / same that they was when / O wrote my last one to / you it is warm As / summer here the grass is / green here and every thing / is pleasent I think that / this cruel war cannot / last much longer for / our army is getting the / Johneys is getting in clost / quartersand thay ar getting / beat in every fight that / is faught Shearman and / Sheridan is playing them / the duce and our army // is holding the Johneys / tight so they have to stay / here so that thay cannot / reinforse one another so I / think that the Johneys / will have to surrender / be fore 2 months from / this time I dont see any / chance for the Johneys at / all I must close for this / time I would just say that / our captin has left and we / dont cry a bout it I think / that oald squires will / be discharged from this / company be fore long he is / under a coart martial / this day all of our company / is well and looks fine / I will close for this time / right often and dont forget / this from your Jack Wanzer[8]
The march alluded to by Jack was the Appomattox Campaign from March 28 to April 9, 1865. On April 2, 1865, the assault on Petersburg began at 4 AM for the Wisconsin 5th and the Massachusetts 37th. Together, at the extreme front with two other units guarding their flank, the 5th was the first Regiment to enter the captured fort planting their colors. By 8 AM the units reassembled and marched 6 miles capturing enemy stragglers and engaging in another skirmish until that night. “The loss of the regiment was about one-tenth of that suffered by the whole corps, consisting of 50 regiments.”[9]
By the afternoon of April 3rd, the 5th joined in on the pursuit of General Robert E. Lee, at one point in the chase the regiment was engaged with a desperate enemy in a dangerous position. “Colonel Allen rode in advance of the line as calmly as though the danger was unknown.”[10] On April 6th, the Wisconsin 5th engaged resistance at Sailors Creek during the chase of General Lee. On April 9th General Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
April 17, 1865, Berks Station, Virginia
In this letter Jack writes to Vina to let her know he is well and recounts the major events for the unit since his last letter, he provides a lot of information from their forward position.
… My dear wife I take this time to / let you know that I am well / and have got to my company / all right I found them / encamped in the pine woods / and we ar a bout 52 miles / from peters burgh our regiment / was at the surrender of general / lees army and after the surrender / they marched to where we ar / and we dont know how long / we will stay here but one / thing is sure that this war / ia a bout to a close all of / the boyes is in goog health / and feels fine we think that / we will be at home by the / 4th of July and I dont see / any thing in the way…[11] // Our regiment has been in / thre fights since I was at / home our regiment has lost / lost 26 men in killed and / wounded James conlin was / killed dead on the field / and samuel virnon was / wounded bad and the boyes / thinks that he is dead but / we dont know sutin all of / the boys went in to the fight / that was from our town but / Noah A Decker and he runn / a way and we dont know ware / he is he is one coward from / Blackriver falls Oald quires was / shot in the stearn and he / has 5 holes tht will tell which / way he was going I have knot / got much news to right / at this time but we think[12] // that our boyes will go to / Washington in a short time / our boyes is got the praise of / the capture of peters burgh / and our regiment was the / first in to the Johneys / fort our boys from wisconsin / is Just the boyes that can / climb the best work our / regiment had a hard a hard fight / with general Euiels men at / litle salor creek and thay / helped to capture 10,000 prisoner / Lamiel kinnion and cooper / got back to ther regimen / all right I must close / for this time Our boyes has / been excused from all / field duty for our bravery / I will put this confedeate / bill in this letter to let / you see it right as soon as // get this I hope you / ar well good By / This from your / A J Wanzer…[13]
According to Jack, the 5th was camped 52 miles from Petersburg on the 17th after having been in the Appomattox Campaign pursuing General Lee until he surrendered. Jack mentions three fights, one of which was Sailors Creek where they engaged with Lt. General Ewell’s unit who gave them a “hard fight.” After winning the battle, according to Jack, they took 10,000 prisoners. Jack alludes to the possibility he was on leave at some point when he says, “since I was at home.”
Jack goes on to exhibit a little well-deserved Wisconsin pride, many of the Wisconsin units had come by a reputation for being fierce fighters and the Fighting Fifth was no exception being credited as the first unit to enter the enemy fort in Petersburg, VA planting the unit flag there.[14] As a reward, the unit was excused from field duty for their bravery.[15]
The unit did have casualties and Jack mentions a few of them claiming in total the unit lost 26 men killed and wounded. He mentions three in particular; James Conlin of La Crosse was killed on April 6th at Sailors Creek, VA.[16] Samuel Visnow was wounded at Sailors Creek and then went absent without leave and was mustered out, it is likely he was still with the unit when Jack wrote the letter and left later. Noah A. Decker is shown in the record as mustered out June 20, 1865, with the rest of the unit so it is likely he was missing for a while but returned to the unit. “Old Squires” is Lt. Ransom D Squires who was wounded at Petersburg. There is no mention of the wounds sustained, he does muster out with the rest of the unit in June.
Going to Washington D.C. is in the unit’s future, but not just yet. As Jack surmises, the war is coming to an end soon, and he reasserts his belief that he will be home by the 4th of July. Before they can head to Washington, they will need to engage one more time.
April 29, 1865, Danville, Virginia
The 5th is now about two miles outside of Danville, Virginia. They had a long, hard, dusty march of 100 miles in five days. Hopeful of a rest before heading out to Washington D.C. for mustering out.
My dear I take this time of / writing you a few lines to let / you know that I am well at / present I will give you an account / of our regiment at this time / we ar encamped a bout 2 / miles from town it is a / pleasent place here but it is / very warm here… I must right some thing / a bout the march here it was / a hard march we marched 100 / hundred miles in five days / and the roads is dry and dusty / it has knot rained for 15 teen days / it is warm and hard to travel / but we think that the traveling / is a bout played out for this / rebellion we have got good news // for general Johnson had to surrender / to general sherman uncondishionly / and that winds up the rebellion in / the east and I think that it is / dun all over but in Texas and / I think that thare is soldiers a / knough thare to make him give / it up for a bad Job I think / that this army will go back to / city point as soon as we get / rested and then to washington / and then I think we will be / sent to our own state I think / that I will be at home on the / 4th of July I dont seeany thing / in the way at this time the / reason that our corps had to / come here was to stop Johnsons / army from getting a way from / general sherman and as soon / as we got here he surrendered / I have wrote one letter to you // since I / got back to our regiment but / I have knot got any from you / I dont think that you will / get this letter as soon as usual / for it is difficult getting mail / for a while for the railroad / Bridges is Distroyed and the mail / has to come by land from Berks / station whare the regiment was / when I wrote to you… I / we ar a bout 150 miles from / richmond south west and / if we have to march back it / will be ahard Job but if we / stay here a week or 2 I think / that the railroad will be fixed / so that we can go on the cares / I hope that thay will stay here / until it is fixed but I cant // tell any thing a bout it… This from your / Jack Wanzer[17]
After Berks Station, the 5th called to help General Sherman by preventing General Johnson from escaping as Sherman moved in. Just as the 5th arrived, Johnson surrendered to Sherman unconditionally essentially winding up the rebellion in the east leaving only the west, primarily Texas, to capitulate.
One of the factors at this stage was the lack of rail travel for the 5th or their mail. Many railroad bridges were damaged or destroyed during the war. This letter home would likely take considerably longer than usual.
Once again, Jack anticipates getting home by the 4th of July, now it is a matter of what the unit needs to do before moving on to D.C. he makes a note of the fact that they are about 150 miles from Richmond, a long, dry, hard 150-mile march. They left Danville on May 3rd by rail and headed for Wilson’s station where they waited from the 4th until the 18th when they marched off to Richmond, arriving on the 20th staying until the 24th before heading to Washington and finally arriving there on June 2, 1865.
The Wisconsin “Fighting Fifth” Infantry Musters Out
With the long difficult journey to Washington done the Wisconsin 5th Infantry Regiment’s task was complete and they were ready to return home. On June 8th the Corps Review was conducted and on the 16th the regiment left Washington D.C. and headed for Madison, Wisconsin, arriving on the 20th. Colonel Allen was promoted to Brigadier General for “gallant and meritorious service”, and on June 24th three Companies were mustered out with the rest of the Regiment mustering out on July 11, 1865, closing the record on the Wisconsin 5th Infantry Regiment.[18]
Appendix A
December 27, 1864, Andrew Jackson Wanzer Letter
The following is the transcribed text of the letter dated December 27, 8164, written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer from Parkes Station, Virginia. [19] The text is copied verbatim with all errors intact. The letter resides in the Wanzer family genealogical archive in Klamath Falls, OR.
Page 1
December the 27th 1864 / Parkes station Verginna / My dear wife I take the time / to write yo a few lines to let you / know that I am well at this time / I received a letter from you last / kinight and was glad to hear from / you I am sorry to here that your / little boy is not well I am glad / to here that all of the rest of the / family is well you wrote to me / to let you know what I thought / a bout going to the conntry to / live with Mrs (?). J Einnion I think / that it is the best thing that you / Can do to go with her out on / her farm you wrote to me to let / you know if Mrs (JE or R)innion and / you could send me and samuel / a box to gether I think that you / had not better send them to / gether for our regiments is a bout / 4 miles a part and I think if
Page 2
yo send any thing together / one of us might be gon a way / from here and then the other would / not get it I have seen samuel / he was here on christmas day / and we had a talk a bout it / and we thought that the best thing / was for yo to send it by your / selves and then it would follow / our regiment if we went a way / from here We have got good news / down here and the opinion of / all of the army thinks that this / war will close in 2 months from / this time and I think that it will / soon for I dont think that / the Johneys can stand the presure / the Johneys comes in to our lines / eavery night I think at this / timethat I will be at home / in three months or at least / it is the opinon of all the army
Page 3
at this time you wrote to / me to let you know something / a bout george Douglas I dont / cear much a bout him he is / a poor soldier and he is one / of the bigest slinks that is in / our company he is alwayes / sick when thare is any thing to / do I have not been in camp / with him since I have been / here I dont think much of him / I will tell you who I am in camp / with I am in camp with Alexander / shields and -I dont- ? James conlin / the thing is all quiet on our / lines this morning I dont think / that thare will be no more / fightting down here I think / that we will starve the rebel / out in a short time and I / think so we ar a getting a big / army and we will all around
Page 4
them and starve the Johneys / right to tearmes you dont / know the Boy that rights / my letters it is the man / that mooved to conlins M(e)ill / when we lived to James / perreys you reccall his / children Alice and milton / Johnson it is thare Father / that does my righting for a / long time I hope that you / can read these letters and / make sense out of them / I must say something a bout / our officers our captin is good / to his men but R D Squires / is hated by all of the company / I must close this for this time / and hope you will gethis and / write soon this from your husband / I wish yo (?) a happy newyeares / A J Wanzer _good_ by
Appendix B
March 21, 1865, Andrew Jackson Wanzer Letter
The following is the transcribed text of the letter dated March 21, 8165, written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer from Warnes Station, Virginia. [20] The text is copied verbatim with all errors intact. The letter resides in the Wanzer family genealogical archive in Klamath Falls, OR.
Page 1
March the 21st, 1865 / ? Warnes Station VA / My dear wife I take my / pen in hand to let you / know that I am well at / this time I have wrot 4 / or five letters to you in / the last 6 or 7 days but I / thought that I would / be on a march be fore this / time but that dont make / much difference I will / right you one to day and / I will send you the / receipt for forty dollars / that I have sent to you / by express I have sent all / of the recipts to you for / the money that I have / sent to you and I have / sent you 2 shirts and / one blanket I sent them / in a box with L T Johnson
Page 2
and we directed it to / James Davidson I have / wrote to you all a bout / it in my other letters I / dont know how soon we / will have to march from / here our orders is just the / same that they was when / O wrote my last one to / you it is warm As / summer here the grass is / green here and every thing / is pleasent I think that / this cruel war cannot / last much longer for / our army is getting the / Johneys is getting in clost / quartersand thay ar getting / beat in every fight that / is faught Shearman and / Sheridan is playing them / the duce and our army
Page 3
is holding the Johneys / tight so they have to stay / here so that thay cannot / reinforse one another so I / think that the Johneys / will have to surrender / be fore 2 months from / this time I dont see any / chance for the Johneys at / all I must close for this / time I would just say that / our captin has left and we / dont cry a bout it I think / that oald squires will / be discharged from this / company be fore long he is / under a coart martial / this day all of our company / is well and looks fine / I will close for this time / right often and dont forget / this from your Jack Wanzer
Appendix C
April 17, 1865, Andrew Jackson Wanzer Letter
The following is the transcribed text of the letter dated April 17, 8165, written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer from Berks Station, Virginia. [21] The text is copied verbatim with all errors intact. The letter resides in the Wanzer family genealogical archive in Klamath Falls, OR.
Page 1
Berks Station / April the 17th 1865 VA / my dear wife I take this time to / let you know that I am well / and have got to my company / all right I found them / encamped in the pine woods / and we ar a bout 52 miles / from peters burgh our regiment / was at the surrender of general / lees army and after the surrender / they marched to where we ar / and we dont know how long / we will stay here but one / thing is sure that this war / ia a bout to a close all of / the boyes is in goog health / and feels fine we think that / we will be at home by the / 4th of July and I dont see / any thing in the way at / this time the weather is / warm here and pleasent
Page 2
Our regiment has been in / thre fights since I was at / home our regiment has lost / lost 26 men in killed and / wounded James conlin was / killed dead on the field / and samuel virnon was / wounded bad and the boyes / thinks that he is dead but / we dont know sutin all of / the boys went in to the fight / that was from our town but / Noah A Decker and he runn / a way and we dont know ware / he is he is one coward from / Blackriver falls Oald quires was / shot in the stearn and he / has 5 holes tht will tell which / way he was going I have knot / got much news to right / at this time but we think
Page 3
that our boyes will go to / Washington in a short time / our boyes is got the praise of / the capture of peters burgh / and our regiment was the / first in to the Johneys / fort our boys from wisconsin / is Just the boyes that can / climb the best work our / regiment had a hard a hard fight / with general Euiels men at / litle salor creek and thay / helped to capture 10,000 prisoner / Lamiel kinnion and cooper / got back to ther regimen / all right I must close / for this time Our boyes has / been excused from all / field duty for our bravery / I will put this confedeate / bill in this letter to let / you see it right as soon as
Page 4
get this I hope you / ar well good By / This from your / A J Wanzer / To his wife Vine wanzer / I got a letter from my / sister Ann since I / got Back here / you can write to ann / and tell her what I want / just as well as I can
Appendix D
April 29, 1985, Andrew Jackson Wanzer Letter
The following is the transcribed text of the letter dated April 29, 8165, written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer from Danville, Virginia. [22] The text is copied verbatim with all errors intact. The letter resides in the Wanzer family genealogical archive in Klamath Falls, OR.
Page 1
April the 29th 1865 / Danvill V.A / My dear I take this time of / writing you a few lines to let / you know that I am well at / present I will give you an account / of our regiment at this time / we ar encamped a bout 2 / miles from town it is a / pleasent place here but it is / very warm here the gardenes / looks fine the potatoes is 6 inches / high and the onions is big a knough / to eat I must right some thing / a bout the march here it was / a hard march we marched 100 / hundred miles in five days / and the roads is dry and dusty / it has knot rained for 15 teen days / it is warm and hard to travel / but we think that the traveling / is a bout played out for this / rebellion we have got good news
Page 2
for general Johnson had to surrender / to general sherman uncondishionly / and that winds up the rebellion in / the east and I think that it is / dun all over but in Texas and / I think that thare is soldiers a / knough thare to make him give / it up for a bad Job I think / that this army will go back to / city point as soon as we get / rested and then to washington / and then I think we will be / sent to our own state I think / that I will be at home on the / 4th of July I dont seeany thing / in the way at this time the / reason that our corps had to / come here was to stop Johnsons / army from getting a way from / general sherman and as soon / as we got here he surrendered / I have wrote one letter to you
Page 3
since I / got back to our regiment but / I have knot got any from you / I dont think that you will / get this letter as soon as usual / for it is difficult getting mail / for a while for the railroad / Bridges is Distroyed and the mail / has to come by land from Berks / station whare the regiment was / when I wrote to you I have / knot heared from samuel einnson / since I left him on the way / to go to his regiment I / we ar a bout 150 miles from / richmond south west and / if we have to march back it / will be ahard Job but if we / stay here a week or 2 I think / that the railroad will be fixed / so that we can go on the cares / I hope that thay will stay here / until it is fixed but I cant
Page 4
tell any thing a bout it / I hope you ar all well at / this time I will close / for this time right after / This from your / Jack Wanzer
Bibliography
Primary
Davis, George B. The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War. New York, NY: Arno Press, 1983.
National Park Service. “Civil War: People: Soldiers and Sailors Database.” Accessed January 24, 2022. https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm#sort=score+desc&q=andrew+jackson+wanzer
National Park Service. “Civil War: People: Soldiers and Sailors Database: Battle Units.” Accessed January 24, 2022. https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units.htm#fq%5B%5D=State%3A%22Wisconsin%22
Quiner, E.B. Military History of Wisconsin. Chicago IL: Clark and Company, 1866
State of Wisconsin, Legislature. Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers: War of Rebellion, 1861-1865. Madison, WI: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer, 1886.
Wanzer, Andrew J. Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer December 27, 1864. Letter. Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.
Wanzer, Andrew J. Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer March 21, 1865. Letter. Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.
Wanzer, Andrew J. Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer April 17, 1865. Letter. Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.
Wanzer, Andrew J. Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer April 29, 1865. Letter. Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.
Secondary
Blaisdell, Bob, ed. Civil War Letters: From Home, Camp and Battlefield. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2012.
Detweiler, M. David. The Civil War: The Story of the War with Maps. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2014.
Foote, Shelby. The Civil War: Red River to Appomattox. Vol. 3. 3 vols. The Civil War. New York, NY: Vintage, 1986
Janney, Caroline E. ed. Petersburg to Appomattox: The end of the War in Virginia. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2018.
McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1988.
McPherson, James. For Causes and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Roth, Margaret Brobst. Ed. Well Mary: Civil War Letters of a Wisconsin Volunteer. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1960.
[1] National Park Service, “Civil War: People: Soldiers and Sailors Database: Battle Units,” Accessed January 24, 2022, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units.htm#fq%5B%5D=State%3A%22Wisconsin%22
[2] Quiner, E.B., Military History of Wisconsin, Chicago, IL: Clark and Company, 1866. 524.
[3] National Park Service “Civil War. Database: Battle Units.”
[4] State of Wisconsin, Legislature, Roster of Wisconsin, 470-85.
[5] Quiner, Military History of Wisconsin, 522.
[6] Date and location are from the letter written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer in Appendix A, page 2, 3, and 4 of the letter. Verbatim text, no corrections, the forward slash indicates line separations, the double indicate page separations.
[7] Shelby Foote, The Civil War: Red River to Appomattox, Vol. 3, 3 vols, The Civil War, New York, NY: Vintage, 1986. 783-6.
[8] Date and location are from the letter written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer in Appendix B Page 2 and 3.
[9] Quiner, Military History of Wisconsin, 524.
[10] Ibid
[11] Date and location are from the letter written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer in Appendix C Page 1.
[12] Date and location are from the letter written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer in Appendix C Page 2.
[13] Appendix C Page 3-4.
[14] Quiner, Military History of Wisconsin, 525.
[15] An official record of this excuse from field duty was not found. It is likely that this was an arrangement made within the Brigade. “The action of the regiment elicited high encomiums from the corps, division, and brigade commanders.” Quiner 524.
[16] State of Wisconsin, Legislature, Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers 485-6.
[17] Date and location are from the letter written by Andrew Jackson Wanzer to his wife Malvina Abigale Wanzer in Appendix D.
[18] Quiner, Military History of Wisconsin, 525.
[19] Andrew J. Wanzer, Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer December 27, 1864, Letter, Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.
[20] Andrew J. Wanzer, Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer March 21, 1865, Letter, Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.
[21] Andrew J. Wanzer, Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer April 17, 1865, Letter, Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.
[22] Andrew J. Wanzer, Andrew Jackson Wanzer to Malvina Abigail Wanzer April 29, 1865, Letter, Author’s family genealogical collection, Klamath Falls, OR.