History of Hillsdale county. Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

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Seth Robins, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Frank W. Ralph, Co. G; must. out June 30,1865.
Stephen N. Rowley, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
David S. Stone, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Daniel Snyder, Co. G; must. out June 30,1865.
Seth J. Spitter, Co. G; must. out May 22, 1865.
Martin V. B. Stranahan, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Theodore Silvernail, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Milton Shepardson, Co. G; must. out June 30,1865.
Franklin Stuck, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Michael R. Spelman, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Arvid S. Thomas, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Stephen G. Updyke, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Stephen G. Vanduyer, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Charles E. Vanduyer, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Lewis T. Worden, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Arthur A. Walters, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Gilbert D. Walmsley, Co. G; must. out June 30, 1865.
Wm. H. Kelley, Co. K; must. out June 30,1865.
William Levanway, Co. K; must. out June 30, 1865.
Daniel Morehouse, Co. K; must. out June 30, 1865.
John T. Porter, Co. K; must. out June 30, 1865.
Ezra W. Weaver, Co. K; must. June 30,1865.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE FIRST SHARPSHOOTERS AND FIRST ENGINEERS AND MECHANICS.
Formation of the 1st Sharpshooters-After John Morgan-Hillsdale Representation-In the Wilderness-Nature of the ServiceHeavy Loss at Spottsylvania-Cut off and Charging Back-Eightyfour Missing-Capturing Works without Results-Casualties in the
Campaign-Defense of Fort Steadman-The 1st Regiment in
Petersburg-The End-List of Members-Design of First Engineers and Mechanics-Ilillsdale County Members-Services in
Tennessee and Mississippi-Repulsing two Cavalry BrigadesWork in Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama-Ordered to
Atlanta-Hard Work on the March to the Sea-Closing ScenesDisbanded-The Officers and Soldiers.
FIRST SHARPSHOOTERS.
THE formation of the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters (which
must be distinguished from the 1st United States Sharpshooters, though the latter was largely recruited in Michigan) was begun in the autumn of 1862. Its headquarters
were at Kalamazoo, but were changed in the spring of 1863
to Dearborn. In the summer of that year six companies,
all that were then formed, were ordered to Southern Indiana to check the progress of John Morgan and his rebel
raiders, but they soon returned to Michigan, and the regiment had its ranks full by the 16th of August. One company (C) was mostly from Hillsdale County, seventy-six
of its members hailing from that territory. Besides this
there were, during the war, six Hillsdale County men in
A company, thirty-four in B, three in E, five in F,
three in H, and five in I, making one hundred and
twenty-nine in all.
After guarding prisoners at Chicago until March 17,
1864, the regiment was ordered to Annapolis, Md., where
it was assigned to the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 9th Corps.
It soon joined the Army of the Potomac, and met the
enemy for the first time in the battle of the Wilderness,
on the 6th and 7th of May, where it had twenty-four
men killed and wounded. From their name the sharp

shooters were evidently intended to act principally as skirmishers and advance guards, fighting in detail, picking off
rebel officers and artillerists, and other similar work. But

these careful arrangements regarding particular corps often
do not work well in the rough practice of the battle-field,
and the record of the body in question does not seem to
have been seriously different from that of any other infantry regiment.
The sharpshooters behaved with great gallantry at the
battles near Spottsylvania Court-House on the 9th, 10th,
and 12th days of May, in which the regiment suffered
severely, having thirty-four killed and one hundred and
seventeen wounded. It also had a sharp skirmish at the
crossing of the North Anna River, on the 23d of May.
Although taking part in numerous skirmishes and other
hostile operations, it was not again very warmly engaged
until the charge made on the enemy's works before Petersburg on the 17th of June. The sharpshooters gallantly
pushed their way into the intrenchments, and twice, with
other regiments, met and repulsed the rebels who charged
to recapture the works. At length, however, the rebels
threw a large force in the rear of this regiment, it being
on the extreme left of its corps, compelling it either to
surrender or break through the enveloping lines. The men
promptly chose the latter course, and by a rapid charge
most of them made their way through and rejoined their
comrades. The regiment had thirty-one killed, forty-six
wounded, and eighty-four missing.
On the 30th of July the sharpshooters charged, in the
advance of their brigade, on the works next to the fort
which was blown up by the celebrated Petersburg mine,
capturing the intrenchments and about fifty prisoners. As,
however, the Union forces were unable to force their way
through the blown-up fort, the regiment was obliged to
retire. During the remainder of the summer and autumn
it was engaged in trench and picket work, alternating with
numerous conflicts, none of them very severe, yet sharp
enough so that the casualties between the opening of the
campaign and the 1st of November footed up one hundred
and six killed in action and two hundred and twenty-seven
wounded. Forty had also died of disease in the same time,
and one hundred and fifty-eight were reported " missing in
action," of whom some were killed, some were taken prisoners,
and some had probably deserted.
The sharpshooters continued engaged in the arduous
duties of the siege of Petersburg until the 25th of March,
1865. On that day Companies I and K were a part of
the garrison of Fort Steadman. The rebels attacked that
post, but were defeated with severe loss, the Union men
charging out and capturing a large number of prisoners.
The end was now rapidly approaching. Nearly every
regiment was kept constantly fighting, and the sharpshooters
had their full share of the deadly work. On the 3d of
April the regiment was ordered to move forward in the
advance at half-past three in the morning, when it was
found that the enemy had evacuated Petersburg. The
column pushed on, and the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters
were the foremost Union regiment to enter the city.
After doing service on the South Side Railroad until
the surrender of Lee, the regiment went with its division

to Washington. It remained in that vicinity until the last
of July, when it returned to Jackson, Mich., and on the
7th of August was paid off and disbanded.