First Regiment Michigan Engineers and Mechanics
Civil War

 

In the "Photographic History of the Civil War," published in ten volumes un 1911 by the "Review of Reviews Company", especial consideration and very emphatic commendation is given the "First Regiment Michigan Engineers". In Vol. 1, pg. 211, is illustrated a pontoon bridge across the Big Barren River at Bowling Green, Ky., built by the First Regiment Michigan Engineers, also in Vol. 1, pg. 212-213, is illustrated the bridge built over the Elk River, Tennessee. This bridge was necessary to restore railroad communication between Nashville and Chattanooga. It was built under the direction of Colonel Innes in eight days. It was 460 feet long and from for to 60 feet high. Its construction was one of the most important engineering feats accomplished by any engineer corps during the war. General Rosecrans extended to Colonel Innes and the men in his command his thanks and profuse praise for the ability and energy displayed and the rapidity with which the work was done. In the picture shown herewith the three officers in the foreground are, left to right, Surgeon William H. DeCamp, Captain James W. Sligh, and Adjutant Charles W. Calkins.

While Colone Innes was building the Elk River bridge Major Yates, with his battalion, built another railroad bridge 350 feet in length, farther south over Duck River, thus opening up the railroad and communication as far south as Stevenson, Alabama.

In Vol. 3, pg. 210-211, there is a picture of the camp of the First Engineers and Mechanics at Atlanta, Georgia, taken after the capture of the city.

In commenting upon the activities of the regiment it says: "The organization was the best known and one of the most efficient of the Michigan regiments"; it also says, "The march to the sea (Sherman’) could not have been made without these men." Due acknowledgement is also given, and praise of the highest character, to Colonel Innes and the brave men under his command for the determined and courageous defense in the ever memorable fight at Lavergne, where he defeated ten times his number of General Wheeler’s cavalry and thereby maintained and secured the line of communication to Nashville for the Union Army.

In Belknap’s "History of the Michigan Organizations at Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge", published by the State of Michigan in 1899, there is illustrated, on page 260, the monument erected by the State of Orchard Knob in Memory of the First Michigan Engineers.

 

Officers of the First Regiment Michigan Engineers

FULL NAME

RANK

ADAMS, FRANCIS D.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

ASHLEY, LUCIUS F.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

BAXTER, EDWIN

SECOND LIEUTENANT

BEERS, ANDREW J.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

BETTINGHOUSE, WILLIAM

FIRST LIEUTENANT

BORDEN, BAKER

CAPTAIN

BORDEN, BYRON J.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

BOUGHTON, FERDINAND

CAPTAIN

BREWSTER, CHARLES W.

SERGEANT MAJOR

BROADWELL, ELIAS H.

CAPTAIN

CALKINS, CHARLES W.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

CALKINS, CHARLES W.

SERGEANT MAJOR

CAMPBELL, ALEXANDER

SECOND LIEUTENANT

CAMPBELL, ALLEN

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

CAMPBELL, ALLEN

SECOND LIEUTENANT

CAMPBELL, JOHN L.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

CANFIELD, MARTIN

FIRST LIEUTENANT

CANFIELD, SILAS

CAPTAIN

COFFINBERRY, ANDREW B.

CAPTAIN

COFFINBERRY, ANDREW B.

SERGEANT MAJOR

COFFINBERRY, WRIGHT L.

CAPTAIN

CONNELLY, ARTHUR

SECOND LIEUTENANT

COTTON, BENJAMIN A.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

COVELL, ELLIOTT F.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

CRITTENDEN, DELOS S.

SERGEANT MAJOR

CRITTENDEN, J. NEWTON

FIRST LIEUTENANT

CUDNEY, CHARLES H.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

CULVER, ALBERT B.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

CURTIS, CYRUS M.

CAPTAIN

DRAPER, JOHN N.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

DYE, GEORGE H.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

EARL, JOHN E.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

EGGLESTON, JAMES M.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

EMMERSON, GEORGE D.

CAPTAIN

ENSIGN, CALEB A.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

FISHER, THOMAS A.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

FISK, FRANKLIN

FIRST LIEUTENANT

FRARY, EDSON S.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

GIFFORD, EDSON P.

CAPTAIN

GILSON, HORACE C.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

GRANDY, CHARLES L.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

GRANT, SOLON E.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

HACKETT, ROBERT

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

HASTY, GILBERT M.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

HASTY, GILBERT M.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

HENIKA, CHARLES B.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

HERBERT, WILLIAM H.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

HERKNER, JOSEPH C.

CAPTAIN

HESS, WILLIAM T.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

HUBERT, WALTER F.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

HUNT, JAMES S.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

INNES, ROBERT S.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

JEWELL, ALBERT G.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

JEWELL, DAVID A.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

KEYEW, HORACE H.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

KIMBALL, ALBERT H.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

LANE, GEORGE M.

CAPTAIN

LEWIS, EDWARD H.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

LOVEWELL, FRANCIS

FIRST LIEUTENANT

MANN, RODNEY

FIRST LIEUTENANT

MASON, LORENZO D.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

MC CARTHY, ROBERT D.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

MC CRATH, JOHN W.

CAPTAIN

MC CRATH, LYMAN J.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

MC MASTER, ALPHONZO

FIRST LIEUTENANT

MILLER, CLEMENT F.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

MILLS, LUCIUS F.

CAPTAIN

MOORE, DANIEL M.

CAPTAIN

NELSON, DOUGLAS H.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

NEVIUS, WILLIAM S.

CAPTAIN

PALMERLEE, HEMAN

CAPTAIN

PECK, CARLETON

SECOND LIEUTENANT

PERKINS, HERMAN W.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

POST, JARED L.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

PRALL, THEODORE H.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

PRENTISS, JEROME J.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

ROBINSON, JAMES D.

CAPTAIN

ROSE, FREDERICK R.

SERGEANT MAJOR

ROSS, DANIEL

SECOND LIEUTENANT

SHERMAN, HENRY R.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

SHUMWAY, DAVID A.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

SIGLER, ISAAC

SECOND LIEUTENANT

SKIDMORE, DAVID M.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

SLIGH, JAMES M.

CAPTAIN

SLIGH, JAMES M.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

SLIGH, JAMES W.

CAPTAIN

SMITH, JULIUS W.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

SPOOR, JOHN W.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

SQUIRES, SPENCER B.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

STRICKLAND, RUSSEL K.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

STRICKLAND, RUSSELL K.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT

TEMPLETON, THOMAS G.

CAPTAIN

TITUS, WILLIAM

FIRST LIEUTENANT

VANDERWARKER, ALBERT

FIRST LIEUTENANT

WELLS, ALBERT

FIRST LIEUTENANT

WHITE, GEORGE W.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

WHITE, JACOB W.

SECOND LIEUTENANT

WILLIAMS, HENRY F.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

WILLIAMS, HENRY F.

SERGEANT MAJOR

WILLIAMSON, JOHN W.

CAPTAIN

WOODING, CHARLES T.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

YORK, ELIAS A.

FIRST LIEUTENANT

John Widdicomb (Private), late President of John Widdicomb Furniture Company
E. H. Foote (Private), late Secretary of Grand Rapids Chair Company
Charles R. Stewart (Private), Father of Col. Earl R. Stewart
Rev. J. A. F. King (Private), Now in the United Brethern Ministry
A. S. Richards (Sergeant), late of Michigan Barrel Company
Elliot F. Covell (Sergeant), Father of Brig. Gen'l Louis F. Covell

       Group of Captains in the First Regiment Michigan Engineers

Executive Committee of the Veteran Association
of the First Regiment Michigan Engineers and Mechanics

 

Transcriber: ES
Created: 14 Sep 2013