A Regimental History of the 5th Michigan Infantry Regiment From Its Formation Through the Seven Days Campaign

Abstract

Every regiment that fought in the Civil, Union and Confederate, has a story to tell. Unfortunately, too many of these historic unitsâ legacies are not recorded and made available to modern-day scholars and citizens. Such was the case for the 5th Michigan Infantry before this thesis was written.<p> This work is part one of a regimental history of the â Fighting Fifth,â covering the first year of the war. It draws from the unitâ s soldiersâ diaries and letters, as well as those of members of the 5th Michiganâ s â sisterâ regiments: the 2nd and 3rd Michigan and 37th New York. The perspectives of Detroit-area newspapers are included, as are the Regimental Descriptive Books and Order Book. No longer are these documents simply sitting in a vault, but now are largely included in this thesis and made available for all people.<p> Here is the first part of the story of a unit that led charges against enemy lines frequently and suffered the fifth highest casualty rate of all Union regiments during the Civil War.