1st Delaware Infantry Regiment

The 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment, later known as the 1st Delaware Veteran Infantry Regiment was a United States volunteer infantry regiment raised for Union Army service in the American Civil War. Part of the II Corps it served in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.[1]

1st Delaware Infantry Regiment
1st Delaware Veteran Infantry Regiment
ActiveMay 22, 1861 – July 12, 1865
Country United States of America
AllegianceUnited States Union
BranchUnion Army
TypeInfantry
RoleInfantry
Size4,206 (total)
Part of3rd Brigade—3rd Division—II Corps
2nd Brigade—3rd Division—II Corps
Gibraltar (3rd) Brigade—2nd Division—II Corps
Dix's Command—Department of the Potomac
EquipmentSpringfield Model 1842
EngagementsAmerican Civil War
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Henry Hayes Lockwood
John William Andrews
Thomas Alfred Smyth
Edward P. Harris
Daniel Woodall
Joseph C. Nicholls

Organisation and Remusterings

90-Day Volunteers

When the Civil War began in April 1861, there were only about 16,000 men in the U.S. Army, and many Southern soldiers and officers were already resigning and joining the new Confederate States Army. With this drastic shortage of men in the army, President Abraham Lincoln called on the states to raise a force of 75,000 volunteers for three months to put down the insurrection in the South. Accordingly, the 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment was raised at Wilmington, Delaware, on May 22, 1861, and mustered into Federal service on May 28. The regiment comprised 37 officers and 742 enlisted men under the command of Colonel Henry H. Lockwood.[1][2]

The original Field & Staff were:[3]

Colonel: Henry H. Lockwood
Lieutenant Colonel: John W. Andrews
Major: Robert Lamott
Surgeon: R. W. Johnson
Assistant-Surgeon: James Knight
Adjutant: Lieutenant W. P. Seville
Quartermaster: H. Alderdice

The original Company Commanders were:[4]

Co. A (Delaware Blues): Cpt. Evans Watson
Co. B: Cot. Charles Lamott
Co. C: Cpt. James Bare
Co. D: Cpt. James Green
Co. E (Wilmington Rifles): Cpt. Robert Mulligan
Co. F: Cpt. Thomas Crossley
Co. G (Sussex Volunteers): Cpt. J. Rodney Layton
Co. H: Cpt. S.H. Jenskins
Co. I: Cpt. James Leonard
Co. K: Cpt. Smith

The regiment was attached to the command of Major General John Dix ('Dix's Command", Department of the Potomac) and assigned to duty along the line of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. The regiment mustered out on August 30, 1861.[1][2]

3-Years Volunteers

On July 22, 1861, the United States Congress authorized a volunteer army of 500,000 men. When in August the enlistment term for the regiment ended a new 1st Regiment was raised for a term of three years at Wilmington, Delaware, between September 10 and October 19, 1861. This time the regiment had 37 officers and 846 enlisted men under the command of Colonel John W. Andrews. [1][2]

The Field & Staff were:[5]

Colonel: John W. Andrews
Lieutenant Colonel: 0. Hopkinson
Major: Thomas A. Smyth
Surgeon: D. W. Maull
Chaplain: Thomas G. Murphey
Assistant-Surgeon: S. D. Marshall
Adjutant: First Lieutenant W. P. Saville
Quartermaster: First Lieutenant T. Y. England

Sergeant-Major: James Lewis
Quartermaster's Sergeant: Frank Wilson
Commissary Sergeant: Charles S. Sehocffer
Hospital Steward: Archibald D. O'Mera
Drum-Major: Patrick Dooley

The Company Commanders were:[6]

Co. A: Cpt. Evans S. Watson
Co. B: Cpt. James Leonard
Co. C: Cpt. Neal Ward
Co. D: Cpt. Enoch J. Smithers
Co. E: Cpt. Edward P. Harris
Co. F: Cpt. Daniel Woodall
Co. G: Cpt. Allen Shortledge
Co. H: Cpt. John B. Tanner
Co. I: Cpt. Charles Lesper
Co. K: Cpt. Thomas Crassley

Veteran Volunteers

On July 1, 1864, the 3 years enlistment would have ended and the regiment would be mustered out. Instead in July 1863 the men, still having nine months of their enlistment left, got the chance to reenlist for another 3 years from that date. On December 19, 1863, three quarters of the regiment reenlisted. The 1st Delaware was upgraded to veteran status as 1st Delaware Veteran Infantry Regiment. The 1st Delaware Infantry claimed to be first regiment in the Union to receive the coveted veteran status.[7]

In April 1864 the 1st Delaware absorbed the remnants of the 2nd Delaware Infantry Regiment, a number of recruits and veterans with two complete companies.

Service and engagements

1861

  • Raised at Wilmington—May 22, 1861
  • Mustered into Federal service—May 28
  • Col. Lockwood was promoted to Brigadier and was replaced by Col. John W. Andrews—August 8
  • Reorganized and trained at Wilmington—September 10-October 19
  • Moved to Fort Monroe, Virginia—October 20–21

1862

Brigadier Thomas A. Smyth, commander of the 1st Delaware 1863-1864

1863

1864

1865

Other Regimental Statistics

Commanding Officers

Col. Henry Hayes Lockwood     May 22, 1861 August 8, 1861
Col. John William Andrews     August 8, 1861 February 7, 1863
Col. Thomas Alfred Smyth     February 7, 1863 October 1, 1864 (often acting as brigade commander)
Lt. Col. Edward P. Harris     July 1, 1863 July 2, 1863; July 4, 1863 October 28, 1863 (acting)
Lt. Col. Daniel Woodall     October 28, 1863 October 18, 1864 (acting)
Col. Daniel Woodall     October 18, 1864 July 12, 1865 (often acting as brigade commander)
Lt. Col. Joseph C. Nicholls     January 1865 June 28, 1865 (acting)
1st Delaware Infantry Monument, Hancock Avenue, Gettysburg Battlefield

Casualties

At the Battle of Antietam the regiment suffered 36 men killed and mortally wounded, and 182 men wounded, being 30.8% from a total strength of 708.[8]

At the Battle of Fredericksburg the regiment lost 10 killed, 74 wounded and 9 missing.[9]

At the Battle of Chancellorsville the regiment lost 6 killed, 33 wounded and 10 missing.[10]

At the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 the regiment suffered 10 killed, 54 wounded, and 13 missing, being 31% from a total strength of 251. It also had 4 different regimental commanders during the battle.[11]

Throughout the war the regiment suffered 12 officers and 146 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 3 officers and 118 enlisted men killed by disease.[12]

Medal of Honor

Four men were awarded the Medal of Honor while serving with the 1st Delaware.[13]

  • Battle of Antietam
    • Second Lieutenant Charles B. Tanner of Company H earned the medal by saving the regimental flag after the entire nine-man color guard was killed or wounded. Tanner himself was wounded three times in the battle.
  • Battle of Gettysburg
    • Private Bernard McCarren of Company C was awarded the medal for capturing a Confederate battle flag.
    • Private John B. Maberry of Company F was awarded the medal for capturing a Confederate battle flag.
    • Captain James P. Postles of Company A received the medal for voluntarily carrying a message under heavy fire at Gettysburg.

See also

References

  1. "Union Regimental Index, Delaware". Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  2. "First State Regiments delaware.gov". Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  3. Murphey, p. 14
  4. Murphey, pp. 14-16
  5. Murphey, p. 21
  6. Murphey, p. 22
  7. Murphey, p. 146
  8. "1st Delaware Infantry". Antietam on the Web. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  9. Lt. Col. John W. Marshall's report of the Battle of Fredericksburg; December 18, 1862
  10. Col. Thomas A. Smyth's report of the Battle of Chancellorsville; May 7, 1863
  11. Ryan, Thomas J. "Delawareans left an indelible mark on Gettysburg". Coastal Point. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  12. "1st Delaware Infantry". The American Civil War in the East. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  13. "Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients - (M-Z)". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  • Murphey, Rev. Thomas G. (1866). Four years in the War - The History of the First Regiment of Delaware Veteran Volunteers (Infantry). Philadelphia, PA: James C. Claxton.
  • Field, Ron (2013). Lincoln’s 90-Day Volunteers 1861. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-1-7809-6918-3.
  • "1st Delaware Infantry". The American Civil War in the East. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  • "1st Delaware Monument at Antietam". Stone Sentinels. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  • "1st Delaware Monument at Gettysburg". Stone Sentinels. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
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