OHAPTEE XXYI. REGIMENTAL HISTORY—EIGHTEENTH INFANTRY. KEGIMENTAL KOSTER — SENT TO TENNESSEE RIVER — BATTLE OP PITTSBURG LANDING — SIEGE OF CORINTH—BATTLE OF CORINTH — LAKE PROVIDENCE—BATTLE OF JACKSON — CHAMPION HILLS — SIEGE OF VICKSBURG—MOVE TO CHATTANOOGA—BATTLE OF MISSION RIDGE —BATTLE OF ALLATOONA—VETERANS ON FURLOUGH—NON-VETERANS IN SHERMAN'S MARCH—VETERANS IN PROVISIONAL DIVISION — PROCEED TO GOLDSBORO — REJOIN THE REGIMENT — REVIEW AT WASHINGTON—RETURN HOME—MUSTER OUT—STATISTICS. HE Eighteenth Regiment was organized at Camp Trowbridge, T Milwaukee, under the supervision of Colonel James S. Alban, early in the year 1862, and its muster into the United States service was completed on the 15th of March. The regiment left the State on the 30th, with orders to report at St. Louis. The following was the regimental roster : CoiONEL—JAMES S. ALBAN. Lieutenant Colonel—SAKVELW. BEALL,; Jl/ajor—J. W. CHAIN; Adjuiant —GILBERT IJ. PAKE; Qitartermos/er-JEREMIAH D. ROGERS; /S^/r^'eon—GEORGE F. HUNTINGTON; First Assistant Surgeon—ERASIVB J. BUCK; Second Assistant (Swrgreon — LARKIN G. MEAD; Chaplain —'Rev. JAMES DELANY. Co. Captains. First Lieutenants. Second Lieutenants. A—James P. Millard, Edward Colman, Thomas J. Potter, B —Charles H. Jackson, Thomas A. Jackson, Samuel B. Boynton, C — Newton M. Layne, John H. Graham, Allen A. Burnett, D—George A. Flsk, D. W.C.Wilson, Peter Sloggy, E—William Bremmer, George R. Walbridge, Luman H. Carpenter, F—Joseph W. Roberts, George Stokes, George A. Topliff, G—John H. Compton, Frederick B. Case, James R. Scott, H—David H. Saxton, Sidney D. Woodworth, Thomas H. Wallace, I —William A. Coleman, Ira H. Ford, Ogden A. Sou thmayd, K—William J. Kershaw. Alexander Jackson. Phineas A. Bennett. They arrived at St. Louis on the evening of the 31st, and next day were ordered to proceed up the Tennessee River, to Pitts­ burg Landing. Arriving at the Landing about noon, of Saturday, BATTLE OF PITTSBURG LANDING. 657 April 5tli, they were assigned to the command of General Pren­ tiss, which was then in the extreme advance, about four miles out on the Corinth road. They reached the headquarters of General Prentiss about dark. A few tents, some baggage, but no pro­ visions were brought up. Fmir days' rations had been served out at St. Louis, of which a few hard crackers remained. The men were tlius without rations, and after putting up tents to shelter themselves, they went supperless to bed. They were without rations from noon of Saturday till after the close of the fight on the 6th, except such as they received from the Illinois regiment on their right. Soon after reaching camp, one hundred men were detailed to go on picket duty, about a mile to the front, under the command of Captain Fisk, The division of General Prentiss consisted of the brigades of Colonel Peabody and Colonel Miller, to the latter of which, the Eighteenth was attached. Quiet reigned throughout the camps until about six o'clock on Sunday raornmg, wlien a sharp tiring of the pickets, on the right and front of Prentiss' division, was 'heard. Captain Fisk, with his command, had returned but a short time before, and reported no signs of the enemy. The firing soon became so heavy as to induce General Prentiss to send forward the balance of the Twenty-first Missouri, in support of the pickets of that regiment. It was subsequently ascertained that the enemy had marched up during the night, to within two miles of the Union lines. The usual precautions being neglected by the commanding General, they were able to approach thus close to our lines without being observed, no enemy being supposed to be within ten miles of the position. General Prentiss' division was soon in line of battle, about forty rods in advance of the camps. The Fifteenth Michigan was assigned to the left of the line, but being without ammuni­ tion, they soon withdrew to the rear, leaving the Eighteenth Regiment on the extreme left. The ground in front was broken by ravines, which enabled the enemy to advance his main force under cover. The Twenty-first Missouri, with the pickets of the Sixteenth Wisconsin, were soon driven into the lines, and almost simulta­ neously, the enemy appeared, marching in three lines of battle. The men of the Eighteenth Wisconsin met their advance without 42 G58 MILITARY HISTORY OF WISCONSIN. flinching, notwithstanding the disadvantage of being a raw regi­ ment, without adequate drill and disciphne. Prentiss' division opened fire along the whole line, but the enem}', in overwhelming numbers, pressed on, and by 8 o'clock, succeeded in turning the right flank of the division, and reghnent after regiment, on the right, fell back, in order to avoid certain capture. The Eighteenth held its ground until the enemy, by means of a ravine on its left, succeeded iu turning that flank, and concentrated their fire upon them, when they too, slowly retired. Here Acting Adjutant Coleman fell, severely wounded, and was carried from the field b}^ Lieutenant Potter, of Company A. The Eighteenth fell back, iu good order, to a ravine, about twenty rods to the rear. Here the regiment stopped, aud poured in a well directed fire on the enemy, who was then in the camp, temporarily checking them. In crossing the ravine, the regi­ ment was exposed to a raking fire from the rebels on the fla.nk and front; they therefore moved up the opposite hill, where they joined the main line, and with it, fell back. From this time the fighting became irregular. Availiuo; themselves of the shelter of trees, the loading and firing was independent of orders. As the enemy pressed them iu front, or got in ou their flanks, the forces of General Prentiss would retire. Parts of companies were de­ tached, and became mixed with other regiments. After fighting iu this desultory manner about seven hours, that portion of the regiment which was together, was nearly surrounded by the enemy, who approached in front and on both flanks, pouring in a tremendous cross fire, in which Colonel Alban was shot through the body, and ]\Iajor Grain fell dead, with eight wounds on his person. In the confusion caused by this heavy loss, aud before they could think of retreat, the enemy was among them, taking prisouers, and firing almost in their faces. The fighting of the regiment was over, and nothing was left but to escape being captured. They broke in squads, aud retreated as best they could. The official reports show 174 men missing, the .nost of whom were taken prisoners. The Colonel and Major were killed, Lieutenant Colonel Beall and Acting Adjutant Coleman were both severely wounded, Captain Compton, of Company G, was killed, and Captain Millard, of Company A, Lieutenant Jackson, of Company B, Captain Layne, of Company C, Captain CASUALTIES. 659 Fi.'^k.and Lieutenant D. "W. C. "Wilson, of Compan^^ D, Captain Bremmer, of Company E, Lieutenant Stokes, of Company F, Captain Saxton and Lieutenant Woodworth, of Coinpanj^ II, aud Lieutenants Ford and Southmayd, of Company I, were among the prisoners taken by the enemy. These officers with the enlisted men taken, spent many Aveary months iu rebel prisons, and man}^ of them died there. On >Jouday, about 250 of the Eighteenth were gathered by the few remaining officers, and formed into a battalion, and acted as support of a battery, with other regiments. Earlj^ in the morn­ ing, they advanced with Buell's forces, who drove the rebels before them, and reached their old camp about four iu the after­ noon. Here they remained, while the rest of the troops pushed forward iu pursuit of the enemy. During the evening, the stragglers came in, so that there was nearly 500 men in camp. The list of killed, and those who died of wounds, Ave copy from the Adjutant General's records. The list of wounded is as officially published : KILLED OK DIED OF ^Vojrsns.-Field Qfficci-s-Colonel James S. Alban and Major Josiah W. Craiu. Cb»ip«/ii^ ^ — Corporal iMareenus Guru ee, Private Cephas A.Whit- more. Company C—Privates William Kettle and M. W. Saxton. Company Z) —Private George Hicks. Company ^—Corporal John E. Fields, Private Ciifton G. MerriU. Company F—Privates Otis A. Colton, Robert N. McWilliams, H. W. Onderdonk and Henry Jenkins. Company G— Captain John H. Compton, Private A. JI. Coon. Company i/—Privates Edward B. Ballon, Joseph A. Garland, Solomon Mansfleld and Charles P. Walker. Company I—Sergeant Rensellaer Cronk, Corporal Thomas Lasky, Privates :M C. Cook, George W. Hillman, John Lowth and Benjamin W. Shower—2.5. Wonis-DEJi. —Field Oi?ic«- —Lieutenant Colonel Beall. Lieutenant Edward Coleman, acting Adjut.int. Comimny ^4—Corporal C. C. Whitney, Privates D. C. Bailey, R. H. Hart, Marshal Coffin, Leander Depny, Ludwig Holzer, J.Kocher, Alf. Losey, O. K. Norris, G. W. .Sparkes and Adam Whiting. Company B — Privates E. Combs, W. H. Spencer and F. ai. Bailey. Company C—Privates H. Clary, W. W. Dielhman, Samuel Fisk, John Kirkpatrick, Hirani jNIoody, Patrick Moouey, Laughlin Quinn, Benjamin Rantz, J. J. Swain, Samuel Sager and Augustus Singer. Company Z)—Corporal John Williams, Pri­ vates Ephraim Crocker, Henry Beach, Hugh C. Wilson, Jacob Jewell, A. Stephenson, C. N. Sprout, Byron Gary, John Gary, Charles Molla aud Ezra Hockabout. Company E— Lieutenant George R. Walbridge, Privates Albert Taylor, George W. Evans, Walter AAliitt.aker, Joseph Baker, .S.R.Hayner, Geo. S. Martin, Jr. William H. Sherwin, John Harris, John Kinney, Isaac Levison, Reuben Edminster and Ed. L. Kent. Company F— Privates George Durr, Andrew Felton, Eli R. Devan, Joseph W. Lawplinn aud D.