13th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 13th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. The regiment is reputed to have the distinction of having the first U.S. flags in the city of Richmond, Virginia
on April 3, 1865.
and mustered in for a three year enlistment on September 20, 1862 under the command of Colonel
Aaron Fletcher Stevens
.
The regiment was attached to Casey's Division, Military District of Washington, to December 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac
, to January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, IX Corps, to April 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, VII Corps, Department of Virginia, to July 1863. 3rd Brigade, Getty's Division, United States forces, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Department of Virginia and North Carolina
, to April 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XVIII Corps, Army of the James
, to July 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVIII Corps, to December 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIV Corps, Department of Virginia, to June 1865.
The 13th New Hampshire Infantry mustered out of service June 22, 1865. Veterans and recruits were transferred to the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry.
for Washington, D.C.
, October 5, 1862. Duty near Fort Albany
, defenses of Washington, until December 4, 1862. March to Falmouth, Va.
, December 5-9. Battle of Fredericksburg
December 12-15.
Burnside's
Second Campaign "Mud March
" January 20-24, 1863. Moved to Newport News, Va.
, February 9, then to Suffolk
March 13. Siege of Suffolk
April 12-May 4. Providence Church Road, Nansemond River
, May 3. Reconnaissance across the Nansemond May 4. Moved to Portsmouth
May 13, then to Yorktown
. Dix's
Peninsula Campaign June 24-July 7. Expedition from White House
to South Anna River
July 1-7. Moved to Portsmouth July 8-14; then to Julian Creek July 30, and duty there until March 19, 1864.
Moved to Yorktown March 19. Butler's operations on south side of James River
and against Petersburg
and Richmond
May 4-28. Port Walthall Junction
, Chester Station, May 6-7. Swift Creek
(or Arrowfield Church) May 9-10. Operations against Fort Darling
May 12-16. Battle of Drewry's Bluff
May 14-16. Bermuda Hundred
May 17-27. Moved to White House, then to Cold Harbor
, May 27-31. Battles about Cold Harbor
June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 15-19. Siege of Petersburg
and Richmond June 16, 1864 to April 2, 1865. In trenches before Petersburg until August 27, 1864. Mine Explosion
Petersburg July 30 (reserve). Duty on the Bermuda Front until September 26. Battle of Chaffin's Farm
, New Market Heights, Fort Harrison
, September 28-30. Assigned to duty as garrison
at Fort Harrison. Battle of Fair Oaks
October 27-28.
Duty in works before Richmond until April 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3. Provost duty at Manchester
until June. Mustered out June 22, 1865. Veterans and recruits transferred to 2nd New Hampshire.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The regiment is reputed to have the distinction of having the first U.S. flags in the city of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
on April 3, 1865.
Service
The 13th New Hampshire Infantry was organized in Concord, New HampshireConcord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
and mustered in for a three year enlistment on September 20, 1862 under the command of Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Aaron Fletcher Stevens
Aaron Fletcher Stevens
Aaron Fletcher Stevens was a brevet brigadier general during the American Civil War, as well as a two-term U.S. Congressman.-Birth and early years:...
.
The regiment was attached to Casey's Division, Military District of Washington, to December 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, to January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, IX Corps, to April 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, VII Corps, Department of Virginia, to July 1863. 3rd Brigade, Getty's Division, United States forces, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Department of Virginia and North Carolina
Department of Virginia and North Carolina
The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departments: the Department of Virginia and the Department of...
, to April 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XVIII Corps, Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
, to July 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVIII Corps, to December 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIV Corps, Department of Virginia, to June 1865.
The 13th New Hampshire Infantry mustered out of service June 22, 1865. Veterans and recruits were transferred to the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry.
Detailed service
Left New HampshireNew Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, October 5, 1862. Duty near Fort Albany
Fort Albany (Arlington, Virginia)
Fort Albany was a bastioned earthwork built by the Union Army in Arlington County in Virginia. It was built in 1861 as part of the defense of Washington during the American Civil War.The fort...
, defenses of Washington, until December 4, 1862. March to Falmouth, Va.
Falmouth, Virginia
Falmouth is an unincorporated community in Stafford County, Virginia, United States. Situated on the north bank of the Rappahannock River at the falls, the community is north of and opposite the city of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U.S...
, December 5-9. Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
December 12-15.
Burnside's
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
Second Campaign "Mud March
Mud March (American Civil War)
The Mud March was an abortive attempt at a winter offensive in January 1863 by Union Army Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside in the American Civil War....
" January 20-24, 1863. Moved to Newport News, Va.
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, February 9, then to Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
March 13. Siege of Suffolk
Siege of Suffolk
The Siege of Suffolk was fought around Suffolk, Virginia, from April 11 to May 4, 1863, during the American Civil War.-Background:In 1863 Lt. Gen. James Longstreet was placed in command of the Confederate Department of Virginia and North Carolina. Longstreet was given four objectives: 1) to...
April 12-May 4. Providence Church Road, Nansemond River
Nansemond River
The Nansemond River is a tributary of the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Nansemond River Bridge crosses the river near its mouth. Both it and the former State Route 125 bridge, demolished in 2008, were once toll bridges. The river begins at the outlet of Lake Meade north of...
, May 3. Reconnaissance across the Nansemond May 4. Moved to Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
May 13, then to Yorktown
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
. Dix's
John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:...
Peninsula Campaign June 24-July 7. Expedition from White House
White House, Virginia
White House is an unincorporated community in New Kent County, Virginia, United States, on the south shore of the Pamunkey River. White House Plantation, for which it is named, was the home of Martha Dandridge Custis in the 18th century, who as a widow, there courted her future husband, Colonel...
to South Anna River
South Anna River
The South Anna River is a principal tributary of the Pamunkey River, about long, in central Virginia in the United States. Via the Pamunkey and York rivers, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay....
July 1-7. Moved to Portsmouth July 8-14; then to Julian Creek July 30, and duty there until March 19, 1864.
Moved to Yorktown March 19. Butler's operations on south side of James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
and against Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
and Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
May 4-28. Port Walthall Junction
Battle of Port Walthall Junction
The Battle of Port Walthall Junction was fought May 6 – May 7, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign of the American Civil War. Although initially successful, the Confederates were eventually defeated, allowing Union forces to cut a railroad.-Battle:In...
, Chester Station, May 6-7. Swift Creek
Battle of Swift Creek
The Battle of Swift Creek was fought on May 9, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. Union forces were only partially successful: they inflicted damage on the local railroad, but further advance was halted.-Description:...
(or Arrowfield Church) May 9-10. Operations against Fort Darling
Fort Darling
Fort Darling was a Confederate military installation during the American Civil War located at Drewry’s Bluff, a high point overlooking a bend in the James River south of Richmond in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was the site of the 1862 Battle of Drewry's Bluff.It also served as the base of...
May 12-16. Battle of Drewry's Bluff
Battle of Drewry's Bluff
The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling, or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Five American warships, including the ironclads and , steamed up the James River to...
May 14-16. Bermuda Hundred
Bermuda Hundred Campaign
The Bermuda Hundred Campaign was a series of battles fought at the town of Bermuda Hundred, outside Richmond, Virginia, during May 1864 in the American Civil War. Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler, commanding the Army of the James, threatened Richmond from the east but was stopped by forces under ...
May 17-27. Moved to White House, then to Cold Harbor
Cold Harbor, Virginia
Cold Harbor is an unincorporated community in Hanover County, Virginia. A battle was fought here in 1864....
, May 27-31. Battles about Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 15-19. Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
and Richmond June 16, 1864 to April 2, 1865. In trenches before Petersburg until August 27, 1864. Mine Explosion
Battle of the Crater
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
Petersburg July 30 (reserve). Duty on the Bermuda Front until September 26. Battle of Chaffin's Farm
Battle of Chaffin's Farm
The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought September 29–30, 1864, as part of the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
, New Market Heights, Fort Harrison
Fort Harrison
Fort Harrison was an important component of the Confederate defenses of Richmond during the American Civil War. Named after Lieutenant William Harrison, a Confederate engineer, it was the largest in the series of fortifications that extended from New Market Road to the James River that also...
, September 28-30. Assigned to duty as garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
at Fort Harrison. Battle of Fair Oaks
Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road
The Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road was fought October 27–28, 1864, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
October 27-28.
Duty in works before Richmond until April 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3. Provost duty at Manchester
Manchester, Virginia
Manchester, Virginia is a former independent city in Virginia in the United States. Prior to receiving independent status, it served as the county seat of Chesterfield County, between 1870 and 1876...
until June. Mustered out June 22, 1865. Veterans and recruits transferred to 2nd New Hampshire.
Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 181 men during service; 5 officers and 84 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 92 enlisted men died of disease.Commanders
- Colonel Aaron Fletcher Stevens
- Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
George Bowers - resigned March 30, 1863 - Lieutenant Colonel Jacob J. Storer
Notable members
- Colonel Aaron Fletcher Stevens - U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, 1867-1871
See also
- List of New Hampshire Civil War units
- New Hampshire in the American Civil War