9th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 9th Regiment Michigan Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Service . The Ninth Michigan Infantry organized at Fort Wayne ( Detroit ) , near Detroit , Michigan , from independent companies recruited throughout the state , and mustered into Federal service for a three year enlistment on October 15 , 1861 . The Regiment was under the command of William Ward Duffield as colonel and John G . Parkhurst as lieutenant colonel . The Ninth was the first Michigan regiment ordered to the western army or the " Army of the Ohio " , as it was called at the time . The regiment was sent to West Point , Kentucky to build fortifications on Muldraugh ' s Hill . March 9 , the 23rd Brigade was created , consisting of the Ninth Michigan , the 3rd Minnesota , and the 8th and 23rd Kentucky regiments . Col . Duffield was placed in command of the brigade which was ordered to Nashville . This left Parkurst in command of the Ninth , which was ordered to Nashville . The Regiment arrived in Nashville on March 23 , and soon moved South to occupy the important city of Murfreesboro . Colonel Duffield left the brigade on May 9 , to take command of the Department of Kentucky from the ailing Gen . Burnbridge . This left Col . Lester of the 3rd Minnesota in charge of the brigade . Monday , June 30 , four companies ( D , E , F and I ) of the 9th Michigan , under the command of Major Fox , left Murfreesboro for Tullahoma . Col . Duffield rejoined the 9th in Murfreesboro on July 11 , 1862 . Capture at Murfreesboro . At 4 : 00 A . M . on the morning of July 13 , the Union garrison was attacked by a force of 2 , 500 cavalry led by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest in what was to be called the First Battle of Murfreesboro . Because of decisions made by Col . Lester , the various union forces were camped in different locations . The 9th were attacked furiously by Forrest ' s forces . At three different times during the fighting , the 9th sent messengers to Col . Lester and the 3rd Minnesota requesting reinforcements . Each time , the request was denied , even though the 3rd Minnesota were not under attack . After 8 hours of intense fighting , and suffering casualties of one - third of the fighting force , the 9th surrendered to Forrest . Col . Duffield was wounded twice during the battle and never returned to the Regiment . Forrest then invited Lester , under a flag of truce , to meet with the capture Union officers . Forrest lined the streets of town with as many Confederate soldiers as he could muster , giving the Union commander the impression that he was desperately outnumbered . After returning to his camp , Col . Lester and the 3rd Minnesota surrendered to Forrest , without having fired a shot . The six captured companies of the Ninth were paroled , and made their way to Camp Chase , just outside of Columbus Ohio . Eventually most of the regiment found their way home , waiting for word of their exchange so they could again take up arms . Tullahoma Companies . The other four companies remained at Tullahoma for some time , continuing to fortify that location . A month later , August 29 , 1862 , Forrest attacked the Union garrison at McMinnville , Tennessee , which consisted of the 18th Ohio and Company D of the Ninth Infantry . Thirteen of Forrest ' s men were killed in the attack ; however none the Union garrison ' s defenders were mortally wounded . The following month , September 11 , 1862 , the companies engaged Forrest at Tyree Springs , Tennessee . Its only casualty was Major Fox ' s son , Charles , who died twelve days later . The Ninth would endure only two other combat deaths during its existence . Both of them died in October 1864 , from wounds suffered at Atlanta . Major Fox escorted his son ' s body home for burial , but did not return to the Ninth Regiment . He resigned on January 29 , 1863 , and was immediately commissioned colonel and charged with raising and organizing the Twenty - seventh Michigan Infantry . Reconstitution at Bowling Green . After finally being exchanged , the six captured companies rejoined the regiment in Bowling Green on November 3 , 1862 . On Christmas Eve , three events happened which lifted the regiment ' s spirits tremendously . First a Court of Inquiry into the events at Murfreesboro praised the actions of the Ninth , and laid all the blame for the failures at Murfreesboro at the feet of Col . Lester , whom it cashiered Four other officers from the 3rd Minnesota were also court - martialed for cowardice at Murfreesboro . Second , General Thomas assigned the Ninth to be his headquarters guard . Men of the regiment believed that Gen . Thomas said that " he had a special duties for the regiment that had repulsed Forrest three times " . Finally , Colonel Parhurst returned to the Regiment . The Court of Inquiry report was so favorable to Colonel Parhurst that that Gen Thomas appointed him Provost Marhall of the XIV Corp , and the ninth was made provost guards of General George Thomas ' Fourteenth Corps , Army of the Cumberland as it was now called . General Thomas ' XIV Corps Headquarters Guard . At the Battle of Stones River on December 26 , 1862 . When the Union right was crushed at Stone River , the Ninth did most gallant service in checking the stampede to the rear , by firmly holding the Nashville Pike , the disorganized forces were stopped and returned to their commands . Major General Thomas complimented Colonel Parkhurst and the Regiment for the very important service rendered at this critical point of battle . The regiment was mustered out on September 15 , 1865 . Total strength and casualties . Over its existence , the regiment carried a total of 2074 men on its muster rolls . The 9th Michigan lost 2 officers and 22 enlisted men killed in action or mortally wounded and 4 officers and 281 enlisted men who died of disease , for a total of 309 fatalities .