21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 21st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Service . The 21st Michigan Infantry was mustered into Federal service at Ionia , Michigan and Grand Rapids , Michigan on September 9 , 1862 . The regiment recruited its members starting on July 15 , 1862 from the 4th Congressional District which included the [ Michigan ] counties of Barry , Ionia , Montcalm , Kent , Ottawa , Muskegon , Oceana , Newaygo , Mecosta , Mason , Manistee , Grand Traverse , Leelanaw , Manitou , Osceola , Emmet , Mackinac , Delta , and Cheboygan . The 21st Michigan Infantry rendezvous was at Ionia . Among the ranks were future prominent Michigan politicians John Avery and Charles E . Belknap . The regiment left its quarters at Ionia , Michigan on the 12th of September in command of Colonel Stevens , 1 , 008 strong , under orders to report at Cincinnati . It was immediately pushed forward into Kentucky via Louisville , and became early engaged in the realities of war . A beautiful silk flag was provided by the ladies of Ionia and delivered to the 21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment on the 6th of September , 1862 , at that city . The center of the flag was decorated with the American eagle , holding its quiver of arrows , olive branch , etc . Over this a small National flag , and beneath it the words " Union , " " Constitution . " An excellent speech was made by L . B . Soule , Esq . , on behalf of the ladies , to which Colonel A . A . Stevens , commanding the regiment , appropriately replied . Afterwards speeches were made by Z . Chandler , T . W . Ferry , and F . W . Kellogg . At the same time there was presented a flag by the children of the Grand Haven Sunday - schools to Company G of the regiment . The flag given to the regiment was carried through all of its engagements , brought back to the State , and at a celebration on July 4 , 1865 , was formally returned , on behalf of the regiment , to the ladies by the Hon . John Avery , of Greenville , the highest - ranking officer of the regiment present , and was received on behalf of the ladies by the Hon . John B . Hutchins , of Ionia . On 1 October , the 21st Michigan broke camp at Louisville and entered upon a long march through Kentucky . On the 8th it bore an important part in the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky . In this battle , the 21st Michigan suffered a loss of 24 wounded ( 1 mortally ) and 3 missing , Colonel Stevens being among the wounded . From Perryville the regiment moved to Bowling Green , Kentucky , and on November 4 , 1862 proceeded to Nashville , arriving there on the 12th and encamped , remaining there until the general advance of General Rosecrans on Murfreesboro . The 21st Michigan left Nashville on the 26th of December 1862 , with the army , in command of Lieutenant Colonel McCreery , and was engaged at Lavergne on the 27th , and at Stewart ' s creek on the 29th . It participated with Sill ' s brigade of Sheridan ' s division in the five days ' Battle of Stone ' s River , sustaining a loss of 17 killed , 85 wounded , including Captain Leonard O . Fitzgerald , mortally , and 37 missing . The regiment , in command of Colonel McCreery , Colonel Stevens having resigned on account of ill health , remained at Murfreesboro , employed on picket duty and as guard for forage trains , until June 24 , 1863 , when it advanced with the army on Tullahoma . During July 1863 the regiment was stationed at Cowan and Anderson Station , on the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad . Subsequently it occupied Bridgeport , under General Lytle , who commanded the brigade to which the 21st was attached . September 2 , 1863 the regiment crossed the Tennessee , and advanced with the corps of Major General McCook to Trenton , Ga . , from whence it crossed the mountains to Alpine , 30 miles from Rome ; thence made a forced march toward Chattanooga , between the mountain ranges , and came into line of battle at Chickamauga September 19 , 1863 . The following day the regiment participated in the battle of Chickamauga , sustaining a loss of 11 killed , 58 wounded , 35 missing , 3 prisoners . Of the missing , 21 were known to be wounded . Lieutenant Colonel M . B . Wells was among the killed , and Captain Edgar W . Smith , being mortally wounded , died October 13 following , while Colonel McCreery , commanding the regiment , was severely wounded and taken prisoner . In this engagement the regiment belonged to the same brigade as at Stone River , and then commanded by General Lytle , was serving in Sheridan ' s division of the 4th corps . On September 20 , while the division was advancing to the support of General Thomas , it became heavily engaged , and captured prisoners from four different rebel divisions . The 21st was in the hottest of the fight , behaved with great courage , never yielding except when overcome by immense odds , but after a brave but fruitless effort against a perfect torrent of the enemy was compelled to give way . After the battle of Chickamauga the regiment , in command of Lieutenant Colonel S . K . Bishop , was detached from its brigade by order of General Thomas , and was placed under General Smith , Chief Engineer of the Department , and performed duty as engineer troops , forming part of Engineer Brigade , and was on that duty during the engagement of Mission Ridge . It was stationed , until the 11th of June , 1864 , on the north side of the Tennessee River , near Chattanooga , and was employed in building a bridge over the river , and in the erection of storehouses in Chattanooga . At the above date the regiment was ordered to Lookout Mountain , where it was engaged in building hospitals , running mills , and in the performance of the usual picket duty , until the 20th of September following , when it was relieved from further duty with the Engineer Corps . On the 27th of September the regiment left Lookout Mountain for Tullahoma , thence it proceeded to Nashville . Joining the forces under General Rosseau , it participated with them in the pursuit of the rebels under General Forrest , beyond Florence , Ala . , returning to Florence on the 11th of October . On the 14th , the regiment was ordered to Chattanooga , and on the 18th to proceed to and garrison Dalton , Ga . On the 30th of October , the regiment was relieved at Dalton , and was ordered to join its corps . During the year it had traveled between 480 and 500 miles . On November 1 , 1864 , the 21st , then in command of Colonel Bishop , was at Dalton , Ga . , where it received orders to march to Kingston and join the 14th army corps , and on arriving there was assigned to the 2d brigade , 1st division , when it started for Atlanta , and on the march assisted in tearing up the railroad track and destroying everything in its rear , reaching that point on the 15th , and on the following day after the destruction of that place , moved with General Sherman ' s army towards Milledgeville , arriving there on the 22d , and then took up a line of march in the direction of Augusta , and on reaching within about forty miles of that point , turned directly south towards Savannah , and arrived at the works in front of that place on the 10th of December , and there relieved a part of the 20th army corps , which held a portion of the works on the south side of the canal , being the most exposed position on the whole line . There the men being obliged to stay in the trenches , without tents and lightly clad , few of them having blankets , suffered extremely from cold , and also from hunger , as their rations were short . The regiment continued in that position until the 15th , when it moved back north of the canal , and remained there until the evacuation of Savannah on the 21st , and then encamped about three - fourths of a mile from the city . During the 25 days occupied on the march from Atlanta , only two and a half days ' rations had been issued to the regiment , it being mainly supplied with subsistence procured by foraging on the inhabitants of the country through which it passed . The regiment remained at Savannah , refitting , reclothing the men , and getting ready for the campaign through the Carolinas , until the 20th of January , 1865 following , when in command of Captain A . C . Prince , it marched up along the Savannah river to Sister ' s Ferry , where it lay until the 5th of February , then crossed into South Carolina , still continuing the movement in the vicinity of the river until nearly opposite Columbia , when a direction was taken towards that point , and on arriving there turned to the left , crossed the Black and Saluda rivers , and struck the railroad at Winnsboro , where it assisted in destroying the track as far north as Blackstock Station ; then changing the direction eastward , crossed the Great and Little Pedee rivers about eight miles north of Cheraw , then crossed the Wateree at Rocky Mountain , on pontoons made from wagon boxes covered with tent flies and canvas , the high water having carried away the pontoon bridge . While crossing , the brigade , being the rear guard , was much annoyed by the enemy ' s cavalry , but succeeded in getting over the entire corps ' train , when the march was resumed in the direction of Fayetteville , N . C . Reaching there , Cape Fear river was crossed on the 13th of March , and moving forward , met the enemy at Averysboro on the 16th , and after a severe engagement he retreated during the night ; continuing the march , again encountering the enemy at Bentonville , on the 19th , where the regiment became heavily engaged , losing six officers and eighty - six men , killed and wounded , out of 230 , and after the retreat of the enemy from that point the march was resumed , and crossing the Neuse river , arrived at Goldsboro on the 25th , after a march of sixty - four days from Savannah , during which time only twelve days ' rations had been issued to the regiment , the main supply having been obtained by foraging on the country on the line of march . The regiment remained in camp near Goldsboro until April 11 , when again in command of Colonel Bishop , a movement was commenced in the direction of Raleigh . Reaching there on the 14th , it then marched to Haywood , on Cape Fear river , where it remained until the surrender of Johnston ' s army , when the regiment , with its division and corps , started for Richmond , in company with the 20th corps . The two corps being destined for the same point , entered on a friendly race , which resulted in the 1st division , 14th corps , in which was the 21st Michigan , reaching that point ahead of any other troops , marching 280 miles in less than eight days . From Richmond the march was continued to Washington , D . C . , where the regiment participated in the review of General Sherman ' s army on the 24th of May , and on the 8th of January was mustered out of service , when it proceeded to Michigan , arriving at Detroit on the 13th , and on the 22d was paid off and disbanded . The 21st participated in encounters with the enemy at Perryville , Ky . , October 8 , 1862 ; Lavergne , Tenn . , December 27 , 1862 ; Stewart ' s Creek , Tenn . , December 29 , 1862 ; Stone River , Tenn . , December 29 , 31 , 1862 , and January 1 , 2 , and 3 , 1863 ; Tullahoma , Tenn . , June 24 , 1863 ; Elk River , Tenn . , July 1 , 1863 ; Chickamauga , Ga . , September 19 , 20 , and 21 , 1863 ; Chattanooga , Tenn . , October 6 , 1863 ; Brown ' s Ferry , Tenn . , October 27 , 1863 ; Mission Ridge , Tenn . , November 26 , 1863 ; Savannah , Ga . , December 11 , 18 , 20 , and 21 , 1864 ; Averysboro , N . C . , March 16 , 1865 ; Bentonville , N . C . , March 19 , 11 , 1865 . The reports of the regiment show a membership of 1 , 477 officers and men . The regiment was mustered out of service on June 8 , 1865 . Total strength and casualties . The regiment suffered 3 officers and 80 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 291 enlisted men who died of disease , for a total of 377 fatalities .