Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers

Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers was published by Rufus R. Dawes of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry after the conclusion of the war. Using letters saved for him by friends and relatives to whom he sent correspondence during the war, Dawes published excerpts of his letters and journal entries alongside his narrative throughout his experience as a soldier.
Dawes was born in Malta, Ohio but spent much of his adult life in Mauston, Wisconsin. At the outbreak of the war, he formed a militia company called the Lemonweir Minutemen, was elected Captain, and tendered the unit's services to the state of Wisconsin. State officials assigned the Minutemen to Company K and sent the regiment to Washington, D.C. where it spent its first year at war on garrison duty. In 1862, Dawes was promoted to major of the regiment. He saw action at Brawner's Farm at the (II) Battle of Bull Run, and then at Antietam and Fredericksburg. In March, 1863, Dawes was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the regiment and served in the Chancellorsville Campaign. 
On June 1, 1863, Dawes led a counterattack against Joseph R. Davis' brigade at an unfinished railroad cut at the Battle of Gettysburg, capturing the colors and taking several hundred rebel prisoners. He later served that year in the Mine Run Campaign. During a furlough, Dawes returned to Ohio and married Mary Beman Gates from Marietta, Ohio. He returned to the Army of the Potomac and served at the Battle of the Wilderness and the Siege of Petersburg. In July 1864, Dawes was offered the full rank of colonel, but declined the promotion. He served in the battles of Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor before he was mustered out of the army on August 10, 1864.
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THIS TEXT IS PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
== Preface == 
With the hope that I may contribute something of value for the history of one of the most faithful and gallant regiments in the army of the Union, the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers, and with the especial object of preserving tor our children a record of personal experiences in the war, this book has been published. 
A box of old letters and papers, collected during the war and carefully arranged and preserved by my wife, has been a chief Source from which I have drawn the subject matter. 
Contemporary statements and opinions have not been changed. In cases where subsequent knowledge disclosed an error, the fact is noted. 
Rufus R. Dawes. 
Marietta, Ohio, November 10th, 1890. 
== Chapter 01 (Pages 5-21) == 
The Call for Volunteers — The Lemonweir Minute Men — Anxious Haste to "Crush the Rebellion" — Provoking Delays — Captain Balfour's Opinion — Assigned to the Seventh Wisconsin — A Poster — Ordered Into Quarters — Called to the Sixth Regiment — Reception at Camp Randall — Company "K," Better Known as "Q" — Officers of the Sixth — I Discover That I Have a Servant — We are Uniformed in Gray — Mustered Into U.S. Service — Bull Run — To the Front — The Glorious Passage East — Miss Anderson — The March Through Baltimore — Attacked by "Plug Uglies" — Lieutenant Kellogg in the Battle of Patterson Park — On to Washington — Kalorama Heights — Our Brass Band — First Sight of General McClellan.
== Chapter 02 (Pages 22-41) ==
Picket Duty on the Potomac — Camp at Chain Bridge — We Hear General Hancock Whisper to his Brigade — To Arlington Heights — The "Iron Brigade" in Embryo — Officers Weeded out — Reviews and Reviews — The Battle Hymn of the Republic — The Grand Review — Our Drum Major — Thanksgiving and Mince Pies — A Visit to Ohio — Amusements in the Winter Camp — The Arlington House — I Reconnoitre a Seminary for Young Ladies — Tossed in a Blanket — Gambling and Vice — On Picket in the mud — Interviewed by a Congressional Committee — Washington's Birthday Celebrated — A March to the Front — The Enemy Gone — Hard Campaigning — Reviews — More Hard Campaigning — The Brigade Stampeded by a Bull — Camp Life in Stormy Weather — Bull Frog Concerts — My Brother in Battle at Shiloh — Picnic at St. Stephen's Chapel — On to Fredericksburgh — A Whisky Ration — News From Shiloh — Camp Opposite Fredericksburgh — Practical Emancipation.
== Chapter 03 (Pages 42-77) ==
Fac—Simile Confederate Currency — A Remarkable Bridge — Advent of Gen. John Gibbon — Extra Clothing — Still "Spoiling for a Fight" — Feathers, Leggings and White Gloves — President Lincoln Visits us — "On to Richmond" — Stonewall Jackson in the Valley — We Pursue Jackson — His men Carry "A Hundred Rounds and a gum Blanket," Ours Carry "Saratoga Trunks" — "You uns is Pack Mules, we uns is Race Horses" — Overcoats and Knapsacks Flung Away — Celerity of Jackson vs. Ponderosity of McDowell — Up the Hill and Down Again — We Attend Church in Fredericksburgh — Mink Teaches School — A Very Pretty Fight of my own — Win by a Scratch and am Appointed Major — Frank A. Haskell — Advent of General Pope — Prejudice Against McDowell — A Mule Race — Pope's Proclamation not Well Received — A Raid Toward Orange C. H. — By Help of a Slave, I Capture a Confederate Officer — "Its the Lord's Will That the Colored People Help you uns" — Impending Battles — The Fredericks Hall Raid — To Cedar Mountain — He "Done got out" — William Jackson — Retreat Before General Lee — First Experiences Under Fire — To Warrenton — To Warrenton Sulphur Springs — Again Under Fire — Stonewall Jackson in our Rear — Back Toward Centreville — Can't Stop to eat — Battle of Gainesville — Corps Commander "Lost in the Woods" — A Midnight Retreat— Some Comments on Gainesville — Sound of Battle on the Bull Run Field — Fitz John Porter's Corps Marches by — We March to the Field of Battle — Clouds of Dust Interpreted as a Retreat of the Enemy — Battle of Bull Run Second — Midnight Visit From General Kearney and Retreat — Death on Picket Duty — Chantilly — To Upton's Hill — Joy at the Announcement That McClellan is in Command — Colonel Bragg's Manly and Patriotic Political Stand — Colonel Cutler Pays his Respects to Mr. Stanton. 
== Chapter 04 (Pages 78-97) ==
Army Re-organized — General Joseph Hooker our Corps Commander — Advance to Maryland — At Frederick City— Enthusiasm for "Little Mac" — On to South Mountain — The Battle — Volleys by Wing — All Night on the Field — Complimented by General McClellan — On to Antietam — The Battle — Captains Brown and Bachelle Killed — Colonel Bragg Wounded — Terrible Slaughter of our Regiment at Antietam — Incidents. 
== Chapter 05 (Pages 98-123) ==
Exhaustion After Antietam — A sad Blunder — Colonel Bragg Nominated for Congress — President Lincoln Visits the Army — Twenty-Fourth Michigan Joins the Brigade — Appointed to Inspect Troops — Forward to Virginia — Dr. John C. Hall — Colonel Cutler Takes Command of the Brigade — General McClellan Removed from Command of the Army — Colonel Cutler Takes a Stand — The Burnside Regime — On to Fredericksburgh — General Solomon Meredith — Distrust of Burnside — Battle of Fredericksburgh — The Retreat— Clayton Rogers Saves the Pickets — "Clayt" and "Bony" — Whitworth Shell for Breakfast — The Defeat as Viewed by a Member of Congress — Camp Near Belle Plaine General James S. Wadsworth — The Mud Campaign — The Fifty-fifth Ohio in our Houses — Darkness Upon us as a Nation — Exit Burnside — General Joseph Hooker in Command of the Army — The Northumberland Raid — Correspondence with Mr. Cutler — Political Conditions. 
== Chapter 06 (Pages 124-141) ==
A Visit to Ohio — A Public Address — Promoted— General Jaines S. Wadsworth — Preparations for the Campaign — General Lysander Cutler — Colonel Bragg's Letter with our old Flag — Reviewed by the President — General Joseph Hooker — How to get Ready for a Battle Campaign — Twenty-fourth Michigan Makes a Raid — Campaign Opens — I Entrust Dr. A. W Preston with Letters to be Mailed only if I am Killed — Fitz Hugh's Crossing — Experiences at Chancellorsville — Dismal Retreat — Dr. Preston Mails my Letters — Resulting Troubles and Excitements — My Mother Refuses to Take my own Word that I am Killed. 
== Chapter 07 (Pages 142-163) ==
Camp Near White Oak Church — Regimental Court — Expedition Down the Northern Neck — Captain Charley Ford — A War-Horse Prefers Death, to Duty as a Pack Mule — In Command of a Post — "The Patrol has Caught the Colonel" — General Lee Assumes an Offensive Attitude — Major Hauser — Picket Duty on the Rappahannock — Colonel Bragg Sick — Fooled by the Balloon — Lying in Wait — Ed Brooks Pours Water in Sam's ear — How to Execute a Deserter — Camp Routine — We March Northward — "Under a Scorching Sun, and Through Suffocating Clouds of Dust" — At Centreville — Bivouac on Broad Run — At South Mountain — General Meade's Appointment a Surprise — On to Gettysburg — An Unfinished Letter — The Battle as Reported to M.B.G. — How the New Recruit Stands Fire. 
== Chapter 08 (Pages 164-184) ==
The Sixth Wisconsin at Gettysburg. 
== Chapter 09 (Pages 185-210) ==
Pursuit of the Enemy — The Pride of Victory — Williamsport — A Little Rest — On to Virginia — Provost Duty at Middleburg — Too Much Whisky — To Warrenton Junction — Echoes of the Morgan Raid — To Beverly Ford — The One Hundred and Sixty-Seventh Pennsylvania Refuses to March — The old and new Colors — Letter From one of Sherman's men — South of the Rappahannock — I Command an Outpost — Mink Argues the Case — Refused a Leave of Absence — Conscripts and Bounty Jumpers — "Iron Brigade" Flag — At Culpepper — I Make a Friendly Call on the Enemy — Ordnance Returns — To the Rapidan — Picket Duty. 
== Chapter 10 (Pages 211-228) ==
At Morton's Ford — The Retreat to Centreville — A Skirmish at Hnymarket — Bob Tomlinson — To Thoroughfare Gap — Roast Turkey — Judge Advocate of a Court Martial — General Fairchild — Col. Edward Pye — To Catlett's Station — Adjutant Brooks Captured — General Cutler Resorts to Vigorous Measures — A Gentleman of the Old School — To Rappahannock — A Visit to M.B.G. in Ohio — The Mine Run Campaign. 
== Chapter 11 (Pages 229-249) ==
At Kelly's Ford — "All Hail to Old Abe!" — Question of Veteran Re-enlistment — My Brother Reports From Sherman's Corps — To Culpepper — Kindness From a Rebel — Living in Houses — Veteran Excitement — Regiment Re-enlists and Goes to Wisconsin — I go to Marietta — A Grand Reception at Milwaukee — A Quiet Wedding at Marietta — A Wedding Trip — A Happy Accident — In Ohio — In Camp Again at Culpepper — General TJ. S. Grant — Obliteration of the old First Army Corps — The Fifth Corps — General G. K. Warren — A New England Clergyman — Colonel Bragg's "Religious Affiliations" — General Grant on Review — Major Philip W. Plummer — Preparations — Minor Faults in the Management of Military Affairs — A new Chaplain — We win First Honors on Inspection — Adjutant Brooks Returns — Chess — Court Martial — Crime — Indians — "We move at Midnight." 
== Chapter 12 (Pages 250-273) ==
The Wilderness — Laurel Hill — The Bloody Angle and Spottsylvania. 
== Chapter 13 (Pages 274-289) ==
Forward to the North Anna — Battle of Jericho Ford — Battle of the North Anna — Forward Toward Richmond — Battle of Bethesda Church — The Pennsylvania Reserves — "Pediculus Vestimenti" — Battle of Cold Harbor — Report From my Brother With Sherman — In the Trenches — A Bullet-Proof Chaplain — Lawson Fenton — Death of Charles B. Gates — A Little Rest — My Brother Shot at Dallas — His Journey Home. 
== Chapter 14 (Pages 290-304) ==
A Change of Base — To the James River — Petersburg — Repulsed — Worn, Weary and Discouraged — The Trenches — Disorganization from Losses — Colonel Bragg Promoted — Out of the Trenches — Rising Spirits — Adjutant Brooks' Expedition and its Fate — Captain Kellogg in Rebel Prison — His Escape — Captain Lewis A. Kent — Lieutenant Earl M. Rogers Wounded — Mortar Shell — Ice — Our Chaplain Finds a Cow — Appointed to a Responsible Duty — Cowards and Inefficients — Cuyler Babcock — Commissioned Colonel — The Muster Out — Questions as to Term of Service — Dr. Hall Promoted — Mine Explosion — In Camp — Mustered Out and Honorably Discharged — The Ordnance Sergeant. 
== Chapter 15 (Pages 305-319) ==
From the Stand-point of a Civilian — The Battle on the Weldon Road — "Poor Murdered Timmons!" — Letter From Captain Remington — Captain Chas. P. Hyatt Killed — Dr. Hall Writes Fully from the Sixth — General Bragg Writes of our Comrades Fallen — My Brother Under the Surgeon's Knife — The Sixth Re-organized — Colonel John A. Kellogg — Individual Records — The Cheering in the Wilderness Explained by a "Johnny" — The Story of William Jackson — Captain Marston Shot at Gettysburg — Seventeen Years Later — To my Living Comrades — Statistics From Colonel Fox and the Official Records. 
== Footnotes ==
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