1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Engineers and Mechanics
The 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Engineers and Mechanics was an engineerregiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. There were only ten other similar regiments in the Union Army. The Michigan unit was one of three engineering regiments raised in 1861, the other two being Missouri and New York. Engineering regiments are often left off of many Order of Battles, but their contribution to campaigns were vital from a logistics point of view; repairing/building railroads, bridges and blockhouses; and destroying enemy communication lines, railroads and bridges. Engineering units like the First Michigan were often caught up in attacks from enemy guerrillas and cavalry skirmishes.
Service
The 1st Michigan Engineers was organized at Marshall, Michigan and mustered into service on October 29, 1861. They rendezvoused at Camp Owen on the Calhoun county fairgrounds in early October. The regiment was mustered out on September 22, 1865.
Total strength and casualties
Over its existence, the regiment carried a total of 2962 men on its muster rolls. The regiment lost 1 officer and 12 enlisted menkilled in action or mortally wounded, and 351 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 364 fatalities. At the Battle of Perryville, the First Michigan had at least ten wounded and one missing. At Lavergne, Tennessee; just prior to the Battle of Murfreesboro, the First Michigan had one killed, five wounded, four POWs and one missing. The 1st Michigan saw two men killed, nine wounded, and two missing at the Battle of Murfreesboro. The unit was active all over middle Tennessee, including Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin, Brentwood and Nashville from 1862 - 1864, building and repairing railroads, bridges, blockhouses, etc. The Franklin-Nashville Campaign was costly to the First Michigan Engineers, losing over 30 men as POWs. The unit also participated in Sherman's March to the Sea and at the Battle of Bentonville.
