1st Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters Regiment


The 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army's Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.

Service

The 1st Michigan Sharpshooters was organized at Kalamazoo and Dearborn, Michigan, between April 14 and October 7, 1863, and six companies were mustered into Federal service on July 7, 1863, to serve three years.
Major John Piper, of Battle Creek, originally served as Captain of the famed Company D of the Western Sharpshooters Regiment. Captain Piper resigned from the W.S.S. to take up the position of Major of the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters. He was killed in action at the Battle of Spottsylvania Courthouse, May 13, 1864.
The initial six companies were sent to Seymour, IN to repel the Morgan Raid where they were in contact with his raiders at North Vernon, July 13, and at Pierceville.July 14. After the successful rebuff of the raid, the regiment returned to Dearborn and trained there until August 16 when they moved to Chicago, to guarding prisoners-of-war until March 17, 1864.The regiment was ordered to Annapolis, Md., March 17.
Of note, Company K was composed primarily of Native Americans of the United States, especially members of the Ojibwa, Odawa, and Potawatomi nations. In their first action at Although some members were armed with repeaters and breech-loaders, and despite Colonel Deland's attempts to requisition 700 Henrys for the regiment, the majority remained armed with Springfield Model 1861 rifled muskets. The unit distinguished itself in its skirmishing ability, infiltration ability, and marksmanship.
The regiment was highly trained in its combat skills, and the First Nations men in Company K were recognized as the most accomplished. In their first combat at The Wilderness,
Through its service, the regiment was esteemed for its solid, dependable, and effective conduct. It provided valuable sniping, counter-sniping, and harassment fire during the Siege of Petersburg. It was noted for its "splendid work" in the debacle of the Battle of the Crater on 30 July 1864. Many other Union soldiers noticed mortally wounded Native American members of Company K, "... drawing their blouses over their faces, they chanted a death song and died — four of them a group."
The 1st was one of the first units to enter the city after it finally fell on April 1, 1865.
The regiment was attached to the following:
The 1st Michigan Sharpshooters' detailed service is as follows :

1863

The regiment suffered 6 officers and 131 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 165 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 362
fatalities.

Commanders