Adventures of Ecorse 24th Michigan Volunteers
The Ecorse Advertiser of Thursday, May 10, 1951, contained a story about Ecorse Civil War soldiers in Company F of the 24th Michigan Infantry Volunteers. It said that when Ecorse and River Rouge patriotic and civic organizations pay tribute to the nation’s war heroes on Memorial Day, Company F of the 24th Michigan Infantry Volunteers should come in for its share of homage.
Few if any persons today ever heard of Company F, but during the Civil War when Company F became known throughout the Union Army as the “Iron Brigade,” it was the toast of the North.
Company F was mustered into service on August 15, 1862, and was made up of volunteers from Wayne County. At least 11 of the Company were Ecorse (Township) men whose names and descendants are still well known in this area.
The information was secured last week when State Representative Karl Hebert after searching the records in Lansing came up with a complete history of both Company F and the 24th Michigan Infantry. The information was secured at the request of Frank X. LeBlanc, a member of one of Ecorse’s oldest families, and whose father had volunteered and served with this famous outfit.
There was no “boot” training in the Civil War. Volunteers joined the army and they were immediately started for what is now known as the front.
Leaving Detroit a week after being mustered into service the outfit made many long marches and on December 12, 1862, crossed the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg and during the next three days saw its first action. For three days the regiment was under constant fire by the enemy and lost heavily in killed and wounded. Its next important engagement was at Port Royal on April 23, 1863, when the regiment made a brilliant attack, capturing a number of prisoners and driving the enemy from their position.
Shortly after this engagement the 24th entered upon the Pennsylvania campaign and was soon to experience all the horrors and glory of one of the most desperate conflicts of the war. It was during this campaign that the outfit became known as the Iron Brigade and that honorable distinction was accorded it during the war and has passed as such into history.
The 24th arrived at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, and was immediately engaged. It was one of the first infantry commands to come into action in the three day battle. The first order was to charge and the 24th with the rest of the brigade dashed forward and captured part of Confederate General Archer’s army.
Following this success, the 24th changed front and formed a line of battle in McPherson’s Woods. The Confederates advanced in double line, their numbers being sufficient to overlap and flank the Union forces, poured a murderous fire into the line of Blue and forced a retreat to new positions. The ground was covered with dead and wounded. Four other bearers were killed and three wounded in holding the flag aloft.
The 24th went into this action with 28 officers and 468 men. During the first day of the battle, 22 officers were killed or wounded and 71 enlisted men were killed and223 wounded for a total loss of 316.
In all the 24th took part in 21 major engagements finally being returned to Springfield, Illinois, and while there was escort at the funeral of President Lincoln.
It was mustered out of service in Detroit, June 30, 1865, after nearly three years of brilliant service.
Ecorse Township men serving in Company F included Abram Akey, August Albrecht, Louis L. Beaubien, John B. Beyette, Anthony Bondy, Daniel Bourassa, Charles Cicotte, John B, Cicotte, Charles Gochy, Antoine LeBlanc, and Anthony Reno.
The Ecorse Advertiser of July 1, 1959, printed a story of a “booboo” pulled by some of the Union boys of the 24th Michigan in camp at Jackson, Mississippi, during the Civil War. They cheerfully dubbed themselves ‘The Gallant Charge of the Log Heaps.”
Daniel Cobb, a young soldier, wrote his brother of the humorous incident. His letter is in The University of Michigan Historical Collections.
March 15, 1862: Two weeks last night it commenced to rain about four o’clock and continued to rain till midnight.
While we were preparing to get into our beds we were ordered to saddle up. We were soon in the saddle and rode 15 miles through the mud. We then came in sight of fires which we supposed to be guerilla camp fires as there were 50 seen in that neighborhood at dark and they were what we were after.
We formed line of battle and marched toward the fires, but soon came to a swamp. We dismounted and every fourth man held four homes, while the rest formed line of foot and marched on, half a leg deep in mud, all the time wondering why we were not fired upon.
We soon came on hard land and found the fires were log heaps where they were clearing a new place. This amused us considerably and our venture is known at the camp as “The Gallant Charge of the Log Heaps.”
We then walked until daylight when we began to hunt for guerillas but they had the start on us and we got into camp at three in the afternoon as tired a set as you often see.
Three weeks ago, three companies of our regiment crossed the Tennessee River at Clifton and captured the colonel, four captains and about 60 privates without the loss of a single man.
Captain Newel, the commander of the expedition, was wounded in the leg but not seriously. The guerillas had but one picket out and one of the Company L’s men took him prisoner in the following way:
After finding just where he stood by skulking around, he got between the camp and the picket and advanced toward him. The picket hailed him and asked, “Who goes there?”
He answered, “Relief Guard.”
He was then told to advance.
He advanced, revolver in hand, and placing his revolver to the picket’s breast, ordered a surrender before the guard could comprehend the Yankee trick.
But it was no use for if the guard had moved toward resistance, he would have been a dead man.
Few if any persons today ever heard of Company F, but during the Civil War when Company F became known throughout the Union Army as the “Iron Brigade,” it was the toast of the North.
Company F was mustered into service on August 15, 1862, and was made up of volunteers from Wayne County. At least 11 of the Company were Ecorse (Township) men whose names and descendants are still well known in this area.
The information was secured last week when State Representative Karl Hebert after searching the records in Lansing came up with a complete history of both Company F and the 24th Michigan Infantry. The information was secured at the request of Frank X. LeBlanc, a member of one of Ecorse’s oldest families, and whose father had volunteered and served with this famous outfit.
There was no “boot” training in the Civil War. Volunteers joined the army and they were immediately started for what is now known as the front.
Leaving Detroit a week after being mustered into service the outfit made many long marches and on December 12, 1862, crossed the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg and during the next three days saw its first action. For three days the regiment was under constant fire by the enemy and lost heavily in killed and wounded. Its next important engagement was at Port Royal on April 23, 1863, when the regiment made a brilliant attack, capturing a number of prisoners and driving the enemy from their position.
Shortly after this engagement the 24th entered upon the Pennsylvania campaign and was soon to experience all the horrors and glory of one of the most desperate conflicts of the war. It was during this campaign that the outfit became known as the Iron Brigade and that honorable distinction was accorded it during the war and has passed as such into history.
The 24th arrived at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, and was immediately engaged. It was one of the first infantry commands to come into action in the three day battle. The first order was to charge and the 24th with the rest of the brigade dashed forward and captured part of Confederate General Archer’s army.
Following this success, the 24th changed front and formed a line of battle in McPherson’s Woods. The Confederates advanced in double line, their numbers being sufficient to overlap and flank the Union forces, poured a murderous fire into the line of Blue and forced a retreat to new positions. The ground was covered with dead and wounded. Four other bearers were killed and three wounded in holding the flag aloft.
The 24th went into this action with 28 officers and 468 men. During the first day of the battle, 22 officers were killed or wounded and 71 enlisted men were killed and223 wounded for a total loss of 316.
In all the 24th took part in 21 major engagements finally being returned to Springfield, Illinois, and while there was escort at the funeral of President Lincoln.
It was mustered out of service in Detroit, June 30, 1865, after nearly three years of brilliant service.
Ecorse Township men serving in Company F included Abram Akey, August Albrecht, Louis L. Beaubien, John B. Beyette, Anthony Bondy, Daniel Bourassa, Charles Cicotte, John B, Cicotte, Charles Gochy, Antoine LeBlanc, and Anthony Reno.
The Ecorse Advertiser of July 1, 1959, printed a story of a “booboo” pulled by some of the Union boys of the 24th Michigan in camp at Jackson, Mississippi, during the Civil War. They cheerfully dubbed themselves ‘The Gallant Charge of the Log Heaps.”
Daniel Cobb, a young soldier, wrote his brother of the humorous incident. His letter is in The University of Michigan Historical Collections.
March 15, 1862: Two weeks last night it commenced to rain about four o’clock and continued to rain till midnight.
While we were preparing to get into our beds we were ordered to saddle up. We were soon in the saddle and rode 15 miles through the mud. We then came in sight of fires which we supposed to be guerilla camp fires as there were 50 seen in that neighborhood at dark and they were what we were after.
We formed line of battle and marched toward the fires, but soon came to a swamp. We dismounted and every fourth man held four homes, while the rest formed line of foot and marched on, half a leg deep in mud, all the time wondering why we were not fired upon.
We soon came on hard land and found the fires were log heaps where they were clearing a new place. This amused us considerably and our venture is known at the camp as “The Gallant Charge of the Log Heaps.”
We then walked until daylight when we began to hunt for guerillas but they had the start on us and we got into camp at three in the afternoon as tired a set as you often see.
Three weeks ago, three companies of our regiment crossed the Tennessee River at Clifton and captured the colonel, four captains and about 60 privates without the loss of a single man.
Captain Newel, the commander of the expedition, was wounded in the leg but not seriously. The guerillas had but one picket out and one of the Company L’s men took him prisoner in the following way:
After finding just where he stood by skulking around, he got between the camp and the picket and advanced toward him. The picket hailed him and asked, “Who goes there?”
He answered, “Relief Guard.”
He was then told to advance.
He advanced, revolver in hand, and placing his revolver to the picket’s breast, ordered a surrender before the guard could comprehend the Yankee trick.
But it was no use for if the guard had moved toward resistance, he would have been a dead man.