On May 3, 1861, the 13th Infantry was ordered recruited by Congress. It was one of nine new regular Army Infantry Regiments formed for service in the Civil War. Each of the regiments was to be comprised of three battalions of eight companies each. The 13th Infantry only reached the strength of one battalion during the war, however. 'Bounties offered by volunteer regiments were much higher, so most men joined these volunteer units instead of the regulars.
On May 14, 1861, William Tecumseh Sherman became the first Colonel of the 13th Infantry. The regiment was organized between July 1861 and April 1862 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and across the river at Alton, Illinois.
The 13th Infantry served with the western armies throughout the war of the rebellion as part of the Second Division, Fifteenth Corps, Army of the Tennessee. The regiment fought at Vicksburg, Corinth, Atlanta, and many places in between. During the seige of Vicksburg, the regiment aquired its motto of "First at Vicksburg" By the end of the war, detachments of the regiment served as mounted infantry in Eastern Tennessee guarding against Confederate Cavalry raids in the area.
The Second Battalion of the 13th Infantry was formed on May 15, 1865 at Camp Dennison, Ohio. With the close of the Civil War, regular army units Including the 13th Infantry were ordered west to relieve volunteer units on the frontier.
Company 'D', second Batallion, 13th US Infantry arrived at Fort Dakota, Dakota Territory (present site of Sioux Falls, SD- on June 8, 1866. They releived Company "M" of the 7th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, which departed for Sioux City, IA where it was mustered out on June 22, 1866.
On September 21, 1866, the 2nd
Battalion, 13th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated the 22nd
Infantry. This company, Company "D" 22nd Infantry,
garrisoned Fort Dakota until the fort was abandoned on June 18, 1869.
On May 31, 1869 the 22nd Infantry was consolodated with the 31st
Infantry (3rd
Battalion of the 13th Infantry) and redesignated the 22nd US Infantry.
BYE, BYE!!
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