The 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment was a group of soldiers who fought for the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the Union Iron Brigade. The regiment was selected to be the honor guard during the funeral of Abraham Lincoln.
Service
The 24th Michigan Infantry was formed in Detroit, Michigan, and joined the Union army on August 15, 1862. It became part of the Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac. General John Gibbon, the brigade’s commander, asked for a new regiment because the four regiments already in his command—the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, and the 19th Indiana—had lost many soldiers in battles and had fewer than 1,000 men by October 1862. He wanted a regiment from the Western United States, as the others were from that region. The 24th Michigan was added to the Iron Brigade and fought its first battle at Fredericksburg, where it engaged a small group of Confederate horse artillery south of the town. The regiment later participated in a raid on Port Royal, Virginia, and a battle at Fitzhugh Crossing. In May 1863, the regiment earned the Model 1858 Hardee Hat, a distinctive headpiece worn by members of the Iron Brigade.
During the Chancellorsville campaign, the 24th Michigan did not fight in major battles. However, at Gettysburg, the regiment had 496 soldiers and officers when it entered battle. It suffered 363 casualties: 89 killed or mortally wounded, 218 wounded, and 56 captured. Of the 13 soldiers responsible for carrying the regiment’s flag during the first day of the battle, nine were killed or mortally wounded, and two were wounded. This resulted in an 80% loss among the color guard. The 24th Michigan and the 1st Minnesota Infantry suffered the highest number of casualties among Union forces at Gettysburg.
Colonel Morrow was wounded while carrying the regiment’s flag. He was struck in the head near a fence and fell to the ground. Lieutenant Charles Hutton of Company G helped him leave the battlefield, and Captain Albert M. Edwards, the last officer not injured, took command of the regiment.
After Gettysburg, the 24th Michigan continued to fight in the Army of the Potomac’s campaigns. It was heavily involved in the Battle of the Wilderness and the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House during the Overland Campaign. Colonel Morrow was wounded in the Wilderness, and Lieutenant Colonel William Wight took command for most of the campaign. Wight led the regiment until he became ill during the latter part of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. At that time, Albert M. Edwards, who had been promoted to major, took command. Edwards remained in charge until he was forced to resign due to wounds sustained at Gettysburg. Colonel Morrow returned to command in December 1864 after being promoted to Brevet Brigadier General.
Following the Overland Campaign, the 24th Michigan fought in the Petersburg Campaign, participating in battles such as Globe Tavern, Boydton Plank Road, and Peebles’ Farm. However, the regiment was not present at Appomattox because it had been reassigned to Camp Butler, Illinois, two months earlier after fighting in the Battle of Hatcher’s Run.
The 24th Michigan Infantry was chosen to serve as an escort during the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln. The regiment was officially discharged on June 30, 1865.
Total strength and casualties
The regiment had 12 officers and 177 enlisted men who were killed in battle or died from their injuries, and 3 officers and 136 enlisted men who died from disease. This totals 328 deaths, including John Litogot, the maternal uncle of auto tycoon Henry Ford, who was killed during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Barney Litogot, another uncle of Ford, was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg and remained with the regiment until the end of the war. He also served on the honor guard during Lincoln's funeral.
Commanders
Colonel Henry Andrew Morrow served as the regiment’s commander from its start until his promotion to Brigadier General in January 1865, except during his recovery from wounds at Gettysburg and The Wilderness and when he briefly led a brigade. He was wounded three times during the war: he received a head injury while holding the regiment’s flag at Gettysburg, suffered a leg wound during the opening fighting at The Wilderness, and was shot in the shoulder while serving as a general at Hatchers Run. After his promotion to General, he commanded the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps until his injury at Hatcher’s Run. After recovering, he became the final commander of the Iron Brigade. At muster out, he led a Provincial Division in Kentucky. Morrow led the regiment in battles at Fredericksburg, the Port Royal Expedition, Fitzhugh Crossing, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg (until wounded on the first day), The Wilderness (until wounded again), and during the Siege of Petersburg after returning from convalescence. He also led a court martial board in Columbus, Ohio, in November 1864 until his promotion in January 1865. Originally from Warrenton, Virginia, he served as a page in the U.S. Senate, where he was favored by Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan, who encouraged him to move to Detroit. He fought in the Mexican-American War at the Battle of Monterrey. Before the war, he was a judge in Wayne County. After the war, he returned to the army, first working in Louisiana during Reconstruction, then becoming Colonel of the 21st Infantry Regiment. He is credited with creating the modern U.S. Army Post Exchange and is called the "father of the PX." He continued serving in the regular army and corresponded with former soldiers in the 24th Infantry until his death in 1891. He was awarded the rank of Major General.
Lieutenant Colonel Albert Marshall Edwards originally commanded Company F. He was the highest-ranking officer alive and unharmed at Gettysburg and unofficially led the regiment from Gettysburg until his promotion to permanent commander in January 1865, except when Colonel Morrow returned from recovery or when Lieutenant Colonel William Wight briefly led the regiment until Wight’s resignation in June 1864. Edwards led the regiment during the rest of Gettysburg, the Mine Run Campaign, Spotsylvania Courthouse (while Wight was sick), Cold Harbor, the June 18th portion of the Second Battle of Petersburg (Edwards commanded 4th Division, V Corps skirmishers on June 17th, with Captain George W. Burchell leading the regiment in his place), most of the Siege of Petersburg, the Battle of Globe Tavern, the Battle of Boydton Plank Road, and the Battle of Hatcher’s Run. He was promoted to Major in February 1864 (backdated to November 1863), then Lieutenant Colonel in July 1864 (backdated to June 1864, the same day Wight resigned), became permanent commander in January 1865, and served as the head of the honor guard for Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. At the Battle of The Wilderness, as a Major, he captured the flag of the 48th Virginia Infantry during the battle’s opening stages and handed it to Colonel Morrow before Morrow was sent to the hospital. Edwards fought in every battle the regiment participated in and was never wounded while serving with the regiment. His only injury occurred earlier, when he was a sergeant in the 1st Michigan Infantry and was wounded and captured at the First Battle of Bull Run. Before the war, he studied journalism at the University of Michigan and worked for the Detroit Advertiser and Tribune. Edwards died in Detroit in 1909. In 2018, the Michigan House of Representatives recommended that Congress award him the Medal of Honor posthumously, 109 years after his death. He was awarded the rank of Colonel.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Flanigan was the original Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment and served as active commander when Colonel Morrow led a brigade. He was wounded at Gettysburg, lost a leg, and was discharged due to his injuries. Before the war, he was the Wayne County Sheriff. After his discharge, he became Provost General of the State of Michigan. He was awarded the rank of Brigadier General.
Lieutenant Colonel William Wight led the regiment after Colonel Morrow was wounded at The Wilderness, commanding the regiment for the rest of the battle. He was ill during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse but returned to lead the regiment at the Battle of North Anna until he resigned due to poor health in June 1864. He was the inspector sent by the State of Michigan during the 1864 Election. Originally, he commanded Company K and was wounded at Gettysburg. Edwin Wight, the commander of Company A who was promoted to Major before Gettysburg, was his younger brother.
Major William Hutchinson commanded the regiment at times in late 1864 and early 1865, especially after Colonel Morrow’s promotion and when Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was on leave in January 1865 or when Edwards led a court martial board in Springfield, Illinois, after the regiment was assigned to Camp Butler. He was wounded twice during the war: once at Gettysburg and again at the start of the Siege of Petersburg, just 15 minutes after returning from recruiting in Michigan while having coffee with Lieutenant Colonel Edwards. Hutchinson served on the honor guard for President Lincoln’s funeral and trained the regiment for the funeral escort. After the war, he died in the sinking of the Morning Star, a shipwreck on the Great Lakes in 1868. He was awarded the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Captain George C. Gordon commanded the regiment at times when Lieutenant Colonel Edwards and Major Hutchinson were unavailable between the end of the war and the regiment’s official end. He was wounded and captured at Gettysburg, held in Libby Prison and Andersonville Prison, and later escaped. He was awarded the rank of Major.
The original field and staff officers and company line officers and their fates during the war, where information is available (* marking if they were discharged with the regiment):
Colonel-Henry A. Morrow, wounded three times, promoted to Brigadier General. Awarded the rank of Major General.
Lieutenant Colonel-Mark Flanigan, wounded, lost a leg at Gettysburg, discharged for wounds. Awarded the rank of Colonel and Brigadier General.
Major-Henry W. Nall, resigned due to tuberculosis contracted while serving as a captain in the 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment, died shortly after his resignation.
Adjutant-James J. Burns, resigned due to disability.
Quartermaster-Digby V. Bell Jr., honorably discharged after resigning.
Surgeon-Dr. John H. Beech, promoted.