History of the 9th Michigan Infantry
The Ninth Michigan Infantry organized at Fort Wayne, near Detroit, from independent companies recruited throughout the state. It was mustered into US service on October 15, 1861, with William W. Duffield as colonel and John G. Parkhurst as lieutenant colonel. The regiment was immediately ordered to West Point, Kentucky, where it constructed an earthworks fort atop Muldraugh Hill. The fort was named Fort Duffield, after the regimental commander's father, the Reverend George Duffield of Detroit.
In December Colonel Duffield was promoted to acting brigadier general and given command of the Twenty-third Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel Parkhurst then assumed command of the regiment and with six companies occupied Elizabethtown, Kentucky, twenty-five mile south of West Point. The remaining four companies remained at Fort Duffield, under the command of Major Darus Fox.
In January, 1862, the regiment regrouped and proceeded to Nashville, Tennessee, and then to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. That spring the regiment participated in the Twenty-third Brigade's pursuit of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's cavalry, but did not make direct contact with the enemy. In June it joined General Negley's expedition against Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it engaged in a bloodless firefight with Confederates defending the city. The Union forces withdrew without realizing their objective. The regiment returned to Murfreesboro, where it was again divided, with four companies under Major Fox moving to Tallahoma, Tennessee.
Early on July 13, 1862, the six companies at Murfreesboro were attacked by Confederate cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest. Although the regiment resisted gallantly, they were overwhelmed and forced to surrender. The enlisted men were subsequently paroled by Forrest, and were moved by Union authorities to Camp Chase, Ohio, to await exchange. The officers were taken prisoner and incarcerated at Madison, Georgia. Most were paroled and exchanged by November 1862. The four companies at Tallahoma were also attacked by Forrest, but succeeded in repelling the enemy. They remained active during the following months, but performed no significant service until the regiment reformed.
The regiment reorganized in November 1862 and was attached to General George Thomas' Fourteenth Corps, Army of the Cumberland, as provost guards. At the battle of Stones River in December 1862, the regiment checked and turned a Union stampede, thereby contributing significantly to the Union victory. The regiment performed similar service at Chickamauga, Georgia, in September 1863. The regiment continued to serve as provost guards until the end of the war. It was mustered out of service on September 15, 1865, and disbanded at Jackson, Michigan, on September 27, 1865.
ORGANIZATION
Organized at Detroit, Mich., and mustered in October 15, 1861.
Moved to Jeffersonville, Ind., Attached to Thomas' Command, Dept. of the Ohio, November, 1861.
October 25, thence to West Point and to Muldraugh's Hill, Ky., and duty there constructing bridges and earthworks till January 4, 1862.
16th Brigade, Army of the Ohio to March, 1862.
23rd Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio to November, 1862.
Headquarters 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland to February, 1864.
Roster of Men of the 9th - Links to Photos of Men where known - Coming Soon
| Field and Staff | Company A | Company B | Company C |
| Company D | Company E | Company F | Company G |
| Company H | Company I | Company K | Unassigned Men |
Links Related to the 9th Michigan
Historic Fort Wayne |
The 9th was raised here and did a lot of their training at this fort. Also, Duffield's Michigan Manual was released while the regiment was garrisoned here. | http://www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com/ |
| 9th Michigan Flags | On our flags page, we provide access to images of both flags carried by the men of the 30th Michigan. | http://allmichigancivilwar.com/flags.html#9thinfantry |
| Letter from Charles Bennett to Juliaette on April 4, 1862 from Murfreesboro. TN. | By way of the Stone's River National Battlefield, this is a great primary resource. | |
| Historical Sketches of the Ninth Michigan Infantry written by Charles W. Bennett. 1913 | This is the regimental history of the 9th. This copy of the history is provided online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of the book |
| Letters written by Charles Brand to Elizabeth Jack. 1862 - 1865. | A collection of letters from a member of the 9th Michigan to a lady back home. This copy is courtesy of the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of transcriptions of the letters |
| Obiturary of Colonel C. L. Brinks. 1921 | C. L. Brinks began his military service in the 9th Michigan. Here is a transcript of his obituary. Link provided to all by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of the transcript |
| War Papers Read Before the Michigan Commandery of MOLLUS - Volume 1, 1893 | The papers read are stories about specific regiments, usually in a particular battle. In this volume, there are stories from the following regiments:
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Google Book Link |
| Letter to Nan from John Crandal. April 26, 1863 | With references to camp life, witnessing a execution and friends in other regiments, this is a rich primary account. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | Transcript of the letter |
| Letters to Bro. Franklin and family from Amos Abbott. July 1859 - Oct. 1, 1861 | Amos Abbot was member of the 9th Michigan. His letters here are from just before the war up through his time enlisting. At least one of the letters is written from Fort Wayne, Detroit where the regiment formed, mustered and trained. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of the letters |
Correspondence between Hiram Sexton and Charles Butler. 1862 - 1864 |
Charles Butler was a member of the 9th. These are some of his letters during his time in service. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of the letter transcripts |
| Diary of Jonah Carpenter 1864 Part 1 | Here, both in it's original form and as a transcript, is this man's diary. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | |
| The Civil War letters of Charles A. Kelley to his father. 1861 - 1865 | A resident of Brighton, Michigan, Charles Kelley joined Company I, 9th Michigan. Here are his letters to his father, A. H. Kelley. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of the letters |
Official report of Col. William Duffield on the fight at Murfreesboro. Submitted on July 23, 1862. |
Lengthy and detailed, this is an excellent account of the 9th action at Murfreesboro. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | Report |
| The letters of George D. Converse to his Father and Mother and friends at home. 1864 - 1865. | More letters from a member of the 9th Michigan, Company D. These are from late in their term of service.Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of the transcripts |
| The papers of Arthur B. Hathaway 1863 -1881. | This group paperwork will be interesting to anyone who wants to learn more about "how the army did it." These papers are Hathaway's transfer to the 9th Michigan from another regiment, then his discharge as an enlistedman to receive a commission. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | PDF of the Documents. |
Civil War letter from Frank H. K. Baker. Nov. 7, 1861 |
This is a transcript of a letter, quoted in a newspaper called the Citizen, from Frank Baker in November, 1861. This would have been very soon after the 9th left Fort Wayne and Michigan for the front. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | Letter transcript |
| The Diary of Henry G. Cooley. 1862 -1865 | Henry G. Cooley was a member of Company D. This is his diary. It is a scan of the original text so it will take work to read. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | |
| Civil War letter from Jacob Houseman, 1862 | Letter from Jacob Houseman to his brother and sister in April 1862. Presented as a typed transcript and describes a battle he missed but was in the 9th MI during. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | Letter transcript |
| Knapp Family Papers | Simon Danner was a member of the 1st MI Sharpshooters early in the war and in 1865 joined the 9th Michigan. He grew up in the Knapp family when his mother remarried after his father died. These are the family's papers, including some of his wartime letters. It is presented as a combination of typed transcripts and scans of the originals. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | Part 2 transcript |
| Detroit Advertiser and Tribune - 9th MI fight | A scan of the original newspaper with an account of the 9th Michigan's fight at Murfreesboro, TN. It is reported as Colonel Duffield's account of the fight after he was released from Confederate prison. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | Newspaper scan |
| Detroit Daily Tribune | This is a typed transcript of a letter sent to the Detroit Daily Tribune and printed on Dec. 29, 1861. It gives a report of early camp life in the time of the 9th Michigan's war experience. Shared online by the Stone's River National Battlefield. | Newspaper transcript |
Books about the 9th Michigan
| Small Arms Used by Michigan Troops in the Civil War - Edited by Donald F. Kigar | This book is part of the Centennial Commission Books. It is a great reference on what regiment was carrying what weapon throughout the war. | |