A History of the 4th Wisconsin Infantry and Cavalry in the Civil War

By Michael J. Martin
Illustrated, index, maps, 570 pp., 2006. Savas Beatie, P. O. Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, $34.95 plus shipping.

Reviewer: Jeff Patrick
Jeff Patrick is an interpretive specialist with the National Park Service at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in Republic, Mo. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in American history from Purdue University.

Review:
Despite the impressive contribution by Wisconsin's citizens to the Union war effort, Civil War buffs seem to be intrigued by only a few of the state's regiments. The 2nd, 6th and 7th Infantries are well known for their service in the legendary Iron Brigade, while the 8th Wisconsin is famous for "Old Abe," the eagle mascot. The 15th is unique because of its Scandinavians and the regiment's fighting colonel, Hans Heg.

But there are other unique Wisconsin units worth reading about, and thanks to Michael Martin, students of the war will come to know another hard-fighting and impressive Badger unit, the 4th Wisconsin Infantry and Cavalry.

As their designation implies, the men of the 4th battled as infantrymen and cavalrymen. They served in both the Eastern and Western Theaters and experienced the longest period of continuous service of any Wisconsin volunteer regiment in the war.

Mustered into service in July 1861, the 4th Wisconsin Infantry was composed primarily of recruits from the southeast part of the state. The regiment's first assignment was Maryland, where the Westerners spent several months guarding railroads, although they did participate in an uneventful expedition to the Eastern Shore.

In February 1862, the Badgers left the Eastern Theater for good when they joined Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler's expedition to New Orleans. The capital city of Baton Rouge soon became their base of operations. In fact, their first major engagement was the battle of Baton Rouge on Aug. 5, 1862, where, although only lightly engaged, they helped repel a Confederate attack on the city.

The following May the 4th received their true baptism of fire at Port Hudson, Louisiana. They participated in the first failed Union assault on the Confederate stronghold and suffered 69 casualties. The following month, in a second unsuccessful attempt, the regiment lost heavily.

"When the tally was finally completed," Martin writes, "it was found that 64% of the Badgers that had stepped off that morning were dead, wounded, or missing."

Following Port Hudson's surrender, the regiment returned to Baton Rouge. Converted to a cavalry regiment, the 4th Wisconsin spent much of the remainder of the war in Louisiana and Mississippi, conducting raids and battling Confederate irregular and conventional forces.

In April 1865, the Wisconsin troopers traveled to Mobile and began an epic two-month march east to the Georgia border, then across Alabama and Mississippi to Vicksburg, capturing cotton, stores and thousands of prisoners.

Even after that grueling 700-mile journey, the Wisconsin men remained in the field. That summer found them riding 500 miles to San Antonio, Texas. Deployed that fall along the Rio Grande, they protected the border from incursions by Indians and Emperor Maximilian's forces. The 4th Wisconsin was finally mustered out in May 1866.

Good regimental histories are hard to find these days, but Martin's impressive research and lively prose (plus excellent maps and the editing skills of Ted Savas) combine to make this a fine "regimental."

All aspects of the 4th's history are thoroughly detailed and appendices include casualty lists and an extensive roster. This book is a must-have for Wisconsin Civil War buffs, Union cavalry aficionados, and those interested in learning more about a sadly neglected theater of the war.