Organization 

The Thirteenth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment (13th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment) organized at Janesville, Wisconsin and mustered into the service of the United States on October 17, 1861.  They left the state on January 18, 1862, under orders to proceed to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, which they reached  in early February.   

Active Duty 

To begin their service, they were set for active service the regiment February 7 they marched to Ft. Riley, Kansas. They stayed on duty there until April 28, when it returned to St. Louis. There, they guarded duty east of the Mississippi river on the lines of railway between Columbus, Kentucky, and Corinth, Mississippi.  On August 25, the Thirteenth was transferred to Ft. Henry on the Tennessee River. Thus, they participated in various expeditions in Kentucky and Tennessee during the greater part of the year 1862.   

In February and March 1863, the Thirteenth  stationed at Ft. Donelson on the Cumberland River. In September they stationed at Stevenson, Alabama, and later Nashville, TN, until February 1864. Generally, the Thirteenth worked on protecting lines of communication in middle Tennessee, Kentucky, and Northern Alabama.  This service must be diligently and faithfully performed if the army at the front is to accomplish their assigned work. In June, the Thirteenth was sent to New Orleans. Then, in July, they went into Texas near the Rio Grande, where the regiment remained on duty at various posts until November 24, 1865. 

 They received orders to proceed to Madison, Wisconsin, and reached Madison on December 23.  The Thirteenth mustered out on November 24, 1865, and disbanded December 26, 1865. 

Casualties 

The Thirteenth lost 5 enlisted men to mortal wounds and 188 enlisted men to disease. 

For Further Research

Search our collections for photos and artifacts from Wisconsin in the Civil War. Read about other Wisconsin Civil War regiments. For detailed regimental histories of the U.S. Civil War, consult the Frederick H. Dyer, Compendium of the War of the Rebellion: Regimental Histories.

The histories above, unless otherwise noted, are adopted from Charles E. Estabrook, ed., Records and Sketches of Military Organizations, (Madison, 1914).