Organization 

The Sixth Wisconsin Regiment Infantry (6th Wisconsin Regiment Infantry) was organized at Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin and mustered into the service of the United States on July 16, 1861.  The regiment left the state on July 28. They reached Washington, D.C. on August 7, 1861, going into camp in the suburbs.   

Active Duty 

Shortly after, the Sixth was attached to General Kings Brigade, which subsequently became known as the "Iron Brigade of the West".  Leading up to March 1862, the regiment served in the defenses of Washington. After that they served in all the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, except the Peninsular Campaign until the surrender at Appomattox.  In March 1862, the First Corps organized and the Iron Brigade assigned to them.   

The Sixth regiment served this corps along with the Second and Seventh Infantries until March 1864. When the organization discontinued the Iron Brigade transferred to the Fifth Corps. The Sixth took part in the Grand Review at Washington, then, along with other regiments of the Army of the Potomac, transferred to Louisville, Kentucky. There, they mustered out of the service of the United States on July 14, 1865, and disbanded at Madison on July 16, 1865. 

Casualties 

The Sixth Regiment Infantry lost 16 Officers and 228 Enlisted men to mortal wounds  and 1 Officer and 112 Enlisted men to disease. In total the regiment lost 357 men. 

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).