The Nineteenth was organized at Dowagiac under the direction of Colonel Henry C. Gilbert of Coldwater, and was composed of companies recruited in the Second Congressional District. The regiment was mus­tered into service Sept. 5, 1862, with 995 officers and enlisted men.

The field, staff, and line officers at organization were as follows:

Colonel, Henry C. Gilbert, Coldwater. Lieutenant Colonel, David Bacon, Niles. Major, William R. Shafter, Galesburg. Surgeon, William E. Clark, Dowagiac. Assistant Surgeon, John Bennett, Centreville. Second Assistant Surgeon, Leander D. Tompkins, Cassopolis. Adjutant, Hamlet B. Adams, Coldwater. Quartermaster, Warren Chapman, St. Joseph. Chap­lain, Israel Cogshall, Coldwater.

1. Captain, Joel H. Smith, Allegan. First Lieutenant, George T. Shaffer, Calvin. Second Lieutenant, Reuben B. Lazalere, Dowagiac.
2. Captain, Elisha B. Bassett, Allegan. First Lieutenant, William T. Darrow, Allegan. Second Lieutenant, Samuel M. Hubbard, Otsego.
3. Captain, Charles P. Lincoln, Coldwater. First Lieutenant, Smith W. Fisk, Coldwater. Second Lieutenant, Lucius M. Wing, Coldwater.
4. Captain, Hazen W. Brown, Constantine. First Lieutenant, Frank D. Baldwin, Constantine. Second Lieutenant, Charles W. Fonda, Centre­ville.
5. Captain, John J. Baker, Sturgis. First Lieutenant, David J. Easton, Sturgis. Second Lieutenant, John F. Clark, Sturgis.
6. Captain, Charles A. Thompson, Jr., Kalamazoo. First Lieutenant, Horace Tompkins, Kalamazoo. Second Lieutenant, Henry A. Ford, Niles.
7. Captain, Charles W. Bigelow, South Haven. First Lieutenant, Adam Ferguson, Kalamazoo. Second Lieutenant, John A. Stafford, De­catur.
8. Captain, George H. White, Coldwater. First Lieutenant, David Anderson, Matteson. Second Lieutenant, James A. Shoecraft, Coldwater.
9. Captain, Richard Lysaght, St. Joseph. First Lieutenant, Henry M. Brown, St. Joseph. Second Lieutenant, Charles H. Calmer, St. Joseph.
11. Captain, Phelix Duffie, Kalamazoo. First Lieutenant, John Whaley, Kalamazoo. Second Lieutenant, Elisha Darling, Kalamazoo.

The Nineteenth left its camp Sept. 14th for Cincinnati, Ohio, and be­came a part of the First Division. Army of the Ohio. In January, 1862, the regiment was a part of Baird’s Division, Army of Kentucky, which afterwards formed a part of the Army of the Cumberland.

The first serious engagement in which the Nineteenth participated was at Thompson’s Station, Tenn., March 5, 1863, where it displayed those qualities of heroism that afterwards distinguished this regiment on many a hard fought field.

The Nineteenth with the other regiments of the brigade was furiously assaulted by a confederate force under General Van Dorn, estimated 18,000 strong and a sanguinary conflict ensued. The confederates made three separate charges upon the brigade which were gallantry repulsed, in one of which the Nineteenth captured the colors of a Mississippi regiment. The engagement lasted five hours until the ammunition was exhausted and the overwhelming number of the confederates made it necessary to sur­render. The loss of the Nineteenth in this engagement was 113 killed and wounded. Nor did the Union troops surrender until the enemy had paid dearly for his victory.

After the officers had been exchanged and the enlisted men paroled, the regiment was reorganized at Camp Chase, Ohio, and in June returned to Nashville and took part in the advance upon Tullahoma. The Nineteenth assisted in fortifying McMinnville, Tenn., in October, and at that time was in the Second Brigade, Third Division, Twentieth Corps.

The regiment was employed on the fortification about McMinnville in building bridges and block houses until May, when it joined General Sher­man’s army on the Atlanta Campaign.

At Resaca, Ga., May 15, 1864, the Nineteenth made a desperate charge upon the enemy’s line and almost in the nature of a forlorn hope gallantly captured a battery, but at a fearful loss of life. Colonel Gilbert was mor­tally wounded and the regiment lost 80 officers and men killed and wounded. Major E. A. Griffin succeeded to the command of the regiment after the death of Colonel Gilbert, which occurred May 24th, and the 25th of May fought a severe engagement at New Hope Church, Ga., with a loss of over 50 killed and wounded. The Nineteenth took an active part during the entire campaign, engaging the enemy at Golgotha Church, where Major Griffin was mortally wounded, at Culp’s Farm, and at Peach Tree Creek, near Atlanta, where it was assailed by the enemy and lost 40 in killed and wounded in repulsing the attack. Upon the surrender of Atlanta, the Nineteenth moved into the city and remained until October.

Major Baker succeeded to the command of the regiment and when General Sherman started with his army on his march from “Atlanta to the Sea,” the Nineteenth was still a part of the Second Brigade, Third Divi­sion, Twentieth Corps, and moved by way of Madison, Louisville, and Millen upon Savannah.

After the fall of Savannah, the Nineteenth, under command of Major Anderson, started on the campaign through the Carolinas. It shared the long marches and vicissitude’s of Sherman’s army and arrived before Averysboro, N. C., Jan. 16, 1865, where the confederate Generals Johnson and Hardee had thrown up strong works and massed their infantry to oppose General Sherman’s farther advance. The brigade of which the Nineteenth formed a part, was ordered to storm the works and by a gal­lant charge carried them, taking many guns and prisoners. This was the last hard fought battle in which the Nineteenth was engaged as General Lee surrendered the army of northern Virginia to General Grant April 9th, and General Johnson surrendered his army to General Sherman a few days later.

The Nineteenth marched from Bentonville to Raleigh, and then to Alexandria, Va., and participated in the grand review of Sherman’s army at Washington, D. C., May 24th.

The Nineteenth was mustered out of service June 10, 1865, and arrived at Detroit, Mich., the 13th, when it was paid off and disbanded.

The Nineteenth was in engagements at Thompson’s Station, Tenn., March 5, 1863; Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, Tenn., October 5, 1863, Resaca, Ga., May 15, 1864; Cassville, Ga., May 19, 1864; New Hope Church, Ga., May 25, 1864; Golgotha, Ga., June 15, 1864; Culp’s Farm, Ga., June 22, 1864; Peach Tree Creek, Ga., July 20, 1864; siege of Atlanta, Ga., July 22 to September 2. 1864; Savannah, Ga., December 11, 18, 20, 21, 1864; Averys­boro, N. C., March 16, 1865; Bentonville, N. C. March 19, 1865.