The 11th Wisconsin in the Civil War

This volume details the Civil War experiences of the 11th Wisconsin Volunteers as they traveled more than 9000 miles in the service of their country. The book looks at the attitude prevalent in Wisconsin at the start of the war and discusses the background of the men who comprised the regiment, 72 percent of whom were farmers. Compiled primarily from the letters and diaries of the men who served in the 11th Wisconsin, the work focuses on the firsthand day-to-day experiences of the common soldier, including rations (or lack thereof), clothing, disease, and, at times, the simple act of waiting.
The 11th Wisconsin lost more men to disease than to battle, so their story presents an accurate picture not only of the heroic but also the sometimes humdrum yet perilous existence of the soldier. Appendices provide a list of occupations practiced by the men, dates of muster into service for the regiment’s companies and a copy of a sermon delivered by George Wells after Lee’s surrender in 1865.

Christopher C. Wehner is a professional screenwriter with a Netflix original film to his credit. He is also the curator of the online Civil War Soldier Letter Archive, Soldier Studies, a database of hundreds of searchable letters and soldier profiles. For more about the 11th Wisconsin Regiment visit, 11wisconsinregiment.soldierstudies.org. For more about the author see his website, warmbeerproductions.com.

Christopher C. Wehner
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 248
Bibliographic Info: 48 photos, maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020 [2008]
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8520-5
Imprint: McFarland

Preface and Acknowledgments      1

Maps      3

1. 1861—The “Glorious Opportunity”      7

2. From Farmers to Soldiers      13

3. A Godforsaken Place      22

4. 1862—In This Land of Rebeldom      41

5. Contraband and Cotton      57

6. 1863—A Midnight Battle      67

7. Champion Hill      87

8. Vicksburg—Through the Mouth of Hell      95

9. 1864—Bivouacked in the Sand      118

10. Damn the Torpedoes!      126

11. 1865—Down on the Bayou      136

12. What an Awful Destruction of Human Life      143

13. Back Home and to the Frontier      161

Appendix A: Roster of the 11th Wisconsin      169

Appendix B: Civilian Occupations of 11th Wisconsin Soldiers      207

Appendix C: Muster Sites for the 11th Wisconsin Regiment      209

Appendix D: Victory Sermon by 11th
Wisconsin Volunteer George Wells      210

Appendix E: Army of the Tennessee Officers      214

Chapter Notes      217

Bibliography      231

Index      237

• “The powerful story of a regiment from the Wisconsin frontier that saw hard service in the Western Theater. Christopher Wehner has written a deeply researched Civil War narrative”—Lance J. Herdegen, author of The Men Stood Like Iron: How the Iron Brigade Won Its Name

• “A first-rate account of a Union regiment that fought in some of the toughest campaigns of the Civil War in the West. Well researched and well written. Highly recommended”—William Shea, co-author of Pea Ridge and Vicksburg Is the Key

• “Wehner makes rich use of primary sources…a solid examination”—Blue & Gray Magazine

• “Delving into more obscure corners of the Civil War is one of the book’s highlights. … The volume’s content is well presented. …a fine regimental history, thoughtfully constructed, and backed by solid research…recommended”—Civil War Books and Authors

• “First person accounts…good storytelling…a very good book on this previously forgotten regiment… Wehner’s writing style was very enjoyable and allows readers to become immersed in the story of the regiment. …a great tribute…highly recommended”—TOCWOC – A Civil War blog