6th Kentucky

6th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry

Joseph R. Reinhart was kind enough to send this e-mail on the previously neglected 6th Kentucky:

    The Sixth had four German companies. Three of the companies were recruited for the First German Kentucky Regiment ; however they failed to get enough men for a whole regiment so they consolidated with some native-born Kentuckians. The other German company was mustered in earlier and was in excess of the ten companies needed for the Fifth Kentucky (Louisville Legion). ...The Sixth was one of the best regiments Kentucky fielded for the Union. Many of its German members did not speak English and commands in the German companies were given in German.

  • Organization and Affiliations
    • Organized at Sigel, Muldraugh's Hill and Shepherdsville, Ky., September 9 to December 24, 1861.
    • Attached to Rousseau's 1st Brigade, McCook's Command, at Nolin, Ky., to November, 1861.
    • 12th Brigade, Army of Ohio, to December, 1861.
    • 12th Brigade, 1st Division, Army of Ohio, to January, 1862.
    • 19th Brigade, 4th Division, Army of Ohio, to September, 1862.
    • 19th Brigade, 4th Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Ohio, to November, 1862.
    • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Left Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863.
    • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 21st Army Corps, to October, 1863.
    • 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, to August, 1864.
    • 1st Brigade, Defenses of Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, to September, 1864.
    • Unattached, 4th Division, 20th Army Corps, to November, 1864.
    • District of Kentucky to January, 1865.
  • Service.
    • Engaged in the Defense of Eastern Kentucky before muster.
    • Moved to Lebanon, Ky., November 28, 1861.
    • Skirmish at Bagdad, Selby County, Ky., December 12, 1861.
    • At Camp Wyckliffe, Ky., until February, 1862.
    • Advance on Nashville, Tenn., February 14-25.
    • Occupation of Nashville February 25-March 18.
    • March to Savannah, Tenn., March 18-April 6.
    • Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 7.
    • Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30.
    • Occupation of Corinth May 30, and pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 12.
    • Buell's Campaign in Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee June to August.
    • Flat Lick, Tenn., August 17 (Detachment).
    • March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 17-September 26.
    • Pursuit of Bragg to Loudon, Ky., October 1-22.
    • Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8.
    • Danville October 11.
    • Near Crab Orchard October 15.
    • Wild Cat Mountain, near Crab Orchard, and Big Rockcastle River, near Mt. Vernon, October 18.
    • Pittman's Cross Roads October 19.
    • March to Nashville, Tenn., October 23-November 6, and duty there until December 26.
    • Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 26-30. Springfield, Ky., December 30 (Detachment).
    • Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863.
    • At Murfreesboro until June. Woodbury January 24.
    • Expedition to Woodbury April 2. Snow Hill, Woodbury, April 3.
    • Middle Tennessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 24-July 7.
    • Liberty Gap June 24-27.
    • Occupation of Middle Tennessee until August 16.
    • Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.)
    • Campaign August 16-September 22.
    • Lee and Gordon's Mills, Ga., September 11-13.
    • Battle of Chickamauga, Ga., September 19-20.
    • Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23.
    • Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29.
    • Brown's Ferry October 27.
    • Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27.
    • Orchard Knob November 23-24.
    • Mission Ridge November 25.
    • March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 8.
    • Operations in East Tennessee December, 1863, to April, 1864.
    • Atlanta Campaign May 1 to August 19, 1864.
    • Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge and Dalton May 8-13.
    • Battle of Resaca May 14-15.
    • Adairsville May 17.
    • Near Kingston May 18-19.
    • Near Cassville May 19.
    • Advance on Dallas May 22-25.
    • Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5.
    • Pickett's Mills May 27.
    • Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2.
    • Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17.
    • Assault on Kenesaw June 27.
    • Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4.
    • Pace's Ferry July 5.
    • Chattahoochie River July 6-17.
    • Peach Tree Creek July 19-20.
    • Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 19.
    • Ordered to Chattanooga, Tenn., August 19.
    • Garrison duty there and at Bridgeport, Ala., until November 2.
    • Moved to Nashville, Tenn.; thence ordered to Louisville, Ky.
    • Mustered out September 23, 1864, to January 2, 1865.
  • Losses During Service
    • 10 Officers and 105 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded
    • 5 Officers and 96 Enlisted men by disease.
    • 216 total losses.