The 5th
United States Infantry was stationed in New Mexico when on June 1st
1863 it officially got its new Colonel; Union Major General John F Reynolds, he
would not take command.
The 5th
United States Infantry traces its origins back to 1808, however technically the
regiment was created March 3rd 1815 by an Act of Congress reducing
the Regular Army from 46 infantry and 4 rifle regiments with the ending of the
War of 1812, to peace time numbers of 8 infantry. Six old regiments were consolidated into the
5th, and placed under command of Colonel James Miller.
In the spring
of 1861 when the Civil War got started, the 5th was ordered to
concentrate at Albuquerque, New Mexico for a move east. But, with some Western Departmental pressure
placed on Washington, DC, the 5th was left on the frontier. When Confederates from Texas invaded New
Mexico in early 1862, four companies of the 5th were the rear Union
guard at Valverde on February 21st 1862, in which the Confederates
were victorious. Two other companies
captured a field piece on March 28th 1862 at the Battle of Glorieta
Pass, defeating the Confederates.
On June 1st
1863 the 5th received a new Colonel, Union Major General John F
Reynolds. He was of course on detached
service commanding volunteers with the Army of the Potomac, and was killed one
month later at the Battle of Gettysburg.
After Reynolds’ death the army appointed another Army of the Potomac
general, Daniel Butterfield to be the Colonel of the 5th, but he
also was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, and would not join the regiment
while the war was going on.
The 5th
would remain throughout the Civil War on frontier duty watching for another
Confederate attack. After the war ended the 5th was transferred to
the east moving to Fort Riley in Kansas.
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