The Twenty-fourth Michigan Infantry, a member of the famed Iron Brigade, engages advancing Confederate forces at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In savage fighting, the Twenty-fourth suffers 80 percent casualties—the greatest loss of any northern regiment in the war's most dynamic battle. Other Michiganians have and will distinguish themselves throughout the war. When the First Michigan Infantry arrived in Washington, DC, in May 1861—the first western regiment to reach the northern capital—President Abraham Lincoln reportedly exclaimed, "Thank God for Michigan." On May 10, 1865, defeated Confederate President Jefferson Davis will be captured by Colonel Benjamin Pritchard and the Fourth Michigan Cavalry. By then over 90,000 Michigan men, and at least one woman disguised as a man, will have served in the Union armies; approximately 15,000 will have died.

Michigan Historical Center, Department of History, Arts and Libraries
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