Civil War 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Ladder Badge

Stellar Civil War Named 1st Michigan Veteran Sharpshooter Ladder Badge named to Thomas D. Hatch of Company C. Thomas D. Hatch Residence Kalamazoo, MI; 24 years old. Enlisted on 3/28/1863 at Kalamazoo, MI as a Priv. On 3/31/1863, he mustered into "C" Co. Michigan 1st Sharpshooters. He was disch on 6/6/1865 at Detroit, MI Member of GAR Post # 7 (Phil Kearney) in Muskegon, MIAfter the war, he lived in Muskegon, MI. The 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army's Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. It is noted for being the first unit to push into and take Petersburg, Virginia, at the end of the Petersburg Campaign and the start of the Appomattox Campaign on April 3, 1865.Service: The 1st Michigan Sharpshooters was organized at Kalamazoo and Dearborn, Michigan, between April 14 and October 7, 1863, and six companies were mustered into Federal service on July 7, 1863, to serve three years. Officers: Charles Victor DeLand, a Jackson, Michigan, journalist and politician on 10/15/1861 was commissioned as a captain into "C" Co. MI 9th Infantry. He resigned on 11/15/1862. On 7/7/1863 he was commissioned into Field & Staff MI 1st Sharpshooters as Colonel and charged with mustering the First Michigan Sharpshooters. He fought in many of the great battles in the Western Campaigns, was wounded in action three times, and was taken prisoner twice. His name, along with other faithful soldiers under his command, is inscribed on a stone monument dedicated on 10/1/1915 at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, MI that commemorates the First Michigan Sharpshooters. This monument, created by artist Frank D. Black, was authorized by the state legislature and funded by the surviving members of the regiment. Company KOf note, Company K was composed primarily of Native Americans of the United States, especially members of the Ojibwa, Odawa, and Potawatomi nations. In their first action at Although some members were armed with repeaters and breech-loaders, and despite Colonel Deland's attempts to requisition 700 Henrys for the regiment, the majority remained armed with Springfield Model 1861 rifled muskets.[4] The unit distinguished itself in its skirmishing ability, infiltration ability, and marksmanship. The regiment was highly trained in its combat skills, and the First Nations men in Company K were recognized as the most accomplished. In their first combat at The Wilderness, They, on the very first day at the front, caught on to the great advantage our enemy employed over us in the color of uniform. Ours was blue, and could be seen at a long distance; while the "Johnny" (as we called them) could not be spotted at a comparatively short distance, even when lying in an open field. This disadvantage to us was appreciated almost immediately that these Indians got in the field, and they would go out and find a dry spot of earth and roll in it until their uniform was the complete color of the ground before going out on the skirmish line; and if the day was wet, they would not hesitate to take mud and rub it over their clothes, for as soon as this dried a little they would have what they were after—the color of the earth. This custom was adopted by my whole Regiment; and it was often remarked that our Regiment could do the closest skirmishing at the least cost of any Regiment in the Division. Sgt. Thomas Ke-chi-ti-go, called "Big Tom" by the white Sharpshooters, further "ordered each brave to cover his breast and head with twigs and leaves to prevent contrast of color with their surroundings. Through its service, the regiment was esteemed for its solid, dependable, and effective conduct. It provided valuable sniping, counter-sniping, and harassment fire during the Siege of Petersburg. It was noted for its "splendid work" in the debacle of the Battle of the Crater on 30 July 1864. Many other Union soldiers noticed mortally wounded Native American members of Company K, "... drawing their blouses over their faces, they chanted a death song and died — four of them a group." Order of battle: The 1st was one of the first units to enter Petersburg after it finally fell on April 1, 1865. The regiment was attached to the following: 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac, to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, IX Corps, to July, 1865 The 1st Michigan Sharpshooters' detailed service is as follows (NOTE — Battles are Bolded, Italicized; campaigns are Italicized):1863: Organizing at Kalamazoo and Dearborn, MI to 7 July Six companies sent to repel Morgan's Raid, the Confederate army's major incursion into Indiana 7 July North Vernon, Ind., July 13 Pierceville, July 14 To Dearborn, 15 July Camp Douglas, Chicago, guarding POWs until 7 March 1864 1864: Ordered to Annapolis 17 Mar Duty in Annapolis until April 23, 1864. Overland Campaign May 4-June 15 Battle of the Wilderness May 5–7. — In Christ's 2nd Brigade, Wilcox's 3rd Division, Burnside's IX Corps. Lost 25 men: