The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army. In 2007, the 11th Infantry was reflagged as the 199th Infantry Brigade, as part of the "Transformation of the US Army" effort. Today, the 11th Infantry Regiment is part of the Army's regimental system and is the primary regiment to which many Infantry School units are aligned.
Earlier units called "11th Infantry Regiment" The first 11th Infantry Under the authority granted the President by the Act of 16 July 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States in January 1799, with Aaron Ogden as Lieutenant Colonel Commandant. It was raised for the "Quasi-War" with France but saw no war service. The Act of 20 February 1800, suspended enlistments for the new regiments. The Act of 14 May 1800, authorized the president to discharge them, and under this authority the 11th Infantry was disbanded 15 June 1800.
War of 1812 The second 11th U.S. regiment of infantry was organized on 11 January 1812 when the Congress authorized a strengthening of the Regular Army in preparation for the threatening conflict that became known as the War of 1812. During the summer little was done in Vermont beyond organizing the 11th infantry, which seems to have consisted originally of six companies from Vermont and four from New Hampshire. The army gathered at Plattsburgh, New York, numbering about eight thousand men, of whom nearly one half were Vermonters. Among them was the 11th regiment of regulars under Col. Isaac Clark (12 March 1812 to 27 April 1814).
On 16 November 1812 the largest portion moved north under the immediate command of Maj. Gen. Henry Dearborn, then the senior officer of the army, and on 18 November encamped about half a mile south of the Canadian boundary line. The force there assembled numbered three thousand regulars and two thousand militia, while the entire British force on the northern frontier did not exceed three thousand, and of these not more than one thousand were within striking distance of the American army. When Dearborn was prepared to cross the line, the British Major Salaberry also prepared to meet him. Early in the morning of 20 November, a detachment of Dearborn's army forded the La Colle river and surrounded a British guard-house, which was occupied by Canadian militia and a few Indians, who broke through the American lines and escaped unhurt. In the meantime a second party of the Americans had advanced, and commenced a sharp fire on those in possession of the ground, mistaking them for the British picket. This fire continued for nearly half an hour, when, being undeceived, both parties hastily retreated, leaving behind five killed and as many wounded. The troops immediately afterwards returned to Champlain, and on 23 November to Plattsburgh, when the militia were disbanded, and the 11th U.S. regiment was sent to Burlington, with the 9th, 21st, and 25th, all under the command of Brig. Gen. John Chandler of Maine.
The Vermont non-intercourse act, passed 6 November 1812, provided "that all officers, civil and military, of this State, shall aid in currying this act into full force"; and therefore, immediately after the return of the 11th U.S. regiment and militia from Pittsburgh, a vigorous enforcement of the act along the northern boundary line of Vermont was commenced. In this work Col. Isaac Clark of the 11th Infantry regiment, and Lieut. Col. Edward Fifield of the militia, were conspicuous.
10 February 1813, the Secretary of War ordered Gen. Dearborn to move the two brigades at Plattsburgh (Bloomfield's and Chandler's, numbering 2480 men,) to Sackett's Harbor; and 14 March Dearborn complied, leaving no troops at Plattsburgh, and only the 11th regiment of infantry and a company of artillery at Burlington. The 11th Infantry regiment was not full at that time, but was to be filled in a few weeks.
13 May 1813, five hundred men from the 11th Infantry regiment, being the first battalion, were ordered to Sackett's Harbor, and on 31 May left Burlington under the command of Lieut. Col. Timothy Upham.
This 11th Infantry Regiment participated in the following: the Battle of Crysler's Farm; the Second Battle of Lacolle Mills; the Raid on Port Dover, the Capture of Fort Erie, the Battle of Chippawa, where Colonel John B. Campbell (9 April to 28 August 1814), was mortally wounded and the 11th Infantry came under command of Maj. John McNeil, who was breveted Lt. Col. for his actions; and the Battle of Lundy's Lane.
The third colonel of the regiment, Moody Bedel (4 September 1814 to 17 May 1815), became a brigadier general during the War of 1812. He was the son of Timothy Bedel a commander during the American Revolution. Moody Bedel's son John Bedel was a brigadier general of volunteers during the American Civil War.
It was consolidated May–October 1815 with a company of the 25th Infantry and a company each of the 27th, 29th, and 37th Infantry to form a company of the 6th Infantry. The present 6th United States Infantry traces its lineage back to this 11th Infantry Regiment. for the First U.S. 6th Infantry Regiment see: 2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The official U.S. Army lineage of the present 11th Infantry Regiment starts with the Civil War in 1861.
Mexican–American War
The third 11th U.S. regiment of infantry was authorized by Congress on 11 February 1847, as a one-year regiment for the Mexican–American War.
Albert C. Ramsey was appointed Colonel of the 11th Infantry on 9 April 1847, headquarters at Baltimore. The companies of infantry to be raised in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia.
The 11th Infantry participated in the following: Battle of Cerro Gordo, the Battle of Contreras, the Battle of Churubusco, the Battle of Molino del Rey (Lieutenant-Colonel William M. Graham, Eleventh Infantry, whose regiment had participated actively in capturing Molinos del Rey, received two wounds, either of which was mortal, and fell at the head of his command while leading a charge against the northern angle of the buildings. A portion of his regiment, under Lieuts. Thomas F. McCoy and Benjamin F. Harley, was active in pursuit of the Mexicans after the attack on the Casa, Mata.), the Battle of Chapultepec and the Battle for Mexico City under command of Col. William Trousdale.
This 11th Infantry Regiment was disbanded in August 1848.
Officers of this regiment that served in the Civil War: Lt.-Col. John H. Savage, Col. C. S. A. Civil War. Captain Charles T. Campbell, Brig. Gen. U.S. Vol. Civil War. Captain Arthur C. Cummings, Bvt. Maj.; Col. C. S. A. Civil War. Captain William H. Irwin, Bvt. Maj.; Col. U.S. V. Civil War. Captain William B. Taliaferro, Maj. 9th infantry; Col. C. S. A. Civil War. 1st Lt. William H. Gray, Col. U.S. Vol. Civil War. 1st Lt. John I. Gregg, Col. U.S. Vol. Civil War. 1st Lt. Thomas F. McCoy, Col. U.S. Vol. Civil War. 2d Lt. John A. Bayard, 2d Lt. U.S. Vol. Civil War; died 3 August 1863, of wounds received at the battle of Gettysburg, Pa. 2d Lt. James Elder, Capt. U.S. Army Civil War. 2d Lt. William. Murray, Col U.S. Vol. Civil War; killed 23 March 1862, at the battle of Winchester, Va. 2d Lt. Andrew H. Tippin, Bvt. 1st Lt. Contreras and Churubusco; Col. U.S. Vol. Civil War. 2d Lt. Thomas Welsh, Brig. Gen. U.S. Vol. Civil War; died 16 August 1863, of malaria contracted at Vicksburg. 2d Lt. Junins B. Wheeler. Capt. U.S. Army. Civil War.
Old Eleventh Infantry This was the regiment known as the Eleventh Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War until 1869. The official U.S. Army lineage of three present-day U.S. Infantry regiments trace back to this regiment.
Civil War The fourth 11th Infantry was organized on 4 May 1861 by direction of the President. On 14 May 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued an executive order, directing an increase of the regimental organizations of the Regular Army. The 11th Infantry was the first, numerically, of the nine infantry regiments, of three battalions of eight companies each, were of the increase authorized. In G. O. No. 33, A. G. O., series of 1861, in contrast to the original ten regular regiments of infantry, which were organized on the traditional ten-company line. The 11th Infantry was organized at Fort Independence, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, as regimental headquarters, and which remained the 11th's headquarters during the War. Erasmus D. Keyes was served as colonel of the 11th U.S. Infantry from 14 May 1861 to 6 May 1864. William S. Ketchum served as colonel of the 11th U.S. Infantry 6 May 1864 to 15 March 1869.
After six companies had been organized and assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment, it was ordered to Perryville, Maryland, 10 October 1861, and duty there until March 1862. Ordered to Washington, D.C. Attached to Sykes' Regular Infantry, Reserve Brigade, Army Potomac, to May 1862. The 11th then campaigned September 1863 to November 1864 as part of the 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac and 8th Army Corps, Middle Department, to January 1865.
The 11th took part in the following: Peninsula Campaign, Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Turkey Bridge 30 June, Battle of Malvern Hill Malvern Hill, At Harrison's Landing until 16 August. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centerville 16–28 August. Pope's Northern Virginia Campaign, Battle of Groveton 29 August, Second Battle of Bull Run, Maryland Campaign, Battle of Antietam, Shepherdstown Ford 19–20 September, Battle of Fredericksburg, "Mud March", Chancellorsville Campaign 27 April – 6 May, Battle of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg campaign, Battle of Gettysburg, Pursuit of Lee 5–24 July. On special duty at New York 21 August – 14 September. Rejoined army, Bristoe Campaign, Second Battle of Rappahannock Station, Mine Run Campaign, Rapidan Campaign, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna River, Pamunkey 26–28 May, Battle of Totopotomoy Creek, Battle of Cold Harbor, Bethesda Church 1–3 June, Second Battle of Petersburg, Siege of Petersburg, Mine Explosion, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm, Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run.
Moved to Fort Hamilton, New York Harbor, 2 November, thence to Baltimore, Maryland., 18 November, and to Annapolis, Maryland., 5 December. Duty at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md., until 26 January 1865. Ordered to City Point, Virginia., 26 January, and camp near Gen. Grant's Headquarters until 8 March. Provost duty at Headquarters, Army Potomac, until May, and at Richmond. Va., until October 1865.
The regiment lost during the Civil War 8 officers and 117 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 officers and 86 enlisted men by disease. Total, 213.
After the surrender, the 11th Infantry with other Regular troops, was sent to Richmond, Va., where it arrived May 3d. It did provost duty in Richmond until the civil government of the city was organized, and at Libby Prison until its use was discontinued. During the summer and fall of 1865 the twenty-four companies of the regiment were organized. In the summer of 1866, the regiment suffered a great mortality from cholera.
Medal of Honor 1st Lt. John H. Patterson was awarded the Medal of Honor for courage under fire at the Battle of the Wilderness.
CAPT James Madison Cutts received the award on 2 May 1891 for his actions as a captain in the 11th Infantry Regiment, US Army, at the Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, and the Battle of Petersburg, Virginia, all between 5 May 1864 and 18 June 1864.
Biographies The following men served in the 11th Infantry during the Civil War: John S. Mason, Frederick Steele, Charles Sawyer Russell, John C. Bates, DeLancey Floyd-Jones, and David R. Lillibridge., Eno A.M., Joel N.,The Lillibridge Family and Its Branches in the United States 1915 (Rutland, Vermont, The Turtle Company, Printers), 1915.