The Third Michigan Infantry was mustered into state service on May 23, 1861 and into federal service on June 10, 1861, and mustered out of federal service at Detroit on June 10, 1864. The remaining soldiers were either mustered out of service or consolidated with the Fifth Michigan Infantry, sister regiment of the Old Third. (Pictured is the Third Michigan monument in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg.)

Prisoners-of-war

Throughout the entire war and including all other units in which former members of the Old Third served, 135 men were taken prisoner.

By far the highest number captured was 27 (nearly a quarter of them from Company K) reported for the week between May 5 and May 12, 1864, during the Wilderness-Spotsylvania campaign.

The next highest number was 19 taken on July 1-2, 1862, at White Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill, Virginia.

Ten men were taken on May 3, 1863, at Chancellorsville.

Nine soldiers were captured on November 30, 1863, at Mine Run, Virginia (with Company C losing 7 men or 77% of the total).

The regimental average was 10 men per company captured during the war, and the high scorer was Company C with 20.

The lowest was Company G with 3 POWs, and indeed, throughout the entire war Company G would lose only 7 men to prison camps.

Following consolidation with the Fifth Michigan on June 10, 1864, some 24 former members of the Third Michigan were taken prisoner on October 27, 1864, at Boydton Plank road, Virginia. Roster

Congressional Medal of Honor

Two Third Michigan soldiers received the Congressional Medal of Honor for capturing enemy colors:

• Benjamin Morse of C company for taking a stand of colors from the Fourth Georgia Artillery on May 12, 1864 at Spotsylvania, and
• Walter Mundell of D company for taking colors on April 6, 1865, at Sayler's Creek, Virginia

Reenlistees

Between late December of 1863 and March of 1864 206 men reenlisted:

• The company with the highest number of reenlistments was Company G with 24 reenlistees (or 13.4% of the total reenlisted).
• The lowest was Company B with 11 (6.1%); the company average was 18.

Reentered the military

Aside from the men who transferred into the Fifth Michigan following consolidation in June of 1864, some 357 Third Michigan men reentered the military. Of that number 57 would join a third unit.

This was the result of either being transferred (usually by request) or being discharged (or mustered out) and then reenlisting in a second unit. List

Disappeared

Some soldiers who enlisted in the Old Third never did join the Regiment and 46 men were eventually reported officially as no further record. Of at least 28 we have no further information.

Most of these men were never assigned to a specific company in the Old Third, implying perhaps that some at least may have in fact joined other regiments. List

Deserters

Of the 122 men charged with desertion at some point during the war, 9 of those were as a result of the chaos which ensued in wake of the fiasco at First Bull Run, July 21, 1861.

Straggling probably also accounted for the 44 men who were charged with desertion on or about September 21, 1862, at Upton's Hill, Virginia.

In any case,only 51 men remained on the books as deserters and of that number two apparently reentered the military in other units: James Bradford who died of wounds in 1865 and Alexander Morton.

Of the number charged, 53 were discharged for disability, 5 were mustered out of service, 1 was dismissed (Ben Nestle who was court martialed for desertion), 3 died of disease, 4 were eventually listed as No Further Record (NFR), 21 were transferred to the Michigan Fifth infantry upon consolidation of the two regiments in June of 1864, 3 were transferred to U.S. regular army units and 6 were transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps (also known as the Invalid Corps).