126th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 126th Infantry Regiment is a United States military unit of the Michigan Army National Guard. The 126th was originally an infantry regiment, then was converted into an armoured role, and then was converted to a light cavalry reconnaissance unit, with subordinate units stationed in Cadillac, Wyoming, Dowagiac, and Detroit. It was converted back to an infantry unit in 2016.
Early history
The 126th Infantry existed for its first 144 years as an infantry unit. The 126th Infantry dates back as early as 12 July 1855 when the Grand Rapids Light Guard and Grand Rapids Artillery companies were organized. The first officers of the Grand Rapids Light Guard included Wright L. Coffinberry as captain; Frederick W. Worden, E.T. Nelson, and A.L. Gage as lieutenants; Milton S. Littlefield, Benjamin B. Church, S.S. Porter, and G.M. McCray as sergeants. Other charter members of the Light Guard included Edward A. Earle, Joseph C. Herkner, Benjamin Luce, Henry Spring, Miles Adams, E. H. Hunt, Dr. Willard Bliss, Frank Earle, Warren P. Mills, James Sargeant, J.E. Earle, John Grady, C.B. Hinsdill, Charles D. Lyon, George E. Judd, Henry Whipple, Robert M. Collins, F. Shriver, Byron R. Pierce, B. D. Ball, Edwin S. Pierce, John Seymour, Samuel Judd, Thomas Sargeant, G. W. Remington, William Livingston, Henry Ely, and Joseph Houseman. Later that year Ringgold’s Light Artillery was organized, and four years later in 1859, the Grand Rapids Rifles came into existence. These companies along with several others from Ionia formed the 51st Volunteer Uniformed Michigan Militia Regiment prior to the American Civil War.American Civil War
The four companies formed the core of the 3rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment that joined the Civil War on 13 June 1861. The regimental commander at the time was Colonel Daniel McConnell. The Third Michigan fought in twelve campaigns before it was mustered out in June 1864. Besides five Grand Rapids companies, the Third included companies from Boston and Lyons in Ionia County, Lansing, Muskegon, and Georgetown.On 13 June 1861 the Third Regiment marched out of Cantonment Anderson in Grand Rapids, Michigan towards the recently constructed railroad depot near Leonard and Plainfield streets, where it boarded and departed the area for the war. While attached to Richardson’s brigade of Colonel Miles’s Division, the Third participated in its first engagement against Confederate forces just thirty-eight days after being federalized. It began as a part of a reconnaissance in force towards Blackburn’s Ford along Bull Run. On 21 July, the Third marched with Richardson’s brigade back to Blackburn’s ford to keep the rebels occupied while the rest of McDowell’s army hit the Confederate’s left flank. After desultory firing at the ford, Richardson learned of the Federal rout on the right and was recalled to Centreville. What they saw was utter chaos and confusion as the Confederate forces, now reinforced, literally cut through the advancing and then retreating Union forces.
Morale by the close of that first summer was presumably low in the Third Michigan. During the next few months a number of officers including Colonel McConnell resigned and returned home to Grand Rapids. Major Champlin, who had originally organized Ringgold's Light Artillery back in 1855, assumed command of the regiment on 28 October 1861, and under him, the Third went into winter quarters at Alexandria, Virginia. That next March, the Third Michigan was assigned to General Berry’s Brigade of the Third Red Diamond Division and entered the Peninsula campaign. A few months later at Fair Oaks, the regiment’s losses were severe—thirty killed, one hundred and twenty-four wounded, and fifteen missing. Included among the dead was Captain Samuel Judd, and Colonel Champlin had been severely wounded.
Several months following Lee's surrender in April 1865, a great homecoming by the citizens of Grand Rapids was held for the returning heroes. On 4 July 1865, tables were set the entire length of the Pearl Street Bridge for a welcome-home celebration.
Medal of Honor recipients
Two soldiers in the Third earned the Medal of Honor.- Private Benjamin Morse, Company C, Third Michigan Infantry
- Corporal Walter Mundell, Company E, Fifth Michigan Infantry
After the Civil War
In Grand Rapids, the earliest of the new, independent companies was the Valley City Zouaves, organized first in 1866 and reorganized on 14 March 1873. However, this company did not remain in existence for long and was never actually mustered into state service.
Several years after the end of the Civil War, the Grand Rapids Guard company was organized by veterans of the Third and other regiments. The company was mustered into state service in 1872 as part of the Michigan State Troops. It was called out to aid authorities during a riot at the Muskegon County jail in 1873 and to quell a disturbance at Greenville during the Flat River labor dispute in 1874. That year the Grand Rapids Guard became Company B 2nd Infantry Regiment when the regiment was organized at Grand Rapids. Over the course of the next 24 years through various reorganizations the 2nd Infantry included companies from Coldwater, Kalamazoo, Flint, Bay City, East Saginaw, Port Huron, Marquette, Niles, Ionia, Manistee, Big Rapids, Three Rivers, and Grand Haven.
The Michigan State Troops were redesignated as the Michigan National Guard on 31 December 1894, in response to a growing use of that designation across the country. It was first applied to the New York state militia in 1824 as a compliment to General Lafayette, who had been visiting the United States at that time. Lafayette had commanded the Garde Nationale in Paris around 1789.
War with Spain
In 1898, the 2nd Infantry was mobilized for the war with Spain as one of five Michigan regiments. It was redesignated the 32nd Volunteer Infantry Regiment and included twelve battalions: four from Grand Rapids, four from Detroit, and one each from Coldwater, Grand Haven, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. The 32nd rendezvoused at Island Lake and was sent to Tampa, Florida with Colonel William T. McGurrin in command. It was just about to embark for Cuba when hostilities ceased and the 32nd returned home.Back at home, the regiment resumed its 2nd Infantry designation and moved into a new armory. This was the first time since 1855 that all four Grand Rapids companies were located in one armory. The remaining companies were located at Coldwater, Kalamazoo, Big Rapids, Lansing, Manistee, Muskegon and Battle Creek. Owing to poor showings in annual inspections, the Manistee company was dropped for Grand Haven and a new company was organized at Manistee. The Battle Creek company also was disbanded and Adrian joined the regiment. The Lansing company was eventually redesignated as artillery, and an Ionia company joined the 2nd.
The Clark Building armory in Grand Rapids was thought in its day to be one of the finest armories in the state. Its furnishings and equipment had a value estimated at $11,000. The drill hall was rather large, and the armory included ample equipment rooms, assembly rooms, billiard rooms, reading rooms, officers' rooms, an indoor target range eighty feet in length, a cafe, club rooms, elegantly furnished parlors, and a library.
In 1903, Congress passed the Militia Act of 1903, which had a huge impact on the Second Michigan and all other militia units in the United States. The bill and its amendments in effect served to nationalize the militia and reduce its status as a state volunteer force. Under terms of the act, the organized militia was uniformly redesignated as the National Guard and organized along army lines, with provisions for federal weapons and equipment. Twenty-four training sessions per year plus a summer encampment were now required for all units. Federal instruction and inspection were authorized and provisions made which elevated the status of Guard officers to equality with their federal counterparts.
On 3 September 1912, in response to a request from officials at the state prison in Jackson, the governor directed that Companies C and M, Second Infantry from Kalamazoo, join companies of the First Infantry in aiding civil authorities in quelling the riot and protecting the institution from outside attack or interference with the discipline of the convicts. Within two hours of receiving the order, both companies were ready to leave the armory. The entire regiment saw service in the 1913 copper strike in the Upper Peninsula, serving in copper country from 24 July to the first of November. During the regiment’s stay, there was no loss of life and negligible property damage for any of citizen.
Mexican Border War
On 19 June 1916, the entire Michigan National Guard was called out for service on the Mexican border instigated by raids on American border towns by the Mexican Pancho Villa. The Thirty-second was mustered into federal service on the first of July. The organization of the 2nd included four companies from Grand Rapids, two from Kalamazoo, and one each from Coldwater, Adrian, Ionia, Grand Haven, Muskegon and Big Rapids. This war also became known as the Pancho Villa Expedition.Shortly thereafter, the regiment departed for El Paso, Texas, arriving at Camp Cotton on 12 July, located a mere three hundred yards from the Mexican border. Upon its arrival, regular army inspectors took note of the excellent condition of the regiment and the short amount of time it took to get settled into camp. The next four weeks were spent in intensive training. During this time, details were organized to guard important points in the vicinity of El Paso. On 15 August, the regiment took over the entire outpost along the Rio Grande and the boundary line in New Mexico. This consisted of a line stretching from Fort Hancock, southeast of El Paso, to Las Cruces, New Mexico, for a total of in length. While the Grand Rapids battalion was on the border, construction work on the new Michigan Street armory was completed.
On Saturday, 13 January 1917, the final inspection of the regiment had been conducted. The regiment struck camp on Thursday and returned to Fort Wayne, where it was mustered out of service on 15 February. Under federal laws Congress adopted in June 1916 the regiment reverted to its National Guard status.