20th Michigan FlagAnson Croman the American Civil War20th Michigan Flag

1862


Enlistment

On July 29, 1862, Anson Croman of Waterloo, Michigan enlisted at Marshall, Michigan in Company F, 20th Michigan Infantry Regiment, for 3 years. Jackson, Michigan was the center for the organizing of the 20th Michigan.
 
Anson stated he was 18, the legal enlistment age. Since he was born in December, 1844, he was actually 17 years old and was five months shy of 18.
 
He reported for duty on August 18, 1862.

On September 4, the 20th Michigan crossed from Washington, D.C. to Virginia.

On September 5, the 20th Michigan was assigned to bury Union dead from the August 29 and 30, 1862 fighting during the Second Battle of Bull Run.

(Source:
The story of the Twentieth Michigan infantry, July 15th, 1862 to May 30th, 1865. Compiled by Bryon M. Cutcheon, 1904.page 34)

Photos of a Union burial detail at Antietam illustrating what the 20th Michigan did on August 29 and 30, 1862 at the Second Bull Run Battlefield:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/antietam-burial-detail.69685/

 Antietam

Confederates were driving back the Union forces from Virginia and were threatening Washington, D.C. The 20th Michigan was immediately deployed to the Capitol area.

On September 17, 1862, the Union stopped the Confederates at Sharpsburg, Maryland east of Antietam Creek and forced the Confederates to retreat back into Virginia.

The 20th Michigan was deployed within earshot of the Battle of Antietam but was not committed to the battle.

The 20th operated on in and around Sharpsburg until October 6.




Review by President Lincoln: October 3, 1862

"Bobby! Come up and shake the hand that shook hands with Abraham Lincoln"
Anson in the 1930s to his great-grandson, Robert Mitchell, as reported by his great-great-grandson, Charles Mitchell, Robert's son.
Lincoln Lincoln & troops
L
Public domain image from the Library of Congress

Assistant topographical engineer Lt. Charles Wellington Reed's pencil sketch of Abraham Lincoln at City Point, Virginia, 1865.



National Park Service drawing based on Lt. Reed's sketch
Lincoln reviewing troops.




On October 7, the 20th Michigan crossed into Virginia.

Union and Confederate forces maneuvered to position on opposite sides of the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg, Virginia.


Battle of Fredericksburg


On December 11, 1862, Union forces made an assault river crossing of the Rappahannock River and captured the town of Fredericksburg.
    
Pontoon
Left: Union artillery and infantry, including other units from Michigan, provided protection for Union engineers and mechanics as they constructed pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg, Virginia.

This may have been the bridge over which Anson Croman and the 20th Michigan crossed.

On December 13, the Union forces attacked the Confederates.

Anson Croman and the 20th Michigan was held in reserve to provide support as needed by the two attacking Union forces.

Poster
The movie (left)and novel (right)“Gods and Generals” depicted the main assault through the town of Fredericksburg and against the entrenched Confederates on the heights just west of the town. Anson Croman and the 20th Michigan would have been just to the left of the 20th Maine and its commander, Joshua Chamberlain, portrayed by Michigan actor Jeff Daniels.
Gods and Generals

Fredericksburg
View from the fortified Confederate positions on the heights to the west of Fredericksburg.   

Anson Croman and the 20th Michigan were just to the right of this scene.
 
The Confederates held off all the assaults and inflicted very heavy casualties on the Union forces.

Map
Map of the first and final positions of the 20th Michigan on December 13, 1862.

Fredericksburg Flash Map Shockwave animated map of the Battle of Fredericksburg.To find Anson's position, look at the center of the map.  Above the words, Rappahannock River are three blue rectangles. Place the mouse cursor over the one above the letters Rappa. The name Poe should appear, commander of the 1st Brigade. At this battle, the 20th Michigan Infantry Regiment was part of the 1st Brigade. Above the word River is the name Willcox, commander of the 9th Corps. The 20th Michigan was in the 9th Corps for the entire war.

Just a few weeks later, on Christmas Day 1862, the 20th Michigan received a banner made by the women of Jackson, Michigan.
Sewing
These Philadelphia women making a flag.illustrates
the making of the 20th Michigan flag by the women
of Jackson, Michigan

From Virginia, the 20th Michigan was sent to Kentucky.

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© 2004 - 2020 Leonard H. Cizewski

Last Major Update: April 6, 2020
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Posted: May 24, 2004

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