William L. Mosier

Corporal William L. Mosier

CPL William L. Moshier, 2nd great-granduncle of brother Louis Mosier, enlisted in Company E, 12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment in October 1861. In February 1862, the Regiment moved to Ft Leavenworth, Kansas before moving to Columbus, Kentucky in June 1862 to repair the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. November 1862 found the 12th Wisconsin engaged in General Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign with operations along the Central Mississippi.

The 12th Wisconsin participated in the Sieges of Vicksburg and Jackson, Mississippi in the summer of 1863. In February 1864 they were involved in the Meridian, Mississippi Campaign before embarking with General Sherman on the Atlanta Campaign in May. The 12th Wisconsin fought at Kennesaw Mtn (24 casualties), Nickajack Creek (4 casualties), Chattahoochee River (2 casualties), Atlanta [slightly wounded at Bald Hill*], Siege of Atlanta, Ezra Chapel, Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station (10 casualties). At Bald Hill, "the Twelfth in fifteen minutes, out of less than 600 men engaged, lost one hundred and thirty-four, killed or wounded, and captured more small arms than it had men engaged, many of them loaded and capped. Five color bearers were shot, and the two flag staffs were shot off." KIA/MWIA-48, WIA-87. Three more died as POWs in Andersonville." Company E had 14 casualties (4 KIA/MWIA and 10 WIA) to include Corporal Mosier.

CPL Moshier was on detached duty frpm Aug 14th - Oct 7th, 1864 caring for wounded LT Thayer at Marietta, GA. In November 1864, CPL Mosier & the 12th Wisconsin began their "March to the Sea" with General Sherman with the Siege of Savannah, Georgia in December.

The 12th Wisconsin engaged in several actions in 1865 to include: Campaign of the Carolinas to April; Pocotaligo, SC (4 casualties), Bentonville, NC (3 casualties), Occupation of Goldsboro, Occupation of Raleigh, and Bennett's Place where they witnessed the surrender of Johnston's Army. The regiment then participated in the May 1865 Grand Review of the Army in Washington D.C. before being mustered out of service in June.