April 12, 1808, should be considered the birthday of the present Sixth Infantry. For under the Act of Congress of that date the regiment was organized, and it has since then been continuously in service.

The 6thU.S.During the Civil War

"Several of its best and bravest officers, honest in a mistaken construction of the Constitution and true to their convictions as to duty under it, had tendered their resignations and given themselves to the fatal cause. But the rank and file with unhesitating fealty stood by the old flag, and remained to a man, on the side of the North".

The first regiment  to marched across the continent starting at  FortLeavenworth and ending at Benicia Barracks, Cal on the  Pacific  cost. Tthe total distance marched from FortBridger to Benicia Barracks was 1017 miles. From Benicia Barracks the 6th was distributed among different posts and stations. in october 1861  The 6th received orders to advance and defend Washington DC. The movement began October 31, 1861. By January 31, 1862, the entire regiment finaly arrived at Washington

The 6th  left Washington  on March 10, 1862, as part of Sykes Brigade of Regulars, and on May the 4th the 6th participated in the Siege of Yorktown. The 6th regiment was mainly employed on picket duty along the Chickahominy until June 26, when it was sent to reinforce a portion of McCall's Division at Mechanicsville. The next morning the 6th was ordered to fall back towards Gaines  Mill and await the attack of the enemy. On June 27th the 6th  Infantry formed in front and perpendicular to the line of the 5thNew York and 17th Infantry, facing the open space were the 6th was to take the Confederate's on the flank. The 6th  received orders  to hold its position in the woods,until late in the after noon the Federal lines gave way. As the regiment's position was forward  of the first line and in the woods  under heavy canister fire , the 6th  in disarray passed to the rear between two of the enemy's skirmish lines, and reformed on the ridge occupied by Generals French and Meagher Later in the evening the regiment moved into the valley of the Chickahominy, and after crossing a stream the 6th blow up a bridge. Due to some ill placed charges Captain Thomas Hendrickson, commanding the regiment, had his horse cut out from under him by a huge piece of missionary. 1 officer  Captain R. W. Foote  and 5 enlisted men were killed  and Lieutenants H. A. F. Worth and D. D. Lynn  and 61 enlisted men wounded.

On august the 20th the regiment arrived at Manassas via the Warrenton junction and participated in the Second Battle of Bull Run on the 30th. It occupied a position in the  centre of the line, near the Warrenton Turnpike. 6 enlisted men were killed in this battle; 2 Officers Lieutenants C. M. Pyne, A. W. Bickley, and J. P. Schinde  and 25 enlisted men, were wounded.

On September 17 at Antietam, the 6th was on picket duty, and on the 19th the regiment proceeded to Nolan's Ford on the Potomac near Sharpsburg. On September 20th the 6th crossed into Virginia, and skirmish with Confederates. After battling overwhelming forces and in defiance of orders the 6th re crossed  and encamped at Sharpsburg,  Md. The months of October through December the 6th took part in several reconnaissances  missions around Fredericksburg. On the 13th the 6th crossed with Hooker's division and  moved within a few hundred yards of the famous stone wall and held its position. On the 15th the 6th  occupied the main street of Frederickburg and later that night they  moved nearer the outskirts of the town, where they remained till next morning, when they  re crossed the Rappahannock. On the 17th the 6th returned to camp near Potomac Creek. At Fredericksburg 5 enlisted men were killed, and 1 officer 2d Lieutenant James McKim and 20 enlisted men were wounded.

On April 27, 1863, the 6th proceeded to Harwood Church, on the Fredericksburg-Warrenton road, crossed the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford on the 29th, and the Rapidan at Ely's Ford and bivouacked on its right bank. On the 30th the 6th  marched with its division to Chancellorsville. On May the 1st  the 6th was positioned  on the right at the edge of the Wilderness. The 6th rapidly advanced, pushing  away the Confederate force. After a brief but ill timed halt the confederates re formed and attacked, being outflanked, the 6th  was withdrawn to cover the exposed flank until relieved by General Hancock. At the wilderness, 1 enlisted man was killed and 23 wounded.

On May the 3d, while on picket duty around Chancellorsville, the 6th skirmished with Confederate forces. 2 enlisted men were wounded,  but the pickets captured 4 Confederate soldiers. On the morning of the 6th the regiment retreated with the army towards the Rappahannock, re-crossed at the U. S. Ford, and arrived a at the old camp on Potomac Creek, near Falmouth.

The 6h left camp on Potomac Creek, June 4 1863 and arrived at Unionville, Md. on the 30th. Wile encamped at Frederick the 6th Infantry was transferred from the Second to the First Regular Brigade of Sykes Division, under its colonel, Hannibal Day, as brigade commander. The 6th moving into Pennsylvania and on July 2 and was positioned on the extreme right of the Union line, not far from the Baltimore and Gettysburg Turnpike. About the middle of the day the 6th was placed in reserve near the centre of the line. Later that afternoon the 6th was moved to the left and down the rugged to support the regular brigades. The Second penetrated the woods and wheat field in front, while the First, to which the Sixth Infantry held the open, ground immediately in its rear. After the right gave way the division was ordered to fall back. The 6th Sixth, was then formed in the woods back of Little Round Top and remained there during the 3d, exposed to the fire of artillery and sharpshooters hidden among the rocks around the Devil's Den. On the morning of the 4th the First Regular Brigade was ordered towards the Emmetsburg Turnpike, to probe the enemy. The 6th Infantry advanced as skirmishers to the edge of Durfee's peach orchard. The brigade fell back to the Little Round Top and was immediately deployed to the Devil's Den . While on picket duty the 6th exchanged fire with Confederate pickets until the next morning. The casualties at Gettysburg were 1st Sergeant I. Thetard, Company E, and 7 privates killed. 1 officer  2d Lieutenant Thomas Britton, 8 non-commissioned officers and 30 privates were wonded.

Lieutenant Britton's wound were  received under circumstances which especially distinguished him .

"The regiment was lying down exposed to a telling fire from Confederate sharpshooters, when, to steady the growing uneasiness of his men, he (Lieutenant Britton's) deliberately rose in the line of file closers, stretched and yawned as though waking from a nap, and coolly walked back and forth the length of the company unitll he was shot".

On the 5th, part of the picket line the 6th advanced beyond the Emmetsburg road. In the afternoon the brigade returned to its position in the woods in front of Round Top, and by 5 o'clock the division was in pursuit of the enemy heading twords Emmetsburg. On the 1st of August 1863 Colonel Day was retired from active service and was succeeded by Col. E. A. King, promoted from the 19th Infantry; but on the 20th of September, less than two months later, Colonel King was killed at the battle of Chickamauga while in command of a brigade of Thomas Corps. He was succeeded by Colonel J. D. Greene, promoted from the 17th Infantry.

The 6th received orders to embark for New York   City due to the Draft Riots and arrived on August 21st, 1863. Under the command of Captain Montgomery Bryant, the 6th was  camped in Washington Park and remained there doing provost duty until the 11th, when it was transferred to Fort Hamilton, N. Y. H.

While at FortHamilton the regiment was consolidated into two companies, H and L and were drilled as heavy artillery, to form part of the defenses of New York City. On May 17, 1865, the regiment embarked on the steamer Star of the South for Savannah, Ga., where it arrived on the 21st and was assigned to duty as part of the forces of the District of Savannah with headquarters at Hilton Head. While the headquarters remained at Charleston the companies were moved from place to place in South Carolina, being stationed from time to time at Charleston, Georgetown, Aiken, Beaufort, Darlington, Orangeburg, Lawtonville, Columbia, Strawberry Station, and other points.

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