Horace Mills and William Royal, the 9th U.S.C.T. Infantry
Organized at Camp Stanton, Md., November 11-30, 1863. Both Horace Mills and William Royal of
the Normal School Company were appointed captains in this regiment. Mills, a Normal School
undergraduate, joined the regiment December 20, 1863, and found his comrade Royal, who joined
the regiment November 27, already there. The two men gave gallant service to their new regiment.
Both were breveted major's in the United States Volunteers on March 13, 1865. Royal received his
honor for service at John's Island, South Carolina; Fussell's Mills, and Fort Harrison, Virginia. Duty
at Benedict, Md., until March, 1864. Moved to Port Royal, S.C., March 3-7. Attached to District of
Hilton Head, S.C., Department of the South, to April, 1864. District of Beaufort, S.C., Department
of the South, to August, 1864. First Brigade, Third Division, Tenth Corps, Army of the James,
Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to December, 1864. Second Brigade, Third Division,
Twenty-fifth Corps, to January, 1865. Second Brigade, First Division, Twenty-fifth Corps, to
January, 1866. Department of Texas to November, 1866. Mills and Royal were still with the
regiment when it was mustered out on November 26, 1866. The regiment lost during its service 1
Officer and 46 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 266 Enlisted men by
disease. Total 315.
Battles and Other Operations:
- Duty at Hilton Head, S.C., until April, 1864, and at Port Royal Island, S.C., until June.
- Ashepoo Expedition, May 24-27.
- Expedition to Johns and James Islands, June 30-July 10. Engaged July 7 and 9.
- Duty at Beaufort, S.C., until August.
- Moved to Bermuda Hundred, Va., August 4-8.
- Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond August, 1864, to April, 1865.
- Demonstration on north side of James River, August 13-18.
- Skirmishes at Deep Bottom, August 14-15.
- Russell's Mills, August 16.
- Moved to Bermuda Hundred front August 18, then to Petersburg August 24, and duty in trenches
until September 26.
- Demonstration on north side of James, September 26-30.
- Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 28-30.
- Fort Gilmer, September 29.
- Darbytown Road, October 13.
- Battle of Fair Oaks, October 27-28.
- In trenches before Richmond until April, 1865.
- Occupation of Richmond, April 3.
- Duty at Richmond, Petersburg and City Point until June.
- Moved to Brazos Santiago, Texas, June 7-July 1.
- Duty at Brownsville and on the Rio Grande, Texas, until October, 1866.
- Ordered to New Orleans, October 2.
- Mustered out, November 20, 1866.