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39th Indiana
Regiment / 8th Indiana Cavalry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
39th
Indiana Regiment / 8th Indiana Cavalry Officer Roster - Report of the
Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 2, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General,
Indiana, 1865 View Entire Book
39th
Indiana Regiment / 8th Indiana Cavalry Soldier Roster - Pages 222-250, Report of the
Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 5, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General,
Indiana, 1866 View Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Thirty-ninth Indiana Regiment (8th Indiana Cavalry). — Cols., Thomas
J. Harrison, Fielder A. Jones; Lieut. -Cols., Fielder A. Jones, Thomas Herring; Majs.,
John D. Evans, Thomas Herring, Thomas Graham, Charles A. Gordon, Justus G. Crowell, Thomas
N. Baker, John Leavell. This regiment was organized at Indianapolis and was mustered in on
Aug. 29, 1861. It left the state early in September, going into camp at Muldraugh's hill
near Elizabethtown, Ky., and from there moved to Camp Nevin and thence to Camp Wood. It
marched to Nashville with Buell's army; moved to the Tennessee river in the spring; was
engaged at Shiloh, where it lost 2 killed and 34 wounded; encamped at Shiloh until the
movement was made for Corinth; participated in the siege of that place, and at its
conclusion marched through northern Alabama to Nashville, thence to Louisville and through
Kentucky in pursuit of Bragg. It returned to Louisville in November; accompanied
Rosecrans' army to Murfreesboro; was heavily engaged at Stone's river, where it lost 31
killed, 118 wounded and 231 missing; and remained in camp near Murfreesboro until the
early summer of 1863. In April, 1863, the regiment was mounted and served as mounted
infantry during that year. It reinforced the 2nd Ind. cavalry on the Shelbyville road near
Murfreesboro in June, in a sharp fight with Wheeler's cavalry; was in skirmishes at
Middleton and Liberty gap, and was engaged at Winchester during the movement upon
Chattanooga. It participated in the battle of Chickamauga, and then took part in an
expedition into East Tennessee. Authority was given to change the regiment from infantry
to cavalry, and Cos. L and M were organized in Sept., 1863, joining the command in the
field in October, and the regiment was reorganized Oct. 15, as the 8th Ind. cavalry. It
was engaged on courier duty between Chattanooga and Ringgold during the winter, and
reenlisted as a veteran organization, Feb. 22, 1864, being given a furlough in April. It
participated in Rousseau's raid into Alabama, one battalion of the regiment routing a
brigade on the Coosa river, and taking several prisoners. It also routed the enemy at
Chehaw Station, Ala. It took part in McCook's raid around Atlanta, being the only regiment
to preserve its organization, and made a charge which routed the enemy and opened the way
for the escape of 1,200 of McCook's command. It was in Kilpatrick's raid into Georgia,
leading the charge of the left wing at Lovejoy's Station, riding over Ross' division of
Confederate cavalry and capturing all his artillery and 4 battleflags. It was also engaged
in the battle of Jonesboro, at Flint river, and in several skirmishes following the
capture of Atlanta. In the campaigns to Savannah and through the Carolinas, it
participated in battles and skirmishes at Waynesboro, Buckhead Church, Brown's
cross-roads, Reynolds' plantation, Aiken, Averasboro, Bentonville and Raleigh. At
Averasboro it charged and routed Rhett's South Carolina brigade of infantry — ten
times its number — losing 14 killed and 59 wounded. A detachment left in Tennessee,
fought Wheeler at Franklin and at other points, and was in a severe engagement at Pulaski
with Forrest's cavalry. At Savannah, Feb. 20, 1865, the veterans and recruits of the 3d
Ind. cavalry were transferred to and consolidated with the 8th. The last battle in North
Carolina was fought at Morrisville, where the 8th cavalry whipped Hampton's entire force.
It was on duty in North Carolina, until July 20, 1865, when it was mustered out. The
original strength was 1,208; gain by recruits, 902; reenlistments, 305. It lost 56 by
desertion, 137 were unaccounted for, and it lost heavily in killed and wounded. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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