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59th Indiana
Infantry
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
59th
Indiana Infantry 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
59th
Indiana Infantry Soldier Roster - 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 |
| Fifty-ninth Indiana Infantry. — Cols., Jesse I. Alexander, Jefferson
K. Scott, Thomas A. McNaught; Lieut.-Cols., Jefferson K. Scott, Thomas A. McNaught, Edward
J. McBride ; Majs., Elijah Sabin, Thomas A. McNaught, Edward J. McBride, John E. Simpson.
This regiment was organized at Gosport in the fall and winter of 1861 and was mustered in
Feb. 11, 1862. It left the state Feb. 18, and proceeded to Commerce, Mo., being the first
regiment to report to Gen. Pope for duty with the Army of the Mississippi. It moved to
Benton and thence to New Madrid, participating in the siege of that place and being one of
the first regiments to enter the town and take possession of Fort Thompson. It then
marched for Tiptonville and assisted in the capture of over 5,000 prisoners. It embarked
for Fort Pillow April 12, returning on the 17th, and then proceeded to Hamburg, Tenn. Gen.
Buford was assigned to the command of the brigade to which the 59th was attached. The
regiment was engaged from April 24 to May 29 in the movements connected with the march to
and siege of Corinth, and then joined in the pursuit of the enemy to Booneville, Miss.
Returning to Clear creek near Corinth June 13, it remained until Aug. 6 and then removed
to Jacinto where it remained until Sept. 7. It then moved to Rienzi where it was joined by
250 recruits from Indiana. It was engaged in the battle of Corinth in October and pursued
Gen. Price to the Hatchie river, after which it moved successively to Grand Junction,
Davis' mills, Moscow, Oxford, and Lumpkins' mill. On Dec. 26, it started for Memphis as
escort for the commissary train, then returned to LaFayette and back to Memphis, where it
went into camp and remained until Mar. 1, 1863. It then moved to Helena, Ark., and
embarked Mar. 12 on the Yazoo river expedition. It then took up the march for Vicksburg
and reached Port Gibson just as the battle closed. With the 1st brigade, 7th division,
17th army corps, it was engaged at Forty Hills, Raymond and Champion's hill. Its
skirmishers were the first to enter Jackson and its flag the one to float over the capitol
dome. It formed the rear-guard for the 17th corps at the Big Black river and was the last
regiment to cross and then destroy the bridges. It served in the trenches at Vicksburg,
joining in the assault of May 22 with heavy losses, 126 being killed or wounded. It
marched into Vicksburg July 4 and remained there until Aug. 5, when it moved for Helena.
On Sept. 28 it reembarked for Memphis and then moved to Glendale, where it remained until
Oct. 17. It marched for Chattanooga, took part at Missionary ridge, and went into camp at
Bridgeport, Ala., where it was transferred to the 3d division of the 15th army corps. It
was in camp at Huntsville from Dec. 26, 1863, until Mar. 3, 1864, when it proceeded to
Indiana on furlough having reenlisted as a veteran organization on Jan. 1. It returned to
Huntsville Apr. 3 and remained there until June 22, when it left to join Sherman's army.
It reached Kingston, Ga., July 1, and guarded the bridge over the Etowah river until Aug.
26. It was then ordered to Chattanooga and marched from there in pursuit of Wheeler's
cavalry. It moved to Tullahoma Sept. 1, returning on the 21st, and escorted a wagon train
as far as Cartersville, Ga. It was again at the Etowah river from Sept. 28 to Nov. 12,
when it proceeded to Atlanta and accompanied the army to Savannah. It marched through the
Carolinas to Raleigh, thence to Washington City, where it participated in the grand review
; was then transferred to Louisville and mustered out July 17, 1865. During its term of
service the regiment traveled 3,756 miles by rail, 4,618 miles by water, and 5,305 miles
on foot. The original strength was 721; gain by recruits, 1,195; reenlistments, 240;
total, 2,156. Loss by death, 221: desertion, 32; unaccounted for, 158. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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