From Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana: Historical and biographical By Weston Arthur Goodspeed, F.A. Battey & Co., 1883.
THIS IS CONTINUED FROM THE POST DATED FEBRUARY 15, 2022.
Calls For Troops During The Rebellion
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- April 15, 1861, 75,000 men for three months.
- May 3, 1861, 42,034 men for three years (regular army). (During the summer or early autumn of 1861, six regiments of State troops were put into the field by the energy of Gov. Morton; but when their term of service had expired, they were mustered into the service of the United States. These regiments were from the Twelfth to the Seventeenth inclusive. It was also during the same time that the six months’ regiments, from the Sixth to the Eleventh inclusive, re-organized and entered the three years’ service. For this reason, no further calls were made until July, 1862.)
- July 2, 1862, 300,000 men for nine months.
- August 4, 1862, 300,000 men for nine months.
- June 15, 1863, 100,000 men for six months.
- October 17, 1863, 300,000 men for three years.
- February 1, 1864, 200,000 men for three years.
- March 14, 1864, 200,000 men for three years.
- April 23, 1864, 85,000 men (about) for 100 days.
- July 18, 1864, 500,000 men for one, two and three years.
- December 19, 1864, 300,000 men for three years.
The bounties paid by the Government during the rebellion were as follows: July 22,1761, $100 for three years men; June 25, 1863, $400 to all veterans re-enlisting for three years or the war, to be paid until April 1, 1864; October 24, 1863, $300 to new recruits in old regiments, to be paid until April 1, 1864; July 19, 1864, $100 for recruits for one year, $200 for recruits for two years, and $300 for recruits for three years; November 28, 1864, $300 out of the draft or substitute fund, in addition to the bounty of July 19, 1864, for men enlisting in the First Army Corps (Hancock’s); an act of July 4, 1864, rescinded the payment of the $100 under the act of July 22, 1861, to drafted men and substitutes. Other bounties were paid after the war ended.
An Incident
A short time before the news was received that Lincoln had been assassinated, a man named Myers living at Winamac, announced that through some spiritual manifestation he had learned that such a calamity was to occur, and told to his friends many of the scenes surrounding that lamented incident. No attention was paid to his story until the county was electrified with the news of the attack on the principal heads of the Executive department, and then the story was suddenly brought to public attention and publicity, and at last Myers was arrested.
It was thought at the time that the assassination was the result of the machinations of treasonable secret societies, and while arrests were being made in the East, it was thought probable at Winamac that Myers might have been connected with such societies. His deposition was taken, published and circulated, attracting no little attention from all parts of the Union.
Quite a disturbance occurred at the time of his arrest, but he was soon released.
Sketches Of Regiments
The following sketches of the principal regiments containing men from the county were compiled from the Adjutant General’s reports and are substantially correct:
The Ninth Infantry (three years’ service)
This regiment was re-organized for the three years’ service at La Porte, on the 27th of August, 1861, and was mustered in at the same place September 5, 1861. Soon after it took the field, spending the following winter at Cheat Mountain Summit, or until January 9, 1862.
Prior to this, it fought at Greenbrier, October 3, and at Alleghany December 13. In January, 1862, it moved to Fetterman, but in February was transferred to Gen. Buell’s army, Gen. Nelson’s division.
In March, it fought the second day at Shiloh, thence moved to Corinth, and later pursued the rebels to Booneville. It then moved to Nashville, thence to Bowling Green, thence back to Nashville, thence to Louisville, thence in pursuit of Bragg to the Wild Cat Mountains, thence back to Nashville.
During these movements, it fought at Perryville, Danville and the Wild Cat Mountains. It moved to Murfreesboro, and December 31, 1862, and January 1 and 2, 1863, participated in the battle of Stone River, and afterward moved to Chattanooga.
In September and November, it engaged in the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, and then moved to Whiteside, Tenn., where, on the 12th of December, 1863, it “veteranized.”
After its veteran furlough, it moved in February to Tennessee. It participated in the Atlanta campaign, fighting at Taylor’s Ridge, Buzzard’s Roost, Dalton, Resacca, Cassville, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro and Lovejoy.
It returned in pursuit of Hood, and fought at Columbia, also on the route to Franklin and at Franklin, one of the hottest engagements of the war.
On the 1st of December, it entered Nashville, and on the 15th participated in the battle there, and afterward pursued Hood as far as Huntsville. Here it remained until the 13th of March, 1865, when it returned to Nashville.
Soon afterward it was transferred to near New Orleans and later to Texas, composing a part of Gen. Sheridan’s army of occupation, until September, 1865, when it was mustered out and returned to Indiana. It was one of Indiana’s best regiments.
The Twentieth Infantry
This regiment was organized at La Fayette in the month of July, 1861, then rendezvoused at Indianapolis, and was mustered in on the 22d of July. It was moved first to near Baltimore, Md., where it did guard duty. In September, it was transferred to Hatteras Inlet, N. C., and soon afterward to Hatteras Bank, where it was attacked by the rebels, October 4, and forced back.
In November, it moved to Fortress Monroe, where it remained until March, 1862, when it removed to Newport News, where it participated in the engagement with the rebel ram, the Merrimac.
In May, it moved to Norfolk, participating in the capture of that city, and then joined the Army of the Potomac. On the 8th of June, it was assigned to Jamison’s brigade, Kearney’s division, Heintzleman’s corps, and took position on the Fair Oaks battle ground. It was actively engaged at “Orchards,” losing 144 men in killed, wounded and missing.
It covered the retreat of the Third Corps in the seven days’ fight, participating in all the engagements, especially at Glendale and Frazier’s Farm, losing heavily.
It moved to Yorktown, thence to Alexandria, thence to the Rappahannock and Manassas Plains, fighting at the latter place and losing Col. Brown.
In September, it fought at Chantilly. Soon after this it enjoyed a rest. In October, it took the field again, and after various movements participated in the bloody battle of Fredericksburg, assisting in saving three Union batteries.
In April, 1863, it was actively engaged at Chancellorsville, capturing at one time the whole of the Twenty-third Georgia. It also established communications between the Third Corps and the remainder of the army, by a brilliant bayonet charge.
On the 2d of July, it fought at Gettysburg, on the extreme left in the Second Brigade of the First Division of Sickles’ corps. It was exposed to a very hot fire from rebels behind a stone wall, losing its Colonel, John Wheeler, and 152 officers and men killed and wounded. It fought on the 3d, and also on the 4th, and then joined the pursuit, fighting the .enemy’s rear at Manassas Gap.
It was sent to New York City to suppress draft riots, and afterward fought at Locust Grove and Mine Run. After “veteranizing,” it fought at Wilderness, Todd’s Tavern, Po River, Spottsylvania, Tollopotamie, Cold Harbor, Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains and Petersburg, where it lost many men, among whom was Lieut. Col. Meikel.
After its work in the trenches before Petersburg and a few active movements, it fought at Preble’s House and Hatcher’s Run. After this and until the surrender of Gen. Lee, it participated in all the battles on the left, the last being at Clover Hill, April 9, 1865.
It was transferred to Louisville, Ky., where, on the 12th of July, 1865, it was mustered out, and sent north to Indianapolis, receiving a warm welcome all along the route homeward by crowds of grateful people.
The Forty-sixth Infantry
This regiment was organized at Logansport October 4, 1861, and mustered in December 11. It moved to Camp Wicklifle, Ky., remaining there until the 16th of February, 1862, when it marched to Salt River, thence to Paducah. It then went to Commerce, Mo., thence to New Madrid and Island No. 10, fighting at the former place. Near here it erected a battery at night, sustaining for over an hour a heavy fire from five rebel gunboats without being dislodged.
In April, it marched toward Fort Pillow, into which place it moved in, June. It moved to Memphis, thence to St. Charles, where it charged the enemy’s works, driving him out, and capturing a number of prisoners and guns. It drove the enemy back near Crockett’s Bluff.
After various expeditions and reconnaissance, it finally participated in the engagements at Fort Pemberton. It fought at Port Gibson, Champion Hills, losing in killed and wounded at the latter engagement one-fourth of the number engaged.
It was in the trenches before Vicksburg forty-four days. It moved with Gen. Sherman against Jackson, thence came back to Vicksburg, thence was transported first to Natchez, thence to New Orleans. Here it was transferred to the Department of the Gulf under Gen. Banks.
In September, 1863, it started on the Teche expedition toward the Sabine River, and did good service at Grand Coteau.
In December, it returned to New Orleans, and in January, 1864, “veteranized.” It moved on the Red River expedition, and marched 302 miles to Sabine Cross Roads, where, on the 8th of April, it fought at Mansfield, losing 10 killed, 12 wounded and 77 captured. This was the result of a cavalry blunder.
On the next day, the regiment was actively engaged at Pleasant Hill, and then retreated to the Mississippi, where it arrived May 22. It moved to New Orleans, then to Indiana on veteran furlough.
After this it marched to Lexington, Ky., then on an expedition to Saltville, thence to Prestonsburg and Catlettsburg, Ky. It then went into garrison at Lexington, remaining thus until September, 1865, when it marched to Louisville where on the 4th of September, 1865, it was mustered out and sent home. It was an excellent regiment.
The Eighty-seventh Infantry
This regiment was organized at South Bend August 28, 1862, and was mustered into the service at Indianapolis August 31. It moved to Louisville, Ky., and was assigned to Gen. Burbridge’s brigade.
In October, it was transferred to the Third Brigade, Third Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, and then campaigned with Gen. Buell through Kentucky. It was under fire at Springfield, and on the 8th engaged in the battle of Perryville. After various movements, during which the regiment lost six killed and wounded, camp was formed at Mitchellville, Tenn., in November. It also occupied Tunnel Hill, Pilot Knob, Gallatin, and, in January, 1863, encamped at Concord Church near Nashville.
In March, it fought at Chapel Hill. On the 23d of June, it moved with the army on the summer campaign against Tullahoma, being under fire at Hoover’s Gap. It marched to Winchester, thence to Battle Creek. The regiment participated in the fall campaign against Chattanooga. It was in the hottest of the fight at Chickamauga on the 19th and 20th of September, suffering severely, losing more than half the officers and men engaged. Forty were killed, 142 wounded, and eight missing.
Company B, from Pulaski County was cut in pieces. Of the thirty-three men of this company who went into battle, only three escaped without a scratch. Five were killed—Evans, Griffith, Waters, Williamson and Capt. G. W. Baker, leaving the command of the company to, W. W. Agnew, who was one of the three that escaped without a scratch.
The regiment remained in Chattanooga during the siege. In November, it was in the front line in the storming of Mission Ridge, losing in killed and wounded sixteen men. It pursued the enemy as far as Ringgold, Ga.
In February, 1864, it engaged in an expedition against Dalton, and skirmished with the enemy near Buzzard’s Roost, afterward going into camp at Ringgold where it remained until the 7th of May.
In the Atlanta campaign, the regiment fought at Rocky Face, Resaca, Cassville, near Dallas, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek and before Atlanta. In the charge at Utoy Creek on the 4th of August, the loss was seventeen killed and wounded.
It fought also at Jonesboro, in September, and then went into camp in Atlanta. In October, it joined in the pursuit of Hood, north. It moved with Sherman to the sea, skirmishing at divers places, and greatly enjoying the easy life at the expense of Southern luxuries.
It also participated in the Carolina campaign, skirmishing at Smithfield and other places. It moved to Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, D. C., where it participated in the grand review of Sherman’s army, and where on the 10th of June, 1865, it was mustered out and sent to Indianapolis.
Of this regiment during the war, 47 were killed, 198 wounded and 214 died of wounds and disease. No better soldiers were in the service.