11th Indiana Infantry Regiment
in the American Civil War
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Online Books:
11th 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 11th Indiana Infantry Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 4, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1866 11th Indiana Infantry Reorganized Officer Roster - Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 2, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1865 11th Indiana Infantry Reorganized Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 4, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1866 Regimental History Eleventh Indiana Infantry. — Cols., Lewis Wallace, George F. McGinnis, Daniel McCauley; Lieut. -Cols., George F. McGinnis, William J. H. Robinson, Daniel McCauley, William W. Darnell; Majs., Charles O. Wood, William J. H. Robinson, Isaac C. Elston, Daniel McCauley, William W. Darnell, George Butler. This regiment was organized at Indianapolis in April, 1861, for the three months' service, was mustered in on April 25, and on May 8 was transferred to Evansville for blockade duty along the Ohio river. A somewhat dramatic incident occurred upon the day the regiment left Indianapolis for the front. The patriotic women of that city presented it with a handsome stand of colors and when Col. Wallace received it he turned to the men and said in his most impressive tone: "Now remember Buena Vista, boys, and on our knees let us swear to defend this flag with the last drop of our blood." Every man in the regiment, including Wallace himself, dropped to his knees and the colonel repeated the following oath: "We pledge ourselves before God and these our fellow-countrymen, to defend this flag with our lives, and to die for it if necessary, God being our helper. Amen." A solemn "Amen" came in one breath from the regiment, and the subsequent history of the gallant 11th shows how well the oath was kept. It was ordered to Virginia, leaving June 7, and reached Romney on the 11th. It attacked the town but the main body of the enemy had fled an hour before, leaving but a few stragglers. The regiment encamped at Cumberland and on June 26 a body of mounted scouts, 13 in number, attacked 41 of the enemy and routed them, after killing 8. They were in turn attacked at the Potomac river by a body of 75 men, but fell back to a strong position and held it until dark. The regiment moved in July to Martinsburg, W. Va., thence to Bunker Hill and Harper's Ferry. It was mustered out at Indianapolis, Aug. 2, 1861. Its original strength was 781 and it lost by death, 2; desertion, 1. The regiment was reorganized at Indianapolis in Aug., 1861, for three years, was mustered in Aug. 31, left the state Sept. 6 for Louisville and thence to Paducah, Ky. Col. Wallace was appointed brigadier-general, and Lieut. -Col. McGinnis was promoted to colonel. The regiment remained at Paducah until Feb. 5, when it moved for Fort Heiman where it engaged in a skirmish, and on the 14th marched to Fort Donelson. After the fall of Fort Donelson it was ordered to Crump's landing, reaching there in time to engage in the battle of Shiloh, and then was engaged in the siege of Corinth. It was ordered to Memphis, thence to Helena, Ark., and was engaged in numerous expeditions during the fall and winter, including Devall's bluff and Yazoo pass. Col. McGinnis was made brigadier-general and Lieut. -Col. McCauley was promoted to colonel. The regiment joined Grant's army at Milliken's bend in April, 1863, participated in the operations about Grand Gulf, and was engaged at Port Gibson, capturing a battery. It was also engaged at Champion's hill, losing 167 in killed, wounded and missing, and was then in the trenches before Vicksburg until the surrender of the city. It then participated in the expedition to Jackson, with almost constant skirmishing, remained in camp at Vicksburg until August, and was with the expedition from New Orleans in September and October through the Teche country to Opelousas. On Jan. 19, 1864, it marched to Madisonville, La., where the regiment reenlisted as a veteran organization on Feb. 1, and took a steamer at New Orleans on March 4, for New York city, thence by rail to Indianapolis for furlough. It returned to New Orleans May 8, and on July 11 was assigned to the 2nd brigade, 2nd division, 19th corps. On July 19 it took steamer for Fortress Monroe, moved from there to Washington, D. C, and thence to Harper's Ferry, Va. It was in a skirmish near Halltown in July and at Cedar creek in August; engaged in a skirmish at Berryville and in the battle of the Opequan in September, losing in the latter engagement 81 in killed and wounded. It pursued the enemy to Fisher's hill, took part in the battle at that place and then continued in pursuit, being engaged at New Market and Harrisonburg. It was in the battle of Cedar creek in October, losing 52 men, then marched to Baltimore, reaching there Jan. 7, 1865, and was on duty until the last of July. It was mustered out July 26, 1865. The original strength of the regiment was 1,059. It gained by recruits, 855 ; re-enlistments, 296; unassigned recruits, 138; total, 2,348. Loss by death, 245; desertion, 25; unaccounted for, 239.Footnotes: Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3 |
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