20th Indiana Infantry Regiment
in the American Civil War
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Online Books:
20th 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 20th 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 20th 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 20th 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 Twentieth Indiana Infantry. — Cols., William L. Brown, John Van Valkenburg, John Wheeler, William C. L. Taylor, William Orr, Albert S. Andrews ; Lieut. -Cols., Charles D. Murray, Benjamin H. Smith, John Van Valkenburg, John Wheeler, James H. Shannon, William C. L. Taylor, George W. Meikel, Albert S. Andrews, John W. Shafer; Majs., Benjamin H. Smith, John Van Valkenburg, John Wheeler, George F. Dick, James H. Shannon, William C. L. Taylor, George W. Meikel, Erasmus C. Galbreath, William Orr, Joseph T. Ives, John W. Shafer, John W. Williams. This regiment was organized at Lafayette in July 1861, and was mustered in at Indianapolis, July 22. It left the state on Aug. 2, being ordered to Cockeysville, Md., for railroad guard duty. It sailed for Hatteras inlet, N. C, Sept. 24, and was sent to north end of Hatteras bank, 40 miles from the fortifications, without transportation or artillery. It was attacked on Oct. 4, by the enemy's fleet, loaded with infantry, and was compelled to retreat. It embarked Nov. 9, for Fortress Monroe, where it remained until March, 1862. It was at Newport News during the engagement between the Merrimac, Cumberland and Congress, and prevented the enemy from taking possession of the Congress after she had struck her colors. It participated in the capture of Norfolk, and on June 8, was assigned to Jameson's brigade, Kearny's division, Heintzelman's corps, with which it fought at Fair Oaks. It was in the battle of Oak Grove, where it lost 144 in killed, wounded and missing, and covered the rear of the 3d corps in the Seven Days' battles, participating in all of them and being heavily engaged at Frazier's farm. It then moved to Yorktown, Alexandria, and thence to Manassas, where it was engaged, Col. Brown being killed. It was also in the battle of Chantilly, after which its division was ordered to rest, having lost heavily in its campaigns, and the 20th went into camp at Arlington heights. On Oct. 11, it crossed the Potomac, hoping to intercept Stuart's cavalry, and was in camp at Poolesville, Md., until Oct. 29, when it moved to Leesburg and Warrenton. With Franklin's corps it was engaged at Fredericksburg, and in May 1863, was in the battle of Chancellorsville, capturing the entire 23d Georgia, which outnumbered it, and when the 11th corps broke and the enemy turned the right of the Union forces, cutting off the 3d corps from the main army, the regiment made a bayonet charge, reestablishing communication. It pursued Lee through Maryland and Pennsylvania, reaching Gettysburg in time to participate in the second day's battle, where it was exposed to a sweeping fire, and lost 152 in killed and wounded, including Col. Wheeler. It was in hot engagements on the 3d, and in heavy skirmishing on the 4th. Overtaking Lee's rear-guard at Manassas gap, it aided in an attack and defeat of the enemy, and was then sent to New York during the draft riots. It was engaged at Locust Grove and Mine run in November. A portion of the regiment reenlisted as veterans on Jan. 1, 1864, at Culpeper and received a furlough. The 20th participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Todd's tavern, Po river, Spottsylvania, Totopotomy and Cold Harbor. At the last point the veterans and recruits of the 14th were consolidated with the 20th. It was engaged at Deep Bottom and Strawberry Plains, and was then in the trenches before Petersburg, under fire daily, Lieut.-Col. Meikel being killed. On Oct. 18, the recruits and veterans of the 17th and 19th were consolidated with the 20th. The regiment was engaged in the various movements about Petersburg, participating at Peebles' farm, and Hatcher's run. It was in the advance division of the 2nd corps in the pursuit of Lee and participated in the various battles up to his surrender. It then moved to Washington, thence to Louisville, and was mustered out July 12, 1865. The original strength of the regiment was 1,051; gain by recruits, 410; reenlistments, 282; total, 1,743. Loss by death, 228; desertion, 66; unaccounted for, 176. On reorganization the strength was originally, 906; gain by recruits, 33; total, 939; loss by death, 44; unaccounted for, 56.Footnotes: Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3 |
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