73rd Indiana Infantry
in the American Civil War
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Online Books:
73rd 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 73rd Indiana Infantry Soldier Roster - Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 6, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1866 Regimental History Seventy-third Indiana Infantry. — Cols., Gilbert Hathaway, Alfred B. Wade; Lieut. -Cols., Oliver H. P. Bailey, Robert W. Graham, Irvin N. Walker, Alfred B. Wade, William M. Kendall; Majs., William Krimbill, Irvin N. Walker, Alfred B. Wade, William M. Kendall. This regiment was organized at South Bend and was mustered in Aug. 16, 1862. It left the state at once for Lexington, Ky., but moved to Louisville early in September. It was assigned to the 20th brigade, 6th division of Buell's army, and joined in the pursuit of Bragg. It was in reserve at Perryville and continued in pursuit of the enemy as far as Wild Cat. It returned to Glasgow, Ky., and moved thence to Gallatin, Tenn., where it surprised the enemy and drove him from the field, capturing 19 prisoners. The regiment marched into Nashville on Nov. 26, then proceeded to Lebanon, where it was in a skirmish, and moved with Rosecrans' army to Stone's river, which the regiment crossed on the evening of Dec. 29, in company with the 51st, being the first of the army to make the crossing. The 73d was compelled to recross the river under the fire of an entire division, and it was in sharp skirmishing on the 30th. On the 31st, its brigade double-quicked a mile and a half to reinforce the right wing which had been crowded back a distance of 2 miles, taking a position and engaging twice its numbers. It fought at close range for 20 minutes, losing more than one-third the number engaged, then charged and drove the force in its front from the field. The advance of a brigade on its flank compelled it to fall back a short distance, but the enemy's advance had been checked and the right wing saved. Rosecrans complimented the regiment in person after the battle. In these operations the regiment was under fire at the front for six days, and was so completely exhausted it was placed in reserve on Jan. 3, 1863. Its loss was 22 killed, 46 wounded, and 36 missing. It was assigned to Col. Streight's independent provisional brigade on Apr. 10, and accompanied it to Eastport, Miss., where it was mounted and moved to Tuscumbia, Ala., from which place it started on the raid into Georgia. At Day's gap this brigade, numbering 1,500, was attacked by 4,000 of Forrest's and Roddey's cavalry. The 73d, on the left flank, repulsed a fierce charge and the whole brigade then charged the enemy, driving him from the field. The enemy reformed during the day and made a second attack at Crooked creek, but was repulsed with a heavy loss. The brigade was again attacked at Blount's farm, the 73d bearing the brunt of the fight, and Col. Hathaway being killed. At Cedar bluffs, utterly exhausted, almost out of ammunition and surrounded, the brigade surrendered. The men were sent north on parole and later exchanged, but the officers were sent to prison. Returning to the field several months later, the regiment, under Maj. Wade, who had been released by the prison authorities, was placed on guard duty along the Louisville & Nashville railroad, with its headquarters at Triune. After several minor encounters with the enemy it was attached to the 1st brigade, 4th division, 20th corps, and during the summer of 1864, it defended Prospect, Tenn., against Wheeler's raid. It was ordered to Decatur, Ala., in Sept., 1864, and thence to Athens, which place it occupied and put in an excellent state for defense, including a bomb proof in the fort. In October, 4,000 of Buford's cavalry with 4 pieces of artillery, appeared and drove in the pickets, and next morning opened a heavy artillery fire, but inflicted no damage. A demand for the surrender of the fort was refused and the fight continued, the enemy being repulsed with heavy loss. The garrison numbered but 500. The regiment was ordered to Decatur to assist in the defense of that point, where the garrison of 5,000 held off Hood's army of 35,000 from Oct. 26 to 30, the enemy finally withdrawing. The winter was passed at Stevenson, Huntsville and Larkinsville on railroad guard duty, the regiment being engaged in numerous skirmishes, and it was mustered out at Nashville July 1, 1865. The recruits were transferred to the 29th Ind., serving with that regiment until it was mustered out. The original strength of the 73d was 1,020; gain by recruits, 149; total, 1,169. Loss by death, 229; desertion, 74; unaccounted for, 5.Footnotes: Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3 |
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