85th Indiana Infantry
in the American Civil War
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Online Books:
85th Indiana Infantry Officer Roster - Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 3, by W.H.H. Terrell, Adjutant General, Indiana, 1866 85th 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 Eighty-fifth Indiana Infantry. — Cols., John P. Baird, Alexander B. Crane; Lieut. -Cols., Alexander B. Crane, Jefferson E. Brant; Majs., Robert E. Craig, Jefferson E. Brant, William T. Crawford. This regiment was organized at Terre Haute and was mustered in Sept. 2, 1862. It proceeded to Covington, Ky., thence to Falmouth and later to Danville, where it remained until Feb., 1863. It was then ordered to Franklin, Tenn., and in March, while on a forage and scouting expedition with its brigade, met the enemy at Thompson's station. The brigade pushed him back several miles, when Forrest was encountered with five brigades in position behind stone fences, and after a 5 hours' battle, the Federal troops were surrounded and compelled to surrender. This was the 85th's first engagement and it fought gallantly, its loss being very heavy. After its capture, the regiment was marched to Columbia and Tullahoma, suffering much from want of food and by exposure. The men were sent to Libby prison, where they were confined until Mar. 31, when they were exchanged. The regiment was sent back to Franklin in June and was there engaged in skirmishing and fighting until Bragg's army fell back. It passed the summer, fall and winter at Murfreesboro, on railroad guard duty, and moved on April 20, 1864, to join the army for the Atlanta campaign. It was in the engagements at Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, Golgotha and Kolb's farm, and at Peachtree creek its brigade was the first to receive the charge of the enemy, though it held its position, its front being piled high with the enemy's dead and wounded. It took part in all the operations before Atlanta and was present at its fall. It moved in the Savannah campaign, was engaged in the siege and capture of that city, and then on Jan. 1, 1865, its division was the first to cross into South Carolina, driving the enemy's cavalry before it. It remained in the swamps near the Savannah river until February, when it joined the march through the Carolinas, and at Averasboro it was the leading regiment in the brigade's charge across an open field under terrific fire on the enemy's works, but the intrenchments were swept and many prisoners taken. It engaged in the destruction of railroads and also in the building of roads and bridges. At Bentonville, after moving 6 miles over roads obstructed by wagon trains, it deployed into line and aided in the success of the army. It moved under fire into four positions during the day and aided in constructing a line of works to cover the flank. It then moved to Goldsboro, Raleigh, Richmond and Washington, and was mustered out June 12, 1865. The recruits were transferred to the 33d Ind. and served with that organization until its muster-out, July 21 . The original strength of the regiment was 885; gain by recruits, 200; total, 1,085. Loss by death, 212; desertion, 52; unaccounted for, 34.Footnotes: Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3 |
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