Overview
The 10th Indiana Cavalry (125th Regiment Indiana Volunteers) served as a Union cavalry regiment during the American Civil War. Organized in Indiana, this regiment was mustered into service on February 2, 1863, and primarily operated in the Western Theater. The unit is also referred to as the 125th Indiana Regiment, reflecting its numerical designation in the state’s volunteer system. The regiment was notable for its extensive service in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, and for its participation in several significant engagements and campaigns.
Organization & Service
The 10th Indiana Cavalry was organized during the fall and winter of 1862–63 at Vincennes and Columbus, Indiana. The regiment was officially mustered in on February 2, 1863. Soon after, it departed Indiana on May 3, 1863, moving via Nashville to Pulaski, Tennessee. The regiment was stationed at Pulaski and Decatur, Alabama, where it performed railroad guard duty during the Atlanta campaign. During this period, the regiment engaged in several skirmishes with Confederate cavalry forces under Roddey, Wheeler, and Forrest.
On September 28, 1864, the regiment fought against Forrest’s forces at Pulaski, suffering 8 killed and 42 wounded. A detachment under Major Williamson at Decatur, Alabama, defended the town against Hood’s forces for four days in October 1864. Other elements of the regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Gresham, participated in actions at Nashville, Little Harpeth, Reynolds’ Hill, and Sugar Creek, incurring further losses but also capturing 300 prisoners, four stands of colors, and arms.
In December 1864 and January 1865, the Decatur detachment took part in the battles of Flint River, Indian Creek, Courtland, and Mount Hope, capturing 10 pieces of artillery, 150 prisoners, 150 wagons, and 500 mules. The regiment was reunited in February 1865 and moved to New Orleans, then to Mobile, Alabama, where it participated in the reduction of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. Following the occupation of Mobile, the regiment proceeded to Eufaula and Montgomery, Alabama, then to Columbus, Mississippi, and finally to Vicksburg. From early July to late August 1865, the regiment was engaged in garrison and patrol duties in Holmes and Attala counties, Mississippi. The 10th Indiana Cavalry was mustered out at Vicksburg on August 31, 1865.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Railroad guard duty at Pulaski, Tennessee, and Decatur, Alabama (1863–1864)
- Skirmishes with Confederate cavalry under Roddey, Wheeler, and Forrest
- Action at Pulaski, Tennessee (September 28, 1864)
- Defense of Decatur, Alabama (October 1864)
- Engagements at Nashville, Little Harpeth, Reynolds’ Hill, and Sugar Creek
- Battles of Flint River, Indian Creek, Courtland, and Mount Hope (December 1864–January 1865)
- Reduction of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, Alabama (Spring 1865)
- Occupation of Mobile, Alabama
- Garrison and patrol duty in Holmes and Attala counties, Mississippi (July–August 1865)
Casualties
- Original strength: 1,254
- Gained by recruits: 93
- Total: 1,347
- Loss by death: 167
- Desertion: 88
- Unaccounted for: 47
- Losses at Pulaski (September 28, 1864): 8 killed, 42 wounded
- Losses at Nashville and related actions: 8 killed, 43 wounded, 75 captured
- Casualties from Sultana disaster (April 28, 1865): 38 killed (Capt. Gaffney, Lieuts. Twigg and Reeves, and 35 men)
- Railway accident (May 1864): 5 killed, 70 injured
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Thomas N. Pace
- Colonel George R. Swallow
- Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Q. A. Gresham
- Lieutenant Colonel George R. Swallow
- Lieutenant Colonel Thomas G. Williamson
- Major George R. Swallow
- Major George F. Herriott
- Major Thomas G. Williamson
- Major Sylvanus Milner
- Major DeWitt C. James
- Major George R. Mitchell
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 10th Indiana Cavalry (125th Regiment Indiana Volunteers) includes the names and service details of all officers and enlisted men who served with the regiment. This information is valuable for genealogical and historical research.
To view the full roster, please visit the 10th Indiana Cavalry (125th Regiment Indiana Volunteers) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see reports for Army of the Cumberland, Army of the Tennessee, and Department of the Gulf)
- Indiana Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
- The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Volume 3