Overview
The 12th Indiana Cavalry, also designated as the 127th Indiana Regiment, was a Union cavalry regiment organized at Kendallville, Indiana, during the winter of 1863 and mustered into service on March 1, 1864. Serving in the Western Theater, the regiment was active in railroad defense, skirmishes with guerrilla forces, and major operations in Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The unit is noted for its extensive service in both mounted and dismounted roles and for participating in the closing campaigns of the war in the Gulf region.
This unit served exclusively as the 12th Indiana Cavalry (127th Regiment Indiana Volunteers) during its term of service from 1864 to 1865.
Organization & Service
The 12th Indiana Cavalry (127th Indiana Regiment) was organized at Kendallville, Indiana, and mustered in on March 1, 1864. The regiment departed Indiana on May 6, 1864, for Nashville, Tennessee, where it was equipped for service. At that time, only six companies were mounted; these were sent overland to Huntsville, Alabama, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Reed. The remaining, unmounted companies traveled by rail under Colonel Edward Anderson.
The regiment was assigned to railroad defense duty along the line from Decatur to Paint Rock, Alabama. The dismounted companies, under Major Orris Blake, were tasked with defensive operations and the construction of blockhouses. The mounted companies engaged in anti-guerrilla operations, participating in numerous skirmishes and minor engagements, with losses in killed and wounded. Headquarters moved to Brownsboro, Alabama, where the regiment remained until September 15, 1864, before being ordered to Tullahoma, Tennessee. Colonel Anderson was assigned to command the post at Tullahoma, with the regiment serving as the garrison. During Anderson’s absence on special service in Indianapolis, Major Blake assumed command.
While at Tullahoma, the regiment engaged in several skirmishes with Confederate forces under General Forrest and with guerrilla bands. In October, Major Blake was detailed to Indianapolis for provost-marshal duties. Companies C, D, and H, stationed at Huntsville under Captain Williams, participated in the defense of that city against a portion of Forrest’s command before rejoining the regiment at Tullahoma. The regiment moved to Murfreesboro on November 26, 1864, and was engaged at Wilkinson’s Pike and Overall’s Creek, as well as in several skirmishes around Murfreesboro during December. At this time, Colonel Anderson commanded the brigade, with Lieutenant Colonel Reed leading the regiment.
The regiment wintered at Nashville and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 7th Division, Cavalry Corps. On February 11, 1865, it began movement toward New Orleans, disembarking temporarily at Vicksburg before continuing to New Orleans and then to Mobile. The regiment participated in the operations against Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, with part of the unit serving as escort to Major General Canby and the remainder maintaining a courier line into Florida.
On April 17, 1865, the regiment took part in a cavalry raid of over 800 miles through Alabama and Georgia, ending at Columbus, Mississippi, on May 20. The regiment was commended by General Grierson for its discipline and gallantry. It remained at Columbus until mid-July, when Colonel Anderson rejoined and moved part of the regiment to Grenada, Mississippi, establishing headquarters there. Companies D, K, and L, under Captain Graves, were detached to Austin for two months to protect government property before rejoining the regiment at Grenada and later moving to Vicksburg. The remainder of the regiment, under Major Blake, stayed at Columbus on guard duty until October, then rejoined the main body at Vicksburg. The regiment was mustered out of service on November 10, 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 defense duty, Decatur to Paint Rock, Alabama (1864)
- Skirmishes with guerrilla forces in northern Alabama (1864)
- Defense of Huntsville, Alabama (1864)
- Skirmishes at Tullahoma, Tennessee (1864)
- Wilkinson’s Pike and Overall’s Creek, near Murfreesboro, Tennessee (November–December 1864)
- Skirmishes around Murfreesboro, Tennessee (December 1864)
- Operations against Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, Alabama (March–April 1865)
- Cavalry raid through Alabama and Georgia to Columbus, Mississippi (April–May 1865)
Casualties
- Original strength: 1,261
- Gained by recruits: 96
- Total enrollment: 1,357
- Loss by death: 168
- Desertions: 54
- Unaccounted for: 7
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources regarding the breakdown of casualties by cause.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Edward Anderson
- Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Reed
- Major Orris Blake
- Major Josiah B. Cobb
- Major William H. Calkins
- Major Willys G. Beck
- Captain Williams (commanded Companies C, D, and H at Huntsville)
- Captain Graves (commanded Companies D, K, and L at Austin, Mississippi)
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 12th Indiana Cavalry (127th Indiana Regiment) is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and service details for members of the regiment throughout its term of service.
To view the full roster, visit the 12th Indiana Cavalry (127th Indiana Regiment) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. XXXIX, XLV, XLIX
- 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, Vol. 3