131st Indiana Regiment / 13th Indiana Cavalry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 131st Indiana Regiment, also known as the 13th Indiana Cavalry, was organized during the fall and winter of 1863-64. It was the last cavalry regiment formed in Indiana and was designated as the 131st regiment of the line. The unit was mustered into United States service on April 29, 1864, and served in the Union Army, primarily in the Western Theater. Notably, the regiment initially served dismounted as infantry before being fully equipped as cavalry later in its service.

Organization & Service

The 131st Indiana Regiment (13th Indiana Cavalry) was organized in Indiana and mustered in on April 29, 1864. The regiment departed Indiana for Nashville, Tennessee, on April 30, 1864. Upon arrival, the men were dismounted and issued infantry arms and equipment. On May 31, the regiment was ordered to Huntsville, Alabama, for garrison duty, where it engaged in several skirmishes with Confederate cavalry. On October 1, 1864, the regiment notably held Huntsville against an attack by Buford’s command.

Companies A, C, D, F, H, and I, under Colonel Gilbert M. L. Johnson, were sent to Louisville to secure mounts and equipment. These companies were then dispatched to Paducah, Kentucky, to assist in repelling an attack by Confederate forces under Forrest. Afterward, they returned to Louisville, moved to Nashville, and marched to Lavergne to monitor Confederate General Hood’s movements. Cut off from their lines, they retired to Murfreesboro, participating in the battles of Overall’s Creek, Wilkinson’s Pike, and several skirmishes, with losses totaling 65 killed and wounded and 2 missing.

Meanwhile, Companies B, E, G, K, L, and M, under Lieutenant Colonel William T. Pepper, moved from Huntsville to Nashville and fought dismounted in the Battle of Nashville. After this engagement, the regiment was reunited, remounted, and rearmed, and assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 7th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division of the Mississippi. On February 11, 1865, the regiment moved down the river, stopping at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and then proceeded to Mobile, Alabama. There, it participated in the operations against Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely and operated a courier line to Florida.

Following the fall of Mobile, the regiment joined Grierson’s raid through Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, reaching Columbus, Mississippi, on May 22, 1865. The regiment then moved to Macon, Mississippi, where it garrisoned the town and patrolled a 60-mile stretch of railroad, securing captured stores and ordnance. The unit returned to Columbus on June 6 and remained there until November 1865. In June, Colonel Johnson was assigned to command the sub-district of northeast Mississippi and was brevetted brigadier general. Lieutenant Colonel Ranna S. Moore assumed command of the regiment until it was mustered out at Vicksburg on November 18, 1865.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Garrison duty and skirmishes near Huntsville, Alabama (May–October 1864)
• Defense of Huntsville against Buford’s command (October 1, 1864)
• Paducah, Kentucky (assisting in defense against Forrest)
• Battles of Overall’s Creek and Wilkinson’s Pike, near Murfreesboro, Tennessee
• Battle of Nashville (December 1864)
• Operations against Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, Alabama (March–April 1865)
• Grierson’s Raid through Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi (Spring 1865)
• Garrison and patrol duty at Macon and Columbus, Mississippi (May–November 1865)

Casualties

• Original strength: 1,157
• Gained by recruits: 236
• Total served: 1,395
• Loss by death: 136
• Deserted: 87
• Unaccounted for: 9

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources regarding the breakdown of deaths by cause.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Gilbert M. L. Johnson (brevet Brigadier General, June 1865)
• Lieutenant Colonel William T. Pepper
• Lieutenant Colonel Ranna S. Moore
• Major Leonidas Stout
• Major Hugh A. Stephens
• Major Isaac DeLong
• Major John T. Wheeler
• Major Joseph M. Stricker
• Major David H. Wall

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of the 131st Indiana Regiment (13th Indiana Cavalry), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served in the regiment.

To view the full roster, visit the 131st Indiana Regiment (13th Indiana Cavalry) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XXXIX, XLV
• 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