Overview
The 28th Indiana Infantry (later designated as the 1st Indiana Cavalry) was a Union regiment organized at Evansville, Indiana, in 1861. Initially mustered as infantry, the regiment was soon converted to cavalry and served primarily in the Western Theater. The unit is notable for its early deployment to Missouri, active service in Arkansas, and the unique service histories of several independent companies attached to the regiment. The regiment was mustered out in September 1864, with some companies serving until mid-1865.
This regiment is sometimes referred to as the 1st Indiana Cavalry due to its conversion from infantry to cavalry shortly after organization.
Organization & Service
The 28th Indiana Infantry was organized at Evansville, Indiana, in 1861, with the first eight companies mustered in on August 20. The regiment departed for St. Louis the following day and was ordered to Ironton, Missouri, where it engaged in a skirmish at Black River. During the fall and winter of 1861, the regiment was stationed at Pilot Knob and participated in the action at Fredericktown, playing a decisive role in the Union victory there.
In 1862, the regiment moved into Arkansas and was engaged at Round Hill in July. It was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, 13th Army Corps. Except for Company C, the regiment remained on duty in Arkansas for the duration of its service, stationed at Helena for over a year and participating in numerous expeditions from that point. In its final year, the regiment was stationed at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and was mustered out at Indianapolis on September 6, 1864.
Company C was detached for escort duty, marched with Grant’s army during the Vicksburg campaign, and later served with General Franklin in western Louisiana. It returned to New Orleans in December 1863 and rejoined the regiment at Pine Bluff in July 1864.
Recruits remaining in Arkansas were organized into Companies A and B under Captain James A. Pine. These companies were stationed at Pine Bluff, participated in a severe engagement in September 1864, and were later stationed at White River and St. Charles before being mustered out at Indianapolis in June 1865.
Company I was organized at Terre Haute on April 25, 1861, for state service and mustered into U.S. service on July 4, 1861. It served as cavalry escort to Generals Rosecrans, Fremont, and Sigel in western Virginia and the Army of the Potomac, mustering out in August 1864.
Company K, organized at Indianapolis on June 20, 1861, served in western Virginia under General Reynolds and later as bodyguard to Generals Fremont, Sigel, and Howard. It participated in actions at Green Brier River, Camp Alleghany, Huntersville, Strasburg, Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Manassas Plains, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. Company K was mustered out in June 1864, with its remaining recruits serving at Army of the Potomac headquarters until summer 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
- Skirmish at Black River, Missouri (1861)
- Action at Fredericktown, Missouri (October 1861)
- Duty at Pilot Knob, Missouri (1861–1862)
- Engagement at Round Hill, Arkansas (July 1862)
- Expeditions and operations around Helena, Arkansas (1862–1863)
- Stationed at Pine Bluff, Arkansas (1863–1864)
- Vicksburg Campaign (Company C, 1863)
- Western Louisiana operations (Company C, 1863)
- Engagement at Pine Bluff, Arkansas (September 1864, Companies A and B)
- Green Brier River, Camp Alleghany, Huntersville, Strasburg, Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Manassas Plains, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness (Companies I and K, 1861–1864)
Casualties
- Original strength: 1,039
- Gained by recruits: 301
- Reenlistments: 5
- Total served: 1,345
- Loss by death: 131
- Desertion: 47
- Unaccounted for: 273
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Conrad Baker
- Lieutenant Colonel Scott Carter
- Lieutenant Colonel John S. Gavitt
- Lieutenant Colonel William F. Wood
- Lieutenant Colonel Thomas N. Pace
- Lieutenant Colonel Julian D. Owen
- Major John S. Gavitt
- Major William F. Wood
- Major Josiah Forth
- Major Robert E. Clendenin
- Major Thomas N. Pace
- Major Julian D. Owen
- Major William D. Weathers
- Major Mark McCauley
- Captain James A. Pine (Companies A and B, 1864–1865)
- Captain Robert R. Stewart (Company I)
- Captain James R. Bracken (Company K)
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 28th Indiana Infantry (1st Indiana Cavalry), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides details on service records, enlistment dates, and other pertinent information.
To view the complete roster, visit the 28th Indiana Infantry (1st Indiana Cavalry) Roster page.
Sources & References
- The War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (O.R.), Series I, various volumes and parts covering Missouri and Arkansas operations
- 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, Vol. 3, Federal Publishing Company, 1908