37th Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 37th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the regiment was mustered into Federal service on September 18, 1861. The unit participated in major campaigns in the Western Theater and is noted for its service in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

The regiment was involved in several significant battles, including Stone’s River, Chickamauga, and the Atlanta Campaign. Its service extended through the end of the war, with a detachment participating in Sherman’s March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign.

Organization & Service

The 37th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Lawrenceburg and mustered in on September 18, 1861. Shortly after, the regiment moved to Kentucky, first to the mouth of Salt River and then via Bowling Green to Nashville, Tennessee. In May 1862, the regiment was ordered to Murfreesboro, then to Fayetteville, Tennessee, and subsequently to Huntsville, Tuscumbia, and Athens, Alabama. The regiment performed railroad guard duty at Chattanooga and Stevenson.

During the Kentucky campaign led by Buell and Bragg, the 37th Indiana was stationed at Nashville. The regiment fought at the Battle of Stone’s River, suffering significant casualties. It remained at Murfreesboro until the movement toward Chattanooga, participating in that campaign and engaging at Dug Gap and Chickamauga. After Chickamauga, the regiment was stationed at Chattanooga until spring 1864.

Companies A, B, C, D, and I reenlisted as veterans and were furloughed home, later rejoining the regiment at Graysville, Georgia. The regiment took part in the Atlanta Campaign, fighting at Resaca, Dallas (where it suffered heavy losses), Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River, and Peachtree Creek, as well as the siege and occupation of Atlanta. Non-veterans were mustered out in Indiana on October 27, 1864.

The five companies of veterans and recruits were consolidated into two companies (A and B), forming the detachment of the 37th Indiana. This detachment accompanied Sherman’s army through the Savannah and Carolinas campaigns, participating in numerous skirmishes. After Johnston’s surrender, the detachment moved to Washington, D.C., and then to Louisville, Kentucky, where it was mustered out on July 25, 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 in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama (1861–1862)
  • Battle of Stone’s River (December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863)
  • Chattanooga Campaign (1863)
  • Battle of Dug Gap (September 1863)
  • Battle of Chickamauga (September 19–20, 1863)
  • Atlanta Campaign (May–September 1864): Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River, Peachtree Creek, Siege of Atlanta
  • Sherman’s March to the Sea (November–December 1864, detachment)
  • Carolinas Campaign (early 1865, detachment)

Casualties

  • Original strength: 990
  • Gained by recruits: 117
  • Reenlistments: 193
  • Total: 1,300
  • Loss by death: 208
  • Desertion: 18
  • Unaccounted for: 2
  • Detachment (veterans and recruits): Strength 167; gain by recruits 380; total 547; loss by death 10; unaccounted for 329

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel George E. Hazzard
  • Colonel Carter Gazlay
  • Colonel James S. Hull
  • Lieutenant Colonel Carter Gazlay
  • Lieutenant Colonel James S. Hull
  • Lieutenant Colonel William D. Ward
  • Major James S. Hull
  • Major William D. Ward
  • Major Thomas V. Kimble

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 37th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and additional service details when available.

To view the complete roster, visit the 37th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 16, 23, 30, 38, 44
  • 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
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