39th Indiana Regiment / 8th Indiana Cavalry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 39th Indiana Regiment, later designated as the 8th Indiana Cavalry, was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Indianapolis and mustered in on August 29, 1861, the regiment initially served as infantry before being converted to mounted infantry and subsequently to cavalry. The unit participated in numerous major campaigns and battles in the Western Theater and was mustered out on July 20, 1865.

This regiment is distinct from other Indiana regiments with similar designations. For a complete list of Indiana regiments, see the Indiana state page.

Organization & Service

The 39th Indiana Regiment was organized at Indianapolis and mustered into service on August 29, 1861. Shortly after, it moved to Muldraugh’s Hill near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, then to Camp Nevin and Camp Wood. The regiment marched with Buell’s army to Nashville, Tennessee, in early 1862 and participated in the advance to the Tennessee River. At the Battle of Shiloh, the regiment suffered casualties and remained encamped there until the movement against Corinth, Mississippi, where it took part in the siege.

Following the fall of Corinth, the regiment marched through northern Alabama to Nashville, then to Louisville, Kentucky, participating in the pursuit of Bragg’s forces. It returned to Louisville in November 1862 and joined Rosecrans’ army for the advance to Murfreesboro, where it was heavily engaged at the Battle of Stone’s River. The regiment remained near Murfreesboro until early summer 1863. In April 1863, the unit was mounted and served as mounted infantry, engaging in several skirmishes and actions, including reinforcing the 2nd Indiana Cavalry near Murfreesboro and fighting at Middleton, Liberty Gap, and Winchester during the Tullahoma Campaign.

The regiment fought at Chickamauga and participated in an expedition into East Tennessee. In September 1863, authority was granted to convert the regiment to cavalry, and Companies L and M were organized and joined the command in October. The regiment was officially reorganized as the 8th Indiana Cavalry on October 15, 1863. During the winter, it performed courier duty between Chattanooga and Ringgold and reenlisted as a veteran organization on February 22, 1864, receiving a furlough in April.

In 1864, the regiment participated in Rousseau’s raid into Alabama, McCook’s raid around Atlanta, and Kilpatrick’s raid into Georgia, engaging in numerous actions including Lovejoy’s Station, Jonesboro, and Flint River. It was active in the campaigns to Savannah and through the Carolinas, fighting at Waynesboro, Buckhead Church, Brown’s Crossroads, Reynolds’ Plantation, Aiken, Averasboro, Bentonville, and Raleigh. At Savannah in February 1865, veterans and recruits of the 3rd Indiana Cavalry were consolidated with the 8th. The regiment continued on duty in North Carolina until mustering out on July 20, 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

  • Shiloh
  • Siege of Corinth
  • Pursuit of Bragg through Kentucky
  • Stone’s River
  • Tullahoma Campaign (Middleton, Liberty Gap, Winchester)
  • Chickamauga
  • East Tennessee Expedition
  • Rousseau’s Raid (Alabama)
  • Chehaw Station, Alabama
  • McCook’s Raid (around Atlanta)
  • Kilpatrick’s Raid (Georgia)
  • Lovejoy’s Station
  • Jonesboro
  • Flint River
  • Waynesboro
  • Buckhead Church
  • Brown’s Cross-Roads
  • Reynolds’ Plantation
  • Aiken
  • Averasboro
  • Bentonville
  • Raleigh
  • Morrisville
  • Franklin (detachment)
  • Pulaski (detachment)

Casualties

  • At Shiloh: 2 killed, 34 wounded
  • At Stone’s River: 31 killed, 118 wounded, 231 missing
  • At Averasboro: 14 killed, 59 wounded
  • Original strength: 1,208
  • Gains by recruits: 902
  • Reenlistments: 305
  • Desertions: 56
  • Unaccounted for: 137
  • Other detailed casualty figures are not fully available in primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel Thomas J. Harrison
  • Colonel Fielder A. Jones
  • Lieutenant Colonel Fielder A. Jones
  • Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Herring
  • Major John D. Evans
  • Major Thomas Herring
  • Major Thomas Graham
  • Major Charles A. Gordon
  • Major Justus G. Crowell
  • Major Thomas N. Baker
  • Major John Leavell

Regimental Roster

The full roster of soldiers who served in the 39th Indiana Regiment / 8th Indiana Cavalry is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster includes names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official state and federal records.

To view the complete roster, visit the 39th Indiana Regiment / 8th Indiana Cavalry Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts
  • Indiana Adjutant General’s Report
  • Dyer, Frederick H., 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
Scroll to Top