Overview
The 40th Indiana Infantry (Union) was an infantry regiment organized at Lafayette, Indiana, and mustered into Federal service on December 30, 1861. Serving in the Western Theater, the regiment participated in major campaigns and battles with the Army of the Cumberland and later the Army of the Ohio. The 40th Indiana was notable for its early and continuous service, reenlisting as a veteran regiment in January 1864, and serving until the end of the war.
The regiment was involved in significant actions across Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas, and was present at several pivotal engagements. Its service extended beyond the war’s end, with final mustering out at Port Lavaca, Texas, on December 25, 1865.
Organization & Service
The 40th Indiana Infantry was organized at Lafayette, Indiana, and mustered in on December 30, 1861. The regiment immediately left the state for Bardstown, Kentucky, and in February 1862 moved with Buell’s army to Bowling Green and Nashville, Tennessee, then into Alabama. During the Confederate invasion of Kentucky under Bragg, the 40th was stationed in southern Tennessee. When Union forces pursued Bragg into Kentucky, the regiment marched to Nashville and then participated in the campaign into Kentucky.
After returning to Nashville, the 40th Indiana was assigned to the 6th Division, 14th Army Corps, and fought at the Battle of Stone’s River, where it suffered significant casualties. Following the reorganization of the army, the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 21st Corps, and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga, as well as the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. The regiment spent the winter of 1863-64 in eastern Tennessee.
In January 1864, the 40th Indiana reenlisted as a veteran regiment at Blain’s Cross Roads, Tennessee, and subsequently received a furlough in Indiana. Upon return, it was stationed at Cleveland, Tennessee, at the opening of the Atlanta Campaign. The regiment joined the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Corps, and took part in the entire Atlanta Campaign, including the battles of Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River, and Peachtree Creek. After the fall of Atlanta, the regiment was ordered to Chattanooga, remaining there until November 1864, when it moved to Nashville and fought in the Battle of Nashville in December. The 40th Indiana then participated in the pursuit of Hood’s army as far as Huntsville, Alabama, spent the winter at Nashville, and moved to Johnsonville in June 1865. The regiment was transported to New Orleans and then to Port Lavaca, Texas, where it was mustered out on December 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
- Buell’s Campaign in Kentucky and Tennessee (1862)
- Battle of Stone’s River
- Battle of Chickamauga
- Battle of Lookout Mountain
- Battle of Missionary Ridge
- Atlanta Campaign (including Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River, Peachtree Creek)
- Battle of Nashville
- Pursuit of Hood to Huntsville, Alabama
- Postwar duty in Texas
Casualties
The 40th Indiana Infantry had an original strength of 928 men, with a total enrollment of 1,755 including recruits and reenlistments. Losses by death numbered 312. There were 131 desertions and 29 unaccounted for. At the Battle of Stone’s River, the regiment lost 9 killed, 63 wounded, and 13 missing. Additional detailed breakdowns by cause are not specified in the available sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel William C. Wilson
- Colonel John W. Blake
- Colonel Henry Leaming
- Lieutenant Colonel John W. Blake
- Lieutenant Colonel James N. Kirkpatrick
- Lieutenant Colonel Elias Neff
- Lieutenant Colonel Henry Leaming
- Lieutenant Colonel Anthony E. Gordon
- Major William Taylor
- Major Elias Neff
- Major Henry Leaming
- Major Anthony E. Gordon
- Major Alfred Cole
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 40th Indiana Infantry, including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served in the regiment during its term of service.
To view the full roster, visit the 40th Indiana Infantry Regimental Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 16, 20, 23, 30, 38, 45
- 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