77th Indiana Regiment / 4th Indiana Cavalry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 4th Indiana Cavalry (also known as the 77th Indiana Regiment) served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, the regiment was mustered into service on August 22, 1862. The unit served primarily in the Western Theater, participating in numerous campaigns and engagements across Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The 4th Indiana Cavalry was noted for its active service in both cavalry raids and major battles, and it remained in the field until the end of the war.

Organization & Service

The 4th Indiana Cavalry was organized at Indianapolis and mustered in on August 22, 1862. Upon leaving Indiana, the regiment was divided into battalions: one under Major John A. Platter was sent to Henderson, Kentucky, and engaged in skirmishes at Madisonville and Mt. Washington; another battalion moved to Louisville and then to Missouri; the third, under Colonel Isaac P. Gray, was stationed briefly at Madison, Indiana, before moving to Vevay and then Frankfort, Kentucky, arriving there on October 24, 1862.

The regiment was stationed at Gallatin, Tennessee, where it monitored Confederate cavalry under John Hunt Morgan and fought near Munfordville in December 1862. In January 1863, the regiment moved into Tennessee, engaging in skirmishes near Murfreesboro in March. At this time, the regiment was consolidated except for Company C, which served as escort to General A. J. Smith. The 4th Indiana Cavalry participated in the Tullahoma and Chattanooga campaigns, including the Battle of Chickamauga, and fought at Fayetteville, Tennessee, on November 1, 1863.

During the winter of 1863–64, the regiment operated in East Tennessee, taking part in actions at Mossy Creek, Talbott’s Station, Dandridge, and the significant engagement at Fair Garden, where it contributed to the defeat of two Confederate divisions. In March 1864, the regiment joined Sherman’s cavalry, fighting at Varnell’s Station, Burnt Church, and Newnan during the McCook raid. After the fall of Atlanta, the regiment moved to Tennessee, engaging at Columbia in October 1864. It was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Military Division of the Mississippi, and stationed near Louisville in November, then near Nashville in January 1865, and near Waterloo, Alabama, in February.

The 4th Indiana Cavalry participated in Wilson’s Raid through Alabama, including actions at Plantersville and Selma in April 1865. The regiment then moved into Georgia before returning to Nashville in May. Company C, after serving as General Smith’s escort and participating in the Vicksburg and Red River campaigns, rejoined the regiment in 1864 and remained until discharge. The regiment was mustered out at Nashville on June 29, 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

  • Skirmishes at Madisonville and Mt. Washington, Kentucky (1862)
  • Operations near Gallatin, Tennessee (late 1862)
  • Fight near Munfordville, Kentucky (December 1862)
  • Skirmishes near Murfreesboro, Tennessee (March 1863)
  • Tullahoma Campaign (summer 1863)
  • Chattanooga Campaign, including Battle of Chickamauga (September 1863)
  • Fayetteville, Tennessee (November 1, 1863)
  • East Tennessee operations: Mossy Creek, Talbott’s Station, Dandridge, Fair Garden (winter 1863–64)
  • Varnell’s Station, Burnt Church (spring 1864)
  • McCook Raid, including Newnan, Georgia (July 1864)
  • Columbia, Tennessee (October 1864)
  • Wilson’s Raid: Plantersville and Selma, Alabama (April 1865)
  • Various operations with General A. J. Smith’s command (Company C): Vicksburg, Red River Expedition

Casualties

The original strength of the regiment was 1,223. The total gain by recruits was 301, making a total enrollment of 1,524. The regiment lost 204 men by death, 84 by desertion, and 54 were unaccounted for. Detailed breakdowns of killed, wounded, and died of disease are not fully specified in available primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel Isaac P. Gray
  • Colonel Lawrence S. Shuler
  • Colonel John A. Platter
  • Colonel John T. Deweese
  • Colonel Horace P. Lamson
  • Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence S. Shuler
  • Lieutenant Colonel John A. Platter
  • Lieutenant Colonel John T. Deweese
  • Lieutenant Colonel Joseph P. Lesslie (killed in action)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Horace P. Lamson
  • Lieutenant Colonel George H. Purdy
  • Major John A. Platter
  • Major Nathan Earlywine
  • Major Warren Horr
  • Major John T. Deweese
  • Major Joseph P. Lesslie
  • Major Horace P. Lamson
  • Major George H. Purdy
  • Major Christopher C. Mason
  • Major William T. Pepper
  • Major John Austin
  • Major Albert J. Morley
  • Major Albert C. Rosencranz

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 4th Indiana Cavalry is available on the regiment’s roster page. This includes details on company assignments, ranks, and service records as preserved in official sources.

To view the full roster, visit the 4th Indiana Cavalry Regimental Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see reports on Western Theater cavalry operations, 1862–1865)
  • Indiana Adjutant General’s Report, volumes covering cavalry regiments
  • 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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