87th Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 87th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at South Bend and mustered in at Indianapolis on August 31, 1862, the regiment was immediately sent to Louisville, Kentucky. The 87th Indiana served primarily in the Western Theater, participating in major campaigns with the Army of the Cumberland and later in the campaigns through Georgia and the Carolinas.

The regiment is noted for its participation in significant battles such as Perryville, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and the Atlanta Campaign, as well as its involvement in Sherman’s March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign. The 87th Indiana was mustered out of service at Washington, D.C., on June 10, 1865.

Organization & Service

The 87th Indiana Infantry was organized at South Bend, Indiana, and mustered into Federal service at Indianapolis on August 31, 1862. The regiment left Indiana the same day for Louisville, Kentucky, where it was initially assigned to Burbridge’s brigade. On October 1, 1862, it was transferred to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 14th Army Corps, and participated in Buell’s Kentucky campaign, including actions at Springfield and Perryville.

Following the Kentucky campaign, the regiment encamped near Mitchellville, Tennessee, in November 1862, and later occupied camps at Tunnel Hill, Pilot Knob, and Gallatin. On January 29, 1863, the regiment moved south of Nashville and was engaged in a skirmish at Chapel Hill. Colonel Kline G. Shryock resigned on March 28, 1863, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel Newell Gleason.

In June 1863, the 87th Indiana participated in the Tullahoma Campaign and was under fire at Hoover’s Gap. The regiment then marched to the Tennessee River and took part in the movement against Chattanooga. At the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, the regiment suffered heavy losses, with over half its number engaged becoming casualties. The regiment was present during the siege of Chattanooga and, after the reorganization of the Army of the Cumberland, became part of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 14th Corps.

The 87th Indiana was in the front line during the storming of Missionary Ridge and joined the pursuit to Ringgold. It participated in the expedition against Dalton and skirmished at Buzzard Roost. The regiment remained in camp at Ringgold until May 7, 1864, when it joined the Atlanta Campaign, fighting at Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Utoy Creek, and Jonesboro.

After the fall of Atlanta, the regiment took part in the pursuit of Hood through northern Georgia and into Alabama, then returned to Atlanta and departed with the 14th Corps on November 16, 1864, for Milledgeville, Georgia. The regiment skirmished with Wheeler’s cavalry near Sandersville and Waynesboro, and upon reaching Savannah, participated in the siege. In early 1865, the 87th Indiana joined the Carolinas Campaign, reaching Goldsboro and later participating in the capture of Smithville. The regiment moved to Raleigh, then Holly Springs, and after the surrender of Johnston’s army, marched to Richmond and Washington, D.C., where it took part in the Grand Review. The regiment was mustered out at Washington on June 10, 1865, with remaining recruits transferred to the 42nd Indiana Infantry.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Buell’s Kentucky Campaign (1862)
• Springfield
• Perryville
• Chapel Hill
• Tullahoma Campaign
• Hoover’s Gap
• Chickamauga
• Siege of Chattanooga
• Missionary Ridge
• Ringgold
• Expedition against Dalton
• Buzzard Roost
• Atlanta Campaign (Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Utoy Creek, Jonesboro)
• Pursuit of Hood (Northern Georgia and Alabama)
• March to the Sea (Milledgeville, Sandersville, Waynesboro, Savannah)
• Siege of Savannah
• Carolinas Campaign (Goldsboro, Smithville, Raleigh, Holly Springs)
• Grand Review, Washington, D.C.

Casualties

The original strength of the 87th Indiana Infantry was 945. The regiment gained 302 recruits, for a total of 1,247 men. Loss by death was 268; desertion, 29; unaccounted for, 7. At Chickamauga, the regiment lost 40 killed, 142 wounded, and 8 missing. Other detailed breakdowns by cause are not specified in available sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Kline G. Shryock
• Colonel Newell Gleason
• Lieutenant Colonel Newell Gleason
• Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Sumner
• Lieutenant Colonel Edwin P. Hammond
• Major Thomas Sumner
• Major Edwin P. Hammond
• Major Richard C. Sabin

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 87th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and research purposes. This roster provides names, ranks, and additional service details where available.

To view the complete roster, visit the 87th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XVI, XXIII, XXX, XXXVIII, XLIV
• 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