Overview
The 1st Indiana Cavalry Regiment, initially designated as the 28th Indiana Infantry, was a Union cavalry regiment organized at Evansville, Indiana, in 1861. The regiment served primarily in the Western Theater, with detachments also operating in Virginia and Louisiana. It was notable for its early conversion from infantry to cavalry and for the independent service of several of its companies. The regiment was mustered out of service at various times between September 1864 and June 1865.
This unit is distinct from the 28th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service).
Organization & Service
The regiment was organized at Evansville, Indiana, in 1861, initially as the 28th Indiana Infantry, but was soon redesignated as the 1st Indiana Cavalry. The first eight companies were mustered in on August 20, 1861, and departed for St. Louis the following day. These companies were ordered to Ironton, Missouri, and engaged in a skirmish at Black River. The regiment was stationed at Pilot Knob during the fall and winter of 1861 and participated in the action at Fredericktown, where it made a decisive charge.
In 1862, the regiment moved into Arkansas and was engaged at Round Hill in July. It was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, 13th Army Corps, and, except for Company C, remained on duty in Arkansas for most of its service. The regiment was stationed at Helena, Arkansas, for over a year, taking part in numerous expeditions from that location. During its final year, the main body was stationed at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and was mustered out at Indianapolis on September 6, 1864.
Company C was detached for escort duty, marched with Grant’s army during the Vicksburg Campaign, and later joined General Franklin’s command in western Louisiana. It returned to New Orleans in December 1863 and rejoined the regiment at Pine Bluff in July 1864.
Recruits remaining in Arkansas were organized into two companies (A and B) under Captain James A. Pine, stationed at Pine Bluff and later at White River and St. Charles, Arkansas. These companies were mustered out at Indianapolis in June 1865.
Company I was organized at Terre Haute on April 25, 1861, for state service, mustered into U.S. service on July 4, 1861, and served as cavalry escort to Generals Rosecrans, Fremont, and Sigel in western Virginia and the Army of the Potomac. It was mustered out in August 1864.
Company K, organized at Indianapolis on June 20, 1861, served in western Virginia under General Reynolds, participated in several battles, and was later assigned as bodyguard to Generals Fremont, Sigel, and Howard. It was mustered out in June 1864, with remaining recruits serving at Army of the Potomac headquarters until summer 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
- Skirmish at Black River, Missouri (1861)
- Action at Fredericktown, Missouri (October 1861)
- Duty at Pilot Knob, Missouri (Fall–Winter 1861)
- Operations in Arkansas, including engagement at Round Hill (July 1862)
- Expeditions from Helena, Arkansas (1862–1863)
- Stationed at Pine Bluff, Arkansas (1863–1864)
- Vicksburg Campaign (Company C, 1863)
- Western Louisiana operations (Company C, 1863)
- Escort and bodyguard duties in western Virginia and the Army of the Potomac (Companies I and K, 1861–1864)
- Battles of Greenbrier River, Camp Alleghany, Huntersville, Strasburg, Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Manassas Plains, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness (Companies I and K)
- Scout and engagement at Pine Bluff, Arkansas (September 1864, Companies A and B)
- Duty at White River and St. Charles, Arkansas (January–March 1865, Companies A and B)
Casualties
- Original strength: 1,039
- Gained by recruits: 301
- Reenlistments: 5
- Total served: 1,345
- Loss by death: 131
- Desertions: 47
- Unaccounted for: 273
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Conrad Baker
- Lieutenant Colonel Scott Carter
- Lieutenant Colonel John S. Gavitt
- Lieutenant Colonel William F. Wood
- Lieutenant Colonel Thomas N. Pace
- Lieutenant Colonel Julian D. Owen
- Major John S. Gavitt
- Major William F. Wood
- Major Josiah Forth
- Major Robert E. Clendenin
- Major Thomas N. Pace
- Major Julian D. Owen
- Major William D. Weathers
- Major Mark McCauley
- Captain James A. Pine (Companies A and B, 1864–1865)
- Captain Robert R. Stewart (Company I)
- Captain James R. Bracken (Company K)
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 1st Indiana Cavalry Regiment, including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served in the regiment during the Civil War.
To view the complete roster, visit the 1st Indiana Cavalry Regiment Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see Missouri and Arkansas operations, 1861–1865)
- 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