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

Overview

The 8th Indiana Cavalry was originally organized as the 39th Indiana Infantry and later converted to cavalry service. It served in the Union Army, primarily in the Western Theater, and was mustered in at Indianapolis on August 29, 1861. The regiment participated in numerous major campaigns and engagements, including Shiloh, Stone’s River, Chickamauga, the Atlanta Campaign, and the Carolinas Campaign. The unit was known for its active service as both infantry and cavalry, and for its participation in several significant raids and battles.

This unit is distinct from the 39th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service).

Organization & Service

The regiment was organized at Indianapolis and mustered in on August 29, 1861, as the 39th Indiana Infantry. It departed Indiana in early September 1861, moving 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 Battle of Shiloh, suffering casualties. It remained at Shiloh until the advance on Corinth, Mississippi, and took part in the siege of that place. Following the siege, the regiment marched through northern Alabama to Nashville, then to Louisville, Kentucky, in pursuit of Bragg’s Confederate forces, and returned to Louisville in November 1862.

The regiment accompanied Rosecrans’ army to Murfreesboro and was heavily engaged at the Battle of Stone’s River, incurring significant losses. It remained near Murfreesboro until early summer 1863. In April 1863, the regiment was mounted and served as mounted infantry, engaging in skirmishes near Murfreesboro, at Middleton, Liberty Gap, and Winchester during the Tullahoma Campaign. It fought at Chickamauga in September 1863 and participated in an expedition into East Tennessee. In September 1863, authority was granted to convert the regiment to cavalry; 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 of 1863–1864, the regiment performed courier duty between Chattanooga and Ringgold. It reenlisted as a veteran organization on February 22, 1864, and received a furlough in April. The 8th Indiana Cavalry participated in Rousseau’s raid into Alabama, McCook’s raid around Atlanta, and Kilpatrick’s raid into Georgia, engaging in several battles and skirmishes, including Lovejoy’s Station, Jonesboro, and Flint River. The regiment also took part in the campaigns to Savannah and through the Carolinas, fighting at Waynesboro, Buckhead Church, Brown’s Cross-Roads, Reynolds’ Plantation, Aiken, Averasboro, Bentonville, and Raleigh. At Savannah, on February 20, 1865, the veterans and recruits of the 3rd Indiana Cavalry were consolidated with the 8th. The regiment continued service in North Carolina until mustered 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

  • Battle of Shiloh
  • Siege of Corinth
  • Pursuit of Bragg through Kentucky
  • Battle of Stone’s River
  • Tullahoma Campaign (Middleton, Liberty Gap, Winchester)
  • Battle of Chickamauga
  • East Tennessee expedition
  • Courier duty (Chattanooga to Ringgold)
  • Rousseau’s raid into Alabama (Coosa River, Chehaw Station)
  • McCook’s raid around Atlanta
  • Kilpatrick’s raid (Lovejoy’s Station)
  • Battle of Jonesboro
  • Flint River
  • Campaigns to Savannah and through the Carolinas (Waynesboro, Buckhead Church, Brown’s Cross-Roads, Reynolds’ Plantation, Aiken, Averasboro, Bentonville, Raleigh, Morrisville)
  • Engagements at Franklin, Pulaski, and other points in Tennessee (detachments)

Casualties

  • Battle of Shiloh: 2 killed, 34 wounded
  • Battle of Stone’s River: 31 killed, 118 wounded, 231 missing
  • Battle of Averasboro: 14 killed, 59 wounded
  • Original strength: 1,208; gain by recruits: 902; reenlistments: 305
  • Desertions: 56; unaccounted for: 137
  • Other detailed loss figures are not fully specified in available 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 complete roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 8th Indiana Cavalry is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster includes details on enlistment, rank, and service records.

To view the full roster, visit the 8th Indiana Cavalry Regimental Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see Western Theater 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, Vol. 3
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