Overview
The 9th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Laporte, Indiana, in August 1861, the regiment was mustered in for three years’ service on September 5, 1861. The unit participated in major campaigns across the Western Theater and was notable for its involvement in numerous significant battles, including Shiloh, Stones River, Chickamauga, and the Atlanta Campaign. The regiment remained active until the end of the war, serving as part of various commands within the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Cumberland.
This unit is distinct from the 9th Indiana Infantry (Three Months’ Service).
Organization & Service
The 9th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was reorganized at Laporte, Indiana, in August 1861, following the expiration of the regiment’s initial three months’ term. The regiment was mustered in for three years’ service on September 5, 1861. Soon after, it departed Indiana for western Virginia, where it was stationed at Cheat Mountain and engaged at Green River and Camp Alleghany.
On January 9, 1862, the regiment marched to Fetterman and was transferred to Buell’s Army of the Ohio in February. It moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and was assigned to Nelson’s Division. The 9th Indiana fought in the second day of the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, then participated in the siege and capture of Corinth, Mississippi, and the subsequent pursuit to Booneville. The regiment marched through Tennessee and Kentucky, engaging at Perryville, Danville, and Wild Cat Mountain, and fought at the Battle of Stones River at the end of 1862.
In 1863, the regiment advanced to Chattanooga and took part in the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge. It then moved to Bridgeport, Alabama, and Whiteside, Tennessee, where it reenlisted as a veteran organization on December 12, 1863. After a furlough in January 1864, the regiment rejoined its command at Cleveland, Tennessee, in late February.
The 9th Indiana participated in the Atlanta Campaign, fighting at Taylor’s Ridge, Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Marietta, Peachtree Creek, the investment of Atlanta, Jonesboro, and Lovejoy’s Station. The regiment joined in the pursuit of Hood’s army to Athens, Alabama, and moved to Pulaski, Tennessee, in November 1864. It was engaged at Columbia, in the skirmishes leading to Franklin, and in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. The regiment also fought at Nashville and joined in the pursuit of Hood’s forces to Huntsville, Alabama, where it remained in camp from January to March 1865. In May, it moved to Nashville and was later sent to Louisiana and Texas as part of Sheridan’s army of occupation. The regiment was mustered out on September 28, 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
- Cheat Mountain (1861)
- Green River
- Camp Alleghany
- Battle of Shiloh (April 1862)
- Siege and Capture of Corinth
- Pursuit to Booneville
- Perryville
- Danville
- Wild Cat Mountain
- Battle of Stones River
- Chattanooga Campaign
- Battle of Chickamauga
- Battle of Lookout Mountain
- Battle of Missionary Ridge
- Atlanta Campaign (Taylor’s Ridge, Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Marietta, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy’s Station)
- Pursuit of Hood to Athens, Alabama
- Columbia
- Battle of Franklin (November 1864)
- Battle of Nashville
- Pursuit to Huntsville, Alabama
- Occupation duty in Louisiana and Texas
Casualties
- Original strength: 1,057
- Gained by recruits: 747
- Reenlistments: 291
- Unassigned recruits: 46
- Total enrollment: 2,141
- Loss by death: 351
- Desertion: 125
- Unaccounted for: 18
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Robert H. Milroy
- Colonel Gideon C. Moody
- Colonel William H. Blake
- Colonel Isaac C. B. Suman
- Lieutenant Colonel David M. Dunn
- Lieutenant Colonel William P. Laselle
- Major Daniel J. Woodward
- Major John B. Milroy
- Major George H. Carter
- Major James D. Braden
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of soldiers who served in the 9th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster includes names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official sources.
To view the full roster, visit the 9th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see Western Theater reports, 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, Vol. 3 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)