11th Indiana Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War

Overview

The 11th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Indianapolis in August 1861, this regiment was mustered in for three years’ service and participated in major campaigns in the Western and later Eastern theaters. The unit is distinct from the 11th Indiana Infantry (Three Months’ Service).

The regiment was notable for its extensive service, including participation in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, and in the Shenandoah Valley campaigns. It was mustered out in July 1865 after nearly four years of active duty.

Organization & Service

The 11th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was reorganized at Indianapolis in August 1861, following the expiration of its three months’ term. The regiment was mustered in on August 31, 1861, and departed Indiana for Louisville, Kentucky, on September 6. It was then sent to Paducah, Kentucky, where it remained until February 1862.

In February 1862, the regiment moved to Fort Heiman, engaging in a skirmish, and then marched to Fort Donelson, participating in its capture. Afterward, the 11th Indiana was ordered to Crump’s Landing and fought at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. The regiment took part in the siege of Corinth, Mississippi, and was subsequently ordered to Memphis and then Helena, Arkansas. During the fall and winter of 1862–1863, it participated in expeditions, including those to Devall’s Bluff and Yazoo Pass.

In April 1863, the regiment joined Grant’s army at Milliken’s Bend and took part in operations around Grand Gulf, the Battle of Port Gibson (where it captured a battery), and the Battle of Champion’s Hill, suffering significant casualties. The 11th Indiana was engaged in the siege of Vicksburg until the city’s surrender and then joined the expedition to Jackson, Mississippi. After remaining in camp at Vicksburg until August, the regiment participated in the Teche country expedition in Louisiana during September and October 1863.

On January 19, 1864, the regiment marched to Madisonville, Louisiana, and reenlisted as a veteran organization on February 1. It traveled to Indianapolis for furlough, returning to New Orleans in May 1864. In July, the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Corps, and soon after moved to Fortress Monroe and then Washington, D.C., before proceeding to Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.

The 11th Indiana participated in skirmishes near Halltown and Cedar Creek in July and August 1864, fought at Berryville, and was heavily engaged at the Battle of Opequon (Third Winchester) in September. It pursued Confederate forces to Fisher’s Hill, fought at New Market and Harrisonburg, and was again engaged at Cedar Creek in October. The regiment marched to Baltimore in January 1865 and remained on duty there until mustered out on July 26, 1865.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Skirmish at Fort Heiman (February 1862)
• Battle of Fort Donelson (February 1862)
• Battle of Shiloh (April 1862)
• Siege of Corinth (April–May 1862)
• Expeditions to Devall’s Bluff and Yazoo Pass (1862–1863)
• Operations at Milliken’s Bend and Grand Gulf (April 1863)
• Battle of Port Gibson (May 1863)
• Battle of Champion’s Hill (May 1863)
• Siege of Vicksburg (May–July 1863)
• Expedition to Jackson, Mississippi (July 1863)
• Teche country expedition, Louisiana (September–October 1863)
• Skirmishes near Halltown and Cedar Creek (July–August 1864)
• Battle of Berryville (September 1864)
• Battle of Opequon (Third Winchester) (September 1864)
• Battle of Fisher’s Hill (September 1864)
• Engagements at New Market and Harrisonburg (October 1864)
• Battle of Cedar Creek (October 1864)

Casualties

The original strength of the regiment was 1,059. It gained by recruits, 855; re-enlistments, 296; unassigned recruits, 138; total, 2,348. Loss by death, 245; desertion, 25; unaccounted for, 239. At Champion’s Hill, the regiment lost 167 in killed, wounded, and missing; at Opequon, 81 killed and wounded; and at Cedar Creek, 52 men. Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Lewis Wallace
• Colonel George F. McGinnis
• Colonel Daniel McCauley
• Lieutenant Colonel William J. H. Robinson
• Lieutenant Colonel William W. Darnell
• Major Charles O. Wood
• Major Isaac C. Elston
• Major George Butler

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 11th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details for members of the regiment throughout its term of service.

To view the complete roster, visit the 11th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 7, 10, 17, 24, 34, 37, 39, 45 (reports and correspondence relating to the 11th Indiana Infantry)
• Indiana Adjutant General’s Report (1865), Vol. 2, pp. 177–210
• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (1908)
• Fox, William F. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War (1889)
• The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Vol. 3