30th Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 30th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the summer of 1861, the regiment was mustered into service on September 24, 1861. It served primarily in the Western Theater, participating in major campaigns and battles under the Army of the Ohio and later the Army of the Cumberland and the 4th Army Corps.

The regiment is notable for its sustained service throughout the war, heavy losses in several major engagements, and its eventual consolidation into a battalion that continued to serve until late 1865 as part of the occupation forces in Texas.

Organization & Service

The 30th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Fort Wayne and mustered in on September 24, 1861. The regiment immediately moved to Camp Nevin, Kentucky, reporting to General Rousseau and was attached to McCook’s brigade. It advanced with Buell’s army to Munfordville and Bowling Green, Kentucky, and in March 1862 proceeded to Nashville, Tennessee.

The regiment fought on the second day at the Battle of Shiloh, where Colonel Sion S. Bass was mortally wounded. Upon his death, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph B. Dodge was promoted to colonel. The 30th Indiana suffered heavy losses at Shiloh. It participated in the siege of Corinth, Mississippi, and after the city’s fall, marched with Buell’s command through Alabama and Tennessee in pursuit of Bragg’s army into Kentucky.

Returning to Nashville, the regiment joined Rosecrans’ army and moved toward Murfreesboro, taking part in the Battle of Stones River, where it again sustained significant casualties. The 30th Indiana was actively engaged in the subsequent Tullahoma and Chickamauga campaigns, suffering further losses at Chickamauga.

After Chickamauga, the regiment moved to Whiteside and Tyner’s Station, Tennessee. In December 1863, a portion of the regiment reenlisted as veterans and was re-mustered at Blue Springs in January 1864, after which they were furloughed home. The regiment remained at Blue Springs until April 1864, then joined General Thomas in the Atlanta Campaign, participating in most of the battles and skirmishes of that campaign. Non-veterans were mustered out at Atlanta.

The veterans and recruits were consolidated into a battalion of seven companies on December 3, 1864, under the command of Captain (later Lieutenant Colonel) Henry W. Lawton. The battalion moved with the 4th Corps into East Tennessee, then returned to Nashville to participate in the Battle of Nashville and the pursuit of Hood’s army to Huntsville, Alabama. The unit marched again into East Tennessee and later returned to Nashville, remaining there until June 1865. It was then sent to Texas as part of the occupation forces. On July 12, 1865, Company H of the 36th Indiana, under Captain John Swisher, was transferred to the 30th Indiana. The regiment was mustered out of service on November 25, 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

  • Advance to Camp Nevin, Kentucky (1861)
  • Operations at Munfordville and Bowling Green, Kentucky (1861–1862)
  • March to Nashville, Tennessee (March 1862)
  • Battle of Shiloh (April 7, 1862)
  • Siege of Corinth (April–May 1862)
  • March through Alabama and Tennessee; pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky (1862)
  • Battle of Stones River (December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863)
  • Tullahoma Campaign (June–July 1863)
  • Battle of Chickamauga (September 19–20, 1863)
  • Operations at Whiteside and Tyner’s Station, Tennessee (late 1863)
  • Atlanta Campaign (May–September 1864)
  • Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864)
  • Pursuit of Hood to Huntsville, Alabama (December 1864)
  • Marches and occupation duty in East Tennessee and Texas (1865)

Casualties

  • Original strength: 1,011
  • Gained by recruits: 276
  • Reenlistments: 121
  • Total served: 1,408
  • Lost by death: 365
  • Deserted: 67
  • Unaccounted for: 70

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources regarding the breakdown of killed, wounded, and died of disease.

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel Sion S. Bass
  • Colonel Joseph B. Dodge
  • Lieutenant Colonel Joseph B. Dodge
  • Lieutenant Colonel Orrin D. Hurd
  • Lieutenant Colonel Henry W. Lawton
  • Major Orrin D. Hurd
  • Major George W. Fitzsimmons
  • Major William Dawson
  • Captain (later Lieutenant Colonel) Henry W. Lawton (commanded battalion after consolidation)
  • Captain John Swisher (Company H, transferred from 36th Indiana)

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 30th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served with the regiment.

To view the complete roster, visit the 30th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 7, 10, 16, 23, 30, 38, 45
  • 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
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