38th Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 38th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at New Albany, Indiana, the regiment was mustered in on September 18, 1861. The unit served primarily in the Western Theater, participating in major campaigns and battles from Kentucky to Georgia and the Carolinas. The regiment is noted for its extensive service, high casualty rate, and participation in key operations with the Army of the Cumberland and later with Sherman’s forces.

Organization & Service

The 38th Indiana Infantry was organized at New Albany, Indiana, and mustered into Federal service on September 18, 1861. The regiment departed Indiana for Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on September 21, 1861, and was stationed at Camp Nevin on the Barren River and Camp Wood near Munfordville through the winter. In early 1862, the regiment moved with Buell’s Army of the Ohio toward Bowling Green and Nashville, Tennessee. By March 25, 1862, it had advanced to Franklin, then Columbia, and Shelbyville, engaging in frequent marches and skirmishes against Confederate cavalry, including an action near Rogersville.

Throughout the spring and summer of 1862, the regiment operated in Tennessee and northern Alabama, moving to the front of Chattanooga and then to Stevenson and Decherd. On August 17, 1862, the regiment fell back to Nashville and subsequently marched with Buell’s army to Louisville, Kentucky, participating in the Kentucky Campaign. At the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862, the regiment suffered significant losses. In November, the 38th Indiana was attached to the 1st Division, 14th Army Corps, and moved to Bowling Green and then to Nashville in December. The regiment fought at the Battle of Stones River at the end of 1862, again incurring heavy casualties.

After wintering near Murfreesboro, the regiment joined the Tullahoma and Chattanooga campaigns in 1863, fighting at Hoover’s Gap and Chickamauga, and later at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. The winter of 1863–1864 was spent at Rossville, Georgia, and Chattanooga. The regiment reenlisted as a veteran organization on December 28, 1863, and, after furlough, returned to Chattanooga in February 1864. In the spring, the 38th Indiana participated in the Atlanta Campaign, engaging in numerous battles and skirmishes, including a notable charge at Jonesboro. Following the fall of Atlanta, the regiment pursued Hood’s army into Alabama and then returned to Atlanta.

The 38th Indiana Infantry joined Sherman’s March to the Sea, moving through Georgia to Savannah, and early in 1865 advanced through the Carolinas, fighting at Averasboro and Bentonville. After the surrender of Johnston’s army, the regiment marched to Washington, D.C., and then to Louisville, Kentucky, where it was mustered out on July 15, 1865.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Operations in Kentucky and Tennessee (1861–1862)
• Advance on Bowling Green and Nashville (early 1862)
• Skirmish near Rogersville
• Kentucky Campaign and Battle of Perryville (October 1862)
• Battle of Stones River (December 1862–January 1863)
• Tullahoma Campaign (June–July 1863)
• Battle of Hoover’s Gap
• Battle of Chickamauga (September 1863)
• Battle of Lookout Mountain
• Battle of Missionary Ridge
• Atlanta Campaign (May–September 1864)
• Battle of Jonesboro
• Pursuit of Hood to Gaylesville, Alabama
• Sherman’s March to the Sea (November–December 1864)
• Campaign of the Carolinas (early 1865)
• Battle of Averasboro
• Battle of Bentonville

Casualties

The 38th Indiana Infantry had an original strength of 995 men, with a total enrollment of 2,028 including recruits and reenlistments. The regiment lost 353 men by death. At Perryville, it lost 27 killed, 123 wounded, and 7 captured; at Stones River, 14 killed and 86 wounded; at Chickamauga, 9 killed, 59 wounded, and 42 missing; and during the Atlanta Campaign, 103 killed, wounded, or missing. Other losses included 58 by desertion and 77 unaccounted for. Figures are based on official reports and regimental records.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Benjamin F. Scribner
• Colonel Daniel F. Griffin
• Colonel David H. Patton
• Lieutenant Colonel Walter Q. Gresham
• Lieutenant Colonel James B. Meriweather
• Lieutenant Colonel Daniel F. Griffin
• Lieutenant Colonel William L. Carter
• Lieutenant Colonel David H. Patton
• Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Brinkworth
• Major James B. Meriweather
• Major Daniel F. Griffin
• Major John B. Glover
• Major William L. Carter
• Major Joshua B. Jenkins
• Major Henry F. Perry
• Major Isaac Brinkworth
• Major William C. Shaw

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 38th 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 as recorded in official state and regimental records.

To view the complete roster, visit the 38th 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, 44
• 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