Overview
The 44th 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, the regiment was mustered into service on October 24, 1861. It served primarily in the Western Theater and participated in several major campaigns and battles, including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Perryville, Stone’s River, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge.
The regiment was notable for its early and sustained involvement in key operations in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. It reenlisted as a veteran organization in January 1864 and continued to serve until the end of the war, mustering out in September 1865.
Organization & Service
The 44th Indiana Infantry was organized at Fort Wayne and mustered into Federal service on October 24, 1861. Shortly after organization, the regiment departed Indiana in December 1861 for Henderson, Kentucky. It was assigned to Cruft’s Brigade and established camp at Calhoun, Kentucky, remaining there until February 1862.
In February 1862, the regiment moved to Fort Henry, Tennessee, and then participated in the siege and battle of Fort Donelson. The 44th Indiana was actively engaged at the Battle of Shiloh on both days, suffering significant casualties. Following Shiloh, the regiment took part in the siege of Corinth and subsequent skirmishes, pursuing Confederate forces as far as Booneville, Mississippi.
The regiment joined Buell’s Army for movements through Alabama and Tennessee, and participated in the pursuit of Bragg’s forces through Kentucky, including action at the Battle of Perryville. It later fought at the Battle of Stone’s River, after which it encamped at Murfreesboro until spring 1863. The regiment then moved with Rosecrans’s army toward Chattanooga, passing through McMinnville, Bridgeport, Shell Mound, and Whiteside.
The 44th Indiana Infantry was engaged at the Battle of Chickamauga and subsequently at Missionary Ridge, incurring further losses. After these battles, the regiment was assigned to provost duty at Chattanooga. In January 1864, the regiment reenlisted as a veteran organization, received a furlough home, and upon return, resumed provost duties in Chattanooga.
In July 1865, the regiment received 360 recruits transferred from the 68th and 72d Indiana Infantry. The 44th Indiana was mustered out of service on September 14, 1865, returning home with 30 officers and 670 men. Over its term, the regiment’s total enrollment reached 2,203 men, including original members, recruits, and reenlistments.
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
- Fort Donelson (February 1862)
- Shiloh (April 1862)
- Siege of Corinth (April–May 1862)
- Pursuit to Booneville (May 1862)
- Movement with Buell’s Army through Alabama and Tennessee (Summer–Fall 1862)
- Perryville (October 1862)
- Stone’s River (December 1862–January 1863)
- Chickamauga (September 1863)
- Missionary Ridge (November 1863)
- Provost duty at Chattanooga (1864–1865)
Casualties
- Original strength: 933
- Gained by recruits: 1,050
- Reenlistments: 220
- Total enrollment: 2,203
- Loss by death: 249
- Desertion: 65
- Unaccounted for: 102
- Shiloh: 33 killed, 177 wounded
- Stone’s River: 8 killed, 52 wounded, 25 missing
- Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge: 3 killed, 59 wounded, 20 missing
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Hugh B. Reed
- Colonel William C. Williams
- Colonel Simeon C. Aldrich
- Colonel James F. Curtis
- Lieutenant Colonel Baldwin J. Crosswait
- Lieutenant Colonel Sanford J. Stoughton
- Lieutenant Colonel Simeon C. Aldrich
- Lieutenant Colonel Joseph C. Hodges
- Lieutenant Colonel James F. Curtis
- Lieutenant Colonel Philip Grund
- Major Sanford J. Stoughton
- Major William B. Bingham
- Major Charles F. Kinney
- Major William M. Wiles
- Major Joseph C. Hodges
- Major James F. Curtis
- Major James W. Burch
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 44th 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 all who served in the regiment during its term of service.
To view the complete roster, visit the 44th 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
- 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