Overview
The 54th Indiana Infantry (1 Year Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, in October 1862 for one year of Federal service during the Civil War. The regiment was mustered in on November 16, 1862, and served with the Union Army in the Western Theater. It participated in several major campaigns, including the Vicksburg Campaign and operations in Louisiana. The regiment is noted for its heavy losses at Chickasaw Bluffs and its active role in the siege of Vicksburg.
Organization & Service
The 54th Indiana Infantry (1 Year Service) was organized at Indianapolis in October 1862 and mustered into service on November 16, 1862. The regiment departed Indiana for Memphis, Tennessee, on December 9, 1862, where it was assigned to De Courcy’s Brigade, Morgan’s Division, 13th Army Corps. In December, the regiment joined Sherman’s expedition against Vicksburg and participated in two assaults at Chickasaw Bluffs, suffering significant casualties.
In January 1863, the regiment took part in the expedition to Arkansas Post, returning to Young’s Point, Louisiana, after the capture of the post. The 54th Indiana was then attached to Osterhaus’ Division and led the advance for Grant’s army during the Vicksburg Campaign. It was engaged at Port Gibson, served as garrison at Raymond, and, with three other regiments, escorted prisoners to the Yazoo River. The regiment entered the trenches and participated in the siege of Vicksburg. After the city’s surrender, it moved with its brigade to the Big Black River and joined the advance on Jackson, Mississippi, participating in the capture of that city. The regiment returned to Vicksburg, then moved to New Orleans, where it joined the Army of the Gulf. It participated in the expedition up the Teche as far as Opelousas and Vermillionville. The 54th Indiana Infantry was mustered out at New Orleans on December 8, 1863.
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
- Sherman’s Expedition to Vicksburg (December 1862)
- Chickasaw Bluffs
- Expedition to Arkansas Post (January 1863)
- Vicksburg Campaign
- Port Gibson
- Raymond (garrison duty)
- Siege of Vicksburg
- Advance on Jackson, Mississippi
- Capture of Jackson
- Expedition up the Teche (Louisiana)
- Opelousas
- Vermillionville
Casualties
The original strength of the regiment was 956, with a gain of 33 recruits, totaling 989 men. The regiment lost 216 men by death, 81 by desertion, and 358 were unaccounted for. The regiment suffered particularly heavy losses at Chickasaw Bluffs, with 264 killed, wounded, and missing in that engagement alone.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Fielding Mansfield
- Lieutenant Colonel Herman Sturm
- Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Shrader
- Major Daniel Shrader
- Major Oliver M. Wilson
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 54th Indiana Infantry (1 Year Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides details on the individuals who served in the regiment during its one-year term.
To view the complete roster, visit the 54th Indiana Infantry (1 Year Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XVII, XXIV
- 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