66th Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 66th 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 into Federal service on August 19, 1862. The unit participated in operations across the Western Theater, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. The 66th Indiana was notable for its involvement in the Atlanta Campaign and the subsequent March to the Sea under Sherman.

The regiment served until the end of the war, mustering out at Washington, D.C., on June 3, 1865. Its service included several major campaigns and battles, and it experienced significant losses during its term.

Organization & Service

The 66th Indiana Infantry was organized at New Albany, Indiana, and mustered in on August 19, 1862. Upon organization, the regiment immediately departed for Lexington, Kentucky. At Lexington, Lieutenant Colonel Roger Martin assumed command, as Colonel Lewis Wallace was commissioned as a provisional colonel and assigned to command troops concentrating at Covington and Cincinnati.

The regiment saw its first major action at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, where the majority of its men were captured and subsequently paroled. The paroled men, along with the remainder of the regiment, were ordered back to New Albany. After an exchange of prisoners in November 1862, the regiment, now under Colonel De Witt C. Anthony, moved to Corinth, Mississippi, and was assigned to the 1st Brigade of Dodge’s Division. The 66th Indiana remained as part of the Corinth garrison until August 18, 1863.

Following its service in Corinth, the regiment moved to Collierville, Tennessee. In October 1863, Companies B, C, D, E, G, and I were engaged at Collierville. On October 29, the regiment marched to Pulaski, Tennessee, where it spent the winter of 1863–1864.

On April 29, 1864, the 66th Indiana marched to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and joined Sherman’s army for the Atlanta Campaign. The regiment participated in the battles of Resaca, Lay’s Ferry, Rome Cross Roads, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, the siege of Atlanta, and Jonesboro. After the fall of Atlanta, the regiment traveled by train to Rome, Georgia, on September 26, 1864, before rejoining the main army at Atlanta and participating in the March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign. The regiment continued with Sherman’s army through Virginia to Washington, D.C., where it was mustered out on June 3, 1865.

Recruits who joined late in the war were transferred to the 59th Indiana Infantry and served with that regiment until its muster-out.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Battle of Richmond, Kentucky (August 1862)
• Garrison duty at Corinth, Mississippi (1862–1863)
• Action at Collierville, Tennessee (October 1863)
• Atlanta Campaign (May–September 1864): Resaca, Lay’s Ferry, Rome Cross Roads, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro
• March to the Sea (November–December 1864)
• Campaign of the Carolinas (1865)

Casualties

The original strength of the 66th Indiana Infantry was 1,017 men, with an additional 101 recruits, totaling 1,118. The regiment lost 234 men by death during its service. There were 32 desertions and 15 men unaccounted for. Detailed breakdowns between killed, mortally wounded, and deaths by disease are not specified in available primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Lewis Wallace
• Colonel De Witt C. Anthony
• Colonel Roger Martin
• Lieutenant Colonel Roger Martin
• Lieutenant Colonel Thomas G. Morrison
• Major John W. Gerard
• Major Thomas G. Morrison

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 66th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and additional service details valuable for genealogical research.

To view the complete roster, visit the 66th Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XVI, XVII, XXXVIII
• 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, Vol. 3 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)