77th Indiana Regiment / 4th Indiana Cavalry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 77th Indiana Regiment, also known as the 4th Indiana Cavalry, served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, this cavalry regiment was mustered into service on August 22, 1862. It served primarily in the Western Theater, participating in numerous campaigns and engagements across Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The regiment is notable for its active role in cavalry operations, including Wilson’s Raid and the Atlanta Campaign.

Organization & Service

The 77th Indiana Regiment (4th Indiana Cavalry) was organized at Indianapolis and mustered in on August 22, 1862. Upon leaving Indiana, the regiment was divided into battalions: one under Major John A. Platter proceeded to Henderson, Kentucky, and engaged in skirmishes at Madisonville and Mt. Washington; another battalion moved to Louisville and then to Missouri; the third, under Colonel Isaac P. Gray, was stationed at Madison, Indiana, before moving to Vevay and Frankfort, Kentucky, arriving there on October 24, 1862.

The regiment was stationed at Gallatin, Tennessee, monitoring Confederate cavalry under John Hunt Morgan, and fought near Munfordville in December 1862. In January 1863, the regiment moved into Tennessee, participating in skirmishes near Murfreesboro in March. At this time, the regiment was consolidated, except for Company C, which served as General A. J. Smith’s escort.

The 4th Indiana Cavalry joined the Army of the Cumberland for the Tullahoma and Chattanooga campaigns, fighting at Chickamauga and Fayetteville, Tennessee. The regiment spent the winter in East Tennessee, actively engaged at Mossy Creek, Talbott’s Station, Dandridge, and notably at Fair Garden, where it captured a Confederate battery and battle flag. Lieutenant Colonel Joseph P. Lesslie was killed in this action.

In March 1864, the regiment joined Sherman’s cavalry, participating in actions at Varnell’s Station, Burnt Church, and the McCook Raid, including the engagement at Newnan. After the fall of Atlanta, the regiment moved into Tennessee and fought at Columbia in October 1864. It was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Military Division of the Mississippi, near Louisville in November, and operated near Nashville in January 1865 and near Waterloo, Alabama, in February. The regiment took part in Wilson’s Raid through Alabama, fighting at Plantersville and Selma in April 1865, before moving into Georgia and returning to Nashville in May. Company C, after serving as General Smith’s escort and participating in the siege of Vicksburg and the Red River Expedition, rejoined the regiment in 1864 and remained until discharge. The regiment was mustered out at Nashville on June 29, 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

  • Skirmishes at Madisonville and Mt. Washington, Kentucky (1862)
  • Gallatin, Tennessee (1862)
  • Fight near Munfordville, Kentucky (December 1862)
  • Skirmishes near Murfreesboro, Tennessee (March 1863)
  • Tullahoma Campaign (1863)
  • Battle of Chickamauga (September 1863)
  • Fayetteville, Tennessee (November 1, 1863)
  • Mossy Creek, Talbott’s Station, Dandridge, Tennessee (Winter 1863-64)
  • Fair Garden, Tennessee (1864)
  • Varnell’s Station, Burnt Church, Georgia (1864)
  • Newnan (McCook Raid), Georgia (1864)
  • Columbia, Tennessee (October 1864)
  • Wilson’s Raid through Alabama (1865): Plantersville, Selma
  • Operations with General A. J. Smith’s command: Siege of Vicksburg, Red River Expedition (Company C)

Casualties

  • Original strength: 1,223
  • Gains by recruits: 301
  • Total served: 1,524
  • Loss by death: 204
  • Desertions: 84
  • Unaccounted for: 54

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel Isaac P. Gray
  • Colonel Lawrence S. Shuler
  • Colonel John A. Platter
  • Colonel John T. Deweese
  • Colonel Horace P. Lamson
  • Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence S. Shuler
  • Lieutenant Colonel John A. Platter
  • Lieutenant Colonel John T. Deweese
  • Lieutenant Colonel Joseph P. Lesslie (killed at Fair Garden)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Horace P. Lamson
  • Lieutenant Colonel George H. Purdy
  • Major John A. Platter
  • Major Nathan Earlywine
  • Major Warren Horr
  • Major John T. Deweese
  • Major Joseph P. Lesslie
  • Major Horace P. Lamson
  • Major George H. Purdy
  • Major Christopher C. Mason
  • Major William T. Pepper
  • Major John Austin
  • Major Albert J. Morley
  • Major Albert C. Rosencranz

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of the 77th Indiana Regiment (4th Indiana Cavalry), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides details on service records, ranks, and company assignments.

To view the full roster, visit the 77th Indiana Regiment (4th Indiana Cavalry) Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see Western Theater cavalry operations, 1862–1865)
  • Indiana Adjutant General’s Report
  • Dyer, Frederick H. 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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