82nd Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 82nd Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Madison, Indiana, and mustered into Federal service on August 30, 1862. Serving in the Union Army, the regiment participated in major campaigns in the Western Theater, including operations in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas. The regiment is noted for its involvement in significant battles such as Stone’s River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and the Atlanta Campaign.

The 82nd Indiana Infantry was attached to various brigades and divisions within the Army of the Ohio and later the Army of the Cumberland. Its service extended through the end of the war, and it was mustered out on June 9, 1865, after participating in the Grand Review in Washington, D.C.

Organization & Service

The 82nd Indiana Infantry was organized at Madison, Indiana, and mustered in on August 30, 1862. The regiment left Indiana on September 1, 1862, proceeding to Louisville, Kentucky, where it was assigned to a brigade in Major General Don Carlos Buell’s army. It participated in the pursuit of Confederate General Bragg through Kentucky.

Following the Kentucky campaign, the regiment moved with Major General William S. Rosecrans’s army to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and was engaged in the Battle of Stone’s River (December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863). The regiment remained in camp at Murfreesboro until June 1863, then participated in the engagement at Hoover’s Gap during the Tullahoma Campaign.

The 82nd Indiana fought at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, where it suffered significant casualties: 21 killed, 72 wounded, and 29 missing. During the subsequent siege of Chattanooga, the regiment was engaged in skirmishes in front of the city, fought at Brown’s Ferry, and participated in the assault on Missionary Ridge.

In May 1864, the regiment joined the Atlanta Campaign, taking part in the assault at Buzzard Roost (where Lieutenant Colonel Paul E. Slocum was mortally wounded and the regiment lost 25 men), and fought at Resaca, Dallas, Kingston, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and in front of Atlanta. On August 7, 1864, the regiment lost 26 men killed and wounded out of 105 engaged in a sharp skirmish, and later participated in the Battle of Jonesboro.

After the fall of Atlanta, the 82nd Indiana joined the pursuit of Confederate General Hood as far as Gaylesville, Alabama, before returning to Atlanta. The regiment then marched to Savannah with Sherman’s army and participated in the Carolinas Campaign, including the Battle of Bentonville. It was present at Goldsboro and Raleigh, North Carolina, before marching to Washington, D.C., where it took part in the Grand Review. The regiment was mustered out on June 9, 1865. Remaining recruits were transferred to the 22nd Indiana Infantry.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Pursuit of Bragg through Kentucky (September–October 1862)
• Battle of Stone’s River (December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863)
• Hoover’s Gap (June 1863)
• Battle of Chickamauga (September 19–20, 1863)
• Siege of Chattanooga (September–November 1863)
• Brown’s Ferry (October 27, 1863)
• Missionary Ridge (November 25, 1863)
• Atlanta Campaign (May–September 1864): Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Dallas, Kingston, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro
• Pursuit of Hood (October 1864)
• March to the Sea (November–December 1864)
• Carolinas Campaign (February–April 1865): Bentonville, Goldsboro, Raleigh
• Grand Review, Washington, D.C. (May 1865)

Casualties

The original strength of the 82nd Indiana Infantry was 938. The regiment gained 157 recruits, for a total enrollment of 1,095. Losses by death totaled 227. There were 33 desertions and 13 unaccounted for. At Chickamauga, the regiment lost 21 killed, 72 wounded, and 29 missing. At Buzzard Roost, it lost 25 men, and on August 7, 1864, it lost 26 killed and wounded out of 105 engaged. If casualty figures differ in other sources, those variations are not reflected here.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Morton C. Hunter
• Lieutenant Colonel Henry Davis
• Lieutenant Colonel Paul E. Slocum (mortally wounded at Buzzard Roost)
• Lieutenant Colonel John M. Matheny
• Major Paul E. Slocum
• Major Samuel A. Spencer

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of the 82nd 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 and historical research.

To view the full roster, visit the 82nd Indiana Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XVI, XX, XXIII, 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, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Volume 3