124th Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 124th Indiana Infantry was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Richmond, Indiana, the regiment was mustered into Federal service on March 10, 1864. The unit was formed by consolidating companies from Indiana’s 5th and 6th Congressional districts. The 124th Indiana Infantry participated in operations in the Western Theater, serving primarily with the Army of the Cumberland and later in North Carolina.

Organization & Service

The 124th Indiana Infantry was organized by combining three companies originally raised for the 125th Indiana with seven companies from the 5th Congressional district, all rendezvousing at Richmond, Indiana. The regiment was mustered in on March 10, 1864, and departed Indiana on March 19, traveling via Louisville to Nashville, Tennessee. Upon arrival, it was assigned to a division commanded by General Alvin P. Hovey.

On April 5, 1864, the regiment moved to Athens, Tennessee, where its left wing was temporarily detached and sent to Columbus. The regiment reunited at Columbus and marched with its corps toward Red Clay, Georgia. The 124th Indiana saw its first engagement at Buzzard Roost and participated in frequent skirmishes near Resaca and Kingston. It was involved in sharp fighting at Lost Mountain and was actively engaged at Kennesaw Mountain. Colonel James Burgess resigned on July 9, 1864, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel John M. Orr.

The regiment continued in near-constant skirmishing until reaching Atlanta, where it fought in the Battle of Atlanta on July 22 and participated in the subsequent siege. It was engaged at Jonesboro and then camped at Decatur until October 4, 1864. The 124th Indiana then joined the pursuit of Confederate General Hood, skirmishing at the Oostanaula River and advancing as far as Gaylesville, Alabama. The regiment moved through Cedar Bluffs and Dalton to Nashville, joining General George H. Thomas’s command.

In November 1864, the regiment moved to Pulaski and then to Columbia, Tennessee, where it was engaged in skirmishes for two days. During the march toward Franklin, it fought at Spring Hill, where Company C was captured. The 124th Indiana participated in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, repelling repeated assaults, and was next engaged in the Battle of Nashville. Afterward, it joined the pursuit of Hood’s army as far as Columbia, then moved to Clifton, Tennessee, and embarked for Cincinnati. The regiment proceeded to Washington, D.C., arriving on January 30, 1865, and then sailed for Morehead City, North Carolina, arriving February 27.

From New Berne, the regiment marched toward Kinston, fighting at Wise’s Forks and helping to repel a Confederate assault. It then advanced to Goldsboro, joining Sherman’s army on March 21, 1865. The 124th Indiana was stationed at Lenoir Institute for a short period before moving to Greensboro on May 3 and then to Charlotte, North Carolina. The regiment returned to Greensboro on July 13 and remained there until mustering out on August 31, 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

  • Buzzard Roost, Georgia
  • Skirmishes near Resaca and Kingston, Georgia
  • Lost Mountain, Georgia
  • Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia
  • Siege and Battle of Atlanta, Georgia (July 22, 1864)
  • Jonesboro, Georgia
  • Decatur, Georgia (camped)
  • Pursuit of Hood (October–November 1864)
  • Oostanaula River, Georgia
  • Gaylesville, Alabama
  • Columbia, Tennessee (skirmishes)
  • Spring Hill, Tennessee
  • Battle of Franklin, Tennessee (November 30, 1864)
  • Battle of Nashville, Tennessee (December 15–16, 1864)
  • Pursuit of Hood to Columbia, Tennessee
  • Wise’s Forks, North Carolina (March 1865)
  • Goldsboro, North Carolina (March 21, 1865)

Casualties

  • Original strength: 958
  • Gained by recruits: 79
  • Total enrolled: 1,037
  • Loss by death: 149
  • Deserted: 37
  • Unaccounted for: 6

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources regarding the breakdown of casualties by cause.

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel James Burgess
  • Colonel John M. Orr
  • Lieutenant Colonel John M. Orr
  • Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. Neff
  • Lieutenant Colonel Henry S. Gibson
  • Major Henry H. Neff
  • Major Henry S. Gibson
  • Major John Messick

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 124th Indiana Infantry, including officers and enlisted men, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served in the unit.

To view the complete roster, visit the 124th Indiana Infantry Regimental Roster page.

Sources & References

  • The War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes.
  • Indiana Adjutant General’s Report, Vol. 7.
  • 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.
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