The 4th Indiana Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment during the American Civil War. It was originally mustered as an infantry regiment as the 77th Indiana Infantry Regiment.
Service The 77th Indiana Infantry Regiment was organized in Indianapolis on August 22, 1862, with Isaac P. Gray elected as the regiment's Colonel. While organizinbg, it was redesignated the 4th Indiana Volunteer Cavalry and Like other volunbteer cavalry regiments of 1862, it was recruited as a twelve company regiment organized into three battalions as opposed to troops and squadrons of U.S. regular cavalry.. The first two battalions, each with its own commander. Major John A. Platter along with 4 companies were sent to Henderson, Kentucky, while the remaining companies were sent to the interior of Kentucky under Colonel Gray. For much of its early history the regiment served as reconnaissance against John Hunt Morgan who still threatened Kentucky with many bushwhacker and guerrilla warfare attacks. Platter's battalion engaged with Confederate troops in a skirmish near Madisonville, Kentucky on August 26, 1862, and again at Mount Washington, Kentucky on October 1, 1862. On October 5, 1862, Platter's battalion again engaged with Confederate troops at Madisonville. In the Spring of 1863 Platter's battalion joined the rest of the regiment, excluding Company C which was detached to the Western Theater. During the Confederate Heartland Offensive the regiment fought at the Battle of Munfordville and again at Battle of Stones River. The regiment later joined General William Rosecrans during the Tullahoma campaign and the Chattanooga campaign and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga. During the winter of 1863-1864 the regiment took part in the Battle of Mossy Creek where the regiment was lauded for its participation by divisional commanders. Remaining in Col Daniel M. Ray's 2nd Brigade in Col Edward M. McCook's 1st Division in Brig. Gen. Robert B. Mitchell's Cavalry Corps after the retreat to Chattanooga, it fought at Fayetteville, TN, during the lifting of the siege.
On January 27, 1864, the regiment took part in the Battle of Fair Garden. During the Battle of Fair Garden the Second battalion under Captain Rosencrantz along with the 2nd Indiana Cavalry Regiment and 1st Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment dismounted as skirmishers and charged the Confederate defenses supported by Eli Lilly's 18th Independent Battery Indiana Light Artillery. In March 1864 the regiment arrived in Cleveland, Tennessee and in May moved with William Tecumseh Sherman's Army of the Tennessee and Army of Georgia during Sherman's March to the Sea. The regiment fought at the Battle of Varnell's Station during the Atlanta campaign and skirmished with Confederate troops at the Battle of New Hope Church. Following the capture of Atlanta the regiment marched into Tennessee and engaged with Confederate forces at the Battle of Columbia in October. The regiment was later stationed near Louisville, Kentucky and was later moved to Nashville, Tennessee and then Waterloo, Alabama. The regiment later took part in Wilson's Raid, the Battle of Ebenezer Church, and the Battle of Selma.
Following the Battle of Selma the regiment returned to Macon, Georgia and alter to Nashville and went into the Provisional Cavalry Camp at Edgefield, Tennessee, where it remained until the regiment was mustered out of service on June 29, 1862. After mustering out the regiment remained in Nashville until all men were discharged and received their money for service in the Union Army.
For the entirety of the war Company C of the regiment served as a detachment belonging to the Headquarters of Union General Andrew Jackson Smith and was attached to the 10th Division of the Union Army's XIII Corps of the Army of the Tennessee. Company C participated in the following engagements: the Yazoo Pass expedition, the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, the Battle of Arkansas Post, provided reconnaissance at the Battle of Grand Gulf, the Battle of Port Gibson, the Battle of Champion Hill, the Siege of Vicksburg, the Battle of Jackson, the Bayou Teche campaign, Expedition from Opelousas, Louisiana to Barre Landing, the Battle of Grand Coteau, and provost duty in New Orleans. +Original Organization of RegimentCompanyPrimary Place of RecruitmentEarliest CaptainAHendricks County and Marion CountyLawrence S. ShulerBNo cities or counties givenJohn A. PlatterCWarsaw and Kosciusko CountyJoseph P. LeslieDClark and Floyd countiesWarren HorrELa Porte CountyNathan EarlywineFPike, Gibson, and Vanderburg countiesJohn T. DeweeseGLawrence CountyJesse W. KeithleyHNo cities or counties givenGeorge H. PurdyIWarrick, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Morgan, and Boone countiesJohn AustinKParke County Christopher C. MasonLNo cities or counties givenJosiah HartleyMNo cities or counties givenJonas Seely
Affiliations, battle honors, detailed service, and casualties
Organizational affiliation The 98th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized at Centralia, IL, and served with the following organizations: Unattached Army of Kentucky, Department of the Ohio November, 1862, District of Western Kentucky, Department of the Ohio March, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland (AoC) October, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division Cavalry Corps, Cavalry Corps, Military Division of the Mississippi
Co. "C" served detached as of October, 1862: Headquarters of Brig. Gen. Andrew J. Smith August, 1863, Cavalry Brigade, XIII Corps, Department of the Gulf September, 1863, 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, Department of the Gulf November, 1863, 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, Department of the Gulf January, 1864, 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, Department of the Gulf June, 1864, Unattached, Department of the Gulf September, 1864, rejoined regiment
List of battles The official list of battles in which the regiment bore a part:
Battle of Chickamauga Siege of Chattanooga Battle of Missionary Ridge Battle of Mossy Creek Battle of Dandridge Battle of Atlanta Battle of Fair Garden Battle of Resaca Battle of New Hope Church Battle of Kennesaw Mountain Battle of Jonesborough Battle of Selma
Company C Battle of Arkansas Post Battle of Grand Gulf Battle of Port Gibson Battle of Champion Hill
Detailed service
1862 Actions at Madisonville, Ky., August 25 and September 5, 1862 (4 companies) Lebanon Junction, Ky., September 21 Floyd's Forks October 1 Bardstown Pike, near Mt. Washington, Ky., October 1 Madisonville October 5 Duty in Western Kentucky until January, 1863 Operations against Morgan December 22, 1862, to January 2, 1863 Bear Wallow December 23 Munfordsville December 25 Burksville Road, near Green's Chapel, December 25
1863 Ordered to Murfreesboro, Tenn. January, 1863 Near Murfreesboro January 21 Expedition to Auburn, Liberty and Alexandria February 3–5 Franklin April 10 Triune June 9 and 11 Tullahoma Campaign June 23 – July 7 Eaglesville and Rover June 23 Middleton June 24 Guy's Gap, Fosterville and Shelbyville June 27 Bethpage Bridge, Elk River, July 1 Expedition to Huntsville July 13–22 Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16 – September 22 Reconnaissance toward Rome, Ga., September 11 Alpine September 12 Dirt Town, Lafayette road, near Chattooga River September 13 Reconnaissance from Lee and Gordon's Mills toward Lafayette, and Skirmish, September 13 Near Summerville September 13 Near Stevens' Gap September 18 Battle of Chickamauga September 19–21 Operations against Wheeler and Roddy September 29 – October 17 Valley Road, near Jasper, October 2 Scout to Fayetteville October 29 – November 2 Fayetteville November 1 Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23–27 March to relief of Knoxville November 28 – December 8 Mossy Creek Station December 24 Peck's House, near New Market, December 24 Operations about Dandridge and Mossy Creek December 24–28 Mossy Creek December 26 Talbot's Station December 28 Mossy Creek, Talbot's Station. December 29
1864 Near Mossy Creek January 11–12, 1864 (Detachment) Operations about Dandridge January 16–17, 1864 Bend of Chucky Road, near Dandridge, January 16 Dandridge January 17 Operations about Dandridge January 26–28 Fair Garden January 27 Swann's Island January 28 Reconnaissance toward Seviersville February 1–2 Dandridge February 17 Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May to September Demonstrations on Dalton May 9–13 Tilton May 13 Battle of Resaca May 14–15 Advance on Dallas May 18–25 Stilesboro May 23 Burnt Hickory May 24 Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25 – June 5 Near Burned Church May 26 and May 30 – June 1 Ackworth June 3–4 Big Shanty June 6 Ackworth June 10 Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10 – July 2 Allatoona June 15 Lost Mountain June 15–17 Assault on Kenesaw June 27 On line of Nickajack Creek July 2–5 Chattahoochie River July 5–17 Siege of Atlanta July 22 – August 25 McCook's Raid on Atlanta and West Point R. R. July 27–31 Campbellton July 28 Lovejoy Station July 29 Clear Creek and Newnan's July 30 Expedition to Jasper August 11–15 Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25–30 Rousseau's pursuit of Wheeler September 24 – October 18 Pulaski September 26–27 Operations against Hood until November Ordered to Louisville, Ky., and duty there refitting until December Pursuit of Lyons from Paris to Hopkinsville, Ky., December 6, 1864, to January 15, 1865 Action at Hopkinsville December 16, 1864
1865 At Nashville, Tenn., until February, 1865 At Waterloo, Ala., until March Wilson's Raid to Macon, Ga., March 22 – April 24 Centreville April 2 Selma April 2 Montgomery April 12 Columbus Road, near Tuskegee, April 14 Fort Tyler, West Point, April 16 Near Opelika April 16 Near Barnesville April 19 Capture of Macon April 20 Duty at Macon until May and at Nashville and Edgefield, Tenn., until June Mustered out June 29, 1865.
Company C on detached duty 1862 Movement to Memphis, Tenn., November, 1862 Sherman's Yazoo Expedition December 20, 1862, to January 3, 1863 Chickasaw Bayou and Bluff December 26–29
Company C on detached duty 1863 Expedition to Arkansas Post, Ark., January 3–10, 1863 Capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, January 10–11 Reconnaissance to White River and St. Charles January 13, 1863 Moved to Young's Point, La., January 17 Duty there and at Milliken's Bend until April Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25–30 Battle of Port Gibson May 1 Battle of Champion's Hill May 16 Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18 – July 4 Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4–10 Near Baker's Creek July 7 Bolton's Depot and near Clinton July 8 Jackson July 9 Siege of Jackson July 10–17 Brookhaven July 18 Moved to New Orleans, La., August Western Louisiana Campaign October 3 – November 30 Reconnaissance toward Opelousas October 20 Opelousas and Barre Landing October 21 Grand Coteau November 3 Duty in defenses of New Orleans until September 1, 1864, when it rejoined the regiment.
Casualties Regiment lost during service included 3 officers and 25 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 5 officers and 193 enlisted men killed by disease, with a total of 226.
Commanders Colonel Isaac P. Gray, of Union City, IN - Took command September 4, 1862 - resigned February 11, 1863 Colonel Lawrence S. Shuler, of Danville, IN - Took command February 12, 1863 - resigned May 16, 1863 due to disability Colonel John A. Platter, of Aurora, IN - Took command May 17, 1863 - resigned September 9, 1863 due to disability Colonel (Acting) John T. Deweese, of Evansville, IN - Took command September 10, 1863 - resigned March 11, 1864 as a Lieutenant Colonel Colonel (Acting) Horace P. Lamson, of Centreville, IN - Took command March 12, 1864 - mustered out June 29, 1865 with the regiment as a Lieutenant Colonel
Notable people