| 28th United States Colored Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Regimental Flag | |
| Active | December 24, 1863 – November 8, 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Charles Sawyer Russell |
The 28th United States Colored Infantry, also called the 28th Indiana Infantry (Colored), 1 was an African American infantry regiment from the state of Indiana that fought in the American Civil War.
On November 30, 1863, the United States Department of War authorized Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton to raise one regiment of infantry composed of African Americans. On December 3, the state's adjutant general issued orders to begin accepting enlistments, which began December 24. On January 12, 1864, the War Department notified Morton that the regiment would be called the "28th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops."
Reverend Willis Revels and Garland H. White, both ministers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, Indiana was the chief recruiting officer. Recruits trained until the end of March at a camp established on land owned by Calvin Fletcher, a prominent citizen. The camp was named "Camp Fremont" in honor of John C. Frémont, the 1856 Republican presidential nominee and Union army general.
Placed in charge of the newly formed unit was Charles Sawyer Russell, a captain of the 11th U.S. Infantry Regiment who was (on 1 May 1864) appointed Lieutenant Colonel and battalion commander of the six organized companies. On April 25, the six companies of the 28th left Indianapolis for Washington, D.C., where they were attached to the capital's defenses. [1]
The 28th sustained heavy casualties in the Battle of the Crater at the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia, on July 30, 1864, when nearly half of its soldiers were killed or wounded. William Fox (see references) put the 28th's losses at 11 killed, 64 wounded and 13 missing, a total of 88. Following the Battle of the Crater, the depleted ranks of the 28th were filled with four more companies of recruits raised in Indiana and sent to make the command a full regiment. The commander, Lieutenant Colonel Russell, was reappointed as the regimental commander with the rank of Colonel on 23 August 1864. Russell was also brevetted Brigadier General on 30 July 1864 in recognition of the 28th's performance at The Crater. [2]
After the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, the 28th was moved to the Mexican border in Texas as part of the American response to the French intervention in Mexico.
The 28th was formally mustered out in Corpus Christi, Texas on November 8, 1865. [3] It returned to Indianapolis January 6, 1866, to a reception in its honor. According to Frederick H. Dyer (see references), the regiment suffered a total of 212 fatalities: two officers and 45 enlistees killed and mortally wounded in combat and one officer and 164 enlistees who died of disease.
An Indiana historical marker commemorating the regiment was erected in Indianapolis in 2004.
The 14th Indiana Infantry Regiment, called "The Gallant Fourteenth," was an infantry regiment and part of the Union Army's celebrated "Gibraltar Brigade" during the American Civil War. Mustered on June 7, 1861, it was the state's first regiment organized for three years' service. The 14th Indiana served in many major campaigns and battles mostly in the Eastern Theater. During its three years of service, the regiment had a total of 222 casualties.
Henry Dana Washburn was a U.S. Representative from Indiana and a colonel and was breveted twice as brigadier general and major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Indiana, a state in the Midwest, played an important role in supporting the Union during the American Civil War. Despite anti-war activity within the state, and southern Indiana's ancestral ties to the South, Indiana was a strong supporter of the Union. Indiana contributed approximately 210,000 Union soldiers, sailors, and marines. Indiana's soldiers served in 308 military engagements during the war; the majority of them in the western theater, between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains. Indiana's war-related deaths reached 25,028. Its state government provided funds to purchase equipment, food, and supplies for troops in the field. Indiana, an agriculturally rich state containing the fifth-highest population in the Union, was critical to the North's success due to its geographical location, large population, and agricultural production. Indiana residents, also known as Hoosiers, supplied the Union with manpower for the war effort, a railroad network and access to the Ohio River and the Great Lakes, and agricultural products such as grain and livestock. The state experienced two minor raids by Confederate forces, and one major raid in 1863, which caused a brief panic in southern portions of the state and its capital city, Indianapolis.
During the American Civil War, Indianapolis, the state capital of Indiana, was a major base of supplies for the Union. Governor Oliver P. Morton, a major supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, quickly made Indianapolis a gathering place to organize and train troops for the Union army. The city became a major railroad hub for troop transport to Confederate lands, and therefore had military importance. Twenty-four military camps were established in the vicinity of Indianapolis. Camp Morton, the initial mustering ground to organize and train the state's Union volunteers in 1861, was designated as a major prisoner-of-war camp for captured Confederate soldiers in 1862. In addition to military camps, a state-owned arsenal was established in the city in 1861, and a federal arsenal in 1862. A Soldiers' Home and a Ladies' Home were established in Indianapolis to house and feed Union soldiers and their families as they passed through the city. Indianapolis residents also supported the Union cause by providing soldiers with food, clothing, equipment, and supplies, despite rising prices and wartime hardships, such as food and clothing shortages. Local doctors aided the sick, some area women provided nursing care, and Indianapolis City Hospital tended to wounded soldiers. Indianapolis sent an estimated 4,000 men into military service; an estimated 700 died during the war. Indianapolis's Crown Hill National Cemetery was established as one of two national military cemeteries established in Indiana in 1866.
The 65th Regiment Indiana Infantry, was organized in Princeton and recruited throughout the southern Indiana counties to fight in the American Civil War.
The 156th Indiana Infantry Battalion was an infantry battalion from Indiana that served in the Union Army between April 12 and August 4, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 155th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between April 18 and August 4, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 154th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between April 20 and August 4, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 141st Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that failed to complete its organization to serve in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The enlisted men were transferred to the 140th Indiana Infantry Regiment.
The 150th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between March 9 and August 5, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 153rd Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between March 1 and September 4, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 152nd Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between March 16 and August 30, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 151st Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between March 3 and September 19, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 149th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between March 1 and September 27, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 148th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between February 25 and September 5, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 147th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between March 13 and August 4, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 145th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between February 16, 1865, and January 21, 1866, during the American Civil War. The unit was organized very late in the war, and its service consisted of a few skirmishes and guard duty.
The 144th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between March 6 and August 5, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 143rd Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between February 21 and October 17, 1865, during the American Civil War.
The 142nd Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between November 3, 1864, and July 14, 1865, during the American Civil War.
