| 4th Indiana Cavalry Regiment 77th Indiana Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | August 22, 1862 - June 29, 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry & Cavalry |
| Engagements | American Civil War
|
| Commanders | |
| Colonel | Isaac P. Gray |
| Notable commanders | John T. Deweese |
The 77th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment during the American Civil War. Although originally mustered as infantry the regiment was later converted to cavalry and redesignated as the 4th Indiana Cavalry Regiment.
The 77th Indiana Infantry Regiment was organized in Indianapolis on August 22, 1862, with Isaac P. Gray elected as the regiment's Colonel. The regiment consisted of 2 separate 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. [1]
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. [2]
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. [2]
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. [2] [3]
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. [3]
| Company | Primary Place of Recruitment | Earliest Captain |
|---|---|---|
| A | Hendricks County and Marion County | Lawrence S. Shuler |
| B | No cities or counties given | John A. Platter |
| C | Warsaw and Kosciusko County | Joseph P. Leslie |
| D | Clark and Floyd counties | Warren Horr |
| E | La Porte County | Nathan Earlywine |
| F | Pike, Gibson, and Vanderburg counties | John T. Deweese |
| G | Lawrence County | Jesse W. Keithley |
| H | No cities or counties given | George H. Purdy |
| I | Warrick, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Morgan, and Boone counties | John Austin |
| K | Parke County | Christopher C. Mason |
| L | No cities or counties given | Josiah Hartley |
| M | No cities or counties given | Jonas Seely |
Regiment lost a total of 226 men during service: 3 Officers and 25 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 5 Officers and 193 Enlisted men by disease. [3]
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