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| 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment |
| Dates | June 1861 – July 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Battles | Battle of Fort Donelson, Battle of Shiloh, Siege of Vicksburg, Atlanta Campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea |
23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment The 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment was an Union volunteer infantry regiment raised in Indiana during the American Civil War that served in major Western Theater campaigns including the Battle of Fort Donelson, the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Vicksburg, and operations in the Georgia and Carolina campaigns with William T. Sherman's forces. Organized in 1861, the regiment saw continuous service in the Army of the Tennessee and fought alongside units from Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky in operations against Confederate armies under leaders such as Albert Sidney Johnston, John C. Pemberton, and Joseph E. Johnston.
Raised in the summer of 1861 under muster authority from the State of Indiana, the regiment assembled companies from counties including Marion, Monroe, Jackson, Delaware and Vanderburgh. Its initial cadre included veterans of previous militia units and recruits influenced by public figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Oliver P. Morton. Mustered into Federal service at Indianapolis, the regiment was assigned to brigades within Ulysses S. Grant's District of Cairo and later attached to divisions under commanders like William S. Rosecrans and David S. Stanley.
Early service placed the regiment at operations on the Tennessee River and at Fort Henry and the Battle of Fort Donelson, where it contributed to the capture of Confederate positions and the surrender that elevated Ulysses S. Grant's reputation. During the Battle of Shiloh, the 23rd Indiana held lines against assaults by forces under General P. G. T. Beauregard and elements of Braxton Bragg's command. The regiment participated in the Siege of Vicksburg under General John A. McClernand and General James B. McPherson, enduring trench warfare and assaults that culminated in the Confederate surrender at Vicksburg. Assigned to the XV Corps, the unit took part in the Atlanta Campaign under William T. Sherman, fighting in engagements around Kennesaw Mountain and Atlanta, and later marched in Sherman's March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign. The regiment was present at the surrender of Joseph E. Johnston and marched in subsequent occupation duties until muster-out in July 1865.
Field officers included colonels and subordinate commanders who led the regiment in battles against Confederate generals such as Albert Sidney Johnston and Joseph E. Johnston. Senior regimental leadership coordinated with division and corps commanders including Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, James B. McPherson, and William S. Rosecrans to execute tactical orders during major operations. Company officers often came from local political and civic leaders connected to state officials like Oliver P. Morton and federal figures such as Edwin M. Stanton who influenced appointments and replacements during the regiment's term of service.
Throughout its service the regiment's strength fluctuated due to combat losses, disease, and reenlistments; it mustered roughly 800 men initially with aggregate enlistments reaching over 1,200. Combat casualties occurred in high-casualty battles including Shiloh and Vicksburg, while disease claimed additional lives during campaigns in the Mississippi River region and the Deep South. The regiment's casualty figures reflect typical attrition patterns faced by units in the Army of the Tennessee during prolonged operations, including killed, wounded, captured, and missing, alongside men discharged for disability or transferred under service pension rules after 1863 reenlistment furloughs.
Armed initially with a mix of state-issue and privately purchased small arms, the regiment carried percussion muskets, rifled muskets such as the Springfield Model 1861, and in some companies earlier smoothbore patterns until standardized ordnance allocations during 1862–1863. Soldiers wore Union pattern forage caps, frock coats, and pale blue trousers consistent with Continental-style regulation uniforms issued through depots in Cincinnati and St. Louis. Accoutrements included cartridge boxes, bayonets, and blanket rolls procured from quartermaster supplies under the supervision of regional supply depots like Nashville and Memphis.
Veterans of the regiment participated in Grand Army of the Republic posts, GAR reunions, and county memorials across Indiana, contributing to local monuments and veterans' narratives recorded in state archives and regimental histories. Memorials and cemetery markers in towns such as Indianapolis, Bloomington, and county courthouses commemorate the regiment's service alongside state monuments erected on battlefields like Shiloh National Military Park and near Vicksburg National Military Park. Descendants and historical societies maintain records, relics, and diaries linking the regiment to broader Civil War memory and preservation efforts tied to organizations like the United States National Park Service and state historical commissions.
Category:Units and formations of the Union Army from Indiana Category:Indiana in the American Civil War