The 11th Indiana Zouaves (officially, "11th Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry") was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Service

3 Month

The 11th Indiana was enlisted in Indianapolis, Indiana, to serve 90 days, with

Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, artist, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Walla ...

as its colonel and

George McGinnis George F. McGinnis (August 12, 1950 – December 14, 2023) was an American professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball ...

as lieutenant colonel. The regiment was sent to western Virginia and saw only minimal action during a raid on the town of Romney. It then returned to Indianapolis to be mustered out as its enlistment had expired.

3 Year

The 11th Indiana was reorganized in Indianapolis with Wallace and McGinnis returning as colonel and lieutenant colonel. Wallace trained the 11th Indiana in

Zouave The Zouaves () were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army and other units modelled on it, which served between 1830 and 1962, and served in French North Africa. The zouaves were among the most decorated units of the French Army ...

tactics and the regiment became known as Wallace's Zouaves. The uniform consisted of a grey jacket with red trimming, a grey kepi with red braiding, a dark blue zouave vest, and grey pantaloons. Later they received a new uniform consisting of a black zouave jacket with skyblue trimming, a red kepi with a dark blue band, and sky blue pantaloons. The regiment was sent to Paducah, Kentucky and from there joined Ulysses S. Grant's expedition against Fort Henry. Before they went into action, Wallace was promoted to brigadier general and McGinnis became the regiment's colonel. McGinnis led the regiment at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and Shiloh. After Shiloh, McGinnis was promoted to brigadier general and Daniel Macauley became regimental colonel. Macauley led the regiment during the

Vicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg campaigns were a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi ...

and the subsequent

siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed th ...

. After the fall of Vicksburg, the 11th Indiana was transferred for duty in the Department of the Gulf. In July, 1864 the regiment was ordered to Washington, DC and joined

Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...

's Army of the Shenandoah. With Macauley in command the regiment fought at the battles of Opequon, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. It remained on garrison duty in the Shenandoah Valley until it was mustered out on July 26, 1865.

Legacy

The USL franchise,

Indy Eleven Indy Eleven is an American professional association football, soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League (2011–2017), North American Soccer League (NASL) in 2014, b ...

, was named specifically for the 11th Indiana Infantry.

Notes/References/Sources

Notes References Sources * * * * *

External links