20th Indiana Infantry Regiment
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The 20th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment 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 ...
. The Regiment was officially raised on July 22, 1861, by William L. Brown, the first Colonel of the Regiment, in response to President Lincoln's call for volunteers. At the time of muster, the regiment had 9 fighting companies lettered A-K along with a staff company for a total of 10 companies, roughly 1000 men. The 20th Indiana saw engagements in most of the major battles of the American Civil War, including the action between the first ironclads at Hampton Roads, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Siege of Petersburg. The Regiment was part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division,
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for the duration of the war.


Service

The 20th Indiana Volunteer Infantry was organized at
Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( ) is a city in and is the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of Lafayette ...
, on July 22, 1861. The regiment mustered out of service on July 12, 1865. It spent the entirety of its service in the eastern theater of the war.


Creation of the Regiment

William L. Brown, a veteran of the Mexican–American War, was given permission by the United States
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
to raise a volunteer
rifle regiment A rifle regiment is a military unit consisting of a regiment of infantry troops armed with rifles and known as Rifleman, riflemen. While all infantry units in modern armies are typically armed with rifled weapons the term is still used to denote r ...
to be mustered into service with the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
. Brown went across Indiana talking to friends in order to raise enough companies for the regiment. This was accomplished by various people in various counties over the course of June, 1861. Brown set the date of July 4, 1861, as the date for all companies to rendezvous in
Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( ) is a city in and is the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of Lafayette ...
, in order to be properly mustered into service. The Regiment was assembled between July 20–22, with the latter date being when it was officially mustered into service. The mustering process was markedly simple, due to the dire need of fighting men. The process consisted of the various companies being assembled in a large, open field. A mustering officer would walk among the ranks of the companies, looking at the general physical appearance of each man along with his hands. There are at least two documented instances of the mustering officer stopping to question the ability or age of prospective volunteers. The first instance involved a man by the name of Smith who had lost is right index finger in a farm accident. The mustering officer questioned how accurate Smith could be with a weapon, if he could hold a weapon at all with his disability. When the mustering officer asked Smith if he could "hit a man at 400 yards", Smith retorted "I wish you would step out there and let me try". Smith was sworn into the Regiment. The second occurrence involved a young boy by the name of Boulson who was standing on blocks in an attempt to make his stature look like someone who was of age to fight. The mustering officer quickly dismissed the boy, admonishing him to return to his mother. Boulson indignantly refused, and eventually ended up as a serving boy to one of the officers of I Company, 1st Lt. Erasmus Gilbreath. In this way, Boulson was able to stay with the regiment until he was of age to enlist, becoming a fifer in I Company and eventually Chief of Field Music for the Regiment. At the time of muster, the Regiment's officers and companies were as follows: *Field and Staff Company: ** Col. William L. Brown ** Lt. Col. Charles D. Murray **
Maj. Maj or MAJ may refer to: * Major (rank), a rank of commissioned officer in many military forces * ''Máj'', a romantic Czech poem by Karel Hynek Mácha * ''Máj'' (literary almanac), a Czech literary almanac published in 1858 * MAJ, IATA code for ...
Benjamin H. Smith ** Adjt. Israel N. Stills ** Reg. Qtr. Isaac W. Hart ** Ch. William C. Porter ** Surg. Orpheus Everts ** Asst. Surg. Anson Hurd *A Company **
Cpt. Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
John Van Valkenburg ** 1st Lt. William B. Rayburn ** 2nd Lt. John Hoover *B Company **Cpt. John Wheeler **1st Lt. Charles A. Bell **2nd Lt. Michael Sheehan *C Company **Cpt. Oliver H. P. Bailey **1st Lt. William C. Castleman **2nd Lt. Joseph Lynch *D Company **Cpt. George F. Dick **1st Lt. Charles Reese **2nd Lt. James A. Wilson *E Company **Cpt. James H. Shannon **1st Lt. John W. Andrews **2nd Lt. John E. Sweet *F Company **Cpt. John Kistler **1st Lt. John H. Logan **2nd Lt. Edward C. Sutherland *G Company **Cpt. Nathaniel C. Herron **1st Lt. William C. L. Taylor **2nd Lt. William H. Brittingham *H Company **Cpt. George W. Geisendorff **1st Lt. George W. Meikel **2nd Lt. William O. Sherwood *I Company **Cpt. James W. Lytle **1st Lt.
Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath (May 13, 1840 – August 22, 1898) was a Major (rank), major in the United States Army who began his 37-year career as a first lieutenant in the 20th Indiana Infantry Regiment, 20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment. Gilbreath ...
**2nd Lt. William I. Carr *K Company **Cpt. Alfred Reed **1st Lt. John I. Richardson **2nd Lt. Daniel D. Dote The Regiment, at that point totaling roughly 1200 men, left Lafayette on the 25th of July for
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, where they would be properly equipped with weapons, uniforms, and other standard-issue items. Upon arriving in Indianapolis, the Regiment made camp at Camp Morton. Meanwhile, William Brown, who had been made Colonel of the Regiment, gave the governor and the local quartermaster exact figures for equipping the Regiment. The officers in the regiment were told to procure their uniforms and weapons on their own, the enlisted men of the regiment received their equipment from the government supply. Standard issue uniforms for enlisted men, according to the journal of Erasmus Gilbreath, consisted of "a jeans suit, gray in color, and the coat or jacket was of Zouave shape with rounded corners and a braided edge". According to Gilbreath, the troops expected to be equipped with the new model 1861 Springfield Rifle. At that point in the war, the government did not have enough rifles to equip both the regular army as well as the newly recruited regiments, leading the government to substitute the more modern rifles with the much older 1855 Springfield Musket, which had been modified to use percussion caps. The regiment was reportedly so disgusted with their equipment that they threw their weapons down in the street in indignation. The Governor attempted to cool the situation by promising the first few companies would have the new model rifles at an expedited time and the rest of the regiment would have them as soon as possible. From Indianapolis, the Regiment was transferred by train to
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. Along the way, the Regiment busied itself by guarding various bridges along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Upon arriving in Baltimore, Col. Brown ordered the Regiments' weapons to be loaded and on half-cock, essentially indicating a preparedness to fire. This was due to the recent
Baltimore riot of 1861 The Baltimore riot of 1861 (also called the "Pratt Street Riots" and the "Pratt Street Massacre") was a civil conflict on Friday, April 19, 1861, on Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland. It occurred between antiwar "Copperhead" Democrats (the lar ...
, which was led by a group of Confederate sympathizers against the Union troops stationed in the city. Col. Brown, feeling that the populace might still be hostile to Union troops, ordered the regiment to load their weapons. From Baltimore the regiment was sent by steam ship to
Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...
, where they were camped until September 26, 1861.


Deployment to Hatteras Inlet

On the 26th of September, the regiment moved from Fort Monroe to Fort Hatteras, recently taken from the Confederates during the
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries The Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries (August 28–29, 1861) was the first combined operation of the Union Army and Navy in the American Civil War, resulting in Union domination of the strategically important North Carolina Sounds. Two forts o ...
, on
Hatteras Island Hatteras Island (historically Croatoan Island, sometimes referred to as Hatorask) is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Ca ...
in preparation for an assault against Confederate troops defending further up the inlet. 500 men in 7 companies were deployed to Chicamicomico Beach, Hatteras Island, on September 29, 1861. Their main objective was to dislodge an enemy force from Roanoke Island. The commanding officer of Fort Hatteras was in such a haste to have this objective accomplished that the men landed at Chicamicomico Beach without supplies or tents. Regimental Quartermaster Isaac W. Hart and a small detail arrived with proper supplies on October 1. However, the gunboat carrying Hart and the supplies was attacked by three Confederate gunboats shortly after Hart began unloading the supplies that afternoon. Hart and 47 men were taken prisoner, and the supplies and equipment were captured by the Confederate gunboats, who had kept the Regiment under suppressing fire to prevent any interference from land On the morning of October 4, Gilbreath sighted a Confederate fleet of nine ships steaming towards the current position of the detachment. It was believed that the fleet was carrying a detachment of Confederate soldiers detailed to cut off the regiment from Fort Hatteras, leading Col. Brown to decide to retreat. The Regiment returned to Fort Hatteras on October 5. Due to some good luck, the 20th Indiana was able to make it back to Fort Hatteras without any serious incident, as the Confederate ships carrying the majority of their troops had run aground far from the Regiment's position. It was later found out, after the Regiment had returned to Fort Hatteras, that in comparison to their 500 troops, who were all equipped with smooth-bore muskets and no artillery, the Confederates had sent down over 2000 troops to potentially capture the Union force. Little occurred following October 5. On November 3, a steamship arrived with the much anticipated shipment of rifles. On November 10, the regiment was ordered back to Fort Monroe.


Battle of the Ironclads

While stationed at Fort Monroe, the 20th Indiana was witness to the Battle of Hampton Roads, also known as the Battle of the Ironclads. During the CSS ''Virginia'''s initial successes, during which it sank the and burned the , the 20th Indiana aided wounded sailors who washed up on the beach and provided small arms support for the upon its arrival. General
Joseph K. Mansfield Joseph King Fenno Mansfield (December 22, 1803 – September 18, 1862) was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer. He served as a Union general in the American Civil War and was mortally wounded at the Battle of Antietam. Early ...
, commanding officer of the Coastal Batteries overlooking the battle, is reported to have become so engrossed in the battle that he "...forgot all else. At one shot from the Monitor, he would exclaim 'Damned it you're firing too high!', or to the Merrimac hen it engaged the Monitor'You cussed Rebel, you didn't hurt us a bit!'".


Seven Days Battles

In early 1862, General
George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...
devised a plan to take
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by transporting his forces via steamship to
Urbanna, Virginia Urbanna is a town in Middlesex County, Virginia, United States. Urbanna means “City of Anne” and was named in honor of England's Queen Anne. The population was 476 at the 2010 census. Geography Urbanna is located at (37.637796, −7 ...
and outflank the Confederate forces outside Washington. This became known as the
Peninsular Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...
. Union forces maneuvered up the
James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...
and disembarked at
Harrison's Landing Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkele ...
, then marching towards Richmond. The Union forces split at the
Chickahominy River The Chickahominy is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in eastern Virginia. The river, which serves as the eastern border of Charles City County, Vir ...
, with a smaller force on the southern side of the river. On May 31, Confederate General
Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American military officer who served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia declared secession from ...
, firmly believing the city could not withstand a major siege, counterattacked. The following battle became known as the
Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union's Army of the Po ...
(or Battle of Fair Oakes). Although the result was inconclusive, the Confederates unknowingly managed to halt McClellan's march towards Richmond. Following the Battle of Seven Pines, the regiment was officially transferred to the Army of the Potomac, under General McClellan. The regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade ("Robinson's Brigade"), of the 3rd Division (Kearney's Division), of the
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, commanded by General Samuel P. Heintzelman. Although the commanders of the Brigade, Division, and Corps changed throughout the war, the 20th was never reassigned.


Battle of Oak Grove

Coming nearly three weeks after the Battle of Seven Pines, the Battle of Oak Grove was McClellan's only offensive movement during the Peninsular Campaign. The action was meant to secure the Union left flank, so that McClellan could bring his siege guns into position just south of Old Tavern. The 20th Indiana was located on the left side of the advancing Union picket line. The regiment began advancing with the rest of the picket line at 8:30 A.M., and encountered mild resistance, with the majority of the fighting taking place on the far right flank of the Union line. McClellan ordered the advance to halt at 1 P.M., fearing that casualties would be too high. Upon surveying the field for himself, he allowed the advance to continue. During this pause, Confederate troops seized the opportunity to regroup, and at 5:30 P.M., launched a counterattack against the Union left flank, the location of the 20th Indiana. The 87th New York Regiment, which was in the immediate right of the 20th Indiana, broke under heavy pressure from the Confederate charge, just as the 20th was beginning a charge of its own against the confederate positions. This fully exposed the right flank of the 20th Indiana to the Confederate attack. Although the regiment initially fell back in "great confusion". Private Joshua Lewis of the 20th Indiana wrote that upon encountering the deadly flanking fire of the enemy, the men of the regiment broke ranks, and "So it was then, every man for himself...SO I ran as fast as I could, some ran for camp, but...stopped as soon as they were out of immediate danger." The regiment did rally on its colors and re-establish its picket line in roughly the same position it started when the attack began, and in doing so drove off three different Confederate attacks. The 20th Indiana incurred 125 casualties during the Battle of Oak Grove, with 11 dead, 82 wounded, and 32 captured. The 20th Indiana's losses were second only to that of the 1st Louisiana Regiment. Although it was the 20th Indiana's first time in action, it was highly praised for its ruggedness and ability to withstand fire.


Battle of Savage's Station

By the 27th of June, believing that he was vastly outnumbered, General McClellan decided to pull his army back to the James River in a tactical retreat. As McClellan did this, General
Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
formulated a plan to strike at the flank of the Army of the Potomac, potentially destroying it. His plan was, however, hampered by an unusual slowness that plagued Jackson throughout the Seven Days' Battles, as well as "poor staff work, faulty maps, geographical obstacles, timid division commanders (especially Magruder and Benjamin Huger), stout Yankee resistance" all worked to plague Lee's plan. Between the 28th and 29 June, most of the Union forces had pulled back to Savage's Station, one of McClellan's main supply dumps. The 20th Indiana bore witness to the Battle at Savages station, and was tasked with holding the station during the night until all possible Union forces had been evacuated. The regiment repelled two further Confederate attacks that night, eventually withdrawing with the rest of the Army towards White Oak Swamp. It is theorized that the main failure of Lee to destroy the Union rear guard at Savage's Station is due to General John Magruder's sluggishness to get his troops into battle, poor staff work at Lee's headquarters, and General Jackson's continuing sluggishness.


Battle of Glendale

The day after the inconclusive fight at Savage's station, Lee hoped once more to destroy the Union army with a concentric assault from seven divisions near the village of Glendale. Glendale was of vital importance to the Union withdrawal, as it was a major crossroads and rail junction. Without these intersections, the Army's march towards the James River would be cut off. The Confederate assault once more became mired due to Jackson's sluggishness, leaving only General James Longstreet's and General A.P. Hill's divisions to engage the five Union divisions stationed at Glendale. The 20th Indiana was deployed on the right flank of the Union line, under the immediate command of General Phillip Kearny, with General
George A. McCall George Archibald McCall (March 16, 1802 – February 25, 1868) was a United States Army officer who became a brigadier general and prisoner of war during the American Civil War. He was also a naturalist. Biography McCall was born in Philadelph ...
commanding the Union center and General
Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...
commanding the Union left flank. The attack started at 2:30 P.M., with Longstreet charging McCall's troops and breaking them, capturing McCall in the action. Hooker acted quickly and reversed the Southern breakthrough. Longstreet then turned his attention to the Union right flank, sending troops under command of Generals Pryor,
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, and Gregg in such great amounts, it led General Kearny to exclaim "such masses had I never witnessed!" The Confederates charged a total of three times, managing after each unsuccessful charge to regroup and renew the attack. Col. Brown of the 20th Indiana had taken the precaution of establishing a breastwork of rails and timber before the assaults, sparing numerous lives. Private Joshua Lewis of the 20th Indiana wrote that he was certain the other regiments behind the 20th, who did not have breastworks, certainly suffered greater than the 20th. During one charge, Kearny was in danger of losing his artillery batteries. Kearney charged the rebel line with the 63rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment, the 37th New York Volunteer Regiment, and the 20th Indiana, and succeeded in routing the Confederate advance and saving the battery. The battle continued until 9:30 P.M., with near constant firing. Private Lewis wrote that "We fired so rapidly our guns became too hot to hold on to". As light grew dim, it became difficult to distinguish friend from foe, leading one officer of the 20th to advance forward to identify troops he thought to be friendly, only be politely told by a Southern colonel that he was now a prisoner of the Confederate Army. Two companies of the 20th Indiana were deployed to the front, but in the darkness they went beyond their intended positions, prompting a minor Confederate assault on the two companies. This assault cost the 20th Indiana two officers, 1st Lt. Andrew of Company E (Killed) and Capt. Reed of Company K (Captured), along with 34 enlisted men. During the engagement, Brown reported that the regiment "'Behaved with great coolness', the men engaged in jesting, cracking jokes, and loading and firing deliberately as if hey were shooting attarget".


Battle of Malvern Hill

Following the failure to destroy the Union army at Glendale, Lee had one last hope to destroy "those people" (his term for the enemy). The Union army had taken up a position three miles south of Glendale on Malvern Hill. This position was 150 ft. high and surrounded by deep ravines, forcing Lee into a frontal assault on the defenders. The Union defenses consisted of four divisions and roughly 100 pieces of artillery, with about the same number in reserve. Lee believed, however, that the Union army was demoralized, and about to break. He came to this assumption based on various pieces of evidence from the past few days of fighting, such as the route of retreat being littered with abandoned equipment (including over 30,000 small arms), the capture of over 6,000 Union stragglers, and the sheer fact that the Army of the Potomac was in retreat. The Army of the Potomac, however, was not demoralized. 1st Lt. Gilbreath of I Company wrote that his men, although currently retreating from the enemy and having suffered significant losses during the previous battles, remained in high spirits. Disjointed communications led to the Confederate army advancing in small sections rather than all at once, which allowed the Union guns on top of Malvern Hill to pulverized the advancing Confederates. The 20th Indiana, along with the rest of III Corps, was held in reserve and did not see action during the battle, however the regiment did receive shots from the initial Confederate barrage, leaving 13 dead.


Second Battle of Bull Run

The failure of McClellan's Peninsular Campaign prompted president Lincoln to appoint General John Pope to the newly formed Army of Virginia. Pope's objectives were to protect Washington and the Shenandoah Valley from Confederate raids or invasion, and to keep the Confederate army from attacking the Army of the Potomac by moving towards Gordonsville. Lee, having reorganized his army into two easily controllable groups under Longstreet and Jackson, saw no need to attack McClellan as he no longer saw him as a threat and advanced his groups to Gordonsville to meet Pope. On August 27, 1862, Jackson maneuvered around Pope and sought to destroy the major supply depot at Mannassass Junction. Pope, seeing this as an opportunity to get rid of Jackson, rapidly got his disjointed Corps together during the night of August 28–29 through a series of forced marches, and then hurriedly threw them piecemeal at Jackson in an attempt to break his line. Because of this, Pope was unable to get more than 32,000 men into action against Jackson's 22,000. Even though Union troops broke Confederate lines at points, the Confederates hung on tenaciously and quickly filled the gaps. The 20th Indiana was rushed into the action on the evening of the 27th and arrived early in the morning of the 28th. On the 29th, the Regiment was maneuvered into position opposite an unfinished railroad which served as a sort of breastwork for the Confederate forces. After forming a skirmish line, the regiment advanced roughly two miles to drive the confederates out of their positions. The regiment suffered the majority of their losses in this action, but were successful in temporarily breaking the Confederate line. By 4:00 P.M., the regiment had crossed the railroad and had slowed their advance. While the 20th Indiana had been advancing, the rest of the army had come under significant pressure from Confederate forces, breaking parts of the Union lines. This prompted General Phillip Kearny to order the 20th Indiana to wheel left in order to prevent a potential flank attack. Moving into position, the regiment took cover among the high grass and brush provided by the immediate area. This maneuver prevented the regiment from being attacked head-on by a group of Confederate soldiers. As the Confederates passed by the regiment, Private Peter Schwartz of Company I suddenly stood up and opened fire on the Confederates. The regiment quickly followed Schwartz's example, completely destroying the extreme left wing of the Confederate advance. Shortly after this success, during a withdrawal ordered by General Kearny, Col William Brown was shot through the temple by a Confederate sharpshooter. Maj. Wheeler assumed command of the regiment. The regiment spent the night of August 29–30 in the field near the railroad. In the morning they were relieved and relegated to minor support roles during the rest of the battle.


Battle of Fredericksburg

Although General McClellan had routed General Lee's army at the Battle of Antietam, he did not attempt to pursue or destroy it. This irritated President Abraham Lincoln, who was looking to destroy the Confederacy quickly, leading to McClellan's removal as commander of the Army of the Potomac. General Ambrose E. Burnside replaced McClellan, and quickly came up with a strategy to take Richmond. Burnside's plan involved travelling up the Rappahannock river to the town of Fredericksburg, Virginia. While he did this, he would send a sizeable detachment in the opposite direction towards Lee's fortifications at Richmond to keep Lee guessing as to what Burnside was attempting to do. Burnside would then cross the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg, wheel his army left, and then advance towards Richmond behind Lee's fortifications, forcing him into an open battle where the North's superior numbers would inevitably win. Due to bureaucratic delays, delays in the vital pontoons needed to cross the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg, and luck on General Lee's part, Burnside was unable to attack until December 11, long after Lee had moved the majority of his forces from Richmond to the outskirts of Fredericksburg. Following the death of Col. Brown, Lt. Col. John van Valkenburg was promoted to command, with John Wheeler being promoted to Lt. Col. of the regiment. The Regiment formed part of the Center Grand Division, and was maneuvered to the middle-left flank of Stafford Heights. On Dec. 13, General Meade was instructed to assault the Confederate right flank, positioned around Prospect Hill. Although Meade succeeded in breaking the Confederate line, General
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did not send reinforcements to strengthen Meade's position. Meade's troops began to run low on ammunition, prompting Meade to withdraw from Prospect Hill towards his lines. In order to try to relieve the pressure on the Confederate troops, General Jackson ordered General
Taliaferro Taliaferro, also spelled Talliaferro, Tagliaferro, Talifero, Taliafero or Taliferro and sometimes anglicised to Tellifero, Tolliver ( ) or Toliver, is a prominent family in eastern Virginia and Maryland. The Taliaferros (originally , which means ...
forward to plug the gaps. This coincided with Meade's retreat and resulted in Meade's troops being pursued by Taliaferro's troops towards Union lines. The 20th Indiana sent into action to stop the Confederate pursuit. Crossing the southern pontoon bridges at double-quick speed, the regiment charged into the Confederate pursuit at approximate 1 P.M., taking 27 casualties. The Brigade the 20th was attached to took a total of 146 casualties. Following the battle, the regiment withdrew to its previous position near the town of Falmouth where they camped throughout the winter. During the Winter, Col. van Valkenburg was mustered out of service for disloyalty. Although many of the men firmly believed he was not disloyal to the cause, it was a well known fact that he was a very ardent admirer of McClellan, and had been indiscreet about his opinions on McClellan's removal from command. He was replaced by Col. John Wheeler.


Battle of Chancellorsville

Following the defeat at Fredericksburg, General Burnside offered President Lincoln his resignation from both the Army of the Potomac and the Army itself. Lincoln persuaded Burnside to stay in the army, transferring him to the western theater. Command of the Army of the Potomac was given to General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker. President Lincoln had since come to a firm decision that the primary objective of the Army of the Potomac was to destroy General Lee's army, rather than to capture a geographic strongpoint, such as Richmond. Hooker constructed a plan which would involve splitting his army in two, with one pincer attacking Lee's front and the other pincer maneuvering around Lee's rear to attack him from behind simultaneously. However, a combination of General Lee's daring and General Hooker's loss of nerve prevented this from happening. The Regiment arrived at Chancellorsville around 11:00 A.M. on May 1, and was sent into the field around 5:00 P.M. towards Hazel Grove, where the pickets were established for the night. The next morning, General Dan Sickles, commander of the III Corps, took note of a large Confederate column advancing along Catherine Furnace. Believing the column to be a flanking maneuver, Sickles ordered the 20th Indiana, along with the rest of Birney's division, forward to disrupt it. The division ran headlong into the 23rd Georgia Vol. Regt., routing and capturing hundreds of unsuspecting Georgians. The division advanced further and eventually stopped past a railroad cut near Welford House. While the surprise was sudden and very unwelcome for the Georgians, General Jackson had taken the calculated risk. Understanding that his movements along Catherine Furnace were being watched by the Union, Jackson had gone ahead and sent numerous regiments and supply trains down the road, seemingly daring the Union troops to come and attack them. When the Union did as Jackson expected, he took the opportunity to quickly surround the troops, which were suddenly separated from the main force. During the night of May 2–3, the 20th Indiana regularly increased their picket line until it was evident that they were surrounded by Confederates. By Midnight, they had learned that the Confederates had attacked the right flank of the army, cutting them off. Silently, the 20th Indiana and 63rd Pennsylvania withdrew their pickets and attempted to return to the line in the darkness, at points getting so close to enemy encampments that they could hear role being called. Upon successfully returning to the line, the 20th Indiana was placed in a new line supporting the artillery of Battery E, 1st Rhode Island Artillery, where they remained until the close of the battle. The regiment was attacked often, each time successfully repulsing the attacks.


Gettysburg

The beating that the 20th Indiana received on July 2 on Houck's Ridge was severe. The regiment suffered 152 casualties, of which 32 were killed outright including Col. John Wheeler who was struck, fell from his horse and died. Capt. Gilbreath recalled that it was a “sorrowful little band” after their participation in the battle. Oliver P. Rood, a private, earned the Medal of Honor on the third day of the battle for capturing the flag of the 21st North Carolina.


Total strength and casualties

Upon its inception, the 20th Indiana had 1403 men. During the war, 201 men were killed in action, and 570 were wounded, 144 were captured, 25 of whom died in Confederate prisons. The regiment had a 14.3% killed to enrollment ratio. A list of officers killed in action was kept by Capt. Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath of I Company, and is as follows: *1st Lt. John W. Andrews, White Oak Swamps, June 30, 1862 *Capt. James. W. Lytle, Orchards, August 19, 1862 *Col. William L. Brown, 2nd bull Run, August 29, 1862 *1st Lt. Ezra Robbins, Gettysburg, July 2, 1863 *Col. John Wheeler, Gettysburg, July 2, 1863 *Capt. Henry Quigley, Wilderness, May 12, 1864 *Capt. L. D. Corey, Spotsylvania, May 12, 1864 *Capt. John F. Thomas, Spotsylvania, May 12, 1864 *1st Lt. E. C. Sutherland, Spotslyvania, May 26, 1864 *1st Lt. J. C. Bartholemew, Spotslyvania, May 28, 1864 *Capt. Lafayette Gordon, Spotsylvania, June 6, 1864 *Capt. Charles A. Bell, Petersburg, July 9, 1864 *Lt. Col. G. W. Meikel, Petersburg, September 10, 1864 *Capt. William P. Thompson, Petersburg, October 7, 1864 *2nd Lt. William Dickson, died in Prison of wounds, July 1864 *2nd Lt. Johnathan Robart, died of wounds received at 2nd Bull Run


Commanders

*Colonel William L. Brown (Killed on August 29, 1862, at the Second Battle of Bull Run) *Colonel John Van Valkenburg (Discharged for disloyalty following Battle of Fredericksburg) *Colonel John Wheeler (Killed on July 2, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg)


Notable Members

* Oliver P. Rood, awarded
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
for actions at Gettysburg


See also

*
List of Indiana Civil War regiments List of military units raised by the state of Indiana during the American Civil War. Artillery units Cavalry ''Note: Cavalry regiments also had infantry designations.'' *1st Indiana Cavalry Regiment (28th Infantry) *2nd Indiana Cavalry R ...
*
Indiana in the 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 ...


References


External links


The Civil War Archive - Indiana Units
*{{usurped,

} Units and formations of the Union army from Indiana 1861 establishments in Indiana Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865