The 20th Kentucky 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 ...

Service

The 20th Kentucky Infantry Regiment was organized at

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

Camp Dick Robinson In mid-May 1861, U. S. Navy lieutenant William "Bull" Nelson armed Kentuckians loyal to the Union and that soon became the foundation for his receiving authority to enlist 10,000 troops for a campaign into East Tennessee. On August 6, 1861, those re ...

, and

Smithfield, Kentucky Smithfield is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Henry County, Kentucky, Henry County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 106 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The mayor of Smithfield is Greg Gephart. Hi ...

and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on January 6, 1862. The regiment was attached to 22nd Brigade,

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union Army, Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed ...

, to February 1862. 22nd Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Ohio, to September 1862. 22nd Brigade, 4th Division, II Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Left Wing, XIV Corps,

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creatio ...

, to December 1862. District of West Kentucky,

Department of the Ohio The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River. 1st Department 1861–1862 Gene ...

, to June 1863. Unassigned, 2nd Division, XXIII Corps, Department of the Ohio, to August 1863. District of Louisville, Kentucky, 1st Division, XXIII Corps, to April 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Kentucky, 5th Division, XXIII Corps, to May 1864. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, XXIII Corps, to December 1864. Unattached, District of Kentucky, to January 1865. The 20th Kentucky Infantry mustered out of service on January 17, 1865.

Detailed service

The regiment united at Smithland and was ordered to Louisville, Ky.; thence to Bardstown, Ky., January 1862, and duty there until February. March to Nashville, Tenn., February 23-March 12; thence march to Savannah, Tenn., March 13-April 6. Battle of Shiloh, April 6–7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Phillips' Creek, Widow Serratt's, May 21. Bridge Creek, before Corinth, May 28. Occupation of Corinth May 30 and pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 6. Buell's Campaign in northern Alabama and middle Tennessee June to August. March to Nashville, Tenn.; thence to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg, August 20-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1–22, Glasgow, Ky., October 5. Battle of Perryville October 8. Camp Wild Cat October 17. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 22-November 9, and duty there until December 19. Ordered to Bowling Green, Ky., December 19, and duty there and guarding railroad at various points in Kentucky until July 1863. Morgan's attack on Lebanon July 5. Regiment mostly captured, at Camp Nelson until July 28. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., and provost duty there until May 15, 1864. Ordered to join Sherman's army in the field May 15. Operations and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 30-June 5. Ackworth June 3–4. Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11–14. Lost Mountain June 15–17. Muddy Creek June 17. Noyes' Creek June 19. Kolb's Farm June 22. Assault on Kennesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2–5. Chattahoochie River July 6–17. Decatur July 19. Howard House July 20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Utoy Creek August 5–7. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25–30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy's Station September 2–6. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., September, and guard duty there until January 1865.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 233 men during service; 36 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 194 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Sanders D. Bruce * Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Hanson

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. ;Attribution *

External links