The 34th Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment, nicknamed ''The Morton Rifles'', 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 ...

. It had the distinction of fighting in the last land action of the war, the

Battle of Palmito Ranch The Battle of Palmito Ranch, also known as the Battle of Palmito Hill, is considered by some criteria the final battle of the American Civil War. It was fought May 12 and 13, 1865, on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Brownsville, Texas, and ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

May 12–13, 1865, and also of suffering the last soldier killed during the war, Private John J. Williams.

Service

Organized at

Anderson, Indiana Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census. It is named after Chief William Anderson. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God and its Anderson ...

, and mustered into service on September 16, 1861. Moved to

Jeffersonville, Indiana Jeffersonville is a city and the county seat of Clark County, Indiana, Clark County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It lies directly across the Ohio Riv ...

, October 10, 1861. To

New Haven, Kentucky New Haven is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 855 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Geography New Haven is located adjacent to ...

, November 15, and duty there until December 14, 1861. Moved to Camp Wicliffe, Kentucky, December 14, 1861, and duty there until February 7, 1862. Attached to 10th 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 ...

, November–December 1861. Attached to 10th Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Ohio, to February 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division,

Army of the Mississippi Army of the Mississippi was the name given to two Union armies that operated around the Mississippi River, both with short existences, during the American Civil War. History 1862 The first army was created on February 23, 1862, with Maj. Gen ...

, to April 1862. 1st Brigade, 3d Division, Army of the Mississippi. Garrison at

New Madrid, Missouri New Madrid ( ; ) is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,787 at the 2020 census. New Madrid is the county seat of New Madrid County. The city is located 42 miles (68 km) southwest of Cairo, Illinois, a ...

, to July 1862.

Helena, Arkansas Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phil ...

, District of Eastern Arkansas,

Department of the Missouri The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars. History Background Following the successful ...

, to November 1862. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Department of Eastern Arkansas,

Department of the Tennessee The Army of the Tennessee was a Union Army, Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. A 2005 study of the army states that it "was present at most of the great battles that became turning points ...

, to January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 12th Division, XIII Corps,

Army of the Tennessee The Army of the Tennessee was a Union Army, Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. A 2005 study of the army states that it "was present at most of the great battles that became turning points ...

, to February 1863. 1st Brigade, 12th Division, XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to August 1863.

Department of the Gulf The Department of the Gulf was a command of the United States Army in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, Civil War. History United States Army (Civil War) Creation The ...

to March 1864. Defenses of

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, to December 1864.

Brazos Santiago Brazos Island, also known as Brazos Santiago Island, is a barrier island on the Gulf Coast of Texas in the United States, south of the town of South Padre Island. The island is located in Cameron County. Brazos Santiago Pass partitions the b ...

, Texas, U.S. Forces, Texas, to June 1865.

Department of Texas The Department of Texas was a military department of the United States Army that existed from 1850 to 1861, and again from 1865 to 1866, from 1870 to 1913 and during the First World War. It was subordinate to the Military Division of the Missouri ...

to February 1866.

Detailed service

Moved to Green River, Kentucky, February 7, 1862, thence to the Ohio River, February 14, and to

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...

, with Nelson's Division, Army of the Ohio, February 17–20. Detached from Division and moved to

Commerce, Missouri Commerce is a Mississippi River village in Scott County, Missouri, United States. The population was 67 at the time of the 2010 census. History In 1788, the present site of Commerce was first occupied by French settlers, making Commerce apparen ...

, February 27-March 3. Siege of

, March 5–14. Siege and capture of

Island Number Ten Island Number Ten was an island in the Mississippi River near Tiptonville, Tennessee and the site of a major eponymous battle in the American Civil War. History In the mid-19th century the United States Government began to adopt a uniform num ...

, Mississippi River, March 15-April 8. Riddell's Point March 17. Garrison duty at New Madrid, Missouri, April 7 to June 14. Expedition down Mississippi River to Fort Pillow, Tennessee, May 19–23 (Detachment). Capture of Fort Pillow June 5 (Detachment). Moved to Memphis, Tenn., June 14–15. Expedition up White River, Ark., June 26-July 14. Action at Grand Prairie July 6–7. Near Duvall's Bluff July 7. Aberdeen July 9. Arrived at Helena July 14, and duty there until April, 1863. Expedition to Arkansas Post November 16–22, 1862. Ordered to

Milliken's Bend, Louisiana Milliken's Bend is an extinct settlement that was located along the Mississippi River in Madison Parish, Louisiana, United States for about 100 years. In its heyday, the village had a boat landing, two streets of businesses, residences, churche ...

, April 14. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25–30. Battle of Port Gibson May 1. Fourteen-Mile Creek May 12–13. Battle of Champion's Hill May 16. Siege of

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 21,573 at the 2020 census. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vicksburg ...

, May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

, July 4–10. Siege of Jackson July 10–17. Ordered to

, August 4, thence to Brashear City September 12. Western Louisiana Campaign October 3-November 30. Grand Coteau October 19. Carrion Crow Bayou November 3. At New Iberia until December 19. Regiment reenlisted at New Iberia December 15. Moved to Pass Cavallo, Texas, December 23, 1863 – January 8, 1864, and duty there until February 21. Moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, February 21, and duty there until March 20. Veterans on furlough until May. Garrison duty at New Orleans until December 18. Ordered to Brazos, Santiago, Texas, December 18, and duty there until June 16, 1865. Expedition from Brazos, Santiago, May 11–14, 1865. Action at the

, May 12–13, 1865 (last action of the war). White's Ranch May 13. March to Ringgold Barracks, 260 miles up the Rio Grande June 16–28. Duty at Ringgold Barracks until July 24, and at

Brownsville, Texas Brownsville ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border, border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas ...

, until February, 1866. Mustered out February 3, 1866.

Casualties

The Regiment lost during its service 2 Officers and 32 Enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and 5 Officers and 204 Enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 243

The last soldier killed during the

was Private John J. Williams, a member of Company B, 34th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was killed during the last land engagement of the war, the

Texas, on May 13, 1865.

Commanders

* Colonel (United States), Colonel Robert B. Jones * Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Morrison

Notes

{{Reflist

References

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

External links

Regiment History
34 1861 establishments in Indiana Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1866 1866 disestablishments in Indiana