HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Indiana 53rd Infantry Regiment was orga-nized at New Albany in January and February 1862. It participated in the Siege of Corinth, then Vicksburg. It joined Sherman for the Georgia Campaign and Acworth in the spring of 1864, then participated in the March to the Sea and the Carolina’s Campaign. Following the surrender of the Confederate troops, the 53rd went to Washington, DC., and was mustered out in July of 1865.
OFFICERS:
Commanded by Colonel Walter Q. Gresham, a lawyer who had been born on 17 March 1832 and had enlisted as a Lieutenant Colonel at the age of 29 on August 27, 1861. Gresham was commissioned in Company S, 38th Infantry Regiment Indiana in mid-September 1861 and by February of the following year, had been promoted to Full Colonel of the 53rd Indiana
Field and Staff of the 53rd consisted of Major and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Duncan; Lieutenant Colonel Andrew H. Fabrique; and Captain William W. Curry, all of New Albany.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Organized at New Albany and Indianapolis, Ind., February 19 to March 6, 1862. Guard prisoners at Indianapolis until March 15. Ordered to Savannah, Tenn., March 15. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, District of Memphis, Tenn., to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, District of Jackson, Tenn., to November, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, District of Jackson, Tenn., 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 3rd Brigade. 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, to January, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, 16th Army Corps, to July, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, 13th Army Corps, to August, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, to May, 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, to July, 1865.
SERVICE:
Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30, 1862. March to Memphis, Tenn., via Grand Junction, LaGrange and Holly Springs, June 1-July 21, and duty there until September 6. March to Jackson and Bolivar, Tenn., September 6-14. Battle of Metamora, Hatchie River, October 5. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign. Operations on the Mississippi Central Railroad November, 1862, to January, 1863. Duty at Colliersville and Memphis until April. Ordered to Young's Point, La., thence to Grand Gulf, Miss., and duty there until June 12. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., June 15-July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Reconnaissance to Pearl River July 15. Duty at Vicksburg until August 15. Ordered to Natchez, Miss., August 15, and duty there until November 24. Expedition to Harrisonburg September 1-8. Near Harrisonburg and capture of Fort Beauregard September 4. Ordered to Vicksburg, Miss., November 24, and duty there until February, 1864. Meridian Campaign February 3-March 2. Veterans on furlough March and April. Moved to Bird's Point, Mo., April 28; thence to Clifton, Tenn., and march to Acworth, Ga., via Huntsville and Decatur, Ala., and Rome, Ga., May 5-June 9. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign June 9-September 8. Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Assault on Kennesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Turner's Ferry July 5. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Leggett's or Bald Hill July 20-21. Battle of Atlanta July 22. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-31. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Operations against Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. Shadow Church and Westbrook's, near Fairburn, October 1-3. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Ball's Ferry and Georgia Central Railroad Bridge, Peones River, November 23-25. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Salkehatchie Swamps, S.C., February 2-5. Rivers Bridge, Salkehatchie River, February 3. South Edisto River February 9. North Edisto River February 12-13. Columbia February 16-17. Fayetteville, N. C., March 11. Averysboro March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 20. Grand Review May 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June, and there mustered out July 21, 1865.
ROSTERS:
The roster of this unit has the names of 3026 men.
HISTORICAL NOTES: