59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry

HISTORICAL NOTES: The Indiana 59th Infantry Regiment was organized at Gosport in the fall and winter of 1861 and was mustered in Feb. 11, 1862. It left the state Feb. 18, and proceeded to Commerce, Mo., being the first regiment to report to Gen. Pope for duty with the Army of the Mississippi. It moved to Benton and thence to New Madrid, participating in the siege of that place and being one of the first regiments to enter the town and take possession of Fort Thompson. It then marched for Tiptonville and assisted in the capture of over 5,000 prisoners. It embarked for Fort Pillow April 12, returning on the 17th, and then proceeded to Hamburg, Tenn. Gen. Buford was assigned to the command of the brigade to which the 59th was attached. The regiment was engaged from April 24 to May 29 in the movements connected with the march to and siege of Corinth, and then joined in the pursuit of the enemy to Booneville, Miss. Returning to Clear creek near Corinth June 13, it remained until Aug. 6 and then removed to Jacinto where it remained until Sept. 7. It then moved to Rienzi where it was joined by 250 recruits from Indiana. It was engaged in the battle of Corinth in October and pursued Gen. Price to the Hatchie river, after which it moved successively to Grand Junction, Davis' mills, Moscow, Oxford, and Lumpkins' mill. On Dec. 26, it started for Memphis as escort for the commissary train, then returned to LaFayette and back to Memphis, where it went into camp and remained until Mar. 1, 1863. It then moved to Helena, Ark., and embarked Mar. 12 on the Yazoo river expedition. It then took up the march for Vicksburg and reached Port Gibson just as the battle closed. With the 1st brigade, 7th division, 17th army corps, it was engaged at Forty Hills, Raymond and Champion's hill. Its skirmishers were the first to enter Jackson and its flag the one to float over the capitol dome. It formed the rear-guard for the 17th corps at the Big Black river and was the last regiment to cross and then destroy the bridges. It served in the trenches at Vicksburg, joining in the assault of May 22 with heavy losses, 126 being killed or wounded. It marched into Vicksburg July 4 and remained there until Aug. 5, when it moved for Helena. On Sept. 28 it reembarked for Memphis and then moved to Glendale, where it remained until Oct. 17. It marched for Chattanooga, took part at Missionary ridge, and went into camp at Bridgeport, Ala., where it was transferred to the 3d division of the 15th army corps. It was in camp at Huntsville from Dec. 26, 1863, until Mar. 3, 1864, when it proceeded to Indiana on furlough having reenlisted as a veteran organization on Jan. 1. It returned to Huntsville Apr. 3 and remained there until June 22, when it left to join Sherman's army. It reached Kingston, Ga., July 1, and guarded the bridge over the Etowah river until Aug. 26. It was then ordered to Chattanooga and marched from there in pursuit of Wheeler's cavalry. It moved to Tullahoma Sept. 1, returning on the 21st, and escorted a wagon train as far as Cartersville, Ga. It was again at the Etowah river from Sept. 28 to Nov. 12, when it proceeded to Atlanta and accompanied the army to Savannah. It marched through the Carolinas to Raleigh, thence to Washington City, where it participated in the grand review ; was then transferred to Louisville and mustered out July 17, 1865. During its term of service the regiment traveled 3,756 miles by rail, 4,618 miles by water, and 5,305 miles on foot. The original strength was 721; gain by recruits, 1,195; reenlistments, 240; total, 2,156. Loss by death, 221: desertion, 32; unaccounted for, 158. OFFICERS: Cols., Jesse I. Alexander, Jefferson K. Scott, Thomas A. McNaught;
Lieut.-Cols., Jefferson K. Scott, Thomas A. McNaught, Edward J. McBride ;
Majs., Elijah Sabin, Thomas A. McNaught, Edward J. McBride, John E. Simpson.
ASSIGNMENTS: Organized at Logansport and Indianapolis, Ind., February 11, 1862. Moved to Commerce, Mo., February 18-22, the first Regiment to report to General Pope for duty with the Army of Mississippi.
• The 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of Mississippi, to April, 1862.
• The 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of Mississippi, to April, 1862.
• The 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of Mississippi, to November, 1862.
• The 1st Brigade, 7th Division, Left Wing 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862.
• The 1st Brigade, 7th Division, 16th Army Corps, to January, 1863.
• The 1st Brigade, 7th Division, 17th Army Corps, to September, 1863.
• The 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 17th Army Corps, to December, 1863.
• The 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 15th Army Corps, to April, 1865.
• The 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 15th Army Corps, to July, 1865.
SERVICE: 1862
Siege operations against New Madrid, Missouri, March 3–14, 1862.
Siege and capture in the Battle of Island Number Ten, on the Mississippi River, March 15-April 8, 1862.
Expedition to Fort Pillow, Tennessee, April 13–17, 1862.
Moved to Hazaburg Landing, Tennessee, April 18–22, 1862.
Advance on and Siege of Corinth at Corinth, Mississippi, April 29-May 30, 1862.
Pursuit to Booneville May 30-June 12, 1862.
Duty at Clear Creek till August 6, and at Jacinto till September 18, 1862.
March to Iuka, Mississippi, September 18–20, 1862.
Battle of Corinth October 3–4, 1862.
Pursuit to Ripley October 5–12, 1862.
Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign.
Operations on Mississippi Central Railroad November 2, 1862, to January 10, 1863.
Reconnaissance from LaGrange November 8–9, 1862.

1863
Duty at Memphis, Tennessee, January 12 to February 24, 1863.
Yazoo Pass Expedition by Moon Lake, Yazoo Pass and Coldwater and Tallahatchie Rivers February 24-April 8, 1863.
Operations against Fort Pemberton and Greenwood March 13-April 5, 1863.
Moved to Milliken's Bend, Louisiana, April 13, 1863.
Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-April 30, 1863.
Battle of Port Gibson, May 1, 1863 (Reserve).
Jones' Cross Roads and Willow Springs May 3, 1863.
Battle of Raymond on May 12, 1863.
Battle of Jackson on May 14, 1863.
Battle of Champion Hill on May 16, 1863.
Battle of Vicksburg May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22, 1863. Surrender of Vicksburg July 4. Duty there till September 13, 1863.
Movement to Memphis, Tennessee, thence march to Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 13-November 20, 1863.
Operations on Memphis and Charleston Railroad in Alabama October 20–29, 1863.
Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23–27, 1863.
Tunnel Hill November 23–25, 1863.
Mission Ridge November 25, 1863.
Pursuit to Graysville November 26-November 27, 1863.
Duty at Bridgeport and Huntsville, Alabama, December 18, 1863, to June 22, 1864.

1864
Re-enlisted January 1, 1864.
Guard Bridge at Etowah River July 13-August 26, 1864.
Ordered to Chattanooga, Tennessee, August 26, 1864.
Pursuit of Wheeler August 27–31, 1864.
Duty at Chattanooga till September 21, and at Etowah River till November 12, 1864.
March to the sea November 15-December 10, 1864.
Siege of Savannah on December 10–21, 1864.

1865
Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865.
Salkehatchie Swamp, South Carolina., February 2-February 5, 1865.
South Edisto River February 9, 1865.
North Edisto River February 12–13, 1865.
Columbia, South Carolina on February 16–17, 1865.
Battle of Bentonville, Bentonville, North Carolina, March 19–21, 1865.
Occupation of Goldsboro, Goldsboro, North Carolina, March 24, 1865.
Advance on Raleigh, North Carolina from April 10–14, 1865.
Occupation of Raleigh April 14, 1865.
Bennett's House on April 26, 1865.
Surrender of General Johnston and his army.
March to Washington, D. C., via Richmond, Virginia, April 29-May 19, 1865.
Grand Review May 24.
Moved to Louisville, Kentucky, June, and there mustered out July 17, 1865.
ROSTERS: The roster of this unit has the names of 2620 men.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

REFERENCES: REF: Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
"The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3