Messmates of the 12th Indiana Infantry.

Robert Gray

Sergeant Major
Joined
Jul 24, 2012
Lemuel Hazzard and messmates from the 12th Indiana Infantry having a meal.

The soldiers are identified by numbers corresponding to names on the back of the tintype. The men are, from left to right: 1) J. H. Weaver; 2) N. B. McConnel; 3) L. H. Hazard; 4) Chap. Davis; 5) Geo. Deardorff; 6) Jo. Baker; and 7) Jim Williams. Lemuel H. Hazzard was Sergeant, 1st Lieutenant, and then Captain of Co. I of the 12th Regiment of Indiana Infantry. The 12th was organized at Indianapolis in August of 1862, and immediately left the state for Kentucky. The men took part in the disastrous battle of Richmond, Ky., when the green troops were routed by a more experienced Confederate force under the command of Edmund Kirby Smith; the entire regiment was captured. Hazzard, along with his fellow soldiers, was paroled by the Confederate authorities in September of 1862. The regiment was then returned to Indianapolis for reorganization. In November the men left for Memphis, Tennessee. In November and December, 1862, they took part in Grant’s Central Mississippi campaign, and then wintered in Tennessee, guarding railroads until June 1863 when the regiment was ordered to Vicksburg, Miss. The 12th fought at Vicksburg, Jackson, and then in the Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign, Atlanta Campaign, operations in North Georgia and North Alabama, March to the Sea, siege of Savannah, and the campaign of the Carolinas. After the war Hazzard moved to Missouri, worked as a carpenter, ran a furniture business, and in 1883-1884 was a clerk in the Railway Postal Service in Kansas City, Mo. In 1884 he resigned his position, owing to a partial paralysis caused by a railroad accident. He died in March 1904 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Image: The Huntington Library

p16003coll6_5114_full.jpg
 
Lemuel Hazzard and messmates from the 12th Indiana Infantry having a meal.

The soldiers are identified by numbers corresponding to names on the back of the tintype. The men are, from left to right: 1) J. H. Weaver; 2) N. B. McConnel; 3) L. H. Hazard; 4) Chap. Davis; 5) Geo. Deardorff; 6) Jo. Baker; and 7) Jim Williams. Lemuel H. Hazzard was Sergeant, 1st Lieutenant, and then Captain of Co. I of the 12th Regiment of Indiana Infantry. The 12th was organized at Indianapolis in August of 1862, and immediately left the state for Kentucky. The men took part in the disastrous battle of Richmond, Ky., when the green troops were routed by a more experienced Confederate force under the command of Edmund Kirby Smith; the entire regiment was captured. Hazzard, along with his fellow soldiers, was paroled by the Confederate authorities in September of 1862. The regiment was then returned to Indianapolis for reorganization. In November the men left for Memphis, Tennessee. In November and December, 1862, they took part in Grant’s Central Mississippi campaign, and then wintered in Tennessee, guarding railroads until June 1863 when the regiment was ordered to Vicksburg, Miss. The 12th fought at Vicksburg, Jackson, and then in the Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign, Atlanta Campaign, operations in North Georgia and North Alabama, March to the Sea, siege of Savannah, and the campaign of the Carolinas. After the war Hazzard moved to Missouri, worked as a carpenter, ran a furniture business, and in 1883-1884 was a clerk in the Railway Postal Service in Kansas City, Mo. In 1884 he resigned his position, owing to a partial paralysis caused by a railroad accident. He died in March 1904 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Image: The Huntington Library

View attachment 338835

Twelfth Infantry INDIANA
(3 months and 3 years)


Twelfth Infantry. Cols., John M. Wallace, William H. Link,
Reuben Williams; Lieut.-Cols., William H. Link, Reuben
Williams, Solomon D. Kempton, James Goodnow, Elbert D.
Baldwin, George M. Trotter; Majs., George Humphreys, Solomon
D. Kempton, James Goodnow, Elbert D. Baldwin, George M.
Trotter, Samuel Boughter, Henry Hubler.

This regiment was organized at Indianapolis in May, 1861, for
one year, was mustered in May 11 and left for Evansville June
11, to take the place of the 11th regiment for blockade duty.
It left the state on July 23, for Sandy Hook, Md., where it
was assigned to Abercrombie's brigade, Banks' Army of the
Shenandoah. Lieut.-Col. Link was promoted to colonel, when
Col. Wallace resigned, Maj. Humphreys was made lieutenant
colonel, and Capt. Henry Hubler of Co. E became major.

The regiment was in camp at Pleasant Valley and Hyattstown
until Sept. 11, when it moved to Williamstown, where it was on
picket and outpost duty by companies, with frequent
skirmishes, until March, 1862. It then marched for
Winchester, skirmished near there on the 11th, and was the
first regiment to enter the town the morning following its
evacuation.

It engaged in various movements until April 3, was then in
camp at Warrenton until May 5, and was mustered out at
Washington on May 14. Its original strength was 788; it
gained by recruits, 244; total, 1,032. It lost by death, 22;
desertion 83; unaccounted for, 1.

The regiment was immediately reorganized at Indianapolis for
the three years' service, and was mustered in Aug. 17, 1862.
It left the state a few days later, to meet the threatened
invasion of Kirby Smith, and participated in the battle of
Richmond, Ky., where it lost 173 in killed and wounded. Col.
Link was mortally wounded, most of the men were taken
prisoners but were paroled and were exchanged in November.

After the exchange the regiment moved for Holly Springs,
Miss., and marched to the Tallahatchie River in December. It
was stationed at Grand Junction in Jan. 1863, and in the
spring was placed on duty at Collierville, Tenn. It was
assigned to Logan's (15th) corps, Army of the Tennessee, and
moved to Vicksburg in June, remaining in the trenches until
the surrender.

It then moved to the Big Black River, where it remained until
Sept. 28, then went to Memphis and participated in the march
to Chattanooga. In the battle of Missionary Ridge it lost 110
in killed and wounded, then joined in pursuit of Bragg to
Graysville, GA, where it was ordered to the relief of Gen.
Burnside at Knoxville.

It remained in camp at Scottsboro, Ala., from Dec. 26, 1863,
to May 1, 1864. In the Atlanta campaign it was engaged at
Resaca, New Hope Church, Dallas, Kennesaw mountain, and
Jonesboro, losing 240 men killed and wounded between Dalton
and Atlanta. It joined in pursuit of Hood through Georgia and
Alabama and on Nov. 14 moved for Savannah.

After the surrender of that city the regiment joined in the
campaign of the Carolinas, being engaged at Columbia and
Bentonville. It then marched to Raleigh, Richmond and
Washington, and was mustered out at the last named place June
8, 1865, the recruits and drafted men being transferred to the
48th and 59th regiments.

The original strength of the regiment was 948, and it gained
by recruits, 384; total, 1,332. Loss by death, 293;
desertion, 8;unaccounted for, 13

Source: The Union Army, vol. 3

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So it was not the 12th Indiana Infantry that was so green at Richmond Ky. when Kirby Smith captured many of them. They had plenty of experience in discipline and a previous skirmish at Winchester. Of course to, the fighting in the west was a bit different than in the east.
Lubliner.
 
It then moved to the Big Black River, where it remained until
Sept. 28, then went to Memphis and participated in the march
to Chattanooga. In the battle of Missionary Ridge it lost 110
in killed and wounded, then joined in pursuit of Bragg to
Graysville, GA, where it was ordered to the relief of Gen.
Burnside at Knoxville.


Ok, now I'm a little side tracked. I know we've had CWT discussions where Big Black River comes up. Sanitary Commission reports talk about it as a huge battle- still have only a slight grip on the ' what happened '. When it doubt, ask here on CWT. It's not really off thread. Looking at men who went through this stuff gives me chills.
 
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