So he was active duty from '61 to '65?
All these numbers and ages....my brain is so tired from the day I've had, it's hard to keep up!
Seventeenth Infantry INDIANA
(3 years)
Seventeenth Infantry.ÄCols., Milo S. Hascall, John T. Wilder,
Jacob G. Vail, Lieut.-Cols. John T. Wilder, George W. Gorman,
Henry C. Jordan, Jacob G. Vail, Frank White; Majs., George W.
Gorman, Henry C. Jordan, James Thompson, William T. Jones
Jacob G. Vail, James U. Anderson, John J. Weller, Henry
Henley.
This regiment was organized at Camp Morton, Indianapolis, in
May, 1861, and was mustered in on June 12. It left the state
July 1, for Parkersburg W. Va., and on the 23rd reached
Oakland, Md.
It was engaged in constructing fortifications at Camp
Pendleton until Aug. 7, and was then ordered to Cheat
Mountain, going into camp at Elk Water. It was engaged at the
Green Brier River Oct. 3.
On Nov. so, it reported to Gen. Buell at Louisville, Ky., and
was assigned to Nelson's division. It remained at Camp
Wickliffe, near New Haven, from Dec. 10 until Feb. 10, 1862,
and then moved to Nashville. Col. Hascall was appointed
brigadier-general, Mar. 25, and was succeeded as colonel by
Lieut.-Col. Wilder.
The regiment left Nashville on Mar. 29, reaching Shiloh on
April 8. It was in the siege of Corinth and moved with
Buell's army through Alabama to McMinnville, Tenn., where it
was engaged in the attack and rout of Forrest.
It marched to Louisville, skirmishing with Bragg's rear-guard
at Munfordville, and was in camp at Bardstown until Oct. 18,
when it began the march to Nashville. It was engaged in
numerous expeditions until Feb. 1, 1863, and then moved to
Murfreesboro, where the regiment was mounted and kept on
scouting expeditions, being equipped with Spencer rifles in
May.
At Hoover's gap, it repulsed several charges by superior
numbers, and when reinforced captured 75 prisoners and 126
stands of arms, its loss being 48 killed and wounded. It next
marched to Manchester, capturing many prisoners, was in a
skirmish near Chattanooga on Aug. 21, and moved towards North
Chickamauga and Dalton.
It was in a sharp fight with Scott's brigade of cavalry and 2
pieces of artillery, near Ringgold in September, defeating the
enemy, and was in frequent skirmishes until the battle of
Chickamauga, in which the regiment several times broke the
enemy's lines and repulsed a severe charge with a counter-
charge, in which the Confederates were driven back, leaving
many prisoners with the 17th. The regiment attacked and routed
a brigade at Thompson's cove on Oct. 3, and was in a skirmish
at McMinnville the next day, driving the enemy from the town.
It also attacked a Confederate force near Shelbyville, driving
it from the field and into Farmington, where a charge was
made, resulting in the capture of 3 guns, a large number of
small arms and 300 prisoners. The regiment then moved for
Huntsville, Ala., going into winter quarters at Mayville, on
the 27th. On Nov. 18, 250 of the regiment marched towards
Chattanooga, destroying a quantity of the enemy's stores and
77 wagons near Ringgold, and a foundry at Cleveland.
On the 30th they run the enemy's lines into Knoxville, and on
Dec. 5, crossed into North Carolina, thence back into
Tennessee, and camped at Charleston from Dec. 14, to Jan. 18,
1864, when they joined the regiment at Nashville. About this
time 286 men reenlisted and were furloughed home, reporting at
Louisville on April 2. On the 18th the regiment marched for
Nashville and proceeded from there to join the movement on
Atlanta.
From May 10 until Oct. 31, it was constantly engaged in the
cavalry and scouting operations incident to that campaign,
being in many skirmishes and the engagements at Pumpkin Vine
Creek, Big Shanty, Belle Plain Road, Kennesaw Mountain,
Marietta, Chattahoochee River, Stone Mountain, Flatrock, New
Hope Church, Rome and Coosaville.
It left Rome on Nov. 1, for Louisville, leaving its horses
with Kilpatrick's cavalry. It was remounted and left for
Gravelly Springs Ala., on Nov. 28, and on March 12, 1865,
marched with Wilson's cavalry overtaking the forces under
Roddey and Forrest at Ebenezer Church 29 miles from Selma, on
April 1, where in a charge, the 17th captured 100 prisoners
and a gun.
It participated in the action at Selma, driving the enemy into
the forts, then out of them and out of the interior works and
from their position behind the railroad embankment, taking all
the forts from No. 18 to the river on the west side of the
town. It also took 4 pieces of artillery and 300 prisoners
and lost 12 killed and 80 wounded.
It then moved to Macon, GA, where it drove the enemy into the
city and saved two bridges which were about to be destroyed.
The city was surrendered, together with 3,000 prisoners,
including Gens. Howell Cobb, Mackall, Mercer and G. W. Smith,
5 stands of colors, 60 pieces of artillery and 3,000 small
arms. The regiment had but 451 men in this action, but the
enemy believed it was the advance of a large force.
The regiment was on post duty at Macon until Aug. 8, 1865,
when it was mustered out. Its original strength was 1,063.
Gain by recruits, 960; reenlistments, 288; total, 2,311. Loss
by death, 232; desertion, 161; unaccounted for, 82
Source: The Union Army, vol. 3
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Chickamagua after battle report:
Report of Maj. William T. Jones, Seventeenth Indiana (Mounted)
Infantry.
HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH INDIANA VOLUNTEERS,
North Chickamauga Creek, Tenn., September 26, 1863.
CAPT.: I respectfully submit the following report of the operations of the
regiment under my command from the 10th to the 21st of the present month:
On the 10th instant, crossing the Tennessee River, I moved with
the brigade on the Ringgold road a point within 1 mile of the State line, and
about 5 miles from Ringgold, where I remained during the night. Resuming
the march toward Ringgold on the 11th at 8 a. m., we came up with the rear
of the Ninety-second Illinois (that regiment having moved about forty-five
minutes in advance of the rest of the brigade) when about 1 1/2 miles from
town. Here rapid firing in front announced that Col. Atkins had found the
enemy.
My regiment was moved rapidly to the front and left, and having dismounted
my men I was ordered to move along the crest of a hill which ran parallel
with the road on which the command was moving. In the execution of this
order I arrived at a point opposite the town, without opposition, to find it
occupied by that portion of the command which had moved on the road, and
by Gen. Van Cleve's division. Here I was directed to mount my command
and move in advance on the Dalton road. I found the enemy strongly posted
on this road about 2 1/2 miles from Ringgold, where he checked my advance
with a fire from two pieces of artillery. I halted my command until the other
regiments of the brigade were thrown into position, the One hundred and
twenty-third Illinois on my left, the Ninety-eighth Illinois on my right, and
the Seventy-second Indiana closing up with me in the rear. We moved
against the enemy, and after some skirmishing drove him from his position,
and resumed the march toward Dalton, the regiments moving by the flank
and parallel with each other, my regiment being to the left of the road,
constantly skirmishing with the enemy. We moved in this order until we
reached and occupied Tunnel Hill, where we bivouacked for the night.
On the morning of the 12th I moved with the brigade in retreat to Ringgold,
thence on the La Fayette road to a point 1 mile from Rock Spring, where the
scouts of the regiment were detached and sent by a circuitous route to gain
the rear of a picket of the enemy, which was reported to be on the rad in our
front. Two companies were at the same time thrown forward on the road and
encountered the enemy's outpost, driving him from his position to the foot
of the hill near the spring. Here the enemy appeared in force, advancing
toward our position, and was checked by the two companies in front until the
regiment advanced, when he retired a short distance and took a position on
a ridge about a half mile from our line. The brigade being thrown into
position, my regiment being on the right and covering the road, we
advanced, the enemy retiring, hotly pressed by the Seventy-second Indiana
on my left. From this point the brigade moved in column by a road leading
westward in the direction of Lee and Gordon's Mills, my regiment being
ordered to follow and support the battery.
I marched in this order to within 2 miles of Lee and Gordon's Mills, where
I bivouacked for the night.
On the 13th I moved my regiment with the brigade to a position on the left
of Gen. Van Cleve's division, expecting an attack from the enemy, who
appeared in force in our front. We returned at night to the vicinity of Lee
and 'Gordon's Mills, where we bivouacked until the morning of the 14th.
On the 14th my regiment, with the brigade, joined our division near Pond
Spring.
On the 17th instant I marched with the brigade to Chickamauga Creek, near
Alexander's Bridge, and threw out a line of skirmishers on the south bank
of the stream.
At 12 m. of the 18th my line was attacked by the enemy's advance
and the regiment was ordered to take position to support the battery. I held
this position during the action and until the battery was withdrawn, when I
was directed to cover the rear of the brigade in retreat. This I did under the
fire of the enemy's artillery, and, following the brigade, I took position for
the night on the left center of the brigade and on the right of the road leading
from Lee and Gordon's Mills to Chattanooga, 1 1/2 miles from the mills.
At 4 a. m. of the 19th I retired my regiment with the brigade across the road
and took a position in the edge of a wood, fronting eastward. This position
I occupied during the day. At about 3 p. m. the enemy having repulsed the
division of Gen. Davis in our front, advanced on our position, but was
checked by our fire at a distance of 150 yards from our line and retired in
confusion to the cover of the wood on the opposite side of the road, my
regiment, together with the Seventy-second and the right of the One hundred
and twenty-third Illinois, pouring into him a destructive fire.
On the morning of the 20th I was ordered to retire about 1 mile, where I
again took position in line with the brigade. At 10 a. m. of that day the
action became general, and not long after that hour it became evident that the
forces on our left were being driven back in confusion. At this time the
command was given to charge the enemy. I followed the One hundred and
twenty-third Illinois from our position and formed my regiment on its right.
The men moved forward in good order, cheering and firing rapidly as they
advanced. The enemy was driven about three-quarters of a mile with
considerable loss, and the command was still moving forward when the order
of recall was received. My command took some prisoners here, but, as they
were sent rapidly to the rear and consigned to other commands, I cannot give
the number.
Retiring with my command in good order, to the crest of the hill in our rear,
I remained there until the order was given to move to our horses, 1 1/2
miles father to the rear. When the brigade mounted I was ordered to move
on the flank of and to protect the battery and train. Disposing my command
as required by this order, I reached a point in Chattanooga Valley about 4
miles from town, at 7 p. m. Here I remained until 11 a. m. of the 21st,
when I recrossed the river at Chattanooga and marched to this point.
My entire loss during the time included in this report was as follows: Killed,
4; wounded, 10; missing, known to be prisoners, 3 Total, 17.
The small number of casualties I attribute to the fact that we in each of the
positions occupied for any length of time constructed temporary breastworks
which protected us from the fire of small-arms.
In concluding this report, I do but justice in bearing testimony to the
gallantry of both officers and men of my command. All of them did their
whole duty.
To Capt. Vail, acting major, and Adjt. J. J. Howard, I am especially
indebted for their invaluable assistance. Capt. Boswell, who had been acting
major, performed his duty well until the morning of the 19th, when he was
accidentally wounded and retired from the field.
I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. T. JONES,
Maj., Comdg. Seventeenth Indiana.
Capt. ALEXANDER A. RICE,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen., First Brigade.
Source: Official Records
CHAP. XIII.] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 460-50
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 50.]
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