Hoosier Dusty Files - December 30, 1861 - 40th Indiana Infantry Mustered

A Year of Indiana History - 2016
A Year of Indiana History - 2016

December 30, 1861 - 40th Indiana Infantry Mustered
The 40th Indiana Regiment organized at Lafayette, Indiana and mustered on December 30, 1861. The regiment departed Indiana immediately, moving to Bardstown, Kentucky. From there it moved to Nashville, Tennessee and thence into Alabama After duty in Indiana, the regiment returned to Tennessee.  When When Confederate General Braxton Bragg invaded Kentucky, the 40th went in pursuit. Returning to Tennesee, the 40th saw action at the Battle of Stones River in December 1862. It next saw major action at Chattanooga during the battles of Chicamaugua, Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. Their enlistment expiring in December, the regiment reenlisted in January and returned to Indiana for a brief furlough. The regiment reassembled and moved to Cleveland, Tennessee in time to move against Atlanta during General Tecumseh Sherman's mart to the sea. The regiment saw action in all of the battles and skirmishes of that campaign. After Atlanta's capture, the Regiment returned to Tennesee to engage Confederate forces during the Battle of Nashville in December, 1864. The 40th took part in the Union Army's pursuit of Confederate General John Bell Hood's army as it retreated through Alabama. The regiment returned to Tennesee, then departed for New Orleans, crossing the Mississippi River to Texas. The regiment took quarters at Port Lavaca, Texas. The 40th mustered out on December 25, 1865, four years after it mustered in. Losses included 312 dead, 131 desertions and 29 missing in action.
Indiana possesses a rich history that is fun to read and learn. This Hoosier Dusty Files is in an easy to read “this day in history format” and includes articles from the author's A Year in Indiana History series. Visitors may read the articles as they appear or purchase the book:
A Year of Indiana History - 2016
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