Regimental History
When Governor Morton placed the call throughout Indiana to fill the quota for men needed for service to restore the Union in 1861, so many men answered the call that many men were simply turned away. They were asked to go home and wait for further instructions. Indiana's required number of regiments to answer Abraham Lincoln's call for troops was 6 regiments. In deference to the 5 regiments of Indiana's volunteer infantry that saw service in the Mexican War, the infantry regiments raised were numbered starting with the 6th regiment. Thus the first 6 regiments (organized for duty lasting 90 days' duration) were the 6th through the 11th Regiments of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
Some of the men who were asked to go home and await another call for duty simply did not want to wait. The scuttlebutt was that any further calls for men would be for 3 years' service. The majority of them saw no problems with this, but enough men balked at the idea of being gone from family and home that long that a crisis arose. Many men swore that they would not sign an enlistment for 3 years, and the integrity of many companies answering the call began to evaporate.
A solution to this crisis came from the governor's office in a compromise agreement to enlist 2 regiments for 1 year's service in the state. Placated by the offer of reduced service most of the dissenters went ahead and signed the enlistment for 1 year.
The war, as most wars do, lasted much longer than the early, optimistic estimates and men were needed for the duration. After having served their enlistment obligations for the 1 year agreed upon; and, in spite of the fact they did not wish to, the men of the 12th Indiana were mustered out in Washington and sent home to Indiana.
Many men, sought out by newly enlisting regiments, joined other companies in other regiments. Their reasons were as varied as their last names, but many were seeking higher rank and others did not want to wait to be called again with no choice as to their new comrades.
Some, however, sought permission from Governor Morton to reenlist as the 12th Regiment of Indiana Infantry Volunteers for 3 years' service. Low turnouts at the recruiting stations in the spring of 1862 hampered the efforts of these men, but a subsequent call from Washington for more volunteers expedited the efforts of recruiters across the state and many new regiments were sworn in along side of the veterans and recruits comprising the 3 year regiment of the 12th Indiana.
Regimental histories for both the 1 year's service regiment and the 3 years' service regiment are given as follows.
12th Regiment Infantry (1 Year)
Organized at Indianapolis, IN., for one year's State service May 11, 1861
Ordered to Evansville, IN., June 11, 1861
Transferred to U.S. service, July 18, 1861
Left Indiana for Baltimore, Md., July 23, 1861
Moved to Sandy Hook, Md., July 28, 1861
2nd Brigade, Williams' 1st Division, Banks' 5th Army Corps, to April, 1862
Dept. of the Shenandoah to May, 1862.
SERVICE.--Duty at Harper's Ferry, Va., Williamsport and Sharpsburg, Md., until March, 1862. Advance on Winchester, Va., March 1-12. Skirmish at Stephenson's Station, near Winchester, March 11. Operations in the Shenandoah Valley until April. Duty at Warrenton Junction, Va., April 3-May 5. Reconnaissance to Rappahannock River and skirmish at Rappahannock Crossing April 18. March to Washington, D.C., May 5, and mustered out May 14, 1862. Expiration of term.
Regiment lost during service 24 Enlisted men by disease.
12th Regiment Infantry (3 Years)
Organized at Indianapolis, Ind., May 27 to August 27, 1862, and mustered in August 17, 1862.
Left State for Kentucky August 21. Attached to Cruft's Brigade, Army of Kentucky, and moved to Richmond, Ky.
Battle of Richmond, Ky., August 30. Regiment mostly captured, paroled and sent to Indianapolis, Ind., for reorganization.
Action at Lexington, Ky., September 2 (Detachment).
Regiment left Indianapolis, Ind., for Memphis, Tenn., November 23, 1862.
Attached to 2nd Brigade, District of Memphis, Tenn., 13th Army Corps (Old), to December, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, District of Memphis, 13th Army Corps, December, 1862. 1st Brigade,
1st Division, 17th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to January, 1863.
1st Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, to July, 1863. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 15th Army Corps, to September, 1864.
1st Brigade, 1st Division, 15th Army Corps, to June, 1865.
SERVICE.--Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign November-December, 1862. Action at Holly Springs, Miss., December 20, 1862. Duty at Grand Junction and Colliersville, Tenn., guarding Memphis & Charleston R. R. until June, 1863. Ordered to Vicksburg, Miss., June 9. Siege of Vicksburg June 12-July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Duty at Big Black until September 28. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., thence march to Chattanooga, Tenn., September 28-November 20. Operations on the Memphis & Charleston R. R. in Alabama October 20-29. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Tunnel Hill November 23-25. Missionary Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 8. Duty at Scottsboro, Ala., until May, 1864. Atlanta Campaign May 1-September 8. Demonstrations on Resaca May 8-13. Near Resaca May 13. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Movements on Dallas May 18-25. Battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Brush Mountain June 15. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Chattahoochee River July 5-17. Battle of Atlanta July 22. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Ezra Chapel, Hood's 2nd sortie, July 28. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. 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. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Reconnaissance to Salkehatchie River, South Carolina, January 25. Salkehatchie Swamp February 2-5. South Edisto River February 9. North Edisto River February 12-13. Congaree Creek February 15. Columbia February 16-17. Battle of Bentonville, N. C., March 20-21. 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. March and review June 24, 1865. Veterans and Recruits transferred to the 48th and 59th Indiana Infantry.
Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 92 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 193 Enlisted men by disease. Total 295.