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SOUVENIR THE SEVENTEENTH INDIANA REGIMENT. a history from its organization to the end of the war Giving Description of Battles, Etc. also LIST OF THE SURVIVORS; THEIR NAMES; AGES? COMPANY, AND F\ O. ADDRESS. AND INTERESTING LETTERS FROM COMRADES WHO WERE NOT PRESENT AT THE REGIMENTAL REUNIONS PREAMBLE. We are rapidly approaching the fiftieth anniversary of one of the most important battles of the great Civil War of 1861 to 1865. A large majority of its survivors have answered to their last roll call. On September 18 to 20, 1863, was fought the great battle of Ohicka- mauga, in which the Seventeenth Indiana, in connection with Wilder's Lightning Brigade of mounted infantry took an important part. In many respects Chickamauga was the fiercest conflict of all those that took place between the National and Confederate forces. Ere long the last survivor of that great conflict shall have passed away. On that account the author hereof, with the sanction of our beloved com- manders, General J. T. Wilder and others of the Seventeenth Regiment, de- cided to publish this souvenir volume, and he sincerely trusts that his efforts in its composition will be appreciated by the comrades, their families and friends. < At the last meeting of the regimental association, which was held in the city of Anderson, on September 16 and 17, on adjournment it was de- cided, upon request of General Wilder, that our next reunion should be held at the same time and place of the Wilder's Brigade reunion. Since that time the writer hereof has been officially informed that that association, at its meeting at Mattoon, Illinois, decided to hold the next reunion of the brigade at Chattanooga and Chickamauga on September 17 to 20, 1913: hence it is the earnest wish of the author to have the books completed and ready for distribution to the comrades at that time and place. CO r- 0) r CD 10 bJ i r- r (0 L S oo 00 T- > r- ,, > m IT J < 1 cc bJ ^ 2 J < 1 >> cc n (!) q: bJ 7^ j h i.i is 5 aj CD U > u x 7 o: a: Z Ql< I -> ^ n >- ^ m < I Q h i.i h z bJ CO bJ CC Q. SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT—THREE YEARS' SERVICE. Colonel John T. Wilder, Seventeenth Indiana Mounted Infantry. Commander of Wilder's Brigade. Brevet Brigadier-General August 7, 1864. The Seventeenth Regiment was organized at Camp Morton, Indianapo- lis, during May, 1861, and was mustered into the United States service on the 12th of June, 1861, for three years. When the regiment was first organ- ized there were ten full companies, but in October, 1861, Company A was taken out and organized into an artillery company and was known as Wild- er's Battery, named after Colonel J. T. Wilder, who afterwards was com- mander of the famous Wilder's Lightning Brigade of mounted infantry, thus leaving only nine companies, until August, 1862. A new Company A was recruited and added, making a full quota of companies of the regiment again. The regiment had a full complement of officers and men, mostly young men under twenty-one years of age. The companies making up the regiment were from different parts of the State, and not only represented every county in the State and twenty States of the Union, but had representatives from nearly every nation of Europe. On the 1st of July it left Indianapolis for Parkersburg, Virginia, which place it reached on the 5th, after stopping three days at Cincinnati. Remaining in this vicinity until the 23d, it took the cars and moved to Oakland, Maryland. Marching sixteen miles to the north branch of the Potomac, it was engaged until the 7th of August in con- structing the fortifications known as Camp Pendleton. Proceeding by rail- road from Oakland to Webster, and thence on foot up Tygart's Valley to Huttonsville, the regiment reached Cheat Mountain Pass on the 12th, and afterward went into camp at Elkwater. While in this vicinity the Seven- teenth participated in the operations of General Reynolds's army, including the battle of Green Brier, on the 3d of October, in which its loss was one killed. On the 19th of November it proceeded to Louisville, Kentucky, where it reported to General Buell on the 30th, and there lay in camp on Oakland Race Course until the 10th of December. Being assigned to General Nelson's Division, the regiment marched to Camp Wickliffe, near New Ha- ven, where it remained until February 10, lSt',2, when it moved toward Green River. Crossing Green River, it marched southward, arriving at Nashville on the 12th of March, and there remained until the march to the Tennessee River was begun. Colonel Hascall being appointed Brigadier-General on the 25th of March, he was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel John T. Wilder. Leaving Nashville on the 29th of March, the regiment reached the field of Shiloh on the 8th of April. It then participated in the march to and siege of Corinth, and after its evacuation moved with Buell's army through north- ern Alabama to McMinnville, Tennessee, where, on the 3oth of August, it overtook Forrest and attacked and routed him. On the 3d of September the Seventeenth left McMinnville and marched via Murfreesboro, Nashville, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown and West Point, to Louisville, Kentucky, ar- riving there on the 23th of September, after marching 270 miles and having a skirmish with Bragg's rear guard on the 21st, near Munfordsville. Leaving Louisville on the 1st of October, it moved to Bardstown, where it remained in camp until the 18th, and then marched to Nashville by the way of Leba- non, Columbia, Glasgow and Gallatin, reaching there on the 2Cth of Novem- ber. Between this and the 1st of February, 1863, the regiment was engaged in numerous expeditions in different directions from Nashville, and then moved its camp to Murfreesboro. On the 12th of February orders were re- ceived for the regiment to mount itself, and the following month was occu- pied in foraging and pressing horses, until the regiment was fully mounted, after which it was kept constantly moving on scouting expeditions. On the 18th of May the men were armed with Spencer rifles, with which effective weapons each man became the equal of seven men. After being mounted and until the close of the war the regiment was a part of the famous Wild- er's Lightning Brigade, which included the Seventeenth and Seventy-second Indiana, Ninety-second, Ninety-eighth and One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Infantry and the Eighteenth Indiana (Captain Eli Lilly's) Battery. On the 24th of June it moved to Hoover's Gap, where the enemy was strongly posted. The rebel force of five regiments of infantry, three companies of sharpshooters and a battery, made several charges upon the Seventeenth, which were repulsed gallantly. The regiment held the rebels at bay until out of ammunition, when reinforcements from the other regiments of the brigade coming up, the enemy were driven from the field. The Seventeenth captured seventy-five prisoners and one hundred and twenty-five stand of arms, and sustained a loss of forty-eight killed and wounded. After this engagement it marched to Manchester, driving the enemy and capturing many prisoners. It then marched on a raid to Cowan, after which it scouted the country in various directions, and on the 21st of August skirmished with the enemy across the Tennessee River near Chattanooga. After the evacua- tion of that place, the Seventeenth moved towards the North Chickamauga and Dalton, frequently skirmishing with the enemy. On the 11th of Sep- tember it marched to near Ringgold, where it met Scott's Brigade of rebel cavalry and two pieces of artillery, when a sharp fight ensued, resulting in the driving of the enemy to Tunnel Hill with severe loss. The regiment lost one and two wounded. Between this and the 18th frequent skirmishes occurred with the enemy, and on that day the division to which the Seven- teenth was attached was attacked in force and compelled to fall back. The next day the regiment fought nearly all day in the battle of Chickamauga breaking the enemy's lines every time he charged. On the 20th it repulsed a severe charge of the enemy, and then charged in return, driving the rebels and killing, wounding and capturing a great number. The regiment fought it was ordered back till 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when toward Chatta- nooga On the 1st of October it started, as part of General Crook's com- mand, in pursuit of General Wheeler, then in the Sequatchie Valley. On the rebel night of the 3d the regiment attacked Crews brigade at Thompson's capturing a number of arms and the battle flag Cove and routed them, ( ,i the ladies the Second Kentucky Cavalry, presented to them by of Llizabetli- town, Kentucky; the regiment lost but one wounded. The next day it marched to McMinnville, where it skirmished with the enemy and drove him out of and beyond the town, losing two killed and four wounded. On the 7th of October, when beyond Shelbyville, the regiment struck the enemy and attacked him, driving him from the field and into Parmington, where he made a stand. Here the Seventeenth charged the rebels, capturing three of Wheeler's guns, a great number of small arms and three hundred prison- ers. The regiment lost forty-eight killed and wounded, including three com- missioned officers. Crossing the Tennessee River at Lamb's Ferry on the 9th, further pursuit was abandoned and the regiment moved to Huntsville, Alabama, from whence it started, on the 13th, in pursuit of the enemy under Forrest, Roddy, Wharton and others.

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