Showing posts with label 53rd IN INF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 53rd IN INF. Show all posts

Monday, April 27, 2015

Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Monday, June 27, 1864

There was a general line of battle formed this morning and orders given to make a charge all along the lines. The center charged in full force, but as the flanks failed to charge, soon had to fall back. The Eleventh and Sixteenth Iowa furnished the skirmishers for our brigade and charged the rebels' skirmish line, but were driven back to their old line. Our side lost several in killed and wounded, and what little was gained did not pay for the loss of life. Company A of our regiment was in the charge and had one man killed; so close was he to the rebel works that our men had to raise the white flag in order to get his body. The Fifty-third Indiana made a charge on the rebel rifle pits and lost about forty men, taken as prisoners. When they made the charge, the rebels lay down in their pits, allowing them to come close up, when they rose up with their rifles drawn and said: “Come on, boys, we won't hurt you,” and took them prisoners.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 201-2

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Wednesday, May 4, 1864

We lay here all day awaiting the boats. Nathan Chase, a veteran of our company, got into trouble with some men of the Fifty-third Indiana Regiment and one of them shot him twice, one ball going through his right arm and the other taking effect in his mouth, but neither wound is dangerous. The trouble was caused by drink. The health of the regiment is good, yet there are several sick, some with light attacks of the ague, and they are sent to the hospital here at Paducah. The transports arrived late this evening and we received orders to go aboard early in the morning.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 185

Sunday, December 14, 2014

62nd Indiana Infantry

Failed to complete organization and enlisted men transferred to 53rd Indiana Infantry February 26, 1862.
                                                  
SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the 3, p. Rebellion, Part 1142

Friday, December 5, 2014

53rd Indiana Infantry

Organized at New Albany and Indianapolis, Ind., February 19 to March 6, 1862. Guard prisoners at Indianapolis till March 15. Ordered to Savannah, Tenn., March 15. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, District of Memphis, Tenn., to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, District of Jackson, Tenn., to November, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, District of Jackson, Tenn., 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 3rd Brigade. 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, to January, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, 16th Army Corps, to July, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, 13th Army Corps, to August, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, to May, 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, to July, 1865.

SERVICE. – Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30, 1862. March to Memphis, Tenn., via Grand Junction, LaGrange and Holly Springs, June 1-July 21, and duty there till September 6. March to Jackson and Bolivar, Tenn., September 6-14. Battle of Metamora, Hatchie River, October 5. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign. Operations on the Mississippi Central Railroad November, 1862, to January, 1863. Duty at Colliersville and Memphis till April. Ordered to Young's Point, La., thence to Grand Gulf, Miss., and duty there till June 12. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., June 15-July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Reconnoissance to Pearl River July 15. Duty at Vicksburg till August 15. Ordered to Natchez, Miss., August 15, and duty there till November 24. Expedition to Harrisonburg September 1-8. Near Harrisonburg and capture of Fort Beauregard September 4. Ordered to Vicksburg, Miss., November 24, and duty there till February, 1864. Meridian Campaign February 3-March 2. Veterans on furlough March and April. Moved to Bird's Point, Mo., April 28; thence to Clifton, Tenn., and march to Ackworth, Ga., via Huntsville and Decatur, Ala., and Rome, Ga., May 5-June 9. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign June 9-September 8. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Turner's Ferry July 5. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Leggett's or Bald Hill July 20-21. Battle of Atlanta July 22. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-31. 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. Shadow Church and Westbrook's, near Fairburn, October 1-3. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Ball's Ferry and Georgia Central Railroad Bridge, Peones River, November 23-25. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Salkehatchie Swamps, S.C., February 2-5. Rivers Bridge, Salkehatchie River, February 3. South Edisto River February 9. North Edisto River February 12-13. Columbia February 16-17. Fayetteville, N. C., March 11. Averysboro March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. 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. Grand Review May 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June, and there mustered out July 21, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 98 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 248 Enlisted men by disease. Total 359.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the 3, p. Rebellion, Part 1139-40