20th Indiana Infantry

Organized at Lafayette, Ind., and mustered in July 22, 1861. Left State for Baltimore, Md., August 2. Stationed at Cockeysville, Md., guarding Northern Central R. R. to Pennsylvania line till September. Expedition to Hatteras Inlet, N. C., September 24-27. At fortifications North end of Hatteras bank till November. Action at Chickamacomico October 4. Ordered to Fortress Monroe, Va., November 9, and duty there till March, 1862. Attached to Fortress Monroe, Va., Dept. of Virginia, to May, 1862. Robinson's Brigade, Dept. of Virginia, to June, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to August, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, to March, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, to July, 1865.

SERVICE. – Engagement at Newport News, Va., between Ram "Merrimac" and United States Ships "Cumberland" and "Congress" and the "Monitor" March 8-9, 1862. Occupation of Norfolk and Portsmouth May 10. Joined Army of the Potomac on the Peninsula June 8. Charles City Cross Roads June 19. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battles of Oak Grove ("The Orchards") June 25; White Oak Swamp and Glendale June 30; Jordan's Ford June 30; Malvern Hill July 1 and July 5. At Harrison's Landing till August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16-28. Pope's Campaign in Virginia August 28-September 2. Battles of Groveton August 29; Bull Run August 30; Chantilly September 1. Duty at Arlington Heights till October. At Poolesville till October 29. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Burnside's 2nd Campaign ("Mud March") January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth till April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. (Captured 23rd Georgia.) Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Wapping Heights, Va., July 23. Detached at New York City during draft disturbances August-September. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Kelly's Ford November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Payne's Farm November 27. Regiment veteranize January 1, 1864. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 4-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Po River May 10; Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient ("Bloody Angle") May 12. Harris Farm (or Fredericksburg) Road May 19. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunken May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864 to April 2, 1865. Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon R. R., June 22-23, 1864. Demonstration on North side of the James July 27-29. Deep Bottom July 28-29. Demonstration on North side of the James at Deep Bottom August 13-20. Strawberry Plains August 14-18. Ream's Station August 25. The Chimneys September 10. Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 2. Yellow House October 2-5. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Raid on Weldon Railroad December 7-12. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Watkins' House March 25. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Vaughan Road, near Hatcher's Run, March 29. Crow's House March 31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Sailor's Creek April 6. Farmville April 7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D.C., May 2-12. Grand Review May 23. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 14-21 and duty there till July 12. Mustered out July 12, and discharged at Indianapolis, Ind.

Regiment lost during service 15 Officers and 186 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 113 Enlisted men by disease. Total 314.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the 3, p. Rebellion, Part 1127

The James River Fight

PHILADELPHIA, May 19.

The Bulletin contains the following additional from Fortress Monroe:

The repulse of the gunboats is generally regarded as a very serious affair.  On the Naugatuck seventeen are reported killed by the explosion of the gun.  The boat made a useless fight and was withdrawn.  The Galena was riddled with shots, and the loss is supposed to be heavy.  The Monitor was struck repeatedly, but is said to be uninjured.

Affairs are quiet at Norfolk.  There have been several attempts lately to assassinate Union soldiers.  Yesterday an affair occurred causing some uneasiness.  Colonel Brown, of the 20th Indiana, stationed at Portsmouth, went out of town to take a ride; soon afterwards his horse came into town, wounded and without a rider.  It is feared the Colonel is killed or captured.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, May 21, 1862, p. 1

Washington, May 15 [1862].

All the 20th Indiana regiment who were captured at Hatteras Inlet are now here except Ingalls, Bennet and Eastman, who are still imprisoned and Bartlett and Van Horn, deceased in captivity.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, May 17, 1862, p. 1

Released

Among the Union prisoners that arrived at Fortress Monroe from Richmond, Va., was our ex-local Charles H. Comley, Sergeant Major of the 20^th Indiana regiment.  He refused to avail himself of the thirty days furlough offered the prisoners to go home and see their families, but immediately rejoined his regiment.  Good for Charlie!

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 1, 1862, p. 1

Charlie Comly

The good-natured face of the gentleman, whose name is above mentioned, will be remembered by many of our citizens from having served in the capacity of “local” to this paper, some two or three years since.  It will also be recollected that Charlie was taken prisoner after a hard fight – “the only man who did fight,” said the enemy – at Chickamacomico last summer.  We had understood that he had been sent with other prisoners to South Carolina, but this proves to be an error.  In a letter to his mother; received a few days since, he says that he is still at Richmond, and has been treated in all respects as a gentleman.  This may be so, but still as his letter had to be inspected before being mailed, perhaps it was policy for him to disguise his real situation.  As Charlie is a citizen of Iowa, by virtue of several years’ residence here, Senator Harlan has promised to intercede for his exchange and we may expect ere long to hear of him again fighting for the maintenance of the Union.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, February 17, 1862, p. 1

Richmond Prison Association

Four officers of the Richmond Prison Association had a pleasant reunion and Willard’s last week, it being the first occasion of their meeting since they were released. The party was composed of Hon. Alfred Ely, President; Hon. E. Taylor of Cincinnati, Secretary; Chaplain Mines, Second Maine Regiment, Sergeant-at-arms; and Quartermaster Hart, Twentieth Indiana Regiment, Page.

– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, April 9, 1862 & in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 12, 1862