Regimental History
Regimental History
Forty-ninth Infantry INDIANA
(3-YEARS)
Forty-ninth Infantry. Cols.,John W. Ray, James Keigwin;
Lieut.Cols., Joseph H. Thornton, Arthur J. Hawhe, Tames
Leeper, James A. Gardner; Majs., Joseph H. Thornton, Arthur J.
Hawhe, James Leeper, John R. Hamacher.
This regiment was organized at Jeffersonville and was mustered
in Nov. 21, 1861. It left the state Dec. 11 for Bardstown,
Ky., and left there Jan. 12, 1862, for Cumberland Ford, where
it remained until June, suffering greatly at the latter place
from disease.
It was in skirmishes at Big Tree Gap and Cumberland Gap in
March; accompanied Gen. Morgan's forces to Cumberland Gap in
June, and occupied the place on the 18th, the enemy retiring
the same day. It remained there until September, when it
joined in the retreat to the Ohio river, reaching
Greenupsburg, Ky., early in October.
It proceeded to Coal Mouth, W. Va., and in November was
ordered to Memphis joining Sherman's army on the expedition to
Vicksburg. It was in the battle at Chickasaw Bluffs, losing
56 in killed and wounded, and was in the expedition against
Arkansas Post.
It assisted in digging a canal across Young's point, and then
moved for the rear of Vicksburg, participating in the battles
of Port Gibson, Champion's Hill and Black River bridge. It
was then engaged in the siege of Vicksburg until its fall,
including the assault of May 22.
It took part in the seven days' siege of Jackson in July, and
was ordered to New Orleans in August being assigned to the
Department of the Gulf. It moved to Berwick's Bay, took part
in the Teche expedition, going as far as Opelousas, and on its
return to New Orleans was ordered to Texas, reaching Matagorda
Peninsula, Dec. 14.
It moved to Indianola, where on Feb. 3, 1864 171 reenlisted.
It embarked at Matagorda Island April 19, for Alexandria, La.,
where it reinforced Banks' army and was in continuous
skirmishes until May 13, when the army retreated to the
Mississippi.
It returned to New Orleans, was furloughed home in July, was
ordered to Lexington, Ky., at the expiration of its furlough,
and remained there until Sept. 7. It then proceeded to
Louisville, where it was mustered out Sept. 13, 1865, having
marched 8,000 miles during its service.
Its original strength was 974; gain by recruits, 294;
reenlistments, 177; total, 1,445. Loss by death, 238,
desertion, 94; unaccounted for, 42.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 3
Battles Fought
Fought at Cumberland Gap.
Fought on 28 December 1862 at Chickasaw Bayou, MS.
Fought on 01 May 1863 at Port Gibson, MS.
Fought on 16 May 1863 at Baker's Creek, MS.
Fought on 16 May 1863 at Champion Hills, MS.
Fought on 19 May 1863 at Vicksburg, MS.
Fought on 22 May 1863 at Vicksburg, MS.
Fought on 23 June 1863 at Vicksburg, MS.
Fought on 13 July 1863 at Jackson, MS.
Fought on 05 May 1864 at Bayou Rapid, LA.
CHICKASAW BLUFFS, MISS.
DECEMBER 27-29, 1862
Chickasaw Bluffs Miss., Dec. 27-29, 1862. Right Wing, Army
of the Tennessee. Early in the war the Federal administration
took steps to seize and keep open the Mississippi river. Island
No. 10 on the north, New Orleans, with Forts Philip and Jack-
son, on the south had been taken by the Union forces in the
spring of 1862, and toward the close of that year an expedition
was planned against Vicksburg, which was the key-point to the
possession of the river. The movement against Chickasaw
bluffs,: with the preliminary skirmishes around Chickasaw
bayou, was a part of this expedition, and was under command of
Maj.-Gen. W. T. Sherman. His forces, the right wing of the
Army of the Tennessee, consisted of the divisions of A. J.
Smith, Morgan L. Smith, George W. Morgan and Frederick Steele,
numbering about 32,000 men, with ten batteries. The first
three divisions left Memphis on transports on the 20th, and
were joined by Steele at Helena, Ark. Milliken's bend was
reached on the 25th, and here Burbridge's brigade of A. J.
Smith's division was sent to destroy the Vicksburg & Shreveport
railroad, in order to cut the line of supplies to Vicksburg.
This work was well done, and Burbridge rejoined the main body
on the 27th. Meantime the transports proceeded on to the mouth
of the Yazoo river and ascended that stream for some 13 miles,
where a landing was made at Johnson's plantation, opposite the
mouth of Steele's bayou, on the 26th.
Sherman's object was to move so rapidly and quietly as to
surprise the Confederates at Vicksburg carry Walnut hills, or
Chickasaw bluffs, and establish a base of supplies near Haynes,
bluff. Then he would either take Vicksburg, or, if not strong
enough for that, cut the railroad communications between Vicks-
burg and Jackson and hold his position on the Yazoo until Grant
could join him with the rest of the Army of the Tennessee. The
Confederate commanders at Vicksburg were kept fully informed of
Sherman's movements through their spies in Memphis and at vari-
ous points along the river, making a surprise impossible. Un-
aware of this condition of affairs, Sherman sent forward De
Courcy's, Stuart's and Blair's brigades to reconnoiter, and
formed his army in four columns for a general advance. On the
right was A. J. Smith's division, which was to follow the main
road toward Vicksburg , next was M. L. Smith, who was to strike
the Chickasaw bayou near the head of McNutt lake; Morgan, with
Blair's brigade of Steele's division, was to strike the bayou
some distance from the mouth and ascend along the left bank,
while the remainder of Steele's division was to form the ex-
treme left, on the opposite side of the bayou from Morgan. The
head of each column soon encountered the Confederate pickets
and, with slight skirmishing, drove them back toward Vicksburg.
Night came on before the high ground was reached, and during
the darkness the ground in front was reconnoitered as well as
possible. Early on the morning of the 28th general advance was
made as far as a bayou, which could be crossed at only two
places, and these were well guarded by the enemy's sharp-
shooters. On the opposite side of this bayou was a piece of
elevated ground, covered with rifle-pits and batteries, while
just back of it were the bluffs, where the enemy had his
strongest line of defenses. Along the foot of the bluffs ran
the wagon road leading from Vicksburg to Yazoo City, giving the
Confederates excellent advantages for shifting their artillery
to any point to meet an attempt to cross the bayou. On the
other hand, the movements of the Union troops had to be made on
sandy or marshy ground, in some places so miry that it was al-
most impossible to move the artillery. Steele reached Thomp-
son's lake to find the only means of crossing a long, narrow
causeway covered by a battery that could easily pour an en-
filading fire into his ranks should he attempt the crossing.
After skirmishing nearly all the forenoon he reported the
situation to Sherman, who ordered him back to the boats to
cross over and support Morgan's division. M. L. Smith struck
the bayou at a point where there was a narrow sandbar covered
with abatis, and on the opposite side a system of rifle-
pits and earthworks that checked his progress. While reconnoi-
tering here Smith was severely wounded and Gen. Stuart assumed
command of the division. He disposed his forces so as to cross
as soon as he heard Morgan begin the engagement on his left.
Morgan had the only pontoons with the expedition, and was on
the best ground of any of the four columns. During the night
of the 27th Morgan threw his pontoons across an old bayou, sup-
posing it to be Lake McNutt, but when he advanced the next
morning discovered there was a natural crossing over the lake.
He was therefore in the best position to advance of any of the
divisions, and when Steele came to his support on the 29th
Sherman ordered him to cross the lake and carry the works to
the top of the hill by a determined assault. Meantime A. J.
Smith on the right had advanced as far as the bayou, where he
ordered Burbridge's brigade to construct rafts and cross under
cover of the artillery. Landram's brigade, of this division,
occupied a strong position on the main road, with pickets and
skirmishers pushed forward into the abatis within less than a
mile of the enemy's forts and within plain view of Vicksburg.
Sherman's plan for the 29th was to make a determined as-
sault on the Confederate center near the head of Chickasaw
bayou, and having accomplished a break in the line to turn the
left toward Drumgould's bluff, near the Yazoo river, or the
right toward Vicksburg, which ever promised the greatest suc-
cess. At the same time A. J. Smith was to keep up a vigorous
demonstration on the road to Vicksburg, to create the impres-
sion that the city was the objective point, and prevent the
enemy from concentrating his strength against Morgan in the
center. Just at noon the signal for the attack was given.
De Courcy's brigade, of Morgan's division, moved forward promp-
tly, crossed the lake, and in the face of a murderous fire ad-
vanced rapidly over the sloping ground to the foot of the
bluffs. Blair's and Thayer's brigades, of Steele's division
immediately started in support of De Courcy. The former
crossed the lake near its junction with the bayou and, like De
Courcy, reached the foot of the bluffs through a hot fire.
Thayer took a wrong direction and only one regiment of his bri-
gade arrived at the scene of the struggle. Sherman sent word
to A. J. Smith to push his demonstration and threaten the en-
emy's left. The 6th Mo. was thrown forward, crossed the bayou,
but found it impossible to ascend the bank on the other side.
This regiment was compelled to hug the bank to keep out of
range of the guns on the summit, and here it remained until
after dark. When De Courcy and Blair found themselves unsup-
ported in their gallant assault on the enemy's main line of
works, they saw it was useless to continue the fight in the
face of the terrible odds that confronted them. Literally cut
to pieces by front and cross fire they fell back about 3 p. m.
and re-crossed the levee.
During the night the Union forces remained in front of the
Confederate works, lying on the marshy ground in the midst of a
driving rain, with no shelter but their blankets, expecting to
be called on to renew the assault the next morning. Sherman
visited Admiral Porter on his flag-boat and arranged for an at-
tack on the Confederate right at Drumgould's bluff. The plan
was to embark 10,000 troops immediately after dark on the 31st,
move up the Yazoo under the protection of the gunboats, make a
landing before daylight and carry the batteries by storm. As
soon as Sherman heard the guns at the bluff he was to begin a
vigorous assault on the center to prevent the right from being
reinforced. Steele's division and Burbridge's brigade were ac-
cordingly embarked, but after midnight a dense fog arose and
Porter deemed it unsafe to make the attempt. It was then pro-
posed to postpone the movement to the next night, but upon
discovering that the moon did not set on the morning of Jan. 2
until nearly 6 o'clock, and that the landing would therefore
have to be made in daylight, the plan was abandoned. The
troops were re-embarked on the transports on the 2nd and the
vessels dropped down to the mouth of the Yazoo, where Sherman
met Maj.-Gen. J. A. McClernand and turned over-to him the com-
mand of the expedition. The failure of the attempt on Chicka-
saw bluffs was due in a great measure to Grant's inability to
carry out his part of the plan to advance by way of Grenada and
attack the Confederates in the rear. The Union losses in the
several skirmishes along the bayou and the assault on the works
were 208 killed, 1,005 wounded and 563 missing. Gen. Pemberton
reported the Confederate losses as being 63 killed, 134 wounded
and 10 missing.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 5