31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry

The "War of the Rebellion" or Civil War was on. Excitement was high in and around the town of Terre Haute, Indiana. The DAILY WABASH EXPRESS of Terre Haute, reported that a citizens meeting was held the night of April 16th, 1861 at the Court House. The crowd was large and enthusiastic and many could not get in. Upon displaying the "Stars and Stripes" the band enthusiastically played "The Star Spangled Banner" while the crowd saluted the flag. Speeches were given by several of the area's prominent citizens to rally support for the Union.

Within days after the firing on Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 troops to serve for a term of three-months. There were to be 94 new regiments, of which Indiana's quota was to be 6 new regiments. Indiana's newly inaugurated governor, Oliver P. Morton, was a very strong and proactive leader. In response to what he perceived to be a weak and unprepared central government, he took immediate steps to prepare for war. Governor Morton acted quickly by issuing a proclamation calling for the six regiments. Response was very high and there were enough for several more regiments.

Never has the contributions and influences of a state been such a factor in determining the outcome of National or for that matter World events ever occurred. States, both northern and southern rallied to support their cause in terms of not only men, but tremendous financial and material means.

Below is an example of the wording found in an advertisement that started appearing in the DAILY WABASH EXPRESS paper of Terre Haute in July of 1861. The paper just so happened to be owned by Charles Cruft. 
 

Because it became clear that the war was not going to be over quickly, the need for 3 year enlistments became evident. In July and August, several companies were forming in Vigo County, Indiana at the 7th congressional district camp, known as Camp Vigo. Camp Vigo was located in Terre Haute at the old Fairgrounds, across from the present day Collett Park, off Maple Avenue. The first regiment to be raised at Camp Vigo was the 14th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The new companies now forming would become the 31st and 43rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The 31st Indiana Volunteers was organized under the leadership of Colonel Charles Cruft of Terre Haute.
 
The locations that men signed up for the 31st were varied. Some early recruits went to Indianapolis for enlistment at Camps Sullivan and Camp Morton. Others either signed up at the Vigo county Court House or in their local village or town. My Great, Great Grandfather, Andrew Gosnell enlisted in the small village of New Goshen Indiana.

Andrew was enrolled as a private. He and his fellow "Vigo Rangers" and the other 9 companys were officially mustered in as the 31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry on the 15th of September for a term of 3 years. At the time he joined the regiment he was 26 years of age. The Military Records showed Andrew to have Blue Eyes with Light Hair and a Sandy Complexion. Andrew's height was 5 foot, 8 inches, which was the average height of Indiana Civil War soldiers.

About sundown on the 21st of September, the 31st received its marching orders for 5 companies. They packed up their things and headed toward the train depot in Terre Haute. Just after 9:00 p.m. they left for Evansville and arrived there the next morning around 7:00 a.m. There they received their arms and ammunition, but they had no provisions of food at that time. The good citizens of Evansville furnished the regiment a large breakfast.

The 31st had several camps in and around this area. The short lived camp near Evansville was called Camp Cruft. They camped in Spotsville, KY, Henderson KY and several other areas in this vicinity. Rumors flew about the area of possible invasions and so the 31st made several reconnaissance missions in the area.

On October 31st, 1861, Andrew Gosnell was placed on special guard duty at Lock No. 1 on the Green River. He remained on this special service until November 27, 1861.

Eventually the 31st Ind. along with other regiments from Indiana and Kentucky settled into a camp near Calhoun, KY called Camp Calhoun.

The 31st was originally under the command of Brigadier General George H. Thomas but in November they were under the command of Brigadier General Thomas L. Crittenden at Calhoun. Crittenden's division was under the command of General Don Carlos Buell's Army.

In late November there were the following regiments at Calhoun;

On December 28th, a few miles south of Camp Calhoun, near Sacramento, the "Battle of Sacramento" took place. Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry attacked a battalion of Major Eli H. Murray's 3rd Kentucky Cavalry. The 3rd Kentucky Cavalry was part of the force stationed at Camp Calhoun. Murray's men were on a scouting mission to locate Confederate troop movements in the area. This event brought the war close for the first time to the green soldiers of the 31st. 

4
Calhoun Kentucky

The winter spent in Camp Calhoun was not good. Poor sanitary conditions at the camp at Calhoun led to the death of many men by disease. A large infestation of rats contributed to the disease problems. Measles mumps, malarial fever, and rheumatism were epidemic. Visitors to Calhoun, Kentucky complained about the deplorable conditions as in a letter written on stationery from an Indianapolis Hotel to Governor O. P. Morton which describes the conditions that they found the soldiers in. A few excerpts from the letter are at right: (spelling copied as original)

Governor Morton assigned a Doctor to investigate the sanitary conditions of the 31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry camp at Calhoun.  A report of the conditions was made and sent to Laz. Noble the Adjutant General of Indiana.

The 31st Indiana remained at Calhoun until February 9, 1862, when they embarked on board the steamer Ben J. Adams, and arrived at Paducah on the night of February 10th. The next morning they headed towards Fort Henry, up the Tennessee River. They then returned without disembarking, because Fort Henry had been taken the day before. They then ascended the Cumberland River, and arrived near Fort Donelson on the morning of February 14, 1862.

From the new position a heavy fire was poured into the enemy. The line moved farther to the right and again fired into the enemy which soon gave way. There were reports that the Confederates were forming in a hollow leading to the hospital in the rear. The regiment was ordered back to protect the hospital until about 4:00 p.m. At this time the 31st Indiana was then ordered to march into a ravine below the fort, on the extreme right of the Union line in support of the 11th Indiana and 8th Missouri regiments. The 31st formed to the left of the 17th Kentucky and charged the hill. The regiment reached a ravine immediately below the enemy's batteries and was exposed to a terrible fire of grape, shrapnel and shells. To avoid the fire, the regiment was moved farther up the ravine. Five companies of the 31st were ordered up the hill on the extreme left and the rest were sent to the right with the rest of the brigade to outflank the enemy and attack in the rear. The assault was a complete success. The Confederates retreated to within the works of the Fort. The regiment was ordered to fall back to where the fight on the hill was made and there encamp for the night. From this position they were to prepare to storm the works early in the morning. The regiment slept on the hillside and were woke early the following morning on the 16th. They were drawn up in column and made ready to march to the assault until word came that the Confederates had surrendered. This was the very first fight for the 31st Indiana, and they performed gallantly.

STATS for Fort Donelson: 9 killed, 52 wounded, 6 of these Mortally, and 1 missing;

The regiment later moved to Pittsburg Landing on the 16th. Here on the 18th, the 31st set up camp about a mile from the river, near the crossroads of the Hamburg and Savannah road and the road from Pittsburgh to Corinth. At this time the 31st was part of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, of Brigadier General Steven A. Hurlbut of the Army of the Tennessee which was under the command of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant.

On April 5th the 3rd Brigade was placed under Brigadier General Jacob Lauman. The regiments of the Brigade were the same as at Fort Donelson, the 31st Indiana under Charles Cruft, the 44th Indiana, the 17th Kentucky and the 25th Kentucky.

Early Sunday morning on April 6th the rapid volleys of musketry from camps to the front indicated the commencement of the battle. At 7:30 Gen. Hurlbut received an urgent message from Sherman for help. He ordered Lauman to have the brigade form for action. In a little over 10 minutes the brigade line was formed and moving in column along the Hamburg Road. Prentiss' refugees were streaming back through the division. Hurlbut realized he could advance no further. The 31st with the brigade was formed in front of the famous sunken road and in the Hornet's Nest.

The battle was progressing actively upon the right and left of the main line. Soon the Confederates attacked the brigade in great force and with much desperation. This first attack was probably made by Col. Winfield Statham's 3rd Brigade under John C. Breckenridge.

The confederate advance came to within 10 yards of their line and was repulsed by a "cool and steady fire". Each man expended approximately 30 rounds. Col. Cruft wrote that "the slaughter among the enemy in its front was terrible. A second attack was shortly made with increased fury. The line stood unbroken, however, and after exhausting nearly the last cartridge again repulsed the enemy. Here a slight cessation in the attack occurred, barely long enough to procure fresh ammunition from the rear. The boxes of the men were scarcely filled before the enemy were the third time upon us. The line stood firm, and again succeeded against superior numbers. There was now a short cessation of firing, during which the cartridge-boxes of the men were again filled. A fourth assault was soon made, which was gallantly repulsed, and the enemy withdrew, leaving my regiment, with the balance of the brigade, in position. The enemy, retreated and moved off toward the left of the main line."

Colonel Cruft states, "During the action my regiment fired an average of about 100 rounds per man. The piles of the enemy's dead which were lying along our front when he retreated attested the accuracy and steadiness of the fire."  Seeing that the Union left was about to be swept, Gen. Hurlbut ordered the brigade to move to the left about 2 p.m. For some minutes the brigade was halted near the Hamburg road, to protect Willard's battery, that was then playing upon the enemy. Cruft continues, "The various regiments were then moved farther to the left, and our regiment ordered to the extreme left, and placed in position to await the expected attack.

An order was given for our left to advance. My regiment did so promptly. It was soon evident that the advance could not be sustained, in the absence of a reserve, against the overwhelming force of well-disciplined troops of the enemy. After my regiment had fired some 10 rounds the regiment to the left was forced back. An order was now given along the entire line to fall back, and a general retreat was made about 3:30 o'clock p.m. to a ridge nearer the river, [Grants Last Line]. Here the regiment was again formed in brigade line and marched up to the support of a section of a battery of large siege guns, and occupied this position during the desperate fight which closed the day. After the final repulse of the enemy the regiment was moved forward, with the residue of the brigade, about three-fourths of a mile, and there bivouacked for the night, at about 7:30 o'clock."

On the next day April 7th, the regiment was actively engaged with the balance of the brigade on the right of Sherman's main line.

The regiment now began a chase of Confederate General Braxton Bragg. It traveled through middle Tennessee passing into Kentucky through Bowling Green and reached Louisville, KY. Here the regiment remained the rest of the month, and in the meantime were introduced to the Ninetieth Ohio Regiment, which became part of the brigade. Capt. John T. Smith writes... "A finer-looking regiment of men never went into service. And it was as true as steel, and as brave as it was true. The day they came into our brigade they were splendidly equipped had everything allowed by the regulations, and more too. The next morning they did not have near so much. The fact is, the Thirty-first had made a draw, and it was with great difficulty that you could get the Ninetieth to believe that the Thirty-first had not robbed them of their household goods and kitchen furniture."

It was here in Louisville, that General William Nelson, was killed by Union General Jeff. C. Davis. The 31st Indiana participated in General Nelson's funeral procession.

The regiment now marched to Nashville, Tenn. and remained there until December 26th, 1862. On the 26th, the regiment took up the march for Murfreesboro in Major General Roscrans' plan to move against Bragg's Force holed up in Murfreesboro.

At the battle of Stone's River or Murfreesboro, the 31st Indiana was in the Left Wing of the Army of the Cumberland. They were in the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division commanded by Brigadier Gen. John M. Palmer. The 1st Brigade was led by Gen. Charles Cruft and was made up of the 31st Indiana, 1st Kentucky, 2nd Kentucky and the "green" 90th Ohio.

Both General Roscrans and General Bragg planned similar battle plans. Both planned to hold the right and hit with their left. Bragg beat Rosy to the punch and thus controlled the early part of the battle. Shortly after 6A.M. on the morning of December 31st, 1862, Hardee's men hit McCook on the Union right and began battle. The Union right began to crumble under the sledge hammer attack of the Confederate Army.

The 31st IN and the 2nd KY were in the front line in front of the "Cedar Woods". Col. John Smith says in his History.... "after the skirmishers had been sent out, it was suggested by the Acting Major [John Smith] the building of a stone fence or wall for breastworks. The men laid down their guns and went to work, and in a few minutes you would have thought that every man was a natural-born stonecutter, and that each one was a master-builder. A rail fence in our front was thrown down, and by the time our skirmishers were driven in, our position was next to impregnable. We were here attacked by the brigade of the rebel General J. R. Chalmers, consisting of the Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, and Forty-first Mississippi Regiments and Blythe's Mississippi Regiment, together with the Ninth Mississippi Battalion of sharpshooters. The first charge made, Chalmers was carried off the field so severely wounded he did no further duty. The charge was repulsed with fearful slaughter. It made a second charge, and the result was that the brigade was so completely wiped out that the organization was destroyed. Chalmers's brigade was supported by the brigade of General D. S. Donelson, consisting of the Eighth, Sixteenth, Thirty-eighth, Fifty-first, and Eighty-fourth Tennessee Regiments. After Chalmers's total defeat--almost destruction--Donelson's Brigade came up with deliberate, steady step" All the line in Donelson's front was carried, except the extreme right of Palmer's Division.

In consequence of the terrible slaughter of Chalmer's Brigade, which were all Mississippians, that part of the battle-field is known a "Mississippi Half Acre."

Smith continues, "When we went into position here in the morning, we connected with Negley's command on our right, and with Hazen's Brigade on our left. We held our position here after the repulse of Chalmers and Donelson's Brigade until Negley's right had been so far turned that the line of battle stood at right angles with our line. In the meantime the ammunition of the Thirty-first and Second Kentucky having been almost exhausted, an attempt was made to relieve them by sending in the First Kentucky to take the place of the Thirty-first, and the Ninetieth Ohio to relieve the Second Kentucky. When the First Kentucky had nearly reached our Position, the Colonel gave the command to charge. The Thirty-first was ordered to lie down, and the First Kentucky charged immediately over us,....... The First Kentucky soon encountered such an unequal force, and being exposed to a crossfire of both musketry and artillery, that it rapidly fell back, and again charged over the Thirty-first, closely followed by double lines of the enemy. As soon at the First Kentucky had all passed to the rear, the Thirty-first gave the enemy such a deadly volley that they fell back as rapidly as they had come."

The brigades to the left and right began falling back and essentially the Brigade was about to be completely surrounded with no support. Their ammunition running low, a command to fall back was given, but several in the 31st did not hear the command and continued to fight until overrun. Andrew Gosnell was captured at this point, along with several of his comrades.

On Jan. 2nd 1863 the battle resumed. The 31st took part in the attack on General John C. Breckenridge's left.

STATS for Stones River: 5 killed, 45 wounded, 6 of these Mortally, and 37 missing.

Andrew Gosnell was sent to Libby prison in Richmond, Virginia. He arrived there on January 15, 1863. Andrew was lucky, because after being confined at the prison for only 5 days, he was exchanged on January 20th and Paroled at City Point, Virginia. He reported in at Camp Parole near Annapolis, Maryland on the 21st and his long journey back home had now begun.

A few days after the battle, the Thirty-first Regiment, together with the brigade, moved out to Cripple Creek, some eight miles east of Murfreesboro, and went into camp, where it remained until the 24th of June, 1863.

Col. John Smith wrote, "From May 4, 1862, the time we left Corinth, Mississippi, to January 3, 1863, the close of the battle of Stone River, was about eight months, or two hundred and forty days. During all this time the regiment was considered in camp ninety-nine days. It actually had its tents up but fifty-six days, leaving one hundred and eighty-four days that the men were exposed to the inclemency of the weather, just as it came, without shelter of any kind, and the worst weather that came found us without our tents, and on short rations. During this time the regiment was under fire, in actual battle, twelve days, beside various skirmishes that sometimes amounted to quite a respectable little battle."

"The most laborious marching we had to do was what was called "flanking." The troops followed the road, and each regiment would detail a company, one-half of which were thrown out on each side of the road, two or three hundred yards, and march in Indian file, keeping as near the same distance as possible from the troops in the road. Of course fences, hills, and ravines had to be crossed, streams had to be waded, thickets and brier patches had to be penetrated, and, at the same time, you had to keep up with the troops in the road."

"Another laborious duty, one that got to be quite burdensome, was "train guarding." The trains, of course, would be given the road, and the guards would have to march as best they could, and, in the event a team got stuck in the mud, the guards had to lay down their guns, and put their shoulders to the wheels. This train guarding was almost an every-day business, and the Thirty-first Regiment, somehow, was lucky in getting jobs of this kind to do. It was astonishing to see how quick a wagon could be repaired. If an axle should break, with scarcely no tools, and with no material except such as could be picked on a farm where the rails had all disappeared, a man or two would go to work, and the next morning the wagon would be up and ready for use. The method of repairing a wheel was different. If a wheel gave way, the teamster would drive to one side of the road, and wait till night, and then look out for a teamster who was off his guard, or a wagon that was not under the immediate eye of a sentinel, when it was only the work of a moment to take a good wheel off and put the broken one on. I have heard it said that sometimes a wheel would be carried five miles before the exchange could be made. It was insisted that there was no stealing in this, for the wagons all belonged to Uncle Sam, and that they were working for him. Be this as it may, it had all the symptoms of stealing."

The lines were formed to the front as best could be done in the darkness, without fires and without supper, except as could be had from the haversack, the men settled down for the night. This proved to be the line that was to be occupied by the Thirty-first Indiana in the battle of Sunday, September 20th, the east Kelly field line. During the night and by daylight of the morning of the 20th, the various regiments of the brigade constructed rough log breastworks along the front.

The attack commenced on their front at 7:40 a.m. It was very sharp and determined, and consisted of a series of assaults by the musketry and occasional artillery, continuing until about 12 p.m. Musketry and artillery were required almost constantly along the brigade line, during these four hours, to repel the enemy. The Confederate troops engaged in the assaults on the Kelly field line, were those of Polk's and Hill's Corps.
 
The punishment and loss inflicted on the Confederates by the Union east Kelly field line seems to have been sufficient to prevent any further serious attacks upon that portion of Thomas' line. At about 3 p.m. the troops of General Hazen's Brigade were withdrawn from this portion of the Union left, and again the 31st Indiana and the 2nd Kentucky were ordered out, as in Saturday's battle, to fill the gap and hold the line, and it was done. At about 5 p.m. General Cruft received orders to withdraw his troops and take position in the woods to the west of the Kelly house and the Lafayette and Chattanooga road. At the time that this order was given there was no indication that the movement was to be the beginning of a withdrawal from the battlefield. It was supposed by General Cruft and the officers and men that the brigade was being sent to the relief and support of their lines to the right. This movement took place while General Thomas was making the hard battle at Harker's Hill and Sondgrass Hill, and the movement of this brigade was in that direction. On reaching the Lafayette road the regiment was ordered to move toward Chattanooga. The brigade moved to the rear until it reached the summit of Missionary Ridge, were it was halted and a line of battle was formed facing to the front. Later the brigade was ordered to Rossville.

On the morning of September 21st it was marched east again from Rossville to the top of Missionary Ridge. Breastworks were constructed and all preparations made to meet the advance of Bragg's Army. The Thirty-first remained on this line during the day and when the brigade was withdrawn, at 9 o'clock on the night of September 21st, three companies of this regiment were ordered to remain with the pickets until daylight of the 22d, when they fell back and rejoined their brigade at Chattanooga.

Their plan was to quietly send Company D to the left and hide in some old rifle pits until morning. Before daylight the next morning, the regiment was moved out by platoons to a point as near the enemy as they could get without attracting attention. They were to lie down until 6:00 am., at which time Company D was to open fire on the rebel picket-line, and, while their attention was attracted by the firing from an unexpected direction, the regiment was to charge the line. The plan went like clockwork. They captured every man on the line. The 31st Indiana immediately went to work, facing the rifle-pits the other way, and strengthened the works. The rebels opened on them immediately with their artillery. A canon ball from the rebel artillery fire cut down a dead tree, nearly a foot in diameter. The tree fell lengthwise with the 31st's line and within a very few feet in its rear. Before the felled tree was still, the men of the 31st Indiana took hold of it and picked it up, and carried it into proper position for the breastworks. They then called to the "Johnnies" to "cut down that other tree" that stood near by.

An amusing incident at Franklin:
Col. Smith writes, "We had one drafted man who said he intended to stay with us and faithfully do all the duties of a soldier, except to shoot, that he would not shoot, that he never intended to fire, a gun. He was told that he would get along all right then, for no one would ever tell him to shoot. About the time that it was seen that the rebels intended charging us, the Colonel went to where this man lay behind temporary works, and found that his gun was empty-neither loaded or, capped. He called to the Sergeant-Major to make a detail of a Corporal and two men who would rather shoot a man than not. The Sergeant--Major soon reported with the detail, and said, "If such men as you want are in the regiment, I believe I have got them." The Colonel said he believed so, too. The Colonel then directed the Corporal to lay down there near that man, and not tell him to shoot, nor allow any one else to tell him to; but, when the regiment fired, if his gun did not go off, to put three bullet-holes through him. The Colonel walked away, and the, drafted man said to a comrade at his elbow, "I believe they will do it." "Of course, they will," was the reply. The drafted man then got up and carefully loaded his gun, and, capping it, again lay down, and, turning to the Corporal, said, "'Now, if this darned thing explodes, and the gun don't go off, you must give a fellow a little chance." But his gun went off, and it was thought that he was the first man in the regiment to fire, and he kept it up manfully; and after the engagement was over he seemed to be the proudest man in the command, and apparently, seemed to think he had done it about all."

At Daylight on December 31st, 1864 the regiment moved out from the left of the Hillsborough pike. The battle began on the right and the 31st Indiana was involved in heavy skirmishing just under the rebel Fort. In the afternoon the regiment charged up the hill in front of the Fort, it being immediately in their front. They captured the artillery and several prisoners. At night the 31st bivouacked on the Granville pike. The next morning they were involved in more skirmishing and took some more rebel works. The army made pursuit of Hood's army after the Battle of Nashville and kept up with them until the 28th at which time the pursuit was stopped.

This was the last battle for the 31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry.

STATS for Nashville: 10 killed and 33 wounded, 8 of these Mortally.

The regiment was later sent to Texas after the War ended and eventually was mustered out of service in Texas on December 8, 1865. The retired regiment eventually arrived home in Terre Haute, Indiana on January 6th, 1866, after serving a little over four years and three months.

 References:

• A History of Indiana, From 1850 to the present" by Logan Esarey, Ph.d., Assistant Professor of western history, Indiana University, B.F. Bowen Company, Indianapolis, 1918 Company, Indianapolis, 1918

• " War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies". Prepared by Brevet. Lieut. Col. Robert N. Scott, Third U. S. Artillery, 1880

• "Thirty-First Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion" by John Thomas Smith, The Third Colonel of Regiment who was with the command 3 years and seven months. Published for the Author by the Western Methodist Book Concern, Cincinnati, OH, 1900.

This site was written by:
Dennis Hutchinson

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Last Update January, 2012