Fountain County IN Archives Military Records.....History Of 63rd Regt 
Civilwar 
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History Of 63rd Regt
When the great struggle began which threatened the existence of the republic,
Fountain county responded promptly to her duty, and upon nearly every battle-field
of the great war of the rebellion her sons were to be found fighting for their
country. The people of the county contributed $387,000 to the payment of bounties to
those who volunteered or were drafted to fill the various quotas of the county under
the calls of the President.

   It is almost impossible to give the exact number of men that went into the
service from Fountain county, and it is impracticable to give an account of the
regiments, and their service, in which Fountain county men were enlisted. To do this
would require a pretty full history of the war of the rebellion. The 63d reg.
probably contained a greater number of Fountain county men than any other, and the
brief mention of its service and operations found in the report of Adjutant General
Terrell will be inserted here:

   "The 63d reg. was authorized to be raised on December 31, 1861, and its place of
rendezvous fixed at Covington, with James McManomy as commandant of the camp, and
John S. Williams as adjutant. A detachment of rebel prisoners having been quartered
at La Fayette, the enlisted men at Covington were ordered there to guard them, and
on February 21, 1862, companies A, B, C and D were organized as a battalion, with
John S. Williams as lieutenant-colonel. Soon after, this battalion was transferred
to Indianapolis and placed on duty at camp Morton, guarding prisoners. On May 27 the
battalion was ordered east, and on August 30 was engaged in the battle of Manassas
Plains (or second Bull Run). Returning to Indianapolis on October 3, the regimental
organization was completed by the addition of companies E, F, G, H, I and K, raised
under the call of July 1862, and Lieut.-Col. Williams promoted to the colonelcy of
the regiment.

   "The regiment remained at Indianapolis, on duty, until December 25, and during
that time companies E. F, G and I were detached for duty as provost guards. On
December 25, 1863, the other six companies left Indianapolis, under the command of
Lieut.-Col. James McManomy, and proceeded to Shepherdsville, Kentucky, arriving
there on the 28th. From that time until January, 1864, these companies were engaged
in guarding the line of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, and the Lebanon
branch thereof. While engaged in this duty, detachments of the command had several
skirmishes with the enemy. About the middle of January, 1864, the several companies
were concentrated at Camp Nelson, Kentucky, under command of Col. Israel N. Stiles,
and on February 25 marched toward Knoxville, Tennessee. That place was reached on
March 15, after a march of one hundred and eighty-five miles, over almost impassable
roads. After a day of rest the regiment moved on to Mossy creek, from whence, on
April 1, it marched to Bull's Gap, and was assigned to the 2d brigade, 3d division
of the 23d Army Corps. On April 23 it moved in the direction of Jonesboro, marching
one hundred miles in four days, and burning the bridges and destroying the tracks of
the Tennessee and Virginia railroad for many miles. Returning to Bull's Gap on the
morning of April 28, the regiment, on the same afternoon, commenced its march toward
Georgia to join the army of Gen. Sherman, then about to enter upon the Atlantic
campaign.

   "The 23d corps effected a junction with that army at Red Clay, Georgia, on May 4,
and on the 9th and 10th the 63d occupied a position on the left of the line during
the action of Rocky Face Ridge, losing two killed and four wounded. After this
battle it moved through Snake Creek Gap to Resaca, and in the engagement at that
place on the 14th the brigade to which the regiment was attached, with the 63d in
the front line, charged across an open field more than half a mile, under a terrific
fire from the enemy, taking a portion of the rebel works. Its loss was eighteen
killed and ninety-four wounded; total, one hundred and twelve. On the 16th the
regiment moved from Resaca, wading the Ostanaula river and crossing the Coosawattee,
overtaking the enemy at Cassville on the 18th. It drove the enemy during all the
next day, and on the 20th reached Cartersville, remaining there until the 23d.
Crossing the Etowah river and Pumkin [sic] Vine creek, it moved forward and went
into an intrenched position on the Dallas line on the 26th, behind which the 63d
lay, under fire of three batteries (the skirmish line being constantly and hotly
engaged), until relieved on June 1. Its loss at this place was sixteen wounded.

   "After this it lay in line of battle from June 3 to June 6, behind works of its
own construction, losing one killed and one wounded. It was then held in reserve
until the 15th, when it was placed in the front line near Lost Mountain, losing six
killed and eight wounded. On the 17th it moved forward to the Kenesaw line, under a
brisk fire, but without loss. It crossed Noses creek on the 20th, under a heavy
fire, losing two in missing. On the 27th it made a flank movement on the left of the
enemy's line at Kenesaw, losing two killed and one captured. The regiment then
remained in its intrenchments until July 1, losing two wounded, and on the 3d made a
reconnaissance, discovering a long line of rebel works along Nickajack creek. On the
6th it crossed this creek, passed through the abandoned rebel line, and crossed the
railroad below Marietta. On July 8 it forded the Chattahoochee river, wading the
stream neck deep, with a rapid current, without losing a man, and being the first
troops across. Moving forward toward Atlanta on the 17th, it came in sight of that
city on the 20th, and on the 22d, in the engagement in which the lamented McPherson
fell, the division to which it was attached moved to the left in support of the army
of the Tennessee. On the 23d it went into position on the right of the 17th corps,
in the front line, and fell back on the contraction of our lines on July 26. On the
28th it made a reconnaissance, losing one killed and one wounded, and on the night
of August 1 moved to Utoy creek. On the 6th it supported Reilley's brigade of the 3d
division of the 23d corps, losing three wounded. On the 9th the regiment was
transferred to the 3d brigade, 3d division of the same army corps, Col. Stiles
taking command of the brigade, and from that time until August 18 was in various
positions along the Sandtown road. From the 18th till the 28th it was on duty along
the Campbelltown road, making daily reconnaissances to the Newnan road.

   "On the 28th of August it moved out toward the Atlanta and Macon railroad,
striking the West Point road on the 30th and the Atlanta and Macon railroad on the
31st at Rough and Ready station. The next morning the regiment engaged it,
destroying the railroad, and in the afternoon marched toward Jonesboro. On the 2d of
September it marched to Lovejoy's, and was held in reserve on the 3d and 4th. On the
night of the 5th the regiment started back to Decatur, reaching that place on the
8th, where it made an intrenchment and well-fortified camp, in which it rested from
the labors of the Atlanta campaign.

   "The 63d remained in this camp until the 4th of October, when its corps moved
with the other forces under Sherman to meet Hood's attempt upon or communications,
and from that time until the 7th of November it marched rapidly and constantly
almost every day. It then left Dalton for Nashville by rail, and on reaching that
place moved to Pulaski, arriving there on the 15th. On the 22d it fell back before
Hood's advancing army, reaching Franklin on the morning of November 30, skirmishing
with the enemy on the march, and losing at Columbia three killed and three wounded.
On the 30th it participated in the battle of Franklin, its position being on the
left of the line, behind well constructed intrenchments. The regiment, though
repeatedly assaulted, lost but one killed and one wounded. At midnight it crossed
the Harpeth river, and reached Nashville the next morning, where it remained in
position until the 15th of December. On that and the following day it participated
in the operations on the right of our lines without loss, the forces on its left and
right having compelled the enemy to retire before its brigade was ordered to
advance. On the 17th the regiment joined in the pursuit of Hood, going as far as
Clifton, on the Tennessee river, from whence it started for Alexandria, Virginia, on
the 16th of January, 1865. Sailing from Alexandria on the 3d of February, it arrived
near Fort Fisher, North Carolina, on the 7th, and landed on the 9th. On the 12th and
14th of February it participated in the difficult but unsuccessful attempt to turn
Hoke's position, and on the 16th crossed to Smithfield. The next day it moved up to
Fort Anderson, and engaged the enemy on the 18th, losing one man wounded. On the
19th it pursued the retreating army, having one man wounded on the march, and
overtook it at sunset at Town creek. On the 20th it fought the rebels, losing one
man killed and one wounded, and on the 21st advanced to within sight of Wilmington.
Marching into Wilmington on the 23d, it remained in camp until March 6, when it
moved toward Kingston, reaching that place on the 12th, after a severe march of one
hundred miles through swamps and mud, the men wading Trent river before daylight on
the morning of the 11th.

   "On March 20 the regiment started for Goldsboro, reaching there the next day.
Here the regiment remained until April 10, when it moved to Raleigh, where it
remained until May 5, when it moved by rail to Greensboro. At the latter place the
regiment remained until June 21, 1865, when the companies still in service were
mustered out; the battalion of four companies, A, B, C and D, having been mnstered
out on May 20, 1865,; at Indianapolis. On returning to Indiana, the regiment was
present at a public reception given it in the capital grounds at Indianapolis, and
soon after was finally discharged from service."

   It is a matter of regret that the names of those men who proved their devotion to
their country by service upon the battle-field cannot be preserved in this record;
but to obtain even an approximately correct list would require a vast deal more time
than is at the writer's command. It is not right that the name or service of the
humblest should be forgotten, and means of collecting and preserving their names
ought to be adopted at once. It is a duty to see that

                " Each soldier's name
      Shall shine untarnished in the rolls of fame,
      And stand the example of each distant age,
      And add new lustre to the historic page,"

for "ours are no hirelings trained to the light," but men who voluntarily went forth
from all the walks of life at the call of their country, and who gave up their lives
in its service, or returned again to their peaceful occupations when the war was
over.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF FOUNTAIN COUNTY,

TOGETHER WITH
HISTORIC NOTES ON THE WABASH VALLEY,

GLEANED FROM EARLY AUTHORS, OLD MAPS AND MANUSCRIPTS
PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE, AND OTHER AUTHENTIC, THOUGH, FOR THE MOST PART,
OUT-OF-THE-WAY SOURCES.

BY H. W. BECKWITH,
OF THE DANVILLE BAR; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES OF WISCONSIN
AND CHICAGO.

WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

CHICAGO: H. H. HILL AND N. IDDINGS, PUBLISHERS.
1881.


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