Following in the 31st Indiana's Footsteps
(Page 5, Chickamauga)

Chickamauga:
Chickamauga and Chattanooga are the nation's first National Military Park. Chickamauga has many beautiful monuments and markers. There is more information relating to the 31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry on Markers and Tablets here than at any other Park.

We begin our tour on Battle Line road. Below is the beautiful Indiana stone monument No. 122, for the 31st Indiana Infantry.

Bronze Plaque on back of Monument No. 122.

INDIANA'S TRIBUTE
TO HER
THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT INFANTRY.
COLONEL JOHN T. SMITH, COMMANDING.
FIRST BRIGADE (CRUFT).
SECOND DIVISION (PALMER).
TWENTY-FIRST CORPS (CRITTENDEN).

THIS REGIMENT BECAME ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA, SATUDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 1863 ABOUT 12 M. ON THE ENEMY'S LINE AT A POINT ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE EAST OF THE LAFAYETTE ROAD NEAR THE BROCK FIELD. FOR TWO HOURS THE BATTLE RAGED WITH GREAT FURY, RESULTING IN THE ENEMY BEING DRIVEN FROM HIS POSITION. IN THE ENGAGEMENT THE REGIMENT EXPENDED AN AVERAGE OF FIFTY ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION PER MAN. LATER IN THE AFTERNOON THE REGIMENT JOINED IN A CHARGE AGAINST THE ADVANCING ENEMY AND REPULSED HIM. THE REGIMENT BIVOUACKED NEAR THE KELLY FIELD.
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER 20TH, THIS REGIMENT TOOK POSITION ON THE LINE WHERE THIS MONUMENT STANDS&#59; HERE HERE DURING THE DAY, THE ENEMY MADE SEVERAL FIERCE ASSAULTS, BUT THE POSITION WAS HELD UNTIL 5 P.M. WHEN THE REGIMENT WAS ORDERED TO RETIRE.
CASUALTIES; 1 OFFICER, 4 MEN; WOUNDED 2 OFFICERS, 58 MEN; MISSING 17 MEN. TOTAL 83. MISSING 17 MEN. TOTAL 83.

On both sides of the Monument are several Marker Tablets, to Cruft's Brigade and Palmer's Division as well as monuments to the other regiments and battery of the Brigade. The below Tablet, No. 122 is just North of the Monument to the 31st Indiana. There are other Tablets, with the same No. 122, all related to each other on Battle Line road.

CRUFT'S BRIGADE

PALMER'S DIVISION-CRITTENDEN'S CORPS.
BRIG. GEN. CHARLES CRUFT.
SEPT. 20, 1863 - 1ST POSITION
31ST INDIANA-COL. JOHN T. SMITH
1ST KENTUCKY-LIET. COL. ALVA R. HADLOCK.
2D KENTUCKY-COL. THOMAS D. SEDGEWICK.
90TH OHIO-COL. CHARLES H. RIPPEY.
1ST OHIO LIGHT, BATTERY B. -LIEUT. NORMAN A. BALDWIN.

THE BRIGADE AS THE LEFT OF PALMER'S DIVISION WAS FORMED ON THIS GROUND DURING THE NIGHT OF SEPT. 18TH, WITH THE BATTERY ON THE RIGHT OF THE FIRST LINE. THE 31ST INDIANA ON ITS LEFT, THE 2D KENTUCKY BEING THE LEFT OF THE FRONT LINE. THE SECOND LINE, WHICH RELIEVED THE REGIMENTS IN FRONT ABOUT 11 A.M. CONSISTED OF TEH 90TH OHIO AND THE 1ST KENTUCKY.
THE BRIGADE WAS SO STRONGLY PROTECTED BY LOG WORKS THAT NO AN ENLISTED MAN WAS KILLED AND BUT FEW WOUNDED WHILE OCCUPYING THEM. THE ATTACKS MADE BY THE ENEMY UP TO THE TIME OF THE GENERAL WITHDRAWAL WERE REPULSED. ABOUT 3 O'CLOCK HAZEN'S BRIGADE ON ITS RIGHT WAS SENT TO SNODGRASS HILL, AND THE SECOND LINE OF CRUFT'S BRIGADE TOOK ITS PLACE. AT 5. 12 P.M. IT WAS ORDERED TO WITHDRAW ACROSS THE KELLY FIELD.
THE BRIGADE MOVED IN COLUMN OF REGIMENTS AT LONG INTERVALS, ENCOUNTERING A VERY SEVERE ARTILLERY FIRE FROM BOTH FLANKS, BUT SUFFERING LITTLE LOSS. UPON CROSSING THE LAFAYETTE ROAD THE BRIGADE PROCEEDED TO ROSSVILLE. STRENGTH IN ACTION SEPT. 19TH 1,498 OFFICERS AND MEN. CASUALTIES: KILLED 24; WOUNDED 213; CAPTURED OR MISSING 53; TOTAL 290. PERCENTAGE OF LOSS 20.58.

Two other closely related Tablets that I will only show as text are below. Also designated as Nos. 122 they are continued from one Tablet to the next by a large "X".

PALMER'S DIVISION-CRITTENDEN'S CORPS.
MAJ. GEN. JOHN M. PALMER.
SEPT. 20, 1863, UNTIL 5.45 P.M.
1ST BRIGADE-BRIG. GEN. CHARLES CRUFT.
2D BRIGADE-BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM B. HAZEN.
3D BRIGADE-COL. WILLIAM GROSE.

THE DIVISION WAS FORMED ON THIS LINE BEFORE DAYLIGHT, WITH JOHNSON'S DIVISION ON ITS LEFT AND REYNOLD'S ON ITS RIGHT. HAZEN'S AND CRUFT'S BRIGADES WERE ON THE FRONT IN DOUBLE LINES, THE FORMER ON THE RIGHT. GROSE'S BRIGADE WAS POSTED AS RESERVE. THE LINE WAS PROTECTED BY HASTILY CONSTRUCTED BARRICADES OF LOGS AND RAILS. AT 9 O'CLOCK GROSE'S BRIGADE, EXCEPT THE 23RD KENTUCKY WHICH RE-ENFORCED HAZEN'S BRIGADE, PROCEEDED TO THE LEFT AND TOOK ACTIVE PART IN REPULSING THE VARIOUS ATTACKS IN THAT QUARTER, AND SUFFERED SEVERELY. ABOUT 2 P.M. IT REJOINED ITS DIVISION AND LATER REPLACED HAZEN'S BRIGADE ON THE FRONT LINE, WHEN THE LATTER WAS DISPATCHED WESTWARD OF THE LAFAYETTE ROAD TO WOOD'S POSITION ON SNODGRASS HILL.
X
X

AT 10 A.M. CLEBURNE'S DIVISION ATTACKED PALMER'S AND JOHNSON'S FRONTS, AND STEWART ASSAULTED SIMULTANEOUSLY FURTHER TO THE RIGHT UPON REYNOLD'S AND BRANNON'S FRONTS. BOTH CONFEDERATE DIVISIONS WERE REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSSES AND THEREAFTER DID NOT AGAIN ATTACK UNTIL NEAR SUNSET, WHEN REYNOLDS AND PALMER WERE IN THE ACT OF WITHDRAWING. CRUFT'S AND GROSE'S BRIGADES CROSSED TO THE MIDDLE OF THE KELLY FIELD IN GOOD ORDER, AT WHICH POINT THEY BECAME SUBJECTED TO A HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE BY WHICH GROSE'S BRIGADE WAS THROWN INTO CONFUSION BUT WERE NOT PURSUED INTO THE FOREST. THESE BRIGADES THEN PROCEEDED AT DUSK TO ROSSVILLE BY WAY OF MCFARLAND'S GAP, HAZEN'S BRIGADE WITHDREW AT 7 P.M. WITH THE FORCES FROM SNODGRASS HILL.
THE LOSSES OF THE DIVISION DURING THE TWO DAYS BATTLE WERE: KILLED 134; WOUNDED 1031; MISSING 203; TOTAL 1368.

This is Indiana position marker No. 201 on the North side of the Brotherton Road. About 20 feet away from the road. To get here, turn off the Lafayette road onto the Brotherton Rd. and this monument will be on your left about 0.4 mi. from the intersection. The Indiana state markers are of Indiana oolitic stone and are 4ft. 8in. high at their peak and are 4ft. square with a 12in x 18in. bronze plate..


INDIANA

THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT INFANTRY, (SMITH)
FIRST BRIGADE. (CRUFT)
SECOND DIVISION. (PALMER)
TWENTY-FIRST, CORPS. (CRITTENDEN)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH, 1863, 4 P.M.
TILL NIGHT.

 

The below two Position Tablets are No. 201 (both related) and are just a few feet down from the above marker on the South side of the Brotherton road..

CRUFT'S BRIGADE

PALMER'S DIVISION-CRITTENDEN'S CORPS.
BRIG. GEN. CHARLES CRUFT.
SEPT. 19, 1863, 12:30 P.M. 1ST POSITION
31ST INDIANA-COL. JOHN T. SMITH
1ST KENTUCKY-LIET. COL. ALVA R. HADLOCK.
2D KENTUCKY-COL. THOMAS D. SEDGEWICK.
90TH OHIO-COL. CHARLES H. RIPPEY.
BATTERY B. 1ST OHIO-LIEUT. NORMAN A. BALDWIN.

THE BRIGADE ADVANCED AS THE CENTER ECHELON OF PALMERS DIVISION FROM THE VICINITY OF THE POE HOUSE, HAVING HAZEN'S BRIGADE TO ITS LEFT AND GROSE'S TO ITS RIGHT. FIVE COMPINIES OF THE 1ST KENTUCKY WERE ABSENT SERVING AS TRAIN GUARD. THE BRIGADE CAME INTO ACTION ON THIS GROUNDS ENCOUNTERING THE LINE OF CHEATHAM'S DIVISION, AND PUSHED FORWARD INTO POSITION SOUTH OF THE ROAD TO BROTHERTON'S WHERE IT WAS SEVERLY ENGAGED FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS. ABOUT FOUR O'CLOCK MOST OF THE BRIGADE WAS MOVED TO THE RIGHT TO THE ASSISTANCE OF GROSE'S BRIGADE WHICH WAS BEING FORCED RAPIDLY TO THE REAR, AND A LITTLE LATER, BEING JOINED BY A PORTION OF TURCHIN'S BRIGADE OF REYNOLD'S DIVISION. THE ADVANCE OF THE ENEMY ON THIS PART OF THE FIELD WAS CHECKED. AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE FIGHTING THE BRIGADE WAS WITHDRAWN TO THE LAFAYETTE ROAD NEAR KELLY'S HOUSE TO BIVOUAC. FROM THIS POSITION IT WAS ORDERED TO THE SUPPORT OF JOHNSON'S DIVISION WHICH HAD BEEN ATTACKED AT DUSK EAST OF THE BROCK FIELD, BY CLEBURNE'S AND CHEATHAM'S TROOPS. AFTER PROCEEDING FOR SOME DISTANCE TOWARD JOHNSON'S LINES THE ATTACK UPON THE LATTER ENDED, AND THE BRIGADE RETURNED TO THE GROUND OF ITS BIVOUAC.

 
PALMER'S DIVISION-CRITTENDEN'S CORPS.
MAJ. GEN. JOHN M. PALMER.

1ST BRIGADE-BRIG. GEN. CHARLES CRUFT.
2D BRIGADE-BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM B. HAZEN.
3D BRIGADE-COL. WILLIAM GROSE.
(SEPT. 19, 1863, 1:30 P.M.)

SHORTLY BEFORE DAYLIGHT, SEPT, 19TH, PALMER'S DIVISION TOOK POSITION ON THE LEFT OF VAN CLEVE'S DIVISION, WEST OF THE LAFAYETTE ROAD AND THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE NORTH OF LEE AND GORDON'S MILL, AND SHORTLY BEFORE NOON WAS ORDERED TO MARCH TO THE ASSISTANCE OF THE TROOPS ENGAGED ON THE LEFT. HE MOVED RAPIDLY AND AND CAME INTO ACTION ON JOHNSON'S RIGHT AT 12:30 P.M. HIS BRIGADES WERE FORMED IN ECHELON LEFT IN FRONT, HAZEN ON THE LEFT CAME INTO ACTION ON THIS GROUND&#59; CRUFT WAS SOON ENGAGED ON HAZEN'S CRUFT WAS SOON ENGAGED ON HAZEN'S RIGHT, WHILE GROSE WAS DIRECTED CONSIDERABLY OT THE RIGHT OF CRUFT. AFTER SEVERE FIGHTING, HAZEN WAS RELIEVED AT 3 P.M. BY TURCHIN'S BRIGADE OF REYNOLDS' DIVISION, AND WAS SENT BACK TO THE LAFAYETTE ROAD TO REPLENISH HIS AMMUNITION. TURCHIN AND CRUFT HELD THIS POSITION UNTIL RECALLED TO THE LAFAYETTE ROAD AT 5 P.M. GROSE'S BRIGADE WAS SENT TO THE RIGHT TO ASSIST VANCLEVE'S TWO BRIGADES, AND ED. KING'S BRIGADE OF REYNOLDS'S DIVISION WAS ALSO SENT FORWARD FOR THE SAME PURPOSE BY REYNOLDS. GROSE WAS DRIVEN TO THE LAFAYETTE ROAD SOUTH OF THE POE HOUSE. HAZEN HAD REFORMED WEST OF THE ROAD. THE NEW FRONT LINE, FACING SOUTHEAST AND STRENGTHENED BY SEVERAL BATTERIES, OPENED AT SHORT RANGE UPON THE ENEMY'S ADVANCING LINE AND REPULSED IT AT 5 P.M. WHEN JOHNSON AND BAIRD WERE ATTACKED AT DUSK BY CLEBURNE AND CHEATHAM, HAZEN AND CRUFT WERE SENT TO JOHNSON'S SUPPORT, BUT WERE NOT NEEDED. THE ENTIRE DIVISION BIVOUACKED ON THE SOUTHEAST BORDER OF THE KELLY FIELD.

 

The below Indiana Marker is somewhat harder to get to. After visiting the above, go a little farther to the end of the woods on your right and walk southward into the Brock Field around the woods and on your right will be an opening in the woods, walk westward and you will eventually see Marker No. 217. This marker is about 600ft. from the road. Also within these woods is the Marker for the 90th Ohio which was part of the Brigade.

INDIANA

THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT INFANTRY, (SMITH)
FIRST BRIGADE. (CRUFT)
SECOND DIVISION. (PALMER)
TWENTY-FIRST, CORPS. (CRITTENDEN)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH, 1863, 1 P.M. TO 4 P.M.

On your way back to the Brotherton road from the above Marker, you will pass on your right a Marker Tablet for Turchin's Brigade, Tablet No. 213. It also concerns Cruft's Brigade.
TURCHINS BRIGADE.
REYNOLDS' DIVISION-THOMAS'S CORPS.
BRIG. GEN. JOHN B. TURCHIN.
(SEPT. 19, 1863, 4 P.M., 2D POSITION)

18TH KENTUCKY- LIEUT. COL. HUBBARD K. MILWARD.
11TH OHIO- COL. PHILANDER P. LANE.
36TH OHIO- LIEUT. COL. HIRAM F. DEVOL.
92D OHIO- LIEUT. COL. DOUGLAS PUTMAN, JR.

21ST INDIANA BATTERY-CAPT. WILLIAM W. ANDREW.
THIS BRIGADE RELIEVED HAZEN'S IN THE BROCK FIELD SOON AFTER 3 O'CLOCK P.M. IN AN ISOLATED POSITION, GEN. TURCHIN MOVED TO THE RIGHT AND FORMED IN TWO LINES ON THE LEFT OF CRUFT''S BRIGADE OF PALMER'S DIVISION. AT 4:30 P.M. THE ENEMY ATTACKED WITH GREAT PERSISTENCE AND WAS FINALLY REPELLED BY A CHARGE OF TURCHIN'S BRIGADE WHICH WHEELED UPON THE ENEMY'S RIGHT, WHILE CRUFT'S BRIGADE CHARGED TO THE FRONT. AT THE CLOSE OF THIS ENGAGEMENT, TURCHIN'S BRIGADE JOINED KING'S IN THE VICINITY OF THE POE HOUSE WHERE IT BIVOUACKED.

This site was written by:
Dennis Hutchinson

I am interested in anything connected with the 31st Indiana Vol. Infantry, or if you have any questions please feel free to contact me by E-Mail.

I am especially interested in photos of soldiers from the 31st Indiana in their wartime clothing.  I am also interested in any letters, diaries, or biographical information on 31st Indiana soldiers

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Last Update May, 2017

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