Processed by
Lauren McPike
13 June 2002
Revised 6 September 2002
Revised 15 September 2005 by Susan A. Fletcher
Manuscript Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
6 folders, 1 oversize manuscript folder |
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COLLECTION |
1863-65 |
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PROVENANCE: |
Civil War Antiques (Todd Rittenhouse). Delaware, Ohio 2001 |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
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RELATED |
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ACCESSION |
2002.0082 |
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NOTES: |
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The 87th Indiana Infantry Regiment was organized in South Bend, Indiana, on 28 August 1862. It was mustered in on 31 August with 945 men. With the eventual addition of 317 more men, 1262 soldiers served in the regiment over the course of its three-year existence.
The 87th first saw action in General Buell’s campaign through Kentucky in October of 1862. On the 19th and 20th of September 1863 the regiment was a significant force in the battle of Chicamauga, where it lost more than half of its men. Through 1864 it moved with its corps in pursuit of General Hood through northern Georgia, after which the men marched to Savannah with General Sherman. The regiment then moved to the Carolinas.
In April 1865 the Pioneer Brigade became legendary. Comprised of lumbermen from Michigan and rail-splitters from Illinois and Indiana, the Pioneers corduroyed roads, built bridges, and forded rivers. The brigade allowed Union forces, with 2500 wagons and 600 ambulances, to move at the rate of twelve miles a day. Such a feat was thought of as nearly impossible at that time. The Pioneers also made it possible for the army to penetrate South Carolina through the Salk swamp. Once through the Carolinas, the regiment moved up to Richmond, Virginia, and on to Washington City where it participated in General Sherman’s grand review. Finally, on 21 June 1865, the 87th Indiana Infantry was mustered out with only 313 of the original members surviving.
Sources:
Adjutant General’s Office. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana. Vol. III . Indianapolis: A. H. Connor [W. R. Holloway] State Printer, 1865–69. General and Reference Collection, E506.2.I39 T4 1865
Overmyer, Jack K. A Stupendous Effort: The 87th in the War of the Rebellion. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN 1997. General Collection: E506.5 87th .O96 1997
This collection consists of several documents from the 87th Indiana Infantry Pioneer Brigade, including order forms for supplies, receipts for purchases, and official military orders. There are several letters from assistant surgeons including Charles Triplett and Vernon Gould as well as from surgeons believed to be William Hill and A.H. Robbins. The collection also contains two Receipt Rolls of Clothing for Captain John W. Elam’s Company F. These accounts from February and March 1864 track the articles of clothing such as trousers and shirts that each soldier received.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Orders Placed for Supplies |
Folder 1 |
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Receipts |
Folder 2 |
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Official Military Orders |
Folder 3 |
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Letters from Surgeon Charles Triplett |
Folder 4 |
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Letter from Surgeon Vernon Gould |
Folder 5 |
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Letters from Surgeons believed to be William Hill and A.H. Robbins |
Folder 6 |
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Receipt Rolls of Clothing and Equipment |
OM 0427 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://opac.indianahistory.org/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Click on the "Call Number" from the “Search In:” box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, SC 2689).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.