Civil War
On April 12, 1861, after Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, S.C., President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to defend the Union. Hoosiers responded to the call in great numbers.
More than 197,00 Indiana men joined the Union army, ranking it second among Northern states in providing men for military service. Another 100,000 participated in the Indiana militia. While the majority of Hoosiers remained loyal to the Union, some individuals, called "Copperheads," sympathized with the Confederates.
Indiana regiments played significant roles in the war. For example, the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, part of the famed Iron Brigade, fought valiantly at the Battle of Antietam and at Gettysburg. Other Hoosier regiments participated in battles at Shiloh, Chancellorsville, Chickamauga, Vicksburg and others.
In 1863, Hoosiers defended the state against a raid led by Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan. The raiders attacked several southern Indiana towns, including Corydon, Salem, Vernon and Versailles, before heading east into Ohio.
Throughout the war, Hoosier women volunteered their time to help the sick and wounded. Women also left their homes to work in war-related industries and provided supplies for Union troops.
Media
Available for purchase from the Basile History Market:
Well Done, Indiana: Tales of the Tragedies & Triumphs of Indiana in the Civil War
IHS Press Youth Biography Series
Available for purchase from the Basile History Market:
The Sword & the Pen: A Life of Lew Wallace
IHS Press Youth Historical Fiction
Available for purchase from the Basile History Market:
Captured! A Boy Trapped in the Civil War
IHS Press Books for Adults
Available for purchase from the Basile History Market:
Blood Shed in This War: Civil War Illustrations by
Captain Adolph Metzner, 32nd Indiana
Shadow of Shiloh: Major General Lew Wallace in the
Civil War
IHS Traveling Exhibits
Available for loan from IHS Local History Services:
Lesson Plans
Download these free lessons for elementary (grade 4), middle/intermediate (grade 8) and high school students:
Teacher Resource for Captured! A Boy Trapped in the
Civil War (pdf)
Teacher Resource for The Sword & the Pen: A Life of
Lew Wallace (pdf)
By Freedom's Light Teacher Resource (pdf)
Available for purchase from the Basile History Market:
Indiana & the Civil War: Educator Curriculum Packet
IHS Collections
Search the IHS Collections Catalog.
Browse selected Civil War and Civil War Home Front materials in the IHS Digital Collections.
Special Notice
Educators receive a 25% discount on purchases from the Basile History Market.
