80th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, March 1864 History

Below are brief descriptions of the 80th's day-to-day experiences during March, 1864, when it was stationed in East Tennessee in the Knoxville area, living on half rations, and threatened by Confederate forces under the command of Maj. Gen. James Longstreet. At the time the 80th belonged to the 2nd Brig. of the 3rd Div. of the 23rd A.C.

Also included below are quotes from primary and secondary sources that are intended to give insights into what the times, and the soldiers' lives, were like. These quotes have been entered on the date they were written or published (unless otherwise noted) and without changing the original grammar or spelling. Abbreviations used on this page include: A.C.=Army Corps; Brig.=Brigade; Chap.=Chaplain; Co.=Company; C.S.A.=Confederate States of America; Dept.=Department; Div.=Division; F&S=Field & Staff; Ind.=Indiana; U.S.=United States; and '64=1864.

The 80th Indiana was formed in response to President Lincoln's July, 1862, call for 300,000 more volunteers for the Federal Army. After only 2 weeks training the 80th left Indiana in September, 1862, and did not return until July, 1865. During that time it marched over 3,700 miles on foot and fought in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. Of the roughly 1,000 men who served in the 80th, only 320 were still with the regiment when it came home.

Sources: Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volumes III and IV, 1861-1865 (Indianapolis, Indiana, 1866); personal diary of Pvt. John K. King Co. A, 80th Ind. (1862-1865); letters by 1st Sergt. Samuel T. Reeves Co. C, 80th Ind. (1864-1865), courtesy of the Dept. of Special Collections, University of Notre Dame; and other items as noted.

*Dates*	*Synopsis of 80th Service*	*Quotes*
Mar. 1 Tuesday	Strawberry Plains. Camped near Strawberry Plains, Easter Tennessee.
Mar. 2 Wednesday	Strawberry Plains. Camped near Strawberry Plains, Easter Tennessee.
Mar. 3 Thursday	Strawberry Plains. Camped near Strawberry Plains, Easter Tennessee.
Mar. 4 Friday	Strawberry Plains. Camped near Strawberry Plains, Easter Tennessee. Mustered into the Army. Recruit George T. Seals
Mar. 5 Saturday	"Rations Scarce." Pickets fired on by Rebels. "Clear" weather. Mustered into the Army. Recruit William Padgett into Co. B
Mar. 6 Sunday	Quiet Day. "Clear" weather.	"Very quiet in camp. Nothing of interest." --Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Mar. 7 Monday	Policed Camp. "Cleaned up camp. It rained." Mustered into the Army. Recruit Gabriel Dinkens into Co. B Recruit Thomas Dinkens into Co. B Recruits Henry Drewery into Co. B Recruit Albert Mosler into Co. B Recruit John Ranner into Co. G
Mar. 8 Tuesday	Deserter Recovered. Camped near Strawberry Plains, Easter Tennessee. Recovered from desertion. Pvt. Jacob McMullin Co. E
Mar. 9 Wednesday	Strawberry Plains. Camped near Strawberry Plains, Easter Tennessee.
Mar. 10 Thursday	Strawberry Plains. Camped near Strawberry Plains, Easter Tennessee.
Mar. 11 Friday	Division Assembles. Rest of 3rd Div. arrived. Rations for 3 days issued. "Clear" weather.
Mar. 12 Saturday	Marched to Morristown. Reveille at 4 A.M., marched at 6 A.M. to Morristown, Tenn. Arrived there 3 P.M. and went into camp after covering 12 mi. "Clear" weather. Mustered into the Army. Recruit Adam C. McCormick into Co. H Recruit John H. McCormick into Co. H Recruit John P. McCormick into Co. H
Mar. 13 Sunday	Morristown. Camped at Morristown, Tenn. "Very cold."
Mar. 14 Monday	Morristown. "Drilled two hours." Camped at Morristown, Tenn. "Very cold."
Mar. 15 Tuesday	Morristown. Camped at Morristown, Tenn. Continued cold weather.
Mar. 16 Wednesday	Morristown. Camped at Morristown, Tenn. Continued cold weather.
Mar. 17 Thursday	Camped Near Morristown. Camped at Morristown, Tenn. Continued cold weather.	"Still Stationed at this place but I dont think that wee will stay here more than two or three days at the furtherest the troope are leaveing here this morning By the holesale the Road is croweded all of the time... I think that wee will be payed off in a day or two and then I think that wee will leave here...when Lt Chambers [1st Lieut. William C. Chambers Co. C of Edwardsport, Ind., who was honorably discharged from the Army Feb. 23, '64] Comes home and gets his money he will pay you some money he owes me therty five Dollars and fifty Seven cts ...the health of Co C is generaly good some of the boys has bad coals but they are able to be about wee have had a very disagreeable Spell of weather it has been very coald for the last five days the ground is frozen hard but it is dry..." --1st Sergt. Samuel T. Reeves Co. C, letter to his wife Huldah back in Edwardsport, Ind.
Mar. 18 Friday	Died at home in Loogootee, Ind. Recruit Thomas Dinkens Co. B Resigned from the Army. 1st Lieut. Henry C. Jeraould Co. A
Mar. 19 Saturday
Mar. 20 Sunday
Mar. 21 Monday	Letter of Resignation. Submitted a letter resigning from the Army. Capt. Charles Brownlee Co. A, "Neuralgia and Indigestion" "I have the honor to tender my resignation as Captain of Company A 80th Reg. Ind. Vol. Infy.: immediate and unconditional for reasons contained in the accompanying Surgeon's Certificate." --Capt. Charles Brownlee commanding Co. A, 80th Ind., letter of resignation, Asylum General Hospital No. 1, Knoxville, Tenn.
Mar. 22 Tuesday	Capt. Brownlee Certified Disabled. "I certify that I have carefully examined Capt. Charles Brownlee of Co. A 80th Ind. Vol. Inf. and find that he is now and has been for the past twelve months suffering with "Neuralgia" and "Indigestion" in a severe form. He has several times partially recovered by leaving the field and going to hospital, but on his return to duty the diseases have always returned immediately. During the past twelve months he has been unable for duty at least one third of the time. I am of the opinion that he will never be able to resume his duties again with justice to himself and the Government, from the fact that I have constantly attended him since he entered the service and his diseases have to a great extent resisted all the usual remedies. I do not consider him a fit subject for the Invalid Corps." --William P. Welborn Asst. Surg., 80th Ind., Certificate of Disability, written at Asylum General Hospital No. 1, Knoxville, Tenn.
Mar. 23 Wednesday	Weather Improves. "Somewhat pleasanter today. Clear."
Mar. 24 Thursday
Mar. 25 Friday	Picket Duty. 80th went on picket. "Rained."
Mar. 26 Saturday	Surg. Jaquess Asks to Resign. Camped at Mossey Creek, Tenn. "Having made application for leave of absence on Surgeons Certificate of Disability which please find with accompaning papers and as the leave could not be granted and knowing myself unfit for duty and believing that in the my present situation I never will in my opinion regain my health therefore I would respectfully and earnestly request the acceptance of my resignation." --George D. Jaquess, Surg., F&S, 80th Ind., letter asking to resign his officer's commission.
Mar. 27 Sunday	Inspection & Church. Inspection held at 9 A.M. Church service held at 11 A.M. "Clear" weather.
Mar. 28 Monday	Brigade Drill.
Mar. 29 Tuesday	Pay Day. Mustered into the Army. Recruit Franklin B. Gillespie into Co. F	"We drawed pay for four months. $52.00. Sent it home by Brother Hobbs [Chap. Marmaduke M. C. Hobbs, F&S]. It snowed." --Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Mar. 30 Wednesday	Bad Weather.	"It snowed some. Very disagreeable." --Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Mar. 31 Thursday	Picket Duty. 80th went on picket. "Cloudy."

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions. All Rights Reserved. Created February 29, 2000. Last updated February 26, 2005.

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