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A great ribbon worn by members of the 39th Indiana Volunteer Mounted Infantry/ 8th Indiana Cavalry at their 1900 reunion at Galveston, Indiana. The ribbon is yellow. Written on the ribbon is "17th Annual Reunion - Col. F.A. Jones - 39th Indiana Volunteers - Eighth Indiana Cavalry. Galveston, IND.. Sept. 4th and 5th. 1900." A likeness of Col. F.A. Smith is in the upper center of the ribbon.

39th Indiana Regiment / 8th Indiana Cavalry
in the American Civil War

Regimental History

Thirty-ninth Indiana Regiment (8th Indiana Cavalry). — Cols., Thomas J. Harrison, Fielder A. Jones; Lieut. -Cols., Fielder A. Jones, Thomas Herring; Majs., John D. Evans, Thomas Herring, Thomas Graham, Charles A. Gordon, Justus G. Crowell, Thomas N. Baker, John Leavell. This regiment was organized at Indianapolis and was mustered in on Aug. 29, 1861. It left the state early in September, going into camp at Muldraugh's hill near Elizabethtown, Ky., and from there moved to Camp Nevin and thence to Camp Wood. It marched to Nashville with Buell's army; moved to the Tennessee river in the spring; was engaged at Shiloh, where it lost 2 killed and 34 wounded; encamped at Shiloh until the movement was made for Corinth; participated in the siege of that place, and at its conclusion marched through northern Alabama to Nashville, thence to Louisville and through Kentucky in pursuit of Bragg. It returned to Louisville in November; accompanied Rosecrans' army to Murfreesboro; was heavily engaged at Stone's river, where it lost 31 killed, 118 wounded and 231 missing; and remained in camp near Murfreesboro until the early summer of 1863. In April, 1863, the regiment was mounted and served as mounted infantry during that year. It reinforced the 2nd Ind. cavalry on the Shelbyville road near Murfreesboro in June, in a sharp fight with Wheeler's cavalry; was in skirmishes at Middleton and Liberty gap, and was engaged at Winchester during the movement upon Chattanooga. It participated in the battle of Chickamauga, and then took part in an expedition into East Tennessee. Authority was given to change the regiment from infantry to cavalry, and Cos. L and M were organized in Sept., 1863, joining the command in the field in October, and the regiment was reorganized Oct. 15, as the 8th Ind. cavalry. It was engaged on courier duty between Chattanooga and Ringgold during the winter, and reenlisted as a veteran organization, Feb. 22, 1864, being given a furlough in April. It participated in Rousseau's raid into Alabama, one battalion of the regiment routing a brigade on the Coosa river, and taking several prisoners. It also routed the enemy at Chehaw Station, Ala. It took part in McCook's raid around Atlanta, being the only regiment to preserve its organization, and made a charge which routed the enemy and opened the way for the escape of 1,200 of McCook's command. It was in Kilpatrick's raid into Georgia, leading the charge of the left wing at Lovejoy's Station, riding over Ross' division of Confederate cavalry and capturing all his artillery and 4 battleflags. It was also engaged in the battle of Jonesboro, at Flint river, and in several skirmishes following the capture of Atlanta. In the campaigns to Savannah and through the Carolinas, it participated in battles and skirmishes at Waynesboro, Buckhead Church, Brown's cross-roads, Reynolds' plantation, Aiken, Averasboro, Bentonville and Raleigh. At Averasboro it charged and routed Rhett's South Carolina brigade of infantry — ten times its number — losing 14 killed and 59 wounded. A detachment left in Tennessee, fought Wheeler at Franklin and at other points, and was in a severe engagement at Pulaski with Forrest's cavalry. At Savannah, Feb. 20, 1865, the veterans and recruits of the 3d Ind. cavalry were transferred to and consolidated with the 8th. The last battle in North Carolina was fought at Morrisville, where the 8th cavalry whipped Hampton's entire force. It was on duty in North Carolina, until July 20, 1865, when it was mustered out. The original strength was 1,208; gain by recruits, 902; reenlistments, 305. It lost 56 by desertion, 137 were unaccounted for, and it lost heavily in killed and wounded.