| 1865
History 80th Indiana Volunteer Infantry An American Civil War Regiment |
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--President Abraham Lincoln, speaking about the war |
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The 80th Indiana was formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's July 1, 1862, call for 300,000 more men to volunteer for the Union Army in order to help the Federal government win the American Civil War. The table below contains information about the 80th's final half year of service. The column on the left contains links that lead to day-by-day overviews by month. The center column contains overviews of what the 80th was doing and where it was located in 1865. The column on the right features quotes from primary and secondary sources, which 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. This is the first comprehensive history ever written about the 80th Indiana. It is being assembled using data from many sources, and is very much a work in progress. Contributions are both encouraged and welcomed. All who do so will be credited on the list of Modern 80th Indiana Volunteers on this website. For details, visit the Help Needed section of this site. Together this history can grow to be a rich tribute to the men of the 80th Indiana, who helped preserve the United States of America and end slavery within it.
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| Months | Synopsis of 80th Service | Quotes |
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January 1865 |
Transfer to North Carolina. Left Tenn. by steamboat to Cincinnati, Oh., and then by railroad train to Washington, DC. |
"Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching, Cheer up comrades, they will come; And beneath the starry flag we shall breathe the air again, Of the free land in our own beloved home." --From the song Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! by George F. Root |
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February 1865 |
Capture of Wilmington. Sailed down Atlantic coast to Ft. Fisher, N.C., to rejoin U.S. Gen. William T. Sherman's army. Operations against Hoke, N.C. Attack on Fort Anderson, and capture of Wilmington, N.C. |
"Beat the drum and toll the bell, For hard times in Dixie, Chant rebellion's funeral knell, Hard times in Dixie; And all o'er the land and sea, Floats the banner of the free, Traitors shall forever be, Hard up in Dixie!" --from the song Hard Times in Dixie by M. K. and Eugarps |
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March 1865 |
Capture of Goldsboro. Advance on and capture of Goldsboro, N.C. |
"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan -- to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." --President Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural address, Mar. 4, '65 |
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April 1865 |
War Ends; Lincoln Assassinated. Advance on Raleigh, N.C. Surrender of C.S.A. Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Occupation of Raleigh, N.C. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln assassinated. Surrender of C.S.A. Gen Johnson's Army. End of the war. |
"...The worst news that has come in Camp for a long time was the news ov the Death ov Abe Lincon we got the News las nite and the army was al mad & they couldent hardly keep the army from Burning the town I was in for it. I am in for Burning the hole Southern States up for the Death ov Lincoln..." --Sergt. Albert Pancake Co. H, letter written from 80th's camp at Raleigh, N.C., to his father in Pike County, Ind. |
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May 1865 |
Guard Duty at Salisbury. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln buried. |
"Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud, A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, He passes from life to his rest in the grave." --William Knox, from his poem Mortality, which was one of Abraham Lincoln's favorites |
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June 1865 |
Muster Out at Salisbury. Guard duty at Salisbury, N.C. 80th's remaining veterans officially mustered out of Army and begin journey back to Indiana. 80th Recruits transferred to 129th Ind. Inf. Regt. to serve out their remaining service commitments. |
"My comrades, I bid you farewell, and may Almighty God bless and reward you for your patriotism and fidelity in the cause of liberty and Union, and may He comfort and protect the widows and orphan children of our comrades who have given their lives for their country." --U.S. Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield commander, Army of the Ohio, farewell order to his troops |
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July 1865 |
Back Home in Indiana. Majority of 80th's surviving soldiers return to Indiana in triumph and disband to their homes. |
"The days of thine absence were lonely, But now that my darling is nigh, I've a kiss on my lip for him only, And a welcoming smile in mine eye;" --from the song There's A Joy For The Heart In This Meeting by James M. Stewart |
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This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions. All Rights Reserved. Created January 1, 2000. Last updated January 1, 2005. |
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