February 1864

80th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
An American Civil War Regiment


"Therefore, Resolved, That in this transaction the said late Col. Culbertson has been guilty of an unpardonable attempt to override the will and wishes of the officers and men of this regiment and has evinced a degree of duplicity, impudence, and deceit which we did not believe could be carried out or endured by a man of his physical structure or intellectual calibre, and has given evidence of a wanton disregard for the future welfare of his former regiment."

--Part of a public protest resolution by 80th Ind. officers
adopted Feb. 1, '64, at Knoxville, Tenn.


Below are brief descriptions of the 80th's day-to-day experiences during February, 1864, which included guard duty near Knoxville, Tenn. as part of 2nd Brig., 3rd Div., 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; Co.=Company; Col.=Colonel; Cpl.=Corporal; C.S.A.=Confederate States of America; Div.=Division; Gen.=General; Gov.=Governor; Ind.=Indiana; Lieut.=Lieutenant; Pvt.=Private; Tenn.=Tennessee; U.S.=United States; and, '64=1864. 

The 80th Indiana was formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's July, 1862, call for 300,000 more volunteers for the Federal Army.  After only 2 weeks of training, the 80th left Indiana in early 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 finally came home.

Sources: 80th Indiana Consolidated Morning Reports; 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); and other items as noted. 

 
Dates Synopsis of 80th Service Quotes
Feb. 1
Monday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  Building winter quarters.
"Completed our shanty.  Co. A went on picket duty.  I did not go as my foot was sprained.  Received two letters."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 2
Tuesday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  Rations for three days issued.  "Rained."
Feb. 3
Wednesday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  Weather "clear."  

Mustered into the Army.
Recruit Aaron Baker into Co. F
Recruit James P. Whiting into Co. F
Feb. 4
Thursday
False Alarm. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  "Rain."

Died at home in Washington, Ind.
Recruit William Jett Co. D

Returned from Lousiville Hospital.
Pvt. George W. Bey Co. G

Returned to the regiment.
Sergt. Alfred S. Ford Co. A

Mustered into the Army.
Recruit Patrick Gibbons into Co. F
"Ordered up at 4 A.M.  Reported that the Rebels are coming.  Stacked guns in line of battle.  Sergt. Ford come to the regiment.  I went on picket."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 5
Friday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.

Mustered into the Army.
Recruit Raymond J. Spaulding into Co. B
Feb. 6
Saturday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  "Rained."
Feb. 7
Sunday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  "Very Cold."
Feb. 8
Monday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  "Cold."
"Ashmead [Pvt. John A. Ashmead Co. A] went home.  We sent letters."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 9
Tuesday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  Weather "clear."
Feb. 10
Wednesday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.

Transferred to 1st Colored Heavy Artillery.
Cpl. Austin S. Waggoner Co. C
"I went to Knoxville and got a tooth filled.  $1.50."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 11
Thursday
Moved Camp. Relocated to where 8th Iowa camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  Weather "clear."

Died at Indianapolis, Ind.
Recruit Shelton Crow Co. A
Feb. 12
Friday
Rations Scarce. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  Weather "clear."

Mustered into the Army.
Recruit Harvey H. Farris into Co. K
"Scarce of rations.  Paid 12 cents a pound for flour.  I went on picket."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 13
Saturday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  "Cloudy."

Resigned from Army due to disability.
1st Lieut. William T. Dunn Co. G,  

Commissioned by Ind. Gov. Morton as Co. G officer.
2nd Lieut. William H. Clements as 1st Lieut.
Feb. 14
Sunday
Knoxville. Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.  "It rained."
Feb. 15
Monday
Line of Battle.  Deployed to meet expected attack, but no attack made.  Returned to camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.

Mustered into the Army.
Recruit Samuel C. Scott into Co. B
"Marched at 6 A.M. one mile and lay in line of battle all day.  It rained all day and all of us got wet.  At 4 P.M. we went to our old camp."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 16
Tuesday
Coldest Night? Camped in the field near Knoxville, Tenn.

Discharged from the Army.
Pvt. Samuel Wininger Co. D
"I think it was the coldest night I was ever on picket [duty]."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 17
Wednesday
New Camp. Relocated to Knoxville, Tenn.  "Clear" weather.
"Moved camp to Knox[ville] where there is no wood [for campfires] nor water [for drinking] near us."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 18
Thursday
Knoxville. Camped at Knoxville, Tenn.  "...snowed part of the day and turned very cold."
Feb. 19
Friday
Freezing Cold.  Camped at Knoxville, Tenn. 

Discharged from the Army.
Pvt. William Rogers Co. A

Mustered into the Army.
Recruit William Cochran
Recruit Isaac Kimmons into Co. G
"Fixing up our tents to keep from freezing."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 20
Saturday
Building Fortifications.  2nd Brig. detailed to work on fortifications 4 hours during the day and 4 hours during the night.  Whiskey ration issued.  Camped at Knoxville, Tenn.   "Clear" weather.  

Died a P.O.W. in Andersonville Prison, Ga.
Pvt. John Melton Co. C
Feb. 21
Sunday
Wintry Weather.  Camped at Knoxville, Tenn.  "...snowed part of the day."
Feb. 22
Monday
Brigade Inspection.  Inspected by U.S. Brig. Gen. Henry M. Judah, 80th's Div. Commander, at 11 A.M.  Camped at Knoxville, Tenn.  "Clear" weather.
Feb. 23
Tuesday
Fortifying All Day. "Worked all day on the fortifications." Camped at Knoxville, Tenn.  "Clear" weather.

Returned from duty with Telegraph Corps.
Pvt. Madison H. Miller Co. G

Honorably discharged from the Army.
1st Lieut. William C. Chambers Co. C
1st Lieut. Jacob Scammahorn Co. D

PRESENT FOR DUTY. 
  Captain...............1
  Sergeants...........3
  Corporals..........5
  Drummers..........1
  Fifers.................1
  Privates...........14
Morning Report of Co. G, signed by:
1st Sergt. James F. Cantwell


Feb. 24
Wednesday
To Strawberry Plains.  2nd Div. and 9th A.C. marched 15 mi. to Strawberry Plains, Tenn. and camped.

Commissioned by Ind. Gov. Morton.
2nd Lieut. Eli P. Bicknell Co. C as 1st Lieut. of Co. C
2nd Lieut. Isum Gwin Co. D as 1st Lieut. of Co. D
"...I can assure you we have enough [troops] to hold the place against all the forces Longstreet [C.S.A. Gen. James Longstreet] can bring.  We have been engaged in fortifying night and day, with the expectation of an attack from the rebels, who have been in force at Strawberry Plains--a distance of 16 miles from here...
     As for rations--our army has been living on half rations since their retreat from Loudon...
     The small-pox has been among us, but not to the alarming extent some of the press would have it.  It has now almost entirely disappeared.
     The common in the vicinity of Knoxville is almost literally covered with dead horses and mules, and you can judge of the stench...
     We are making great preparations for an early Spring campaign, which, I think, should it prove successful, will wind up the rebellion, and show to the world that the Confederacy is a failure, and that a Republican Government can stand.
     By the way, Old Uncle Abe [U.S. President Abraham Lincoln] is getting very popular among the boys since his last proclamation offering amnesty and pardon to all the rebels who will take the oath [of allegiance to the U.S.]  ...
     The Old 80th has seen some hard service since their arrival in East Tennessee, but we never murmur, and intend to stick to Uncle Sam as long as a rebel exists.  J. A. Mc." 
--from a letter dated Feb. 24, '64, believed written by Pvt. James A. McCorkle, Co. H, published 
Mar. 2, '64, in the Evansville Journal newspaper, Evansville, Ind.
Feb. 25
Thursday
Expecting to Move.  Camped in woods near Strawberry Plains.
"Remained in the woods all day expecting to move."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 26
Friday
Strawberry Plains.  Camped in woods near Strawberry Plains. "Clear" weather.
"Ordered to send all our extra clothing back..."
--Pvt. John K. King Co. A, diary.
Feb. 27
Saturday
Strawberry Plains.  Camped in woods near Strawberry Plains. 
Feb. 28
Sunday
Strawberry Plains.  Camped in woods near Strawberry Plains. 
Feb. 29
Monday
Strawberry Plains.  Camped in woods near Strawberry Plains. 

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created February 29, 2000.  Last updated January 1, 2005.
1862

 1863

 1864

 1865

 Next
Facts Rosters Profiles Images History
Home Changes Modern Needed Sources