"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

Below are brief descriptions of the 80th's day-to-day experiences during February, 1865, which begins with them camped just outside of Washington, D.C., awaiting transport south to re-join the federal forces being led by U.S. Lieut. Gen. William T. Sherman in the Carolinas, and ends with them in North Carolina.

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: Capt.=Captain; Co.=Company; N.C.=North Carolina; Va.=Virginia; and, '65=1865.

The 80th Indiana was formed in response to President Lincoln's call for 300,000 more volunteers for the Federal Army. 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 it, only 320 were still with the 80th when it came home.

Sources: 80th Indiana Regimental and Company Order Books; Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volumes III and IV, 1861-1865 (Indianapolis, Indiana, 1866); and other items as noted.