The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-30
THE PREACHERS REGIMENT.
The Coming Reunion of the Famou
F-ifty-Seventh Infantry.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
HAGERSTOwN. Ind, Sept. 2s.-The
twenty-frst annual reunion Of the Fifty
seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer In
fantry will be held at Ce~nterville, Oct
and 4. The Fifty-seventh numbered more
than fourteen hundred men, and was IN
the field from the oath of December, 1861.
till the close of 1866. In the fall of 1861
Governor Morton authorized the Rev. j.
w. T. McMullin and Rev. F. A Hardin,
both ministers of the North Indiana Con-
ference of the NJ. Z. Church, TO raise a
regiment of infantry to serve three years
unless sooner discharged, the same TO be
organized at Camp Wayne, Richmond, Ind
With this authority they both resigned
from their pastoral charges and entered
Upon a thorough canvass Of Wayne and
adjoining counties. The Sixteenth and
Ihirty-sixth Regiments had been recently
recruited in the same territory and had
made a heavy draft upon the volunteers of
The district, and excitement had almost
died out. When it became known. how
ever. that the two ministers had taken the
field and were trying to raise another regi-
ment, the enthusiasm of many persons
who had remained silent was aroused to
fever heat. Hundreds Of men, especially
those of moral and religious character.
flocked to their standard and the organiza-
ton soon commenced. Two of the company
commanders, Rev. w. K. Hoback and Rev.
w. S. Bradford, were also travelling minis
tiers. Besides these there were several
other ministers who had subordinate COM
mands in the regiment. The number of men
in the regiment who sustained a Christian
character at home and who belonged to
some branch of the church, was not far
from four hundred. Many others, not
church members, volunteered as a matter
of choice, believing that the influence of
those In authority over them would be In
favor of strict morality. Because Of the
great number of religiously inclined per-
! sons in the regiment, 1t became known as
the preachers Regiment" and the name
| has stuck to 1t until this day. So rapidly
did the young men respond to the call Of
their country, that before the middle Of
November nine companies arrived at Camp
Wayne and were initiated into the routine
of camp duties.
Company A, Captain Allison. was recruit
| ed mainly from Knightstown and vicinity;
Company B. Capt. John S. McGraw re-
| cruited from Richmond, Newport n
| spartansburg; Company c. Capt. Joseph S.
| Stidham, recruited from Centerville; Com
| pany d, Capt. John Hunt. recruited from
Richmond, Arlington and spartansburg:
| Company Z, Capt. Addison NJ. Dunn, re-
cruited from Muncie, Milton md Buena
! Vista; Company F, Capt. w. S. Bradford.
recruited from Middletown. New Castle and
Mechanicsburg; Company G.. Capt. Willis
4 Drarob rocv,rffod from IOkornn. Copnnonv
H. Capt. w. X. Hoback. recruited from
Boxleytown; Company /, Capt. s. Fielder.
recruited from Hagerstown and Selma.
Wayne county furnished the largest num-
Der of men for the new regiment. but the
counties of Hamilton, Howard, Henry,
Randolph, Delaware. Madison. Boone.
Grant, Marion. Upton, Fayette and 9TH
ers were represented in the regiment.
On the I'D of November Governor Nor
ton and General Love inspected the regi-
ment at Camp Wayne. and at that time the
Governor commissioned John w. Jordon
major of the regiment Early in December
orders were received to move to Camp Du-
mont. at indianapolis, and on the I'D OF
December the regiment started for Louis
Vile to take the field in earnest. Terrible
suferings were experienced during the win
ter campaign IN hentucky. IL marcned 10
Nashville and entered upon the spring
campaign. 1t was at Shiloh. took part In
the siege OF Corinth and was in the famous
retreat from lower Tennessee to Louisville,
Ky. 1t made a second campaign in Ken
lucky and participated in the movements
about Murfreesboro. 1t took prominent
part at Stone River. at which battle Colonel
Hines was shot in the knee and had to be
carried from the field. He has never re-
covered from the wound. In the Chatta-
nooga campaign and in the storming OF
Lookout mountain and Mission ridge the
regiment did valiant service. II made a
forced march to East Tennessee and was
r~eorganized as veteran volunteers. The
regiment was prominent in the Atlanta
campaign, and engaged Hood time and
again 1t went all through the campaign
in Tennessee, and was terribly cut up al
the bloody battle of Franklin subse-
quently the regiment was transferred to
the Army of Observation In Texas. and
was mustered out OF service at Indianapo-
lis on the last day of the year 1866. 1t was
one of the famous regiments OF the war,
and was praised for gailantry time and
again NV dfvSafon and hrf~odo o~~-.-s~-