Hoosiers’ Honor
Date published – 1998
Page count – 552
Maps included – 11
Footnotes included – 1422
Index included
Bibliography included
Hoosiers’ Honor is more than a regimental history of the 19th Indiana Infantry; it is a vivid portrayal of the men who composed the regiment. The soldiers of the 19th Indiana endured disease, Confederate bullets, and poor leadership as they participated in every major battle of the Army of the Potomac, from Second Bull Run to Cold Harbor.
The 19th Indiana suffered 75 percent casualties in just one hour at the Battle of Gettysburg and yet the survivors continued on, leading the formation for nearly two more years.
In July 1861, one thousand excited, patriotic Indiana farm boys and shopkeepers left Indianapolis, ready to do their part in ending the rebellion. Together with regiments from Wisconsin and Michigan, the 19th Indiana formed the famous Iron Brigade, a tough-fighting unit which continually bloodied Confederate brigades whenever the two came in contact.
Three years later, in July 1864, the 19th Indiana was mustered out of existence with barely one hundred men remaining, having suffered one of the highest regimental losses of any Union formation.
Hoosiers’ Honor also follows those who returned to Indiana, who picked up the threads of their lives and gave tribute to their fellow brothers buried on the battlefields of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—all heroes who had done their duty and become part of America’s sacred heritage.
