128th Regiment Infantry-Indiana Volunteers The One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Regiment was recruited from the Ninth Congressional District, during the fall and winter of 1863, rendezvoused at Michigan City, and was mustered into service on the 18th of March, 1864, with Richard P. De Hart as Colonel and Jasper Packard as Lieutenant Colonel. On the 23rd the regiment left Michigan City by rail and proceeded, by way of Indianapolis, to Nashville, where the division commanded by General Hovey was organized, and the regiment assigned to the 1st brigade.
On the 6th of April the regiment started on a march for the front, and, moving by the way of Stevenson, Bridgeport and Chattanooga-through a section of country famed for the beauty of its mountain scenery, where the hills kiss the clouds, and the silver streams laugh in the sunshine-reached Charleston, East Tennessee, on the 21st. General Hovey's division was then designated as the First Division, and assigned to the Twenty-Third Army Corps, under command of General Schofield.
On the 4th of May the regiment marched with its corps from Charleston, and entered immediately on the campaign against Atlanta. Sherman's moving columns were concentrating in the vicinity of Chattanooga, preparatory to moving with determined vigor upon the forces of the rebel General Johnson, who, apparently secure behind the inaccessible ridges of Rocky Face, challenged our advance through the dangerous defile of Buzzard's Roost Gap, leading to Dalton. But Sherman decided to take another route, and not expose his men to certain destruction from the fire of plunging shot, or the deep waters of the creek by which the enemy flooded the Pass. The Pass was unapproachable, and the "Great Flanker" turned to the left-and left the enemy in position.
On the 9th of May General Schofield moved with his corps close to Dalton, while General Thomas demonstrated with vigor against Rocky Face Ridge. Meanwhile, McPherson reached Snake Creek Gap, surprised a force of the enemy, and held the Gap. On the 12th the whole army, save one corps, moved through the Gap on Resacca. The battle of Resacca resulted. Thus, constantly moving, threatening, flanking and fighting, the approaches to Atlanta were won - the One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth taking part in the principal movements, culminating in such battles as Resacca, Dallas, New Hope Church, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, and Jonesboro.
From the 8th of May until the 5th of September, under the broiling sun by day and the pestilential dews by night - through difficult ravines; skirmishes in dense forests; drenched by heavy rains; struggling through mud and mire - our troops pressed on. Some portion of the regiment was on the skirmish line nearly every day for four months.
On the 9th of June General Hovey retired from the command of the First Division; and the First Brigade was assigned to the Third Division (Cox's) of the same corps. On the 6th of June, Colonel De Hart having been disabled by wounds, Lieutenant Colonel Packard assumed command of the regiment. On the 9th of August the First Brigade was re-organized, and the One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth assigned to the Third Brigade of the same division, the brigade being under command of Colonel I.N. Stiles, of the Sixty-Third Indiana. After the fall of Atlanta the regiment marched from Jonesboro to Decatur, Georgia, where it went into camp with the rest of the corps.
On the 1st of October the General Hood crossed the Chattahoochee River with his army, and marched north, by the way of Dallas. Sherman's army, with the exception of the Twentieth Corps, moved in pursuit. The regiment left Decatur with its corps, on the 4th, and, crossing the Chattahoochee, moved toward Dallas, threatening the flank and rear of the enemy's forces then assaulting Alatoona. The rebels being defeated at Altoona, moved rapidly to the northwest, striking the railway at Resacca, on the 12th, and capturing Tilton and Dalton. The army of Sherman meanwhile made a march to Rome, where the Twenty-Third Corps crossed the Oostaunaula and drove a brigade of the enemy through the narrow entrance of the valley of the Chattanooga, capturing two guns. Then learning that the enemy had moved for Resacca, the pursuit was continued through Resacca, Snake Creek Gap, Villanow, Dirt Town and Gover's Gap, to Gaylesville, Alabama, which place was reached on the 20th. The regiment marched, in this pursuit, over three hundred miles.
On the 30th of October, the Twenty-Third Corps was detached from Sherman's army, and ordered to proceed to Chattanooga and report to General Thomas. The regiment marched with its corps to Chattanooga, and was moved from thence by rail to Pulaski and Nashville. So soon as it was ascertained that Hood was moving to invade Tennessee, the regiment moved with its corps to Columbia, one-half of the regiment being alternately on the skirmish line. The enemy's line pressed our line strongly, but did not assault. Meantime General Schofield made preparations to fall back to Franklin. During the night of the 29th, the regiment marched twenty-six miles, and reached Franklin at daybreak of the 30th. The enemy followed closely, and repeatedly assaulted our line at Franklin as soon as we had formed, but General Schofield had chosen an excellent position and repulsed the rebel onslaught with decisive results. The regiment lost several officers and men in this battle, which was fought with great fury and obstinacy, the enemy continued his assaults until late on the night of the 30th. The battle of Franklin was the first severe check of Hood's invasion of Tennessee.
The regiment fell back the night after the battle to Brentwood Hills, and the next morning marched to Nashville and took position in its defenses. For two weeks the army of General Thomas faced the rebel force of General Hood, who occupied the southern approaches to Nashville.
On the 15th of December, General Thomas' army moved upon the enemy in his chosen position, and, after two days' fighting, utterly defeated the boastful foe, and drove his demoralized command beyond the waters of the Tennessee. This battle closed the existence of Hood's army. From that time it ceased to exist as an organized body. The regiment was actively engaged in the closing up of Hood, and joined in the pursuit as far as Columbia, Tennessee, arriving at that place on the 26th. Here the command rested for a short time preparatory to another campaign, which was to strangle the last army of the rebellion.
On the 5th of January, 1865, the regiment left for Columbia and march by the way of Mount Pleasant and Waynesboro, to Clifton, on the Tennessee River, where it embarked on transports and sailed to Cincinnati, Ohio. From thence the regiment moved by rail to Washington City, and thence to Alexandria, Virginia.
On the 29th of February, the regiment embarked on the steamer Atlantic, and sailed to Fort Fisher, North Carolina, and from thence, without landing, sailed to Morehead City, North Carolina, where the regiment disembarked and was conveyed by rail to Newbern. Early in March the regiment set out with its division, and marched along the Atlantic and North Carolina railroad in the direction of Kingston, repairing the railroad as the column moved.
On the 8th of March, the enemy was encountered in force at Wise's Fork, four miles below Kingston. The enemy had met with success in capturing two regiments of Eastern troops by surprise, and was pushing on, confident of easy victory, when he was met and checked by Rugers' division just arriving on the field. For two days heavy skirmishing resulted, and on the 10th, the enemy made a heavy assault, but was repulsed and fled in great disorder from the field. The regiment took an active part in this flight, losing severely in killed and wounded. The whole command then moved to Kingston, which was occupied without resistance from the enemy. On the 20th the regiment left Kingston, and after a march of thirty miles, reach Goldsboro, on the evening of the next day.
On the 25th it left Goldsboro, and marched to Le Noir Institute, where the regiment was employed in protecting the railroad until the 9th of April. The regiment then returned to Goldsboro, and was assigned to duty in that city. The regiment was yet stationed at Raleigh, North Carolina, was commanded by Colonel De Hart until the 6th of June, 1864, when being wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Jasper Packard assumed command and has led the regiment ever since.
On the 29th of April, 1865, Colonel DeHart being mustered out by order of War Department, Lieutenant Colonel Jasper Packard was promoted to the Colonelcy. Subsequently Colonel Packard was promoted to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General of Volunteers, by the President, to date March 13, 1865.
Source: 128th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Indiana State Library, Administrative Division, 140 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204.