Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment:
On January 2, 1862, the 40th Indiana was in transit to Bardstown, KY to begin training in the Union Army.
Background - Entering Service - John Baer
John Baer, on initially volunteering, had joined the 90 day regiment that was formed as the 10th Indiana (10th Indiana was also later reconstituted as a 3-year regiment, similar to the 40th Indiana). John had answered the initial call for 75,000 Union volunteers on April 27th, and the volunteers from Indiana had made up 6 full regiments, numbered 7th to 12th. The 10th Indiana remained in Indiana until early June, and then was ordered to western Virginia (the area that would later become West Virginia).
This area was a hotbed of activity in this early part of the war. General George McClellan was leading the Union army into western Virginia and consolidating his gains there due to the favorable sentiment toward the Union in the area. An initial victory at Philippi (the swiftness of the Confederate retreat resulted in this being referred to as the "Philippi Races") had been trumpeted in the papers and made McClellan the first Northern general to achieve fame in the war. McClellan continued to push southeast into Virginia.
Really like the blog, John.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, John.
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