Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment
By January 9th, the 40th Indiana had reached Kentucky and moved into camp at Bardstown. The Soldier of Indiana (see page 272) gives the arrival date as January 9th, although the orders for the creation of the new brigade were issued on January 8th, implying that they might have arrived perhaps on the 8th or 7th..
The orders from General Buell on January 8th create the 20th and 21st Brigades. 40th Indiana was assigned to the 21st Brigade. Special Orders, No. 4 on January 8th, creates the 21st Brigade:
Twenty-first Brigade:
Colonel Carr, commanding.
- 40th Regiment Indiana Volunteers, Colonel Wilson.
- 57th Regiment Indiana Volunteers, Colonel McMullen.
- 58th Regiment Indiana Volunteers, Colonel Carr.
- 24th Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, Colonel Grigsby.
Brigades were organized further into Divisions. Divisions usually include 3-5 brigades. It's not clear to which division the 21st brigade was assigned.
Here is an excerpt from a dispatch from Buell to McClellan (who was now the commander of all the armies) regarding troop levels and organization:
"By the organization of the Kentucky regiments and the introduction of raw regiments from Ohio and Indiana our numerical strength has suddenly risen from 70,000 to 90,000. It is unnecessary to say that a large proportion of this is unfit for active operations. However, it will answer a certain purpose. It is organized into twenty-three brigades, and, say, six divisions, with only sixteen batteries. It ought to be increased to eight division, and the artillery ought to be nearly doubled, say in all 120,000 men."
Buell was correct that regiments like to 40th Indiana were not ready for active operations. Almost all of the men were brand new to the Army, with only a few having even a modest amount of service like John Baer. There would need to be several weeks at least of marching, drilling, training, and familiarization with Army operation before these regiments could be sent into the field.
NEXT POST: JANUARY 13TH
More information:
- The Soldier of Indiana - history of Indiana soldiers and regiments in the Civil War
- Link: War Operation, see Volume VII, Chapter 9, pp. 538-548
- -Wikipedia- Don Carlos Buell - biography with picture
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