HISTORY

ofthe
9thREGIMENT(JENNINGS)
3rdBRIGADE1stDIVISIONINDIANA
LEGION
*THEHOMEGUARDofJENNINGS
COUNTY18611865*
Chapter1:FormRanks!
In1861,GovernorOliverP.MortongaveorderstoorganizetheIndianaLegion
and to form companies of uniformed militia to serve the state, primarily to assist in
defending the southern border from any and all hazards. Almost every county in
Indiana formed companies for the Legion, and some counties raised a sufficient
amountofmentoformaRegiment.
Our enthusiastic and patriotic citizens answered Governor Morton's call and
organizedcompaniesinmanytownsthroughoutJenningsCounty,placingthemselves
under the command of the company elected and stateassigned officers of the First
Division, Third Brigade, Ninth Regiment (Jennings) of the Indiana Legion. Once
formedunderIndianaStateMilitiaLaw,thecompaniesfollowedrequirementstoelect
aCaptain,Lieutenants,Sergeants,andCorporals.
Each company also followed requirements to design and supply its own
uniforms.Mostcompaniesallowedthirtydaysfornewrecruitstouniformthemselves
undercompanyguidelines.CaptainVawterdescribedtheVernonGreysuniformasA
greycoatcutcoateestyletrimmedwithblack,similarinallrespectstotheCityGreys
ofIndianapolis.Agreypairofpantswithablackstriperunningdowntheouterseam
ofthepantaloons.Abluecaparmystyle.
ItconfusesmanythatUnionMilitiawouldwearagreyuniform.Historybooks
andHollywoodalikehaveforcedtheAmericanCivilWartobedefinedasaconflictof
blue against grey for decades. In fact, many Union militias, National Guard, and
reservetroopsworegreythroughouttheconflict,mostnotablyregimentsandcertainly
individualcompaniesformedinNewYork,Pennsylvania,andofcourseIndiana.

The 9th Regiment (Jennings) was ordered into service many times during the
American Civil War. The typical home guard duties of protecting railroad bridges,
federalandstatefacilities,andotherdutiesnecessaryforthestatesdefenseprovedjust
asmallportionoftheIndianaLegion'sactionsduringthewar.
To prepare for these tasks our Regiment needed to drill and practice with the
tools of the soldier. After receiving his command rank at the July 20, 1861 election,
MajorKennedyBrownorderedallcompaniesinhiscommandtodrillatleastoncea
month.TheBattalionrequiredBattalionmustersandBattaliondrillatleastthreetimes
eachyear.
Procuringarmsandequipmentforthesecitizensoldiersproveddifficultduring
1861andthroughthespringof1862.Armsofanyqualityandconsistencyofcaliber
werealreadybeingissuedtothenumerousregimentsofvolunteerinfantrythatformed
inIndianaearlyintheconflict.Thecompaniesofthe9thRegimentnotyetarmedby
Juneof1862wouldsooncarryproperweaponsofthesoldierinservicetotheUnited
States.
From July 17 through August 26, 1862, our Regiment guarded Confederate
PrisonersofWaratCampMorton.AccordingtotheAdjutantGeneralReportVolume
No.8,650menpromptlyresponded.TheRegimentconsistedoftencompaniesatthis
time: Captain Solon B. Cowells Vernon Greys (Vernon), Captain James Craigs
BiggerGuards(SanJacinto),CaptainDavidW.MoffattsFreedomGuards(Vernon),
Captain Lewis F. Broughers Butlerville Guards (Butlerville), Captain Manlove G.
ButlersScipioGuards(Scipio),CaptainJohnS.AdamsMountZionGuards(Slate),
Captain James Tobias Marion Guards (Cana), Captain Calvin W. Dixons Paris
Guards (Paris), Captain John Evin Wilsons Cana Cadets (Cana), and Captain Levin
W.HudsonsJenningsRangers(Slate).Afterthissuccessfulduty,KennedyBrownwas
promotedtotherankofColonelinSeptember1862.
ImmediatelyfollowingtheRegimentsdutyatCampMortononAugust26,the
ScipioGuardsundercommandofCaptainManloveG.Butlerreenlistedforfourweeks
extended duty to escort exchanged Confederate prisoners down the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers to Vicksburg, Mississippi. According to the 1862 reports, three
JenningsCountysoldiersarereportedascasualtiestwotodiseaseandonereportedly
pushed overboard by angry Confederate prisoners. Research to date has not revealed
thenamesofthesemen.TheScipioGuardsreturnedhomeonSeptember26,1862.
Kennedy Brown reported that during an alarm in late 1862: In less than
eighteenhoursafterIreceivedtheorder,mycommandwasmassedatVernon,readyto
gowherevercalledorneeded.
In September 1862, the Bigger Guards sported 31 French rifle muskets at
their fall muster. In October 1862, the Marion Guards possessed 51 French rifle
muskets,andtheBiggerGuardsnowarmedthemselveswith66alteredtopercussion

muskets,caliber.69inches.TheParisGuardsdrilledwith60Austrianriflemuskets,
caliber .54 inches. The Scipio Guards carried arms similar to the Paris Guards with
50Austrianriflemuskets.
ThevarioustypesofarmsandammunitioninusebytheIndianaLegionproved
to be a logistical nightmare for the Quartermaster General. Our Regiment alone
possessedweaponsinthreedifferentcalibersatonepoint,somearmsrequiringball
ammunitionandothersrequiringminibulletsinvariouscalibers.
The 9th Regiment (Jennings) Report of December 19, 1862 lists some six or
sevencompaniesasbeingfullyarmedaccordingtoColonelBrown.
On March 23, 1863, the Quartermaster General collected all the state arms in
Jennings County for cataloging and inspection. This left our Regiment without arms
fromMarch23toJuly9,1863,buttheactivecompaniesstilldrilledmonthly,andthe
RegimentheldaBattalionmusteronApril13,1863witheachcompanyreportstating
noarms.TheRegimentboastedover 500 men atthismuster, andin afewmonths
thesesoldierswillbetestedonceagain.

Chapter2:TheGreatEmergencyof1863
From July 8 through July 13, 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan
and approximately 3,000 mounted Confederate soldiers rode their way through
SouthernIndiana,spreadinghavocthroughout.
The 9th Regiment (Jennings) Command documented as active nine days for
defendingtheStateduringtheraidbytheRebelforcesunderGeneralJohnMorgan
Colonel Kennedy Brown, Lt. Colonel Calvin R. Dixon, and Major Levin Hudson.
Quartermaster James Passmore, Adjutant S.W. Story, Surgeon S.H. Green, and
SergeantMajorPeterBradshawarealsolistedondutyforninedays.
Thefourteencompaniesdocumentedasactiveduringtheraidforninedaysare
Captain John E. Wilsons Cana Cadets, Captain Leonard Ennis Morton Guards,
Captain A.W. Boyds Butlerville Minutemen (Captain Boyd nine days, his men five
days), Captain John S. Adams Mount Zion Guards, Captain Joshua H. Shepherds
GrahamGuards,CaptainLewisF.BroughersButlervilleGuards,CaptainManloveG.
Butlers Scipio Guards, Captain James R. Craigs Bigger Guards, Captain Joseph E.
Smiths Queensville Guards, Captain George W. Adams Jennings Rangers, Captain
James H. Wilsons Paris Guards, Captain Solon B. Cowells Vernon Greys, Captain
JamesTobiasMarionGuards,andCaptainJamesT.SpauldingsFreedomGuards.

OnJuly9,1863,ColonelKennedyBrownimmediatelyreactedtothealarmand
made arrangements to rearm and resupply the 9th Regiment (Jennings) Indiana
Legion.ColonelBrownsentatelegramearlyonJuly9andrequested600musketsand
20,000roundsofammunitionandrationsfortheRegiment.
TheAdjutantGeneralquicklycomplied,andtheRegimentreceived600French
riflemusketscaliber.69,cartridgeboxes,cartridgeboxbeltswithplates,cappouches,
waist belts and plates, bayonets and scabbards, and tools and equipment to maintain
thesestandsofarmsat8:00P.M.thesameday.ColonelBrownwasprobablydismayed
attheamountofammunitionreceived.Only7,000roundsofminibulletsarrived.a
scantfourteenroundsperman!(NOTE:ThisstandofarmswillremainintheRegiment
andCompanyarmoriesuntilSeptember1865.Ammunitionwasrarelyreportedinshort
supplyhereafter.)
OnJuly10,1863,ourRegiment,placedunderthecommandofGeneralJames
Hughes,leftbyrailforMitchell,Indiana.OurregimentwouldbesentbacktoSeymour
lateronJuly11,1863.
ConfusingandmisleadingreportsaboutMorganandthedirectiontakenbyhis
forcesfloodedtheGovernorsoffice.SometelegraphedreportsstatedthatMorganwas
attempting to escape the Legion forces by way of Madison, causing great anxiety
amongstthecitizensofJeffersonandJenningsCounties.
Smith Vawter, who later joined the Vernon Greys on July 11 as a private,
wiredGovernorMortondirectlyonJuly10,1863:OurLegionhasbeenorderedaway.
Canpeopleheredoanythingtopreventhisescape?
ThereplyfromMortonsaidsimplytoorganizeandprepare.Ourcitizenswent
immediately into action, armed themselves with any weapons available, and formed
numerous scouting parties to search the countryside for any sign of Morgan and his
Raiders.Theydidnotneedtosearchfar.Morganplacedalmost400skirmishersaround
VernontomaskthemovementsofhismainbodyontheRichlandRoad,aboutonemile
southofVernon.
Being described in the report of General Mansfield as some troops from
Jennings County, or as also described by General Love in his report as the armed
citizensofJenningsCounty,about100citizensoldiersarmedwiththeirownsquirrel
rifles, shotguns, and pistols hastily organized and prepared defenses on the hills and
bluffs surrounding Vernon. These Jennings County men joined with the forces of
Colonel Hugh Williams of the 11th Regiment Indiana Legion to halt Morgan and his
RaidersatVernon.
Inepicfashion,andtrulybeingoneofthemostnotableoccurrencesduringthis

emergency, this tiny combined force of perhaps just 100 Jennings County citizen
soldiers and the 178 men and officers of the 11th Regiment Indiana Legion twice
refusedtosurrenderthetownonJuly11,1863.
Colonel Hugh Williams had senior command of all the forces assembled in
Vernon on July 11 until General Love arrived, and a historic plaque on display in
VernonmakesnoteoftheColonelsJuly18,1863report.Vernonwouldindeedonly
betakenbyhardfighting,butnomajorengagementensued.WithHobsonsCavalry
(Union) on his heels, the Raiders found themselves now stuck between a rock and a
hardplace.
GeneralJohnLoveoftheIndianaLegionleading1,000IndianaLegionMinute
Men,IndianaInfantry,andMichiganinfantrymarchedintoVernononJuly11,1863
atapproximately5:00P.M.,justasMorgandemandedthesurrenderofVernonforthe
secondtime.
Morganfinallyturnedsouth,havingnodesiretoengagesuchalargeforcewell
deployed on good ground. Trying desperately to escape Indiana by riding south
through Madison, Morgan and his Raiders will soon run into the 9thRegiment
(Jefferson) Indiana Legion, their 1,100 men now well deployed on a good defensive
linejustsixmilesNorthofMadison.The9thRegiment(Jefferson)madesureMorgan
could not safely cross the Ohio River into Kentucky. Morgans Raiders then turned
east,seekinganotherescapefromtheIndianaLegion.
General Hughes held our 9th Regiment (Jennings) held in Seymour. With
rumorscirculatingthroughtheranksthatMorgansmenhadburnedandlootedhomes
inJenningsCounty,ColonelKennedyBrownwiredGovernorMortondirectlyonJuly
11,1863:GeneralWilcoxorderforGeneralHughestoproceedtoColumbustoguard
bridgesiscausinggreatdissatisfactioninmycommand.Wehave500JenningsCounty
menwithusthatbelieveMorganisravagingtheirhomes.DohaveGeneralWilcoxto
withdrawtheorderandallowGeneralHughestomarchforNorthVernon.
The order to guard Columbus countermanded, our Regiment prepared to load
intoboxcarsandreturntoVernon.The500manforceofthe9thRegiment(Jennings)
finallyreceivedorderstoreturntoVernon,arrivinghomenearmidnightonJuly11/12,
1863.
At1:00A.M.onJuly12,1863,GeneralLoveorderedCaptainA.W.Boydand
twenty mounted citizen soldiers of the Butlerville Minute Men to scout towards
DupontandascertainthepositionofMorgan.Thesemenofthe9thRegiment(Jennings)
returnedtoVernonat8:00A.M.onJuly12withvaluableinformationofthecondition
andwhereaboutsoftheconfederateforcesalongwithsixteenconfederateprisoners,
fifty horses, one hundred muskets, twenty revolvers, and other captured confederate

equipment. General Love made special note of this successful mission in his official
reporttotheGovernor.
Sometime around 9:00 A.M. on July 12, General Lew Wallace arrived in
Vernonwithadditionalforcesandtookcommand.
The 102nd, 103rd, 112th, 113th, and 114th Regiment of Indiana Legion Minute
Men reported being stationed in North Vernon on July 13, 1863, fully armed and
equippedtopursueMorgansRaidersbyrailtoOsgood,andthenbyforcedmarchto
Sunman. Our Regiment regrouped in Vernon prior to joining these and other forces
gatheredinNorthVernontoexecutetheeastwardpursuitoftheRaiders.
WiththeIndianaLegionmassedandequippedtoengagethem,Morganandhis
Raiders moved into Ohio The infamous Morgans Raid ended in failure for the
confederatecavalier,withheandalargeportionofhiscommandimprisoned.Morgan
did manage to later escape his prison cell, and he will once again be raiding and
pillagingKentucky,andthreateningtodothesameonIndianasoil.
ThereportsofIndianaLegionGeneralJohnLoveandColonelHughWilliams
statedhighregardforthearmedcitizensofJenningsCounty,andcontainedequally
highpraiseforthebehaviorofthecitizensofVernonduringtheinfamousMorgan's
Raid.Theentire9thRegiment(Jennings)returnedhomebyJuly17,1863.

Chapter3:TheEmergencyofJune1864
On June 9, 1864, General John Morgan once again raided northern Kentucky
and postured to invade Indiana soil to revenge his failed attempt at glory just eleven
monthsprior.
OurRegimentonceagainansweredacallintoservicetodefendourborders.On
June11,1864the9thRegiment(Jennings)rodetherailstoMadisontojoinwiththeir
fellowcitizensoldiersofthe9thRegiment(Jefferson)IndianaLegion.Themissionof
thiscombinedforcenumberingnear1,500menatarmswastodefendtheMadisonarea
andtobereadyandequippedforpossibletransporttoJeffersonvilleandLouisvilleif
needed.
Theelevencompaniesofthe9thRegiment(Jennings)whoparticipatedinthis
missionwereCaptainSolonB.CowellsVernonGreys,CaptainJamesT.Spauldings
Freedom Guards, Captain Luther Davis Butlerville Guards, Captain James Craigs
BiggerGuards,CaptainManloveG.ButlersScipioGuards,CaptainJosephB.Smiths
Queensville Guards, Captain Allen W. Letts Mount Zion Guards, Captain James H.

WilsonsParisGuards,CaptainGeorgeW.AdamsJenningsRangers,CaptainWilliam
F. Carpenters Wolf Creek Scouts (formed in August 1863 ), and Captain William
StewartsMarionGuards.
This emergency turned out to be a false alarm with but a few skirmishes in
Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, so both Regiments received orders to cease
operations, resulting in our Regiment returning home on June 14, 1864 with no
incidentsreported.
Ashowofforceseemedallthatwasnecessarytokeeptheconfederateforcesin
checkandourborderssecure.OurRegimentaddsanothersuccessfulmissiontoitsnow
longlistofachievements.

Chapter4:LateWarDuty
.tobecontinuedresearchinprogress.

Sources:
Etter,JohnP.TheIndianaLegion:ACivilWarMilitia.Carmel,Indiana:Hawthorne
Pub.,2006.Print.

Geeting,D.M.Constitutionsof1816and1851oftheStateofIndianaand
Amendments.Indianapolis:WilliamB.Burford,StatePrinter,1898.Print

GovernorOliverP.MortonTelegraphBooks18611865:GeneralDispatch#11
5/10/18631/11/1863andGeneralDispatch#127/11/186312/24/1863.
IndianaStateLibrary,Indianapolis.Web

JenningsCountyIndianaLegionPapers.IndianaStateArchives,Commissionon
PublicRecords,Indianapolis.(NOTE:Nowcontainedwithintwovolumesof

microfilmattheJenningsCountyPublicLibrary.)

OperationsoftheIndianaLegionandMinuteMen,18634.DocumentsPresentedto
theGeneralAssembly,withtheGovernor'sMessage,January6,1865.
Indianapolis:W.R.Holloway,StatePrinter,1865.Print.

ReportoftheQuarterMasterGeneraloftheStateofIndiana,inReplytoaResolution
oftheSenate.Indianapolis:JohnC.Walker,StatePrinter,1859.Print.

Rice,Tom.LegacyofHonor:Volume1andVolume2.Vernon,Indiana:Jennings
CountyHistoricalSociety/OurHeritage,Inc.,2011.Print.

Terrell,WilliamHenryHarrison.ReportoftheAdjutantGeneraloftheStateofIndiana
(Volumes18).Indianapolis:A.H.Connor(etc.)StatePrinter,1865.Print.