Thirty-first Indiana Regiment at Shiloh

31st Indiana Infantry monument along the Sunken Road and Hornet's Nest, where the men of the regiment held the line with the rest of Lauman's Brigade for several hours on April 6, 1862.

At Shiloh, Lauman's Brigade fielded some 1,717 troops in four regiments. Given that the 44th Indiana reportedly had 478 men, I'd estimate that the 31st Indiana fielded about 450 or so. The 31st reported 138 casualties -- 30% losses. The woods caught fire in this sector and many wounded on both sides perished.

If even 100 men of the 31st Indiana managed to fire 100 rounds, they would have gotten off 10,000 rounds of small arms fire -- a ghastly thought in terms of havoc and human mayhem for the attacking Confederates.

See: John W. Coons, Indiana at Shiloh, Shiloh National Park Commission, 1904. Here, the Hornet's Nest is perhaps more properly designated the Hornets' Nest.

Camp of 31st Indiana Infantry.  First position in line of battle April 6, 1862, was 5/8 mile s.w. 200 yards n.w. of Peach Orchard. This photo taken on April 12, 2014 -- same as the other two.

31st Indiana Infantry Regiment marker in context, from behind the line facing Confederate attacks coming through the woods on the other side of the monument.

A Shiloh diary entry by a private in Company G includes annotations about some of the battle's casualties: "James Fulbright, Rolla Franklin (both shot in the head). Wounded . . . Joseph Gaither, Wesley Polly (Both of these men were severely wounded. It was thought mortally. Both recovered to find themselves discharged from the service and disabled for life.) . . ." 

See: Henry E. Wahl, Pvt. Henry Dillman, Co. G, 31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Bloomington, Indiana: Monroe County Historical Society, 1962, p. 2.

My great great grandfather Samuel France, in Company E, survived Shiloh but suffered some kind of rupture here. He continued to serve until the end of the war, but died at 60 years old in 1900, at least partly because of war disabilities. Good times.