11th Indiana Infantry Regimental Battleflag

The flag is on display near the entrance inside the mausoleum

NPS Photo

This is an original regimental battleflag of the 11th Indiana Infantry from 1863 or 1864. It has 35 stars representing the newly formed state of West Virginia. It was used in the dedication ceremony of Grant's Tomb on April 27, 1897.

The 11th Indiana was enlisted in Indianapolis, IN in April of 1861 to serve 90 days with Lew Wallace as its Colonel and George McGinnis as its Lieutenant Colonel. The regiment was sent to western Virginia and saw minimal action during a raid on the town of Romney. It then returned to Indianapolis to be mustereed out as its enlistment had expired, and then reorganized at a later time. The regiment was sent to Paucah, KY and from there joined Ulysses S. Grant's expedition in February of 1862 against Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and fought in the battle at Shiloh. The 11th Indiana Infantry Regiment later served with Grant during the Vicksburg Campaign leading up to the siege of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.

After the fall of Vicksburg, the 11th Indiana was transferred for duty in the Department of the Gulf. In July of 1864, the regiment was ordered to Washington, D.C. and joined Major General Philip Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. It remained on garrison duty in the Shenandoah Valley until it was mustered out on July 26, 1865.