Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath (May 13, 1840 – August 22, 1898) was a major in the United States Army who began his 37-year career as a first lieutenant in the 20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment. Gilbreath was involved in numerous battles during the American Civil War, such as Gettysburg and bearing witness to the battle between the CSS Virginia and the , the American Indian Wars, in which he helped establish Fort Custer, and the Spanish–American War. Gilbreath is buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Etta.
Early life
Gilbreath was born on May 13, 1840, in Guernsey County, Ohio, to Fortunatus Sydnor Gilbreath and Rachel Moore Lansing, the oldest of three children. In the 1850s, the family moved to Chicago by way of Michigan City, Indiana. Relatives in Michigan City convinced the Gilbreath family to settle in Valparaiso, rather than Chicago. In 1853, shortly after Erasmus finished school, his father died. Erasmus was left to take care of the family, studying law under Mark L. DeMott, a future member of Congress. According to Gilbreath, his studies had progressed to such an extent that shortly before the war broke out that with only a few months work, he would be "admitted to practice at the Bar".
20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment
Regiment Creation
In April 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to serve in the militia for a period of the three months. Gilbreath admits that initially he had not intention of joining the army; however, a visit from a former employer, J. W. Lytle, quickly changed his mind. Lytle had met a Mexican War veteran named W.L. Brown who had asked Lytle to help raise a rifle company in answer to President Lincoln's call. Brown had been given authority from the Secretary of War in Washington to raise such a company, and promised Lytle a position of command if he should assist in raising it. Lytle met with Gilbreath on June 5, 1861. The next day they informed Porter county's local populace of their intentions and that in Valparaiso on June 15 there would be a grand meeting at the courthouse in order to set up the regiment. Gilbreath states astonishedly in his journal that "nearly everybody in the county came to Valparaiso, and so great was the enthusiasm that, in an hour after the meeting was called, we had enrolled 150 men or 50 more than we needed". At this point, with the company recruited, officers were to be picked. Unlike modern armies, American militia units of the Civil War era often picked their own leaders. This was held by a vote among all the men of the unit, with each officer being nominated and then voted on. When voting occurred in Gilbreath's company, Lytle insisted that Gilbreath be elected captain, while Gilbreath insisted the opposite. Lytle was elected Captain of the company, with Gilbreath being elected 1st Lieutenant.
W.L. Brown, as the organizer of the regiment, was made colonel and fixed the date of July 4, 1861, as the date for all the companies to leave home and rendezvous at Lafayette. Gilbreath describes that "almost every man, woman, and child was at Valparaiso" and that the only music to be hear was fife and drum, which were being played by the Sheriff and Blacksmith, both of whom were "only to anxious to march us to the railroad station and to go with us to Lafayette". Their train did not make any stops, but rather rode straight through to Lafayette, where the Regiment was fully assembled. The 20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment was mustered into service with the United States on the 22nd of July, 1861, with Gilbreath's company being assigned as "I" company.
The regiment left Lafayette on the 24th of July for Indianapolis, where they would be properly outfitted with standard US Army uniforms and equipment. While the officers of each company were told to procure their uniforms and weapons on their own, the enlisted men of the regiment received their equipment from the government supply. According to Gilbreath, the troops expected to be equipped with the new model 1855 Springfield Rifle. At that point in the war, the government did not have enough rifles to equip both the regular army as well as the newly recruited regiments, leading the government to substitute the more modern rifles with the much older 1795 Springfield Musket, which had been modified to use percussion caps. The regiment was reportedly so disgusted with their equipment that they threw their weapons down in the street in indignation. The Governor attempted to cool the situation by promising the first few companies would have the new model rifles at an expedited time and the rest of the regiment would have them as soon as possible.