September 20, 1987
By John F. Nichols
Vigo County Historical Society
From Camp Vigo to battle with ‘Stonewall’ poster
How was it that a commander of a Civil War regiment from Terre Haute is known as the only Union commander to have defeated Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson?
The story began June 7, 1861, with the Fourteenth Regiment of Indiana volunteer Infantry was organized at Camp Vigo. The camp was located west of Collect Park and was one of two training camps in Terre Haute.
The Fourteenth Regiment had 1,134 men and was commanded by Col. Nathaniel Kimball, a lawyer from Loogootee. Kimball was a crusty veteran of the Mexican War.
After training, the regiment was sent to what is now West Virginia on July 4, 1861. There the men were in several fights at or around Cheat Mountain. It was here that they spent a terrible winter.
On March 2, 1862, Union Brig. Gen. Frederick W. Lander died from pneumonia contracted from exposure during the cold and snowy winter campaigns in the mountains. Col. Kimball was placed in temporary command of Lander’s 11,000-man division, with orders to march immediately.
This week’s historical treasure, a poster in the military room at the museum, honors Nathan (Nathaniel) Kimball, a colonel with the 14th Indiana who defeated Stonewall Jackson. “Nathan Kimball, Colonel of the 14th Indiana was a native of Loogootee, Indiana. His regiment trained at Camp Vigo. In the Shenandoah Valley, on Mar. 22, 1862, he replaced his wounded commander and defeated Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of Kernstown, Virginia.”
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.