Thomas Benton Seward served as a Private in Company F, 57th Indiana (Volunteers) Infantry Regiment, Union Army USA during the American Civil War. Both he and his brother, Wesley William Seward enlisted in the army on November 18, 1861, and served in the same army unit during the war. He was taken prisoner during the Battle of Stones River - a.k.a. Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee on December 31, 1862 and later paroled at City Point, Virginia on January 26, 1863. He was returned to his regiment and finally discharged in Madison County, Indiana on November 18, 1864. In his later years, he resided at the soldier's home in Danville, Illinois until his death in 1905 and is buried in the Danville National Cemetery, Danville, Illinois.
57th Indiana Infantry Regimental History:
Organized and mustered in at Richmond, Indiana on November 18, 1861. Remained at Indianapolis, Indiana, until December 23, 1861. Left the state for Kentucky on December 23, 1861 and duty at Bardstown and Lebanon, Kentucky until February 1862. Attached to the 21st Brigade, Army of the Ohio in January 1862. 21st Brigade, 6th Division, Army of the Ohio until September 1862. 21st Brigade, 6th Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio until November 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Left Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland until January 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 21st Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, until October 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, until June 1865. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, until August 1865. Department of Texas until December 1865.
57th Indiana Infantry Regimental Service:
March through central Kentucky to Nashville, Tennessee, February 10 to March 13, 1862. March to Savannah, Tennessee, March 21 to April 6, 1862. Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, April 6-7,1862. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Mississippi, April 29 to May 30, 1862. Pursuit to Booneville May 31 to June 6, 1862. Buell's Campaign in northern Alabama and middle Tennessee, along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad June to August 1862. March to Louisville, Kentucky, in pursuit of Bragg August 21 to September 26, 1862. Pursuit of Bragg to Loudon, Kentucky, October 1-22,1862. Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, October 8,1862. March to Nashville, Tennessee, October 22 to November 7, 1862 and duty there until December 26, 1862. Near Nashville, Tennessee on December 11, 1862. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 26-30, 1862. Battle of Stones River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro, Tennessee until June 1863. Reconnaissance to Nolensville and Versailles January 13-15, 1863. Middle Tennessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 23 to July 7, 1863. Camped near Pelham until August 17,1863. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains, Tennessee River and Chickamauga, Georgia campaign August 17 to September 22, 1863. Occupation of Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 9, 1863 and garrison duty there during Chickamauga, Georgia campaign. Siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 22 to November 23, 1863. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27, 1863. Orchard Knob November 23-24, 1863 and Mission Ridge November 25,1863. Pursuit to Graysville November 26-27, 1863. March to relief of Knoxville November 28 to December 8, 1863. Operations about Dandridge January 16-17, 1864. Operations in East Tennessee until April 1864. Atlanta, Georgia campaign May 1 to September 8, 1864. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge and Dalton May 8-13, 1864. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9, 1864. Battle of Resaca May 14-15, 1864. Adairsville May 17, 1864. Near Kingston May 18-9,1864. Near Cassville May 19, 1864. Advance on Dallas May 22-25, 1864. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25 to June 5, 1864. Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain June 10 to July 2, 1864. Pine Hill June 10-14, 1864. Lost Mountain June 15-17, 1864. Assault on Kennesaw June 27, 1864. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4, 1864. Chattahoochee River July 5-17, 1864. Buckhead, Nancy's Creek, July 18, 1864. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20, 1864. Siege of Atlanta July 22 to August 25, 1864. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30, 1864. Battle of Jonesboro August 31 to September 1, 1864. Lovejoy Station September 2-6, 1864. Operations against Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29 to November 3, 1864. Nashville Campaign November to December 1864. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27, 1864. Spring Hill November 29. 1864. Battle of Franklin November 30, 1864. Battle of Nashville December 15-16, 1864. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28, 1864. Moved to Huntsville, Alabama and duty there until March 1865. Operations in East Tennessee March 15 to April 22, 1865. At Nashville until June 1865. Ordered to New Orleans, Louisiana June 16, 1865; thence to Texas in July 1865. Duty at Green Lake and San Antonio until December 1865. Mustered out December 14, 1865.
57th Indiana Infantry Regimental Casualties:
The regiment suffered a total of 275 casualties during service consisting of 6 officers and 97 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in action and 2 officers and 170 enlisted men by disease.
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