The 1st Indiana Volunteers, or the 1st Infantry Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, was a regiment of soldiers primarily from southern Indiana commanded by lieutenant colonel and future Governor of Indiana

Governor of Indiana

The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...

 and United States Senator  Henry S. Lane, during the Mexican-American War. It was the first regiment to be created by the state. Its arms were purchased using a loan from the Bank of Indiana

Bank of Indiana

The state Bank of Indiana was a government chartered banking institution established in 1833 in response to the state's shortage of capital caused by the closure of the Second Bank of the United States by the administration of President Andrew Jackson...

, and was dispatched to Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 in 1844. The regiment was primarily on patrol duty durning its three month tour, guarding supply lines and manning outposts. After returning from the war, many of the men in the unit reenlisted in the 5th Indiana Volunteers

5th Indiana Volunteers

The 5th Indiana Volunteers, also known as the 5th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, was an infantry regiment that participated in the Mexican-American War. The unit was formed and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel and future Governor of Indiana Henry Smith Lane who had recently returned from...

.