Leonidas Bryant was born in Shelby, Indiana in 1845 to John and Sarah Bryant. Leonidas had six siblings named Joseph, Emma, Charles, Andrew, and Charlotte. He joined the 6th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment on October 27, 1861. He fought in Company F and maintained the rank of Private throughout the war. Under the command of Colonel Crittenden, Bryant's infantry unit left Indiana in 1861 and participated in battles including the first siege of Corinth and Murfreesboro. Bryant was captured in Hillsboro, Georgia on August 5, 1864 but was later exchanged on September 19, 1864 in Atlanta. Ordered to Chattanooga on September 22, 1864, Leonidas Bryant was discharged on January 26, 1865.