16th Ohio Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 16th OVI) was an infantry
regiment
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
in response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers and mustered into service on May 3, 1861 under the command of Colonel
James Irvine. The regiment moved to western Virginia
, May 25, and occupied Grafton
on May 30. It participated in the West Virginia Campaign June 1-July 17, seeing action at Phillippi June 3. The regiment was reported at Bowman's Place June 29 and was involved in the pursuit of Garnett July 7–12. Ordered back to Columbus and mustered out August 18, 1861.
, Camp Tiffin in Wooster, Ohio
, and Camp Chase
in Columbus beginning September 23, 1861 and mustered in for three years service on December 2, 1861 under the command of Colonel John F. DeCourcey.
The regiment was attached to 12th Brigade, Army of the Ohio
, to March 1862. 26th Brigade, 7th Division, Army of the Ohio, to October 1862. 4th Brigade, Cumberland Gap Division, District of West Virginia, Department of the Ohio
, to November 1862. 3rd Brigade, 9th Division, Right Wing, XIII Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to December 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Sherman's Yazoo Expedition, to January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 9th Division, XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to February 1863. 2nd Brigade, 9th Division, XIII Corps, to July 1863. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, XIII Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to August 1863, and Department of the Gulf to September 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XIII Corps, Department of the Gulf, to March 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XIII Corps, to June 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XIX Corps, to October 1864.
The 16th Ohio Infantry mustered out of service at Columbus, Ohio on October 31, 1864 on the expiration of the term of service. Recruits were transferred to the 114th Ohio Infantry
.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Three-months regiment
The 16th Ohio Infantry was organized at Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
in response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers and mustered into service on May 3, 1861 under the command of Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
James Irvine. The regiment moved to western Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, May 25, and occupied Grafton
Grafton, West Virginia
Grafton is a city in, and county seat of, Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 5,489 at the 2000 census. The only two national cemeteries in West Virginia are located in Grafton. Mother's Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908; the city is the home to the International Mother's...
on May 30. It participated in the West Virginia Campaign June 1-July 17, seeing action at Phillippi June 3. The regiment was reported at Bowman's Place June 29 and was involved in the pursuit of Garnett July 7–12. Ordered back to Columbus and mustered out August 18, 1861.
Three-years regiment
The 16th Ohio Infantry was reorganized at Zanesville, OhioZanesville, Ohio
Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,586 at the 2000 census.Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road through present-day Ohio...
, Camp Tiffin in Wooster, Ohio
Wooster, Ohio
Wooster is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio approximately SSW of Cleveland and SW of Akron. Wooster is noted as the location of The College of Wooster...
, and Camp Chase
Camp Chase
Camp Chase was a military staging, training and prison camp in Columbus, Ohio, during the American Civil War. All that remains of the camp today is a Confederate cemetery containing 2,260 graves. The cemetery is located in what is now the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.- History :Camp Chase...
in Columbus beginning September 23, 1861 and mustered in for three years service on December 2, 1861 under the command of Colonel John F. DeCourcey.
The regiment was attached to 12th Brigade, Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
, to March 1862. 26th Brigade, 7th Division, Army of the Ohio, to October 1862. 4th Brigade, Cumberland Gap Division, District of West Virginia, Department of the Ohio
Department of the Ohio
The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River.General Orders No...
, to November 1862. 3rd Brigade, 9th Division, Right Wing, XIII Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to December 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Sherman's Yazoo Expedition, to January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 9th Division, XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to February 1863. 2nd Brigade, 9th Division, XIII Corps, to July 1863. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, XIII Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to August 1863, and Department of the Gulf to September 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XIII Corps, Department of the Gulf, to March 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XIII Corps, to June 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XIX Corps, to October 1864.
The 16th Ohio Infantry mustered out of service at Columbus, Ohio on October 31, 1864 on the expiration of the term of service. Recruits were transferred to the 114th Ohio Infantry
114th Ohio Infantry
The 114th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 114th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Circleville in Circleville, Ohio and mustered in for three years service on September 11, 1862 under the command of Colonel John...
.
Detailed service
Moved to Camp Dennison, Ohio, November 28, then to Lexington, Ky., December 19. Moved to Somerset, Ky., January 12, 1862. March to support of Gen. Thomas at battle of Mill Springs, Ky., January 18–20, 1862. Duty at Somerset until January 31. March to London, then to Cumberland Ford January 31-February 12, repairing and rebuilding roads. Reconnaissance toward Cumberland Gap March 21–23. Skirmish at Elrod's Ridge March 22. Cumberland Gap Campaign March 28-June 18. Cumberland Mountain April 28. Cumberland Gap April 29. Occupation of Cumberland Gap June 18-September 15. Action at Wilson's Gap June 18. Tazewell July 26 and August 6. Operations about Cumberland Gap September 2–6. Evacuation of Cumberland Gap and retreat to the Ohio River September 17-October 3. Action at West Liberty September 26. Expedition to Charleston, W. Va., October 21-November 10. Ordered to Memphis, Tenn.. November 10. Sherman's Yazoo Expedition December 20, 1862 to January 3, 1863. Chickasaw Bayou December 26–28, 1862. Chickasaw Bluffs December 29. Expedition to Arkansas Post, Ark., January 3–10, 1863. Assault and capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, January 10–11. Moved to Young's Point, La., January 15, thence to Milliken's Bend March 8. Operations from Milliken's Bend to New Carthage March 31-April 17. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25–30. Battle of Thompson's Hill, Grand Gulf, May 1. Battle of Champion Hill May 16. Big Black River May 17. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5–10. Near Clinton July 8. Siege of Jackson July 10–17. Ordered to New Orleans, La., August 13, and duty there until September 6. At Brashear City until October 3. Western Louisiana Campaign October 3-November 18. Moved to DeCrow Point, Matagorda Bay, Texas, November 18–28, and duty there until January 1864, and at Matagorda Island until April. Moved to New Orleans, La., April 18, then to Alexandria, La., April 23. Red River Campaign April 26-May 22. Construction of dam at Alexandria April 30-May 10. Graham's Plantation April 5. Retreat to Morganza May 13–20. Mansura May 16. Expedition to the Atchafalaya May 30-June 6. Duty at Morganza until October. Ordered to Columbus, Ohio, October 6.Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 286 men during service; 2 officers and 68 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 217 enlisted men died of disease.Commanders
- Colonel James Irvine (3 months regiment)
- Colonel John F. DeCourcey - resigned March 3, 1864
- Captain Eli W. Botsford - commanded at the battle of Champion Hill
See also
- List of Ohio Civil War units
- Ohio in the Civil WarOhio in the Civil WarDuring the American Civil War, the State of Ohio played a key role in providing troops, military officers, and supplies to the Union army. Due to its central location in the Northern United States and burgeoning population, Ohio was both politically and logistically important to the war effort...
External links
- Ohio in the Civil War: 16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Larry Stevens
- National flag of the 16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
- Regimental flag of the 16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (probably first issue)
- Regimental flag of the 16th Ohio Infantry
- Site dedicated to the history of the 16th Ohio Infantry; includes rosters, histories, and photographs