1st Ohio Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 1st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 1st OVI) was an infantry
regiment
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. It served in the Western Theater
in a number of campaigns and battles.
called for volunteers from each Northern
state. In April, recruiters quickly filled the quota for a number of regiments in the state of Ohio
, with several regiments enlisting for 3-months, including a command designated as the 1st Ohio. Mustering in April 17, 1861, under Colonel
Alexander M. McCook, it travelled by train to Washington, D.C.
for garrison duty in the capital's fortifications and defenses until July. The regiment was placed in Schenck's Brigade, Tyler's Division, Irvin McDowell
's Army of Northeastern Virginia. It first saw action at Vienna, Virginia
, on June 17 and again on July 9 before occupying Fairfax Court House. It fought at the First Battle of Bull Run
and helped cover the army's bitter retreat to Washington. The regiment soon returned to Ohio and mustered out August 2.
between August 5 and October 30, receiving musket
s, uniforms, and accoutrements. On the last day of August, the regiment entrained for Cincinnati
for additional training and guard duty. The 1st OVI left Ohio in November 1861 for Louisville, Kentucky
. From there, they were posted in a number of Kentucky towns through February 1862, striving to keep the border state
in the Union
.
In late winter 1862, the regiment was attached to the 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Ohio
, serving in Tennessee
under Don Carlos Buell
at Shiloh
. There on April 7, the regiment became engaged about 10 a.m., losing 2 men killed, 2 officers and 45 men wounded, and 1 man missing. Following Shiloh, the regiment served in Mississippi
during the Siege of Corinth
before moving to a variety of places in Alabama
. In August, the regiment returned to Kentucky as the army pursued Confederates
under Braxton Bragg
, fighting at the Battle of Perryville
. The well-travelled regiment then marched to Nashville, Tennessee
, in October and November. With the restructuring of the western army in November and the replacement of General Buell with William Rosecrans
, the 1st OVI was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Right Wing XIV Army Corps
, Army of the Cumberland
. It stayed in Nashville until December 26, when the regiment departed for a short campaign that culminated in the Battle of Stones River
.
For much of 1863, the 1st Ohio was stationed in Tennessee and assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, XX Corps
, Army of the Cumberland, until October when the IV Corps was formed from the remnants of the heavily depleted XX Corps and XXI Corps
. Under the command of Maj. Joab A. Stafford, the regiment saw action at the Battle of Chickamauga
, a stinging defeat for Rosecrans' army. It marched to Knoxville
as part of the army relieving the Confederate siege of Union forces at that city. Yet another reorganization of the army resulted in the 1st OVI being assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, until September 1864. It fought under Grant
at Missionary Ridge, where the 1st OVI was the first regiment to plant its colors on the hilltop, and with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign
. The regiment spent much of the rest of the fall on scouting duty in Tennessee.
The 1st Ohio Volunteer Infantry mustered out of the Union army from September 24 to October 14, 1864, when the 3-year term of enlistment expired. A number of recruits re-enlisted and transferred to the 18th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on October 31, 1864, and remained on duty through the end of the Civil War.
The regiment lost during its service 5 officers and 116 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded in combat and 130 enlisted men by disease (a total of 251 fatalities). It was engaged in 24 battles and skirmishes, lost 527 men in action, and marched 2,500 miles. Following the war, the veterans erected a monument on the Shiloh National Military Park
. The regiment is also commemorated on the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
in Public Square
in downtown Cleveland. The tattered battle flags of both the three-months and three-years regiments (as well as the guidon
of Company B, the Lafayette Guards) are preserved in the museum of the Ohio Historical Society
in Columbus
.
Another "1st Ohio Volunteer Infantry" (unrelated to the Civil War regiment) existed in the Mexican-American War. Still another regiment of the same name was organized April 26, 1898, for duty in the Spanish-American War
.
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...
. It served in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
in a number of campaigns and battles.
Three-months regiment
With the outbreak of the Civil War in the spring of 1861, President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
called for volunteers from each Northern
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
state. In April, recruiters quickly filled the quota for a number of regiments in the state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, with several regiments enlisting for 3-months, including a command designated as the 1st Ohio. Mustering in April 17, 1861, under Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Alexander M. McCook, it travelled by train to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for garrison duty in the capital's fortifications and defenses until July. The regiment was placed in Schenck's Brigade, Tyler's Division, Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
's Army of Northeastern Virginia. It first saw action at Vienna, Virginia
Vienna, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in zip codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to...
, on June 17 and again on July 9 before occupying Fairfax Court House. It fought at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
and helped cover the army's bitter retreat to Washington. The regiment soon returned to Ohio and mustered out August 2.
Three-years regiment
After the term of service was over in August, a number of the men re-enlisted for 3-years in the reconstituted 1st OVI, under the command of Col. Benjamin F. Smith. The regiment was organized at Camp Corwin in DaytonDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
between August 5 and October 30, receiving musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s, uniforms, and accoutrements. On the last day of August, the regiment entrained for Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
for additional training and guard duty. The 1st OVI left Ohio in November 1861 for Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. From there, they were posted in a number of Kentucky towns through February 1862, striving to keep the border state
Border states (Civil War)
In the context of the American Civil War, the border states were slave states that did not declare their secession from the United States before April 1861...
in the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
.
In late winter 1862, the regiment was attached to the 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, 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:...
, serving in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
under Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
at Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
. There on April 7, the regiment became engaged about 10 a.m., losing 2 men killed, 2 officers and 45 men wounded, and 1 man missing. Following Shiloh, the regiment served in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
during the Siege of Corinth
Siege of Corinth
The Siege of Corinth was an American Civil War battle fought from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi.-Background:...
before moving to a variety of places in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. In August, the regiment returned to Kentucky as the army pursued Confederates
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
under Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
, fighting at the Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
. The well-travelled regiment then marched to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, in October and November. With the restructuring of the western army in November and the replacement of General Buell with William Rosecrans
William Rosecrans
William Starke Rosecrans was an inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and United States Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War...
, the 1st OVI was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Right Wing XIV Army Corps
XIV Corps (ACW)
XIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was one of the earliest corps formations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Creation:...
, Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
. It stayed in Nashville until December 26, when the regiment departed for a short campaign that culminated in the Battle of Stones River
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
.
For much of 1863, the 1st Ohio was stationed in Tennessee and assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, XX Corps
XX Corps (ACW)
Two corps of the Union Army were called XX Corps during the American Civil War. Though both served in the Union Army of the Cumberland, they were distinct units and should be recognized as such.- McCook's Corps :...
, Army of the Cumberland, until October when the IV Corps was formed from the remnants of the heavily depleted XX Corps and XXI Corps
XXI Corps (ACW)
XXI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served as part of William S. Rosecrans's Army of the Cumberland and was in existence from January 9th to October 1863....
. Under the command of Maj. Joab A. Stafford, the regiment saw action at the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, a stinging defeat for Rosecrans' army. It marched to Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
as part of the army relieving the Confederate siege of Union forces at that city. Yet another reorganization of the army resulted in the 1st OVI being assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, until September 1864. It fought under Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
at Missionary Ridge, where the 1st OVI was the first regiment to plant its colors on the hilltop, and with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
. The regiment spent much of the rest of the fall on scouting duty in Tennessee.
The 1st Ohio Volunteer Infantry mustered out of the Union army from September 24 to October 14, 1864, when the 3-year term of enlistment expired. A number of recruits re-enlisted and transferred to the 18th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on October 31, 1864, and remained on duty through the end of the Civil War.
The regiment lost during its service 5 officers and 116 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded in combat and 130 enlisted men by disease (a total of 251 fatalities). It was engaged in 24 battles and skirmishes, lost 527 men in action, and marched 2,500 miles. Following the war, the veterans erected a monument on the Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The main section of the park is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh, about nine miles south of Savannah, Tennessee, with an additional area located in the city of Corinth, Mississippi, 23 miles ...
. The regiment is also commemorated on the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Cleveland)
The Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a monument to Civil War soldiers and sailors from Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Located in the southeast quadrant of Public Square in downtown Cleveland, it was designed by architect Levi Scofield , who also created the monument's sculptures and...
in Public Square
Public Square
Public Square is the central plaza in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It takes up four city blocks; Superior Avenue and Ontario Street cross through it. Cleveland's three tallest buildings, Key Tower, 200 Public Square and the Terminal Tower, face the square...
in downtown Cleveland. The tattered battle flags of both the three-months and three-years regiments (as well as the guidon
Guidon (U.S. Army)
In the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, a guidon is a military standard that company or platoon-sized elements carry to signify their unit designation and corps affiliation or the title of the individual who carries it...
of Company B, the Lafayette Guards) are preserved in the museum of the Ohio Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
in Columbus
Columbus, 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...
.
Another "1st Ohio Volunteer Infantry" (unrelated to the Civil War regiment) existed in the Mexican-American War. Still another regiment of the same name was organized April 26, 1898, for duty in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
.
Further reading
- Kern, Albert, ed., History of the First Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War 1861-1865. Dayton, Ohio: 1918.
- Ohio Roster Commission. Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War on the Rebellion, 1861–1865, compiles under the direction of the Roster commission. 12 vol. Akron: Werner Co., 1886–95.
