Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Unit name	Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Dates	1861–1865
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Infantry
Role	Foot soldiers
Size	Regiments, brigades, divisions
Battles	American Civil War

Ohio Volunteer Infantry was a collective designation for the infantry regiments raised in Ohio that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Soldiers who enlisted in these regiments fought in major campaigns and battles across the Eastern Theater (American Civil War), Western Theater of the American Civil War, and the Trans-Mississippi Theater, contributing to operations under commanders such as Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and George B. McClellan. The Ohio regiments were mustered into service by authority of the Governor of Ohio and federal mustering officers and served in formations subordinate to corps of the Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Ohio, and Army of the Potomac.

Formation and Organization

Recruitment for the Ohio regiments began after President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers following the Fort Sumter crisis. State authorities in Columbus, Ohio and county officials organized recruitment drives, using local armories and militia traditions such as the Ohio Militia and Buckeye Guards. Many companies were raised by prominent local leaders and politicians including Salmon P. Chase, John A. Bingham, and Rufus King (general), and were mustered into federal service at camps like Camp Dennison, Camp Chase (Columbus, Ohio), and Camp Taylor (Ohio). Regimental numbering followed state mustering orders; early regiments such as the 1st through 20th Ohio were formed in 1861, while later regiments, including nine-month and one-year levies, were raised during calls for additional troops in 1862 and 1864 under acts of Congress and directives from the War Department (United States).

Service in the American Civil War

Ohio regiments were attached to diverse commands and participated in key campaigns including the Shenandoah Valley campaign (1862), the Vicksburg Campaign, the Chattanooga Campaign, the Atlanta Campaign, and the March to the Sea. Units from Ohio served under corps commanders such as James B. McPherson, John A. Logan, and Philip Sheridan, seeing action at battles including Antietam, Gettysburg, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge. Ohio formations provided troops for expeditions like the Red River Campaign and operations in West Virginia (U.S. state). Service records show Ohio regiments endured combat, disease, and prisoner captivity in places such as Andersonville Prison and Libby Prison, and contributed to Reconstruction-era occupation duties in the Department of the Gulf and in the former Confederate states.

Regimental Structure and Uniforms

Standard Ohio infantry regiments conformed to United States Army tables of organization: ten companies labeled A through K (excluding J), commanded by a colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major, with staff officers including an adjutant and quartermaster. Many regiments included specialized noncommissioned officers drawn from volunteers and veterans of prewar units like the National Guard of Ohio. Equipment and arms varied: early regiments were issued Springfield Model 1861, Enfield rifled musket, or older smoothbore muskets; later reequipping was managed through ordnance depots in Washington, D.C. and supply lines via the Ohio River. Uniforms initially mirrored Federal blue frock coats and forage caps; variations arose due to local procurement, with some companies adopting distinctive regimental colors and insignia presented by civic organizations such as the Sanitary Commission and veterans' relief societies.

Notable Engagements and Battles

Ohio regiments distinguished themselves at numerous engagements. At Shiloh (battle), Ohio brigades under commanders like Orlando B. Willcox held key positions on the first day. During the Vicksburg Campaign, Ohio troops participated in assaults and siege operations under John Pemberton (Confederate general) and Ulysses S. Grant's forces. At Chickamauga, Ohio units were engaged in fierce fighting alongside elements of the XIX Corps and IV Corps. Ohio regiments played roles in the Atlanta Campaign against Joseph E. Johnston and John Bell Hood (Confederate general), and in the Carolinas Campaign opposed to Braxton Bragg’s successors. In the Eastern Theater, Ohio soldiers fought at Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg), where regiments were committed to attacks near the Miller Cornfield and Sunken Road; at Gettysburg (battle), Ohio men held positions on Cemetery Ridge and the Emmitsburg Road.

Medal of Honor Recipients and Notable Personnel

Several Ohio soldiers received the Medal of Honor (United States). Recipients from Ohio regiments include men honored for actions at Chattanooga (battle), Missionary Ridge, and the assault on Pekin (if applicable); others were recognized for capturing enemy colors at engagements across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Virginia. Notable officers and politicians who served in Ohio regiments included Rutherford B. Hayes, who later became President of the United States; James A. Garfield, later Secretary of the Interior and President of the United States; and William McKinley, who would also become President of the United States. Other distinguished figures include generals such as Philip H. Sheridan (who had Ohio ties), brigade commanders like Jacob Ammen, and civic leaders who used their wartime service as platforms for careers in Congress of the United States and state government.

Postwar Service, Legacy, and Memorials

After the Appomattox Campaign and Confederate surrender, Ohio veterans organized Grand Army of the Republic posts, participated in Memorial Day commemorations, and lobbied for veterans' pensions under laws enacted by the United States Congress. Monuments to Ohio regiments stand at battlefields such as Gettysburg National Military Park, Vicksburg National Military Park, and Shiloh National Military Park, often dedicated by veteran associations and civic groups. Ohio's wartime records, compiled by the Ohio Historical Society and in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, form the basis for regimental histories, muster rolls, and genealogical research preserved at repositories including the Library of Congress and state archives in Columbus, Ohio. The legacy of Ohio volunteers is commemorated in place names, museums such as the National Museum of the United States Air Force (regional collections) and local historical societies, and annual reenactments conducted by heritage organizations covering the Civil War Trust and independent units.

Category:Ohio in the American Civil War