34th Ohio Infantry
​in the American Civil War

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34th Ohio Infantry Soldier Roster - Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, Volume 3, by Ohio Roster Commission (Joseph B. Foraker, Governor, James S. Robinson, Sec'y of State and H. A. Axline, Adjutant-General), 1886     View Entire Book
Regimental History
Thirty-fourth Infantry. — Cols., A. Sanders Piatt, John T. Toland, Freeman E. Franklin ; Lieut.-Cols., John W. Shaw, Luther Furney ; Majs., Thomas W. Rathbone, Alfred Butters. This regiment was organized at Camps Lucas and Dennison, from July 27 to Sept. 14, 1861, to serve for three years. It left Camp Dennison on Sept. 15, for western Virginia, with full ranks, and arrived at Camp Enyart on the Kanawha river on the 20th. During the autumn and winter it was engaged in the arduous duty of guarding the rear of Gen. Rosecrans' army, and the counties of Cabell, Putnam, Mason, Wayne and Logan, were kept pretty free from guerrillas by continual scouting. It participated in the battle of Princeton, losing several men. Part of the time at the battle of Fayetteville the 34th fought in the open field and repeatedly charged the enemy, its loss being necessarily heavy. Of six companies engaged the loss was 130, or fully one-third, one-half of the officers being either killed or wounded. Cutting their way out under a heavy fire, the Federal troops fell back towards the Kanawha river, made a stand at Cotton hill the next day and at Charlestown, Sept. 13, 1862, where a severe engagement took place. From this time until May, 1863, nothing of moment occurred to vary the monotony of garrison duty. At Wytheville in the following July, Co. C was attacked by a superior force of Confederate cavalry, and a number was killed and wounded, Capt. Cutter and 15 men being taken prisoners. Several expeditions to Lewisburg and vicinity completed this year's campaign. About two-thirds of the regiment re-enlisted as veterans, and on June 5, 1864, the regiment skirmished with a body of cavalry at Piedmont. The next day the Confederates were met at Buffalo gap, in a position secure from direct attack, but the brigade succeeded in flanking and driving them out. Then ensued Hunter's disastrous raid upon and retreat from Lynchburg, in which the 34th participated. Then came the operations in the Shenandoah Valley, and at Snicker's gap the regiment lost 10 killed and 20 wounded. Four days later occurred the fourth battle of Winchester, in which the 34th suffered severely. Aug. 21 found the regiment at Halltown, where heavy skirmishing ensued until the 27th, when the enemy withdrew to demonstrate on the upper Potomac. The regiment next participated in the battle of Berryville, then marched to Summit Point and lay in camp until day on which occurred Sheridan's famous battle of Winchester, it being the third time the regiment had fought over nearly the same ground. It suffered terribly that day, the color-guard having no less than 6 men, in quick succession, killed and wounded while carrying the flag. The next evening found the regiment at Cedar creek, where it lay until the battle of Fisher's hill. The loss of the 34th in the last two engagements was 61 killed. The loss of the regiment in the affair at Cedar creek was 2 killed, 12 wounded and 18 prisoners. On Jan. 11, 1865, the post of Beverly, garrisoned by the 34th, which by this time was reduced to 300 men present for duty, and the dismounted portion of the 8th Ohio cavalry, was attacked by the enemy. So secret and sudden was the attack — no alarm whatever being given until the enemy was in the quarters — that resistance was out of the question and nearly every man was at one time a prisoner, though subsequently a great many escaped, favored by the darkness and intense excitement of the occasion. The survivors of this most unfortunate and disgraceful affair were consolidated with the 36th Ohio, the union of the separate organizations dating from Feb. 22, 1865, and in which the old 34th lost its identity.Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 2