4th Ohio Cavalry
​in the American Civil War

​​​​​​​​Online Books
4th Ohio Cavalry Soldier Roster - Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, Volume 11, 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
Fourth Cavalry. — Cols., John Kennett, Eli Long; Lieut.-Cols., Henry W. Burdsal, John L. Pugh, Oliver P. Robie, George W. Dobb; Majs., James E. Dresbach, Henry C. Rogers, Canduce G. Megrue, Robert E. Rogers, Peter Mathews, James Thomson. This regiment was organized at Camp Dennison and Camp Gurley in Nov. 1861, (with the exception of Cos. L and M, which were organized on Aug. 15, 1862, at Cincinnati) to serve for three years. The regiment, composed of ten companies, with 1,070 men, embarked for Jeffersonville, Ind., in Dec, 1861, then crossed into Kentucky and advanced to Bacon creek, having been assigned to the 3d division, Gen. O. M. Mitchel commanding. At Bowling Green it succeeded in capturing a train loaded with a large amount of supplies, which the Confederates were endeavoring to move south. In March John Morgan captured the forage train as it was returning to camp from Nashville, with about 30 men and 80 horses, but Col. Kennett pursued, recaptured all the men but 12 and all the horses but 16. The regiment advanced to Huntsville, Ala., where it arrived at daybreak, charged into the town and captured a train, loaded with 800 Confederate soldiers, also 17 locomotives and many cars. It was in the 2 hours' lighting at Bridgeport, Ala., where the Confederates were routed and many of them killed and captured. The regiment accompanied the unfortunate expedition toward Lexington, Ky., when John Morgan, with 2,800 men, surrounded the command and in a short time 250 of the regiment were surrendered, robbed, paroled and on their way to Ohio. The regiment participated in the battle of Stone's river, then pursued the enemy toward Shelbyville, Tenn., and on its return camped near Murfreesboro. It was frequently engaged in skirmishing and was on scouting expeditions to Liberty, Lebanon and Alexandria. With the 3d Ohio cavalry, at Snow Hill in April, 1863, it routed three regiments of Confederate cavalry, with a loss of 3 wounded and 4 captured. In May it was again engaged in an expedition against a force of Confederate cavalry at Middleton, attacked them at daybreak and drove them from their camps, which were burned. The regiment was engaged on the extreme right of the army at Chickamauga, with a loss of 32 killed, wounded and missing. Then the second battalion marched into East Tennessee, made a raid on Cleveland, captured a large number of prisoners, and burned a shot, shell and cap factory. Having reenlisted as a veteran organization and been furloughed home, the regiment was again at the front in the spring of 1864. It moved to Courtland, Ala., thence to Moulton, where at reveille the Confederate Gen. Roddey, with four regiments and two battalions of cavalry and 4 pieces of artillery, attacked the brigade, but after two hours' hard fighting was driven pell-mell from the field, the regiment losing 10 men wounded, 1 mortally. It was in the advance on Jonesboro, Ga. ; took part in the fighting at Lovejoy's Station; actively participated in the Wilson raid through Alabama and Georgia in the spring of 1865, and in the charge at Selma, Ala., lost about 50 men killed and wounded. Engagements also occurred at Montgomery, Ala., and Macon, Ga. The regiment did guard duty at the latter place until ordered home to be mustered out, this event occurring on July 15, 1865.
​Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 2