79th Ohio Infantry
​in the American Civil War

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Online Books
79th Ohio Infantry Soldier Roster - Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, Volume 6, 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
Seventy-ninth Infantry. — Col., Henry G. Kennett; Lieut.-Col., Azariah W. Doane ; Majs., Henry S. Clements, William W. Wilson, Samuel A. West. This regiment was organized at Camp Dennison from Aug. 20 to Oct. 21, 1862, to serve for three years. It crossed the Ohio river at Cincinnati, that city being menaced by the Confederate army concentrated at Lexington. It performed guard duty and other detailed work in Kentucky and Tennessee until the spring of 1864, when it joined in the campaign against Atlanta. The regiment was not engaged in the demonstrations at Buzzard Roost and Dug gap, being in the reserve line, but after passing through Snake Creek gap, near Resaca, it skirmished with the enemy, with considerable loss in killed and wounded. In the assault on Kennesaw mountain the regiment was in the charging party and it lost several men. At Peachtree creek it was in the front line, being the second regiment engaged, and in the battle lost one-half its men. After this battle and until the evacuation of Atlanta, when the regiment received recruits, it was only a regiment in name, not in numbers. It commenced the campaign with 600 men and at its close had 182. Fifteen recruits were received during the campaign, of whom 7 were lost, thus making the loss 425 men in about 100 days. It was in the march to the sea and the campaign of the Carolinas, taking part in the affairs at Columbia, Averasboro and Bentonville. At Columbia the loss was small, not exceeding 30 men killed, wounded and prisoners. At Averasboro it took an active part, assaulting and carrying that part of the enemy's lines where his artillery was posted. It captured 3 pieces of artillery, 100 stands of small arms and 31 prisoners. For this charge the regiment received many encomiums, but its loss in killed and wounded was severe, being one-fourth of the number engaged. About May 1, it turned homeward by way of Richmond and was mustered out at Washington on June 9, 1865. Its loss, from all causes, was about 1,000 men — more than its original number.Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 2