83rd Ohio Infantry
in the American Civil War
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Online Books
83rd 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 Eighty-third Infantry.— Col., Frederick W. Moore; Lieut.-Col., William H. Baldwin; Maj., Stephen S. L'Hommedieu. This regiment was organized at Camp Dennison in Aug. and Sept., 1862, to serve for three years. The 48th Ohio infantry was consolidated with it on Jan. 17, 1865. The members whose term of service would have expired previous to Oct. 1, 1865, were mustered out July 24, 1865, when the veterans and recruits were consolidated with the veterans and recruits of the 114th Ohio infantry, and formed into a battalion of six companies, designated the 48th battalion, Ohio infantry, whose final record is given in connection with the 48th infantry. The 83d originally numbered 1,010 men. After some time spent in Kentucky it was ordered to the field of operations in Mississippi. In the engagement at Chickasaw bayou, where it obtained its first full view of the grim visage of war, it did not lose heavily, but the men were under fire for several days and were compelled to eat their rations uncooked. It was the first regiment to plant the colors on the enemy's battlements at Arkansas Post, for which it was honorably mentioned in the official reports and the legislature of Ohio showed its appreciation of the regiment's bravery by a unanimous vote of thanks. The regimental colors were completely riddled, and more than one-fifth of the men were killed or wounded. The regiment was one of the first to reach the enemy's works at the Big Black river and on May 20, was confronting the Confederate works at Vicksburg. It participated in the second assault, losing about eight per cent, of the number engaged, and it assisted in the subsequent siege operations until the surrender of the city. It participated in the operations around Jackson and upon the evacuation of that place followed the fleeing Confederates as far as Brandon, when it returned to Vicksburg. It was later sent to Louisiana and in the encounter at Grand Coteau lost 56 men, mostly captured. At Sabine cross-roads it was again hotly engaged and was one of the regiments that bore the brunt of the fight. In May, while on a foraging expedition it had a brisk skirmish at Gov. Moore's plantation, coming off victorious. It remained in Louisiana until the spring of 1865, when it moved with the expedition against Fort Blakely, Ala. During the siege at that place the regiment captured 2 redoubts, 8 cannon, 2 mortars, a long line of breastworks, 800 prisoners, 2 flags, and a large quantity of small-arms, ammunition, and other stores. It lost 36 officers and men killed and wounded, the colors were well riddled, and the staffs, both of the regimental banner and the national colors, were shot in two, but the color-bearers gallantly carried the tattered flags over the parapet of the fort. This was the regiment's last engagement.Footnotes: Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 2 |
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