Overview
The 12th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio for short-term service at the outset of the Civil War. Mustered in response to President Lincoln’s initial call for 75,000 volunteers, the regiment served the Union in the Western Theater during the spring and summer of 1861. The unit was composed of companies raised in Brown, Butler, Clinton, Clermont, Greene, Highland, and Warren counties.
This unit is distinct from the 12th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service).
Organization & Service
The companies of the 12th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) were enrolled between April 19 and April 25, 1861, in several southwestern Ohio counties. The regiment was mustered into United States service at Camp Jackson, Columbus, from April 22 to May 4, 1861, under Colonel John W. Lowe, Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Ammen, and Major Carr B. White.
After organization, the regiment moved to Camp Dennison on May 6, 1861. The unit remained at Camp Dennison for the duration of its three months’ term, primarily engaged in drill, organization, and preparation for further service. When orders were received to reorganize for three years’ service, those men who volunteered for the extended term were enrolled from May 30 to June 25, 1861. The remaining men, whose enlistment was for three months only, were mustered out of service upon the expiration of their term, from July 30 to August 23, 1861.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
The 12th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) did not participate in any major campaigns or battles during its brief period of service. The regiment remained at Camp Dennison and was not engaged in field operations before mustering out.
Casualties
No significant casualties are recorded for the 12th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) during its term. The regiment did not see combat, and available sources do not report losses from disease or other causes during this period.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel John W. Lowe
- Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Ammen
- Major Carr B. White
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 12th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. For a complete listing of all personnel who served in this regiment during its three months’ term, please visit the regimental roster page.
The roster provides names, ranks, and other details as recorded in official state and federal records.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, relevant volumes.
- Ohio Roster Commission, “Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion,” Vol. 1.
- Dyer, Frederick H., “A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion.”
- Federal Publishing Company, “The Union Army,” Vol. 2 (1908).