Overview
The 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio in response to President Lincoln’s initial call for 75,000 volunteers at the outbreak of the Civil War. Mustered for three months’ service, the regiment served the Union in the Western Virginia (now West Virginia) theater during the spring and summer of 1861. The unit was among the earliest Ohio regiments to enter service, reflecting the state’s rapid mobilization at the war’s outset.
This unit is distinct from the 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service).
Organization & Service
The 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was composed of companies enrolled at various locations across Ohio: Company A at Zanesville (April 17), Company B at Martinsville (April 18), Company C and Companies G and I at Upper Sandusky (April 20 and 23), Company D at Shelby (April 18), Company E at Van Wert (April 18), Company F at Sidney (April 17), Company H at Mansfield (April 22), and Company K at Wapakoneta (April 22). The companies assembled at Camp Jackson and were mustered into state service between May 13 and May 24, 1861, for a term of three months.
Following organization, the regiment was ordered to Camp Goddard in Zanesville, Ohio, where it remained until late May, engaged in drill and preparation. With the federal government’s call for three-year volunteers, the 15th Ohio was transferred to United States service. The regiment was then sent to western Virginia, where it performed extensive marching and guard duty. It participated in operations to counter Confederate advances, including actions before Philippi, at Laurel Hill, and at Carrick’s Ford. After completing its term of service, the regiment returned to Columbus, Ohio, and was mustered out between August 27 and August 30, 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
- Operations in Western Virginia (June–July 1861)
- Philippi
- Laurel Hill
- Carrick’s Ford
Casualties
- Killed in action: 1
- Died of disease: 7
- Total losses: 8
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel George W. Andrews
- Lieutenant Colonel Moses R. Dickey
- Major Silas B. Walker
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides details on the individuals who served during the regiment’s three-month term.
To view the full roster, visit the 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 2
- Ohio Roster Commission, “Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion”
- Dyer, Frederick H., “A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion”
- Fox, William F., “Regimental Losses in the American Civil War”
- “The Union Army,” Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Vol. 2