Overview
The 16th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in central Ohio for Union service at the outset of the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered into state service in May 1861 and promptly transferred to United States service for a three-month term. It was known as the “Carrington Guards” in honor of Ohio Adjutant General Carrington, who presented the regiment with a special stand of colors containing a fragment of the Fort Sumter flag staff. The regiment primarily served in western Virginia (now West Virginia), participating in early operations to secure the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the region against Confederate forces.
Organization & Service
The companies of the 16th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) were recruited from various towns in central Ohio: Companies A and D at Wooster (April 20, 1861), E at Springfield (April 23), F at New Philadelphia (April 16), G at Millersburg (April 22), H at Cambridge (April 20), I at Bellville (April 22), and K at Dresden (April 22). The companies assembled at Camp Jackson in Columbus, Ohio, where the regiment was officially organized and equipped. The regiment was mustered into state service on May 10, 11, and 12, 1861, and soon after transferred to federal service in response to President Lincoln’s call for 300,000 troops.
On or about May 25, 1861, the regiment departed for western Virginia. Its initial duties included guarding the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, particularly in the vicinity of Farmington and Fairmount, where Confederate forces had targeted infrastructure and civilians. The regiment then moved to Grafton, and a battalion participated in actions at Philippi, Laurel Hill, and Carrick’s Ford. Other elements of the regiment took part in expeditions to Romney and Red House, contributing to the Union’s efforts in the West Virginia campaign. The regiment’s three-month term expired in August, and it was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, on August 18, 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
- Guarding Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (May–June 1861)
- Operations near Farmington and Fairmount, Virginia
- Grafton, Virginia
- Philippi
- Laurel Hill
- Carrick’s Ford
- Expeditions to Romney and Red House
- West Virginia Campaign (June–July 1861)
Casualties
- Killed in action: 1
- Died of disease: 2
- Total known losses: 3
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel James Irvine
- Lieutenant Colonel John S. Fulton
- Major George W. Bailey
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 16th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides details on company assignments, ranks, and service records.
To view the complete roster, visit the 16th 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, Vol. 2
- 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