Overview
The 18th 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 during April and May 1861, the regiment served the Union in western Virginia, primarily performing guard and escort duties along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The unit’s service was characterized by its role in protecting vital transportation and communication lines rather than participation in major battles.
This unit is distinct from the 18th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service).
Organization & Service
The companies of the 18th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) were enrolled at various locations in southern and southeastern Ohio in April 1861: Companies A, C, and E at Ironton; B at Marietta; D at McArthur; F at Gallipolis; I at Jackson; and K at Beverly. Muster into state service occurred between late April and late May 1861, with mustering locations including Camp Scott (Athens, Ohio) and Parkersburg, (then) Virginia. The regiment was formally organized at Parkersburg on May 29, 1861, after eight companies had been mustered in and ordered to move there.
Following organization, the companies were distributed along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad between Parkersburg and Clarksburg, tasked with guarding railroad property, providing escorts for supply trains, and constructing a telegraph line to Rich Mountain in support of General McClellan’s operations. The regiment did not operate as a unified body after this initial deployment until shortly before mustering out. With the expiration of their three-month term approaching and the call for longer-term volunteers, the regiment was ordered home and mustered out on August 28, 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
- Guard and escort duty along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (May–August 1861)
- Support of operations in western Virginia, including construction of telegraph line to Rich Mountain
Casualties
- Killed in action or by accident: 1 (railroad accident)
- Died of disease: 1
- Total known losses: 2
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Timothy R. Stanley
- Lieutenant Colonel William M. Bolles
- Major William H. Bisbee
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 18th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and other service details as recorded in official state and federal records.
To view the full roster, visit the 18th 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