61st Ohio Infantry ​in the American Civil War

Overview

The 61st Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio during the American Civil War. Mustered into Union service between March and May 1862, the regiment served primarily in the Eastern and Western Theaters. The unit is noted for its participation in major campaigns, including the Second Battle of Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Chattanooga Campaign, the Atlanta Campaign, and Sherman’s March to the Sea. The regiment was consolidated with the 82nd Ohio Infantry in March 1865.

Organization & Service

The 61st Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at large in Ohio in March, April, and May 1862. The regiment mustered in for three years’ service and departed for western Virginia on May 27, 1862. Its first engagement occurred at Freeman’s Ford, where it faced elements of Longstreet’s Confederate corps. The regiment subsequently participated in the Second Battle of Bull Run, suffering 25 casualties while covering the retreat of Union forces toward Washington, D.C.

During the winter of 1862-1863, the regiment was stationed at Stafford Court House, Virginia. In May 1863, it fought throughout the Battle of Chancellorsville, incurring losses of 4 officers wounded, several men wounded, and 5 killed. At Gettysburg in July 1863, the 61st Ohio was deployed as skirmishers at the outset of the battle and sustained significant losses in killed, wounded, and prisoners before falling back to Cemetery Hill.

In September 1863, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland and engaged at Wauhatchie, Tennessee, where it helped repel Confederate forces and suffered 3 killed and several wounded. The 61st Ohio participated in the assault on Missionary Ridge, operating on the extreme left to counter a Confederate flanking attempt. In March 1864, the regiment reenlisted as veterans, received furlough, and returned to participate in the Atlanta Campaign, including the action at Resaca. The regiment remained at Atlanta until joining Sherman’s March to the Sea and continued through the Carolinas. On March 31, 1865, at Goldsboro, North Carolina, the 61st Ohio Infantry was consolidated with the 82nd Ohio Infantry, and the combined unit continued under the latter designation.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Freeman’s Ford (August 1862)
• Second Battle of Bull Run (August 1862)
• Chancellorsville (May 1863)
• Gettysburg (July 1863)
• Wauhatchie, Tennessee (October 1863)
• Missionary Ridge (November 1863)
• Atlanta Campaign (May–September 1864), including Resaca
• Siege of Atlanta (July–September 1864)
• Sherman’s March to the Sea (November–December 1864)
• Campaign of the Carolinas (early 1865)

Casualties

At the Second Battle of Bull Run, the regiment lost 25 men killed and wounded. At Chancellorsville, 4 officers were wounded, 5 men killed, and a number wounded. At Gettysburg, the regiment suffered heavy losses in killed, wounded, and prisoners. At Wauhatchie, 3 were killed and several wounded. Specific total casualty figures for the entire service term are not provided in the available primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Newton W. Schleich
• Colonel Stephen J. McGroarty
• Lieutenant Colonel Henry B. Hunter
• Lieutenant Colonel William H. H. Bown
• Major David C. Beckett

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 61st Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and additional service details when available.

To view the complete roster, visit the 61st Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XII, XVI, XXVII, XXXVIII
• 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, Volume 2