Overview
The 65th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Recruitment and organization took place across the state from October 3 to December 14, 1861. The regiment served primarily in the Western Theater and participated in many of the major campaigns and battles involving the Army of the Cumberland. The unit is noted for its sustained combat service and for being retained in the field until late 1865.
Organization & Service
The 65th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at large in Ohio between October 3 and December 14, 1861, and mustered in for a three-year term. Colonel Charles G. Harker was the original commanding officer. The regiment was attached to various brigades and divisions within the Army of the Ohio and later the Army of the Cumberland. Early in its service, the regiment moved to the Western Theater, participating in the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, where it was only lightly engaged. The regiment was under near-constant fire during the siege of Corinth in May 1862.
Throughout 1862 and 1863, the 65th Ohio took part in major engagements including Stone’s River, where it suffered significant casualties, and Chickamauga, where losses were again heavy. The regiment continued to serve through the Chattanooga Campaign, including the battles of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. In 1864, the regiment was engaged in the Atlanta Campaign, fighting at Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and the siege of Atlanta. The regiment also participated in the battles of Jonesboro, Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign.
When the original three-year enlistments expired, non-veterans were mustered out, but the regiment continued in service with veterans and recruits. The 65th Ohio Infantry remained active until November 30, 1865, when it was mustered out in accordance with War Department orders.
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
- Battle of Shiloh
- Siege of Corinth
- Battle of Stone’s River
- Battle of Chickamauga
- Chattanooga Campaign (including Missionary Ridge)
- Rocky Face Ridge
- Resaca
- Adairsville
- New Hope Church
- Kennesaw Mountain (including Big Shanty)
- Peachtree Creek
- Siege of Atlanta
- Jonesboro
- Spring Hill
- Franklin
- Nashville
Casualties
- Shiloh: 2 men wounded
- Siege of Corinth: under fire almost hourly; specific casualties not detailed
- Stone’s River: 2 officers killed, 8 wounded (1 mortally); 38 men killed, 106 wounded, 19 missing, 3 deserted
- Chickamauga: 3 officers killed, 5 wounded; 13 men killed, 60 wounded, 24 missing
- Missionary Ridge: 1 killed, 14 wounded
- Resaca: 2 killed, 26 wounded
- Near Kennesaw Mountain (skirmish): 2 wounded
- Kennesaw Mountain (charge): 3 killed, 7 wounded
- Peachtree Creek: 4 wounded, 1 missing
- Atlanta (July 22): 1 killed, 1 wounded
- Spring Hill: 5 killed, 22 wounded, 14 missing
- Franklin: 1 killed, 22 wounded, 21 missing
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Charles G. Harker
- Lieutenant Colonel Daniel French
- Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Cassil
- Lieutenant Colonel Horatio N. Whitbeck
- Lieutenant Colonel Orlow Smith
- Major James Olds
- Major Samuel C. Brown
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 65th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster includes details on enlistment, rank, and service record where available.
To view the full roster, visit the 65th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts
- 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”
- Federal Publishing Company, “The Union Army,” Vol. 2 (1908)