Overview
The 69th 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 occurred throughout the state from October 1861 to April 1862. The regiment served in the Western Theater and participated in several major campaigns and battles, gaining distinction for its actions at Stone’s River, Missionary Ridge, and during Sherman’s campaigns in Georgia and the Carolinas.
This unit served for three years and should not be confused with any other Ohio regiments of similar designation or different service terms.
Organization & Service
The 69th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at large in Ohio between October 1861 and April 1862. Upon completion of organization, the regiment was ordered to Nashville, Tennessee, arriving there on April 22, 1862. It was attached to various brigades and divisions within the Army of the Cumberland and later the Army of the Tennessee, participating in numerous campaigns across Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
The regiment’s first major engagement was at the Battle of Stone’s River, where it suffered significant casualties and took part in a notable charge across the river against Confederate forces, capturing a section of the Washington Artillery. The 69th Ohio was also engaged at Missionary Ridge, being among the first Union troops to reach the summit. In the spring of 1864, the regiment reenlisted as a veteran organization and, after furlough, rejoined the army for the Atlanta Campaign. It fought at Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Marietta, the crossing of the Chattahoochee River, Peachtree Creek, the siege of Atlanta, and Jonesboro, sustaining losses in each action. The regiment then participated in Sherman’s March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign, including the Battle of Bentonville. The 69th Ohio Infantry was mustered out of service on July 17, 1865.
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 Stone’s River
- Battle of Missionary Ridge
- Resaca
- Pumpkin Vine Creek
- Dallas
- Siege of Kennesaw Mountain
- Marietta
- Crossing of the Chattahoochee River
- Peachtree Creek
- Siege of Atlanta
- Jonesboro
- Sherman’s March to the Sea
- Campaign of the Carolinas
- Battle of Bentonville
Casualties
During its service, the 69th Ohio Infantry sustained the following losses in specific engagements:
- Resaca: 5 killed, 26 wounded
- Pumpkin Vine Creek and Dallas: 5 killed, 19 wounded
- Kennesaw Mountain: 2 killed
- Marietta: 1 killed, 7 wounded
- Peachtree Creek: 1 killed, 10 wounded
- Siege of Atlanta: 9 wounded (2 died of wounds)
- Jonesboro: 8 killed, 36 wounded
- Bentonville: 2 killed, 8 wounded
Comprehensive totals for the entire term of service are not specified in available primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Lewis D. Campbell
- Colonel William B. Cassilly
- Colonel Marshall F. Moore
- Lieutenant Colonel Charles L. Gano
- Lieutenant Colonel George F. Elliott
- Lieutenant Colonel Joseph H. Brigham
- Major Eli J. Hickcox
- Major James J. Hanna
- Major Lewis E. Hicks
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 69th 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 where available.
To view the complete roster, visit the 69th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
- Ohio Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H. 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