Overview
The 98th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Ohio that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Steubenville in August 1862, the regiment was mustered in for a three-year term. The unit saw extensive service in the Western Theater, participating in several major campaigns and battles, and was noted for its heavy losses in key engagements.
Organization & Service
The 98th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Steubenville, Ohio, on August 20 and 21, 1862. After mustering in, the regiment moved to Camp Mingo and then proceeded to Covington, Kentucky, where it received its arms. From there, the regiment advanced to Lexington, Kentucky. In October 1862, the unit marched on the Bardstown turnpike and took a prominent role in the Battle of Perryville, suffering significant casualties.
Throughout 1863, the regiment operated mainly in Tennessee. It participated in the Battle of Chickamauga, entering the engagement with 196 men and 11 officers and sustaining further losses. Following Chickamauga, the regiment pursued Confederate forces to Graysville, Georgia, where it was involved in a skirmish. In 1864, the 98th Ohio Infantry joined Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, fighting at Buzzard Roost Gap, Resaca, Rome, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and Jonesboro. The regiment then marched with Sherman to the sea and through the Carolinas, taking part in the Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. The 98th Ohio Infantry was mustered out of service on June 1, 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 Perryville (October 1862)
- Operations in Tennessee (1863)
- Battle of Chickamauga (September 1863)
- Skirmish at Graysville, Georgia
- Atlanta Campaign (1864): Buzzard Roost Gap, Resaca, Rome, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Jonesboro
- March to the Sea (1864)
- Campaign of the Carolinas (1865): Battle of Bentonville
Casualties
- Battle of Perryville: 230 killed and wounded
- Battle of Chickamauga: 50 killed and wounded, 2 captured
- Skirmish at Graysville: 5 or 6 killed and wounded
- Kennesaw Mountain: 34 killed and wounded
- Peachtree Creek: several killed and wounded
- Jonesboro: 41 killed and wounded
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel George Webster
- Colonel Christian L. Poorman
- Lieutenant Colonel John S. Pearce
- Major James M. Shane
- Major David E. Roatch
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 98th 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 98th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
- 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, Vol. 2 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)