Overview
The 1st Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters was a Union sharpshooter unit organized in Dayton, Ohio, during the fall of 1861. It served as part of the Western Sharpshooters, later designated the 66th Illinois Infantry, and was attached to the Army of the Cumberland and other commands in the Western Theater. The company was noted for its rigorous selection process and distinctive equipment, including American target rifles and unique uniforms. Its service extended through major campaigns in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
This unit is distinct from other Ohio sharpshooter companies and from infantry regiments of similar designation.
Organization & Service
The 1st Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters was organized at Dayton, Ohio, with enrollment taking place from September 18 to November 14, 1861, under the command of Captain Calvin Reed. The company departed Dayton on October 15, 1861, traveling via Cincinnati and the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad to St. Louis, Missouri, to join Birge’s Western Sharpshooters. Upon arrival, the company was quartered at Camp Benton and was mustered into United States service on November 23, 1861.
The company was armed with American target rifles and outfitted with bear-skin shot pouches, powder horns, squirrel-tailed caps, blue coats, and gray pantaloons. After mustering, the company participated in scouting operations in Missouri, including actions in Boone, Audrain, and Macon counties, and took part in the battle of Mount Zion Church on December 28, 1861. In early 1862, the company moved to Tennessee, engaging at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, where it was credited with capturing three Confederate regimental colors. It also fought at the battle of Shiloh.
Following these actions, the company became part of the Western Sharpshooters, which was redesignated as the 14th Regiment Infantry and later as the 66th Illinois Infantry. The Ohio companies, including the 1st, were assigned regimental letters but retained their independent company designations until their reenlistment as veterans. The company served as headquarters guard for General E. O. C. Ord, participated in railroad guard duty, and joined the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign. The 1st Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters was mustered out of service on July 7, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky.
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
- Scouting operations in Missouri (Boone, Audrain, Macon counties), late 1861
- Battle of Mount Zion Church, Missouri, December 28, 1861
- Fort Henry, Tennessee, February 1862
- Fort Donelson, Tennessee, February 1862
- Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, April 1862
- Railroad guard duty and outpost service in Mississippi and Tennessee, 1862–1863
- Atlanta Campaign, 1864
- March to the Sea, 1864
- Campaign of the Carolinas, 1865
Casualties
According to regimental records, the three Ohio independent companies (including the 1st) had a combined total of 59 men killed or died of disease during their service. Specific figures for the 1st Company alone are not separately reported in available primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Calvin Reed (original commander)
- Other company officers and acting commanders are not individually listed in available primary sources.
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 1st Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters, including names and service details of its members, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource is valuable for genealogists and researchers seeking information about individual soldiers who served in this unit.
To view the complete roster, visit the 1st Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 7, 10, 17, 24, 38
- 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
- The Union Army, Vol. 2 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War