Overview
The 2nd Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters served as a specialized unit in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized in the fall of 1861 at Findlay, Ohio, this company was recruited primarily from Hancock and Hardin counties. It was mustered into United States service on November 30, 1861, and was initially assigned as Company H of Birge’s Western Sharpshooters, a regiment composed of sharpshooter companies from several states. The company served in the Western Theater and participated in several major campaigns and battles throughout the war.
This unit is distinct from other Ohio sharpshooter companies and from the 2nd Ohio Infantry regiments of various service terms.
Organization & Service
The 2nd Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters was organized at Findlay, Ohio, during September and October 1861 under the command of Captain Campbell Dougherty. After its formation, the company was ordered to St. Louis, Missouri, arriving shortly after the 1st Ohio Independent Company. It was mustered into federal service on November 30, 1861, and assigned as Company H, Birge’s Western Sharpshooters.
Following mustering, the company was stationed at Camp Benton, St. Louis. On December 12, 1861, the regiment left Camp Benton and engaged in scouting operations in Boone, Audrain, and Macon counties, Missouri, targeting Confederate forces threatening the North Missouri Railroad. The company participated in the battle of Mount Zion Church on December 28, 1861.
In early 1862, the company moved to Fort Henry, Tennessee, and soon after took part in the battle of Fort Donelson, where the regiment captured several Confederate colors. The company was also engaged at the battle of Shiloh in April 1862. On April 14, 1862, the regiment’s designation was changed to the Western Sharpshooters, 14th Regiment Infantry, and later became the 66th Illinois Infantry. The Ohio companies, including the 2nd, retained their independent company designations until their reenlistment as veterans, after which they were known by regimental letter only.
The company established Camp Davies, Mississippi, as an outpost for General U. S. Grant’s army and served as headquarters guard for General E. O. C. Ord from June to August 1863. It later joined General G. M. Dodge’s division, moving to Pulaski, Tennessee, to reinforce the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga and performed railroad guard duty. The company reenlisted as veterans on December 22, 1863, at Pulaski, Tennessee, and received furlough in January 1864. Returning in time for the Atlanta Campaign, the company served with the left wing of the 16th Corps under General McPherson, participating in the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign. The 2nd Ohio Independent Company was mustered out 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 (December 1861)
- Battle of Mount Zion Church (December 28, 1861)
- Battle of Fort Donelson (February 1862)
- Battle of Shiloh (April 1862)
- Operations at Camp Davies, Mississippi
- Atlanta Campaign (1864)
- March to the Sea (1864)
- Carolinas Campaign (1865)
Casualties
According to regimental records, the three Ohio independent companies (including the 2nd) lost a total of 59 men killed or died of disease during their service. Specific casualty figures for the 2nd Company alone are not separately detailed in available primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Campbell Dougherty
- Other officers and acting commanders are not individually listed in available primary sources.
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 2nd Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters, including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. For a complete listing of members and additional service details, please visit the regimental 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
- Federal Publishing Company, The Union Army, Vol. 2 (1908)
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War