11th Ohio Cavalry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 11th Ohio Cavalry (Union) was a volunteer cavalry regiment organized in Ohio during the American Civil War. Its service was unique among Ohio regiments, as it was primarily assigned to frontier duty in the Rocky Mountain region and the western territories, rather than the main eastern or western theaters of the war. The regiment was organized in stages between 1862 and 1864, with its companies mustered at various locations including Camp Dennison and Camp Chase, Ohio, and Fort Laramie in the Dakota Territory (now Wyoming). The 11th Ohio Cavalry served the Union, performing critical roles in protecting communication and supply lines across the western frontier.

This regiment is distinct from other Ohio cavalry units and should not be confused with the 7th or 6th Ohio Cavalry, from which some of its companies originated.

Organization & Service

Companies A, B, C, and D were initially organized as the 7th Ohio Cavalry but were consolidated with the 6th Ohio Cavalry on December 19, 1861, forming the 1st Battalion of that regiment at Camp Dennison. On March 13, 1862, this battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel William O. Collins, was detached from the 6th Cavalry and ordered to report to General Halleck in St. Louis, Missouri. From there, it was sent to Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory, arriving on May 30, 1862, after an overland march from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. During the summer of 1862, the battalion was permanently detached and designated as the “First Independent Battalion Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.”

Between June 26 and July 31, 1863, a second battalion (Companies E, F, G, and H) was organized at Camps Dennison and Chase, Ohio. The two battalions were consolidated and officially designated as the 11th Ohio Cavalry. The second battalion was briefly called into service during John Morgan’s raid through Ohio, returning to Camp Dennison after the raid. On August 1, 1863, the regiment left Camp Dennison for Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and was subsequently sent in pursuit of Quantrill following the sacking of Lawrence, Kansas, before being recalled and proceeding to Fort Laramie, arriving on October 10, 1863.

Companies I, K, and L were organized at Fort Laramie on June 30, 1864, from surplus recruits. Throughout its service, the regiment was rarely concentrated as a single unit; its companies were dispersed across the Rocky Mountain region and the western territories, primarily guarding the Pacific telegraph line and the overland routes from Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas through Wyoming and Idaho to Utah and Oregon. The regiment constructed and garrisoned numerous military posts and stations along these routes, often operating in small detachments.

From March to September 1865, detachments of the regiment engaged in multiple skirmishes with Native American groups, erected posts, and protected vital communication lines. Notably, two companies participated in an expedition to the Powder and Tongue Rivers, including a charge on and burning of an Indian village, marching 1,200 miles over 58 days. Companies A, B, C, and D were mustered out on April 1, 1865, at Omaha, Nebraska. The remaining companies, representing the last Ohio volunteer troops in service, were mustered out on July 14, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Guarding Pacific telegraph line and overland routes (1862–1866)
• Operations against Native American groups in the Rocky Mountain and western territories
• Expedition to Powder and Tongue Rivers (1865)
• Principal actions and skirmishes: South Pass, Sweet Water Bridge, Mud Springs Station, Rush Creek, near Laparelle Creek, near Poison Creek, Fort Marshall, Deer Creek Station, Camp Marshall, Deer Creek, St. Mary’s Station, Elkhorn, near Deer Creek, Sage Creek Station, Sweet Water Bridge, Rock Creek, Platte Bridge (Fort Caspar), Powder River, Indian Village (Tongue River)

Casualties

Specific casualty figures for the 11th Ohio Cavalry are not fully detailed in primary sources. The regiment sustained losses in various skirmishes and from disease during its extended frontier service. Companies engaged in the Powder and Tongue River expedition and other actions suffered casualties, but comprehensive numbers are not available.

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Lieutenant Colonel William O. Collins
• Lieutenant Colonel Thomas L. Mackey
• Major John O. Ferrell
• Major Bolivar C. Converse
• Major Levi G. Marshall
• Major William H. Evans

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 11th Ohio Cavalry, including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served in the regiment during its term of service.

To view the complete roster, visit the 11th Ohio Cavalry Regimental Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes (see reports on operations in the Department of the Northwest and the Plains, 1862–1866)
• 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”