Overview
The 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery (Three Years’ Service) was a Union regiment organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, from June to September 1863. Serving in the heavy artillery branch, the regiment was mustered for three years and primarily operated in Kentucky and East Tennessee. Throughout its service, the companies were frequently detached and stationed at various forts and posts, often operating independently. The regiment is notable for its widespread deployment and participation in several skirmishes and defensive operations in the Western Theater.
Organization & Service
The 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, between June and September 1863, under the command of Colonel Horatio G. Gibson. The regiment’s companies were deployed separately across Kentucky and Tennessee, often assigned to garrison duty at key forts and strategic locations.
Company A was stationed at Covington Barracks, Kentucky, then moved to Fort Jones on Muldraugh’s Hill in October 1863. In January 1864, part of the company was sent to Fort DeWolf near Shepherdsville, later moving to Cleveland, Tennessee, in May. The company saw action in August and participated in operations at Loudon, Strawberry Plains, Knoxville, Bean’s Station, and Southwestern Virginia before returning to Knoxville and Fort Sanders in January 1865.
Company B was first at Covington Barracks, then Bowling Green, Kentucky, and moved to Charleston, Tennessee, in May 1864. It engaged the enemy at Cleveland in August, then moved to Fort Sanders and Knoxville, participated in operations at Strawberry Plains, and returned to Knoxville, Camp Rothrock, and Fort Byington.
Other companies followed similar patterns: Company C moved from Bowling Green to Charleston, Tennessee, engaging the enemy in August 1864 and participating in subsequent operations. Company D garrisoned Muldraugh’s Hill, then Tyner’s Station, Loudon, Strawberry Plains, Knoxville, and Bean’s Station. Company E garrisoned Fort Boyle, then Camp Sedgwick near Cleveland, Tennessee, and participated in engagements and movements with the regiment. Company F was at Bowling Green, then Charleston, Tennessee, and later Knoxville and Loudon. Company G moved from Bowling Green to Charleston and Cleveland, Tennessee, and later to Athens. Company H was at Munfordville, Kentucky, then Camp Sedgwick, Cleveland, and engaged Wheeler’s cavalry. Company I was at Fort DeWolf, then Fort Nelson, Camp Sedgwick, Fort Galpin, Bean’s Station, Knoxville, and Nashville. Company K moved from Munfordville to Charleston, Tennessee, Clinch Gap, Knoxville, Greeneville, and Nashville. Company L was at Fort Boone, Frankfort, Kentucky, then Battery Simons, Munfordville, Camp Sedgwick, Charleston, and Strawberry Plains. Company M was at Fort Willich, Munfordville, then Fort Taylor, Camp Nelson, Camp Sedgwick, and Athens.
The regiment was mustered out of service on August 23, 1865, in accordance with orders from the War Department.
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
- Garrison duty at various forts in Kentucky and Tennessee (1863–1865)
- Skirmishes and engagements at Cleveland, Charleston, and Loudon, Tennessee (1864)
- Operations at Strawberry Plains, Knoxville, Bean’s Station, and Southwestern Virginia (1864–1865)
- Actions against Confederate cavalry, including Wheeler’s forces
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery (Three Years’ Service) are not fully detailed in available primary sources. Losses were primarily from disease and scattered skirmishes rather than large-scale battles.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Horatio G. Gibson
- Lieutenant Colonel Martin B. Ewing
- Major William S. Irwin
- Major Daniel W. Hoffman
- Major Lafayette Hammond
- Major Lemon S. Powell
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official state and federal records.
To view the complete roster, visit the 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery (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., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Federal Publishing Company, The Union Army, Vol. 2 (1908)