Overview
The 6th Ohio Infantry (1 Month Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Cincinnati, Ohio, for emergency service during the Confederate threat to Cincinnati in September 1862. The regiment served as part of the Ohio volunteer militia, responding to the rapid advance of Confederate forces under General Kirby Smith during the Kentucky Campaign. The unit was mustered for a one-month term and performed both defensive and provost duties in the Cincinnati area.
This regiment served the Union cause in the Western Theater, specifically in defense of Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Its service was brief but notable for its rapid mobilization and contribution to the defense of a major city under threat.
Organization & Service
The 6th Ohio Infantry (1 Month Service) was organized in Cincinnati, Ohio, in early September 1862, following the approach of Confederate forces toward the Ohio River. On September 2, 1862, martial law was declared in Cincinnati, and the city’s militia, including the 6th, 8th, and 11th regiments, was called into service by Major General Lew Wallace. The regiment was mustered for a one-month term to meet the emergency.
On September 10, 1862, the 6th Ohio Infantry crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky and took up defensive positions near Fort Mitchell. The regiment remained in line of battle on September 12, as an engagement appeared imminent, but the Confederate forces withdrew during the night. After the immediate threat subsided, the regiment returned to Cincinnati and performed provost guard duty until October 4, 1862, when it was discharged from service.
Due to the emergency nature of their service, the formal muster in and out of the regiment was completed several years later, on November 8, 1866, with service dates retroactively recognized from September 2 to October 3, 1862. Congress subsequently provided for the payment of the regiment’s members for their service during the crisis.
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
- Defense of Cincinnati, September 1862
- Operations near Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
- Provost guard duty in Cincinnati
Casualties
No detailed casualty figures for the 6th Ohio Infantry (1 Month Service) are reported in available primary sources. The regiment did not engage in direct combat during its brief service.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Theodore Haffner
- Colonel F. J. Mayer
- Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Heider
- Major John W. Fidler
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 6th Ohio Infantry (1 Month Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names and, when available, additional service details for members of the regiment.
To view the complete roster, visit the 6th Ohio Infantry (1 Month Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. XVI
- 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