Overview
The 9th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Ohio organized at Cincinnati in the early days of the Civil War. Composed primarily of German American volunteers from the city, the regiment was mustered into United States service on May 8, 1861, at Camp Harrison for a term of three months. The unit served the Union in the Western Theater during the initial mobilization period of the war.
This unit is distinct from the 9th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service).
Organization & Service
The 9th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was organized in Cincinnati, Ohio, with its ten companies enrolled on April 22, 1861. The regiment was mustered into federal service at Camp Harrison on May 8, 1861, under the command of Colonel Robert L. McCook, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Sondershoff, and Major Frank Linke. On May 18, the regiment moved to Camp Dennison, where it was equipped and prepared for active duty.
While at Camp Dennison, the regiment learned of President Lincoln’s call for volunteers to serve for three years. Nearly the entire membership of the regiment volunteered to re-enlist for the longer term, and the formal enrollment for three years’ service took place on May 27, 1861. The 9th Ohio thus became the first three years’ regiment organized from Ohio. The three months’ organization was effectively superseded by the new three years’ regiment, and the original three months’ term concluded without the regiment seeing combat as a distinct unit.
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
The 9th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) did not participate in any major campaigns or battles as a distinct unit during its brief period of service. The regiment was primarily engaged in organization, training, and preparation for extended service.
Casualties
No casualties are recorded for the 9th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) during its brief term. The regiment did not see combat before its reorganization for three years’ service.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Robert L. McCook
- Lieutenant Colonel Charles Sondershoff
- Major Frank Linke
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 9th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and other service details for those who served during the regiment’s three months’ term.
To view the full roster, visit the 9th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I
- 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)