15th Ohio Infantry – 3 Years Service ​in the American Civil War

Overview

The 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Mustered in at large across the state in September 1861, the regiment served primarily in the Western Theater. The 15th Ohio Infantry was notable for its long period of service, participating in many major campaigns and battles, and was among the first Ohio regiments mustered in for three years’ service and among the last to be mustered out.

This unit is distinct from the 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service).

Organization & Service

The 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at large in Ohio and mustered into Federal service in September 1861. The regiment was initially attached to the Army of the Ohio and later served in various brigades and divisions within the Army of the Cumberland. Throughout its service, the regiment was engaged in numerous major operations, including the advance on Nashville, the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, and the occupation of Corinth, Mississippi.

The regiment continued to serve in the Western Theater, participating in the Battle of Stone’s River (December 1862–January 1863), the Tullahoma Campaign (including Liberty Gap), and the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. It was also present at Missionary Ridge, and took part in the Atlanta Campaign, fighting at Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Cassville, Pickett’s Mills, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and the siege of Atlanta. The 15th Ohio was engaged in Hood’s First Sortie at Atlanta, the actions at Lovejoy’s Station, and later in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. At the Battle of Nashville in December 1864, the regiment formed the extreme left of the Union line and captured a battery of four brass guns and approximately thirty prisoners.

Upon expiration of its original three-year term, non-veterans were mustered out, while veterans and recruits continued service. The regiment was finally mustered out on November 21, 1865, in accordance with War Department orders.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Battle of Shiloh (April 1862)
• Occupation of Corinth (May 1862)
• Battle of Stone’s River (December 1862–January 1863)
• Liberty Gap (June 1863)
• Battle of Chickamauga (September 1863)
• Missionary Ridge (November 1863)
• Rocky Face Ridge (May 1864)
• Resaca (May 1864)
• Cassville (May 1864)
• Pickett’s Mills (May 1864)
• Kennesaw Mountain (June 1864)
• Peachtree Creek (July 1864)
• Hood’s First Sortie at Atlanta (July 1864)
• Lovejoy’s Station (August 1864)
• Battle of Franklin (November 1864)
• Battle of Nashville (December 1864)

Casualties

• Shiloh: 6 killed, 62 wounded
• Stone’s River: 18 killed, 89 wounded
• Liberty Gap: 1 officer and 7 men killed, 23 wounded
• Chickamauga: 1 officer and 9 men killed, 2 officers and 69 men wounded, 40 missing

Total losses for the entire service term are not fully detailed in available primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Moses R. Dickey
• Colonel William Wallace
• Colonel Frank Askew
• Lieutenant Colonel William F. Wilson
• Lieutenant Colonel John McClenahan
• Major Andrew R. Z. Dawson
• Major Joseph N. Dubois

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of the 15th Ohio Infantry (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 full roster, visit the 15th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (Army of the Ohio, Army of the Cumberland reports)
• 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
• Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
• Federal Publishing Company, The Union Army, Vol. 2 (1908)