34th Ohio Infantry ​in the American Civil War

Overview

The 34th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered in at Camps Lucas and Dennison between July 27 and September 14, 1861. Serving primarily in western Virginia and later in the Shenandoah Valley, the 34th Ohio Infantry was noted for its active campaigning, heavy combat losses, and eventual consolidation with another Ohio regiment.

Organization & Service

The 34th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Camps Lucas and Dennison, Ohio, from July 27 to September 14, 1861. The regiment departed Camp Dennison on September 15, 1861, for western Virginia, arriving at Camp Enyart on the Kanawha River on September 20. Throughout the autumn and winter of 1861, the regiment was tasked with guarding the rear of General Rosecrans’ army and conducting anti-guerrilla operations in Cabell, Putnam, Mason, Wayne, and Logan counties.

The regiment participated in the battle of Princeton, suffering several casualties. At the battle of Fayetteville, six companies of the 34th fought in the open field, repeatedly charging the enemy and incurring heavy losses—130 men, including about half of the officers engaged. After cutting their way out under fire, the regiment retreated toward the Kanawha River, making subsequent stands at Cotton Hill and at Charlestown on September 13, 1862, where another severe engagement occurred.

From late 1862 until May 1863, the regiment performed garrison duty. In July 1863, Company C was attacked at Wytheville by a superior Confederate cavalry force, resulting in casualties and prisoners. The regiment also participated in expeditions to Lewisburg and the surrounding area that year. About two-thirds of the regiment re-enlisted as veterans.

On June 5, 1864, the 34th skirmished with Confederate cavalry at Piedmont, and the following day engaged the enemy at Buffalo Gap. The regiment took part in Hunter’s raid on Lynchburg and the subsequent retreat. In the Shenandoah Valley, the 34th fought at Snicker’s Gap, suffering 10 killed and 20 wounded, and at the fourth battle of Winchester, where it again sustained heavy losses. The regiment was engaged at Halltown in August 1864, then at Berryville and Summit Point, and participated in Sheridan’s battle of Winchester, suffering significant casualties among the color guard.

The regiment was present at Cedar Creek and Fisher’s Hill, with 61 killed in the latter two engagements. At Cedar Creek, the regiment lost 2 killed, 12 wounded, and 18 captured. On January 11, 1865, the post at Beverly, garrisoned by the 34th and a detachment of the 8th Ohio Cavalry, was surprised and overrun, resulting in the capture of nearly the entire regiment, though many later escaped. The survivors were consolidated with the 36th Ohio Infantry, with the consolidation officially dated February 22, 1865, ending the independent existence of the 34th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service).

Engagements & Campaigns

• Operations in western Virginia (1861–1862)
• Battle of Princeton
• Battle of Fayetteville
• Engagement at Cotton Hill
• Engagement at Charlestown (September 13, 1862)
• Wytheville (July 1863)
• Expeditions to Lewisburg and vicinity
• Skirmish at Piedmont (June 5, 1864)
• Buffalo Gap (June 6, 1864)
• Hunter’s Raid on Lynchburg
• Snicker’s Gap
• Fourth Battle of Winchester
• Halltown (August 21–27, 1864)
• Battle of Berryville
• Summit Point
• Battle of Winchester (Third Battle, September 1864)
• Cedar Creek
• Fisher’s Hill
• Affair at Beverly (January 11, 1865)

Casualties

• Battle of Fayetteville: 130 casualties among six companies (including about half the officers engaged)
• Snicker’s Gap: 10 killed, 20 wounded
• Fourth Battle of Winchester and subsequent actions: heavy losses, including 61 killed at Fisher’s Hill and Cedar Creek
• Cedar Creek: 2 killed, 12 wounded, 18 prisoners
• Affair at Beverly: nearly the entire regiment captured, though many later escaped

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel A. Sanders Piatt
• Colonel John T. Toland
• Colonel Freeman E. Franklin
• Lieutenant Colonel John W. Shaw
• Lieutenant Colonel Luther Furney
• Major Thomas W. Rathbone
• Major Alfred Butters

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 34th 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 for members of the regiment throughout its period of service.

To view the complete roster, visit the 34th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see reports on western Virginia and Shenandoah Valley operations)
• Ohio Roster Commission, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 4
• 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)