47th Ohio Infantry ​in the American Civil War

Overview

The 47th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from Ohio that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Camp Dennison and mustered into service on August 27, 1861, the regiment participated in operations across the Western and Southern theaters. The 47th Ohio was notable for its early action in western Virginia, its involvement in the Vicksburg campaign, and its participation in the Atlanta campaign, the March to the Sea, and the Carolinas campaign. The regiment was mustered out of service on August 11, 1865.

Organization & Service

The 47th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, and mustered in on August 27, 1861. The day after mustering, the regiment departed by rail for Benwood, western Virginia, and then proceeded to Sutton. Company B was detached to reinforce the garrison at Sutton, while the remainder of the regiment advanced and participated in the battle of Carnifex Ferry in September 1861. The regiment spent the winter of 1861–62 in quarters on the Tompkins farm, Gauley Mountain.

In the spring of 1862, a detachment of the regiment took part in an expedition to Lewisburg, resulting in the rout of Confederate forces and the capture of prisoners and supplies. Throughout the remainder of 1862, the 47th Ohio was engaged in various duties in Virginia. In 1863, the regiment joined the expedition against Vicksburg, Mississippi, arriving at Walnut Hills on May 18. The regiment captured prisoners during the march and led assaults on Cemetery Hill on May 19 and May 22, suffering heavy losses. The 47th Ohio remained in the front lines at Vicksburg until the city’s surrender.

Transferred to eastern Tennessee in January 1864, the regiment reenlisted, with three-fourths of its men rejoining after furlough. During the Atlanta campaign, the regiment fought at Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, and in operations against Hood’s forces, participating in nearly continuous skirmishing up to and beyond Rome, Georgia. The 47th Ohio then took part in Sherman’s March to the Sea and the subsequent campaign through the Carolinas. The regiment was mustered out on August 11, 1865. At the close of the Atlanta campaign, the regiment’s strength had been reduced from 830 to 120 men, but it was later reinforced by 400 drafted men and substitutes.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Carnifex Ferry (September 1861)
• Expedition to Lewisburg (Spring 1862)
• Various operations in Virginia (1862)
• Vicksburg Campaign, including Walnut Hills and assaults on Cemetery Hill (May–July 1863)
• Eastern Tennessee operations (January 1864)
• Atlanta Campaign: Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, operations near Rome, Georgia (1864)
• Sherman’s March to the Sea (late 1864)
• Carolinas Campaign (early 1865)

Casualties

When the 47th Ohio Infantry entered the field, it numbered 830 men. By the end of the Atlanta campaign, only 120 remained, but the regiment was later reinforced by 400 drafted men and substitutes. Specific figures for killed, wounded, and deaths from disease are not fully detailed in available primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Frederick Poschner
• Colonel Lyman S. Elliot
• Colonel Augustus C. Parry
• Lieutenant Colonel John Wallace
• Major Frederick Hesser
• Major Thomas T. Taylor

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 47th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and service details valuable for genealogical and historical research.

To view the complete roster, visit the 47th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
• 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”
• “The Union Army,” Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Volume 2