50th Ohio Infantry ​in the American Civil War

Overview

The 50th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, in August 1862 for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment served primarily in the Western Theater and participated in several major campaigns and battles, including Perryville, the Atlanta Campaign, Franklin, and Nashville. The unit was mustered in with an aggregate strength of 964 men.

This regiment served the Union cause, operating under the Army of the Ohio and later with forces under General Sherman. The 50th Ohio Infantry was notable for its heavy losses in several engagements and its eventual consolidation with the 99th Ohio Infantry in 1865.

Organization & Service

The 50th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, in August 1862. The regiment mustered in for three years’ service under Colonel Jonah R. Taylor. On September 1, 1862, the regiment moved into Kentucky to assist in the defense of Cincinnati during Confederate General Kirby Smith’s raid. By late September, the unit had relocated to Louisville, Kentucky.

The regiment saw its first major combat at the Battle of Perryville in October 1862, where it suffered significant casualties, including two officers killed, one mortally wounded, and 162 men killed and wounded. From February to September 1863, the 50th Ohio was engaged in engineering duties, building fortifications and constructing trestles in Tennessee.

In the spring of 1864, the regiment received orders to join General Sherman’s army at Kingston, Georgia. Upon arrival, it immediately participated in the engagement at Kingston and subsequently took part in the Atlanta Campaign. The regiment was engaged at Dallas, Lost Mountain, Pine Mountain, and throughout the siege of Atlanta, enduring heavy losses.

After the fall of Atlanta, the 50th Ohio moved into Tennessee, where it skirmished at Columbia for three days. At the Battle of Franklin, the regiment entered the fight with 225 men and emerged with only 112. The unit then retreated with Union forces to Nashville, participating in the battle there and sustaining further casualties. Following the Confederate retreat, the regiment pursued as far as Columbia, Tennessee.

In December 1864, the 50th Ohio Infantry was consolidated with the 99th Ohio Infantry but retained its regimental designation. At the time of consolidation, only about 100 men remained. The regiment was later sent to the Carolinas and was mustered out at Salisbury, North Carolina, on June 26, 1865.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Defense of Cincinnati, Kentucky (September 1862)
• Battle of Perryville (October 1862)
• Engineering duties in Tennessee (February–September 1863)
• Engagement at Kingston, Georgia (Spring 1864)
• Atlanta Campaign (including Dallas, Lost Mountain, Pine Mountain, and the siege of Atlanta, 1864)
• Skirmishes at Columbia, Tennessee (late 1864)
• Battle of Franklin (November 1864)
• Battle of Nashville (December 1864)
• Pursuit to Columbia, Tennessee (December 1864)
• Operations in the Carolinas (1865)

Casualties

At Perryville, the regiment lost 2 officers killed, 1 mortally wounded, and 162 men killed and wounded. During the Battle of Franklin, the regiment entered with 225 men and came out with 112. By the time of consolidation with the 99th Ohio Infantry, only about 100 men remained. Detailed breakdowns of total killed, wounded, and deaths from disease are not fully available in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Jonah R. Taylor
• Colonel Silas A. Strickland
• Lieutenant Colonel George R. Elstner
• Lieutenant Colonel James A. Bope
• Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton S. Gillespie
• Lieutenant Colonel John E. Cummins
• Lieutenant Colonel Thomas L. P. Defries
• Major Thomas P. Cook
• Major Benjamin F. Le Fever

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of the 50th 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 50th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XVI, XXIII, XXXVIII
• 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