Overview
The 87th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio for Union service during the American Civil War. Mustered in at Camp Chase on June 10, 1862, the regiment served a short-term enlistment of three months. It was primarily active in the Eastern Theater and is notable for its involvement in the defense and subsequent surrender at Harpers Ferry.
This unit is distinct from any later formations or other service terms of Ohio infantry regiments.
Organization & Service
The 87th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was organized at Camp Chase, Ohio, and mustered into Federal service on June 10, 1862, under the command of Colonel Henry B. Banning. Shortly after organization, the regiment was ordered to Baltimore, Maryland, where it performed garrison and guard duties for several weeks. In the summer of 1862, the regiment was transferred to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, as part of the Union garrison stationed there.
In September 1862, Confederate forces under General Stonewall Jackson besieged Harpers Ferry. The 87th Ohio Infantry, along with other Union troops, was included in the surrender of the garrison on September 15, 1862. The regiment was paroled and sent to Camp Douglas, Illinois, before being released from parole. The men returned to Ohio, and the regiment was mustered out of service at Camp Chase from October 1 to October 4, 1862, upon the expiration of its term.
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
- Garrison duty at Baltimore, Maryland (June–July 1862)
- Defense and siege of Harpers Ferry (September 1862)
- Surrender at Harpers Ferry (September 15, 1862)
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 87th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) are not separately reported in primary sources. The regiment was surrendered at Harpers Ferry and did not participate in major combat actions prior to that event.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Henry B. Banning
- Lieutenant Colonel John Faskin
- Major Samuel L. Leffingwell
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 87th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served during the regiment’s three-month term.
To view the complete list of soldiers, visit the 87th Ohio Infantry (Three Months’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 19, Part 1
- 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)