96th Ohio Infantry ​in the American Civil War

Overview

The 96th 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 Delaware in August 1862, the regiment was mustered for a three-year term. It participated in major operations across the Western Theater, including campaigns in Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. The regiment is noted for its involvement in the Vicksburg Campaign, the Red River Campaign, and the Mobile operations.

Organization & Service

The 96th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Camp Delaware, Ohio, and mustered into service on August 19 and 22, 1862, with an initial strength of 1,014 men. Its first assignment was in Kentucky, responding to the Confederate incursion led by Kirby Smith. In November 1862, the regiment was ordered to Mississippi, where it participated in the initial assault on Vicksburg at Chickasaw Bluffs.

In January 1863, the regiment landed near Arkansas Post and took an active role in the assault on Fort Hindman, suffering significant casualties. Afterward, it returned to Young’s Point, Louisiana, and joined the Union army’s movement to the rear of Vicksburg, participating in the operations and siege of the city until its surrender in July 1863. The regiment then marched to Jackson, Mississippi, and was engaged in the siege there until the city’s evacuation, followed by movements to Bryan’s Station, Dry Creek, and back to Vicksburg.

Subsequently, the 96th Ohio moved to Louisiana, where it fought at Grand Coteau, incurring heavy losses in killed, wounded, and prisoners. During the Red River Campaign, it was engaged at the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads and endured the retreat to the Mississippi River, frequently engaged in skirmishes. Later, the regiment participated in the siege and capture of Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan in Alabama, and was involved in the operations around Mobile, including the siege of Spanish Fort and the capture of the city.

On November 18, 1864, the regiment was consolidated into a battalion of five companies. It was mustered out of service on July 7, 1865, with a final strength of 427 men, including a company transferred from the 42nd Ohio Infantry.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Defense of Kentucky (Kirby Smith Raid), 1862
• Chickasaw Bluffs (First Attack on Vicksburg), December 1862
• Assault on Arkansas Post (Fort Hindman), January 1863
• Vicksburg Campaign and Siege, May–July 1863
• Siege of Jackson, Mississippi, July 1863
• Grand Coteau, Louisiana, November 1863
• Red River Campaign, including Battle of Sabine Cross Roads, April 1864
• Siege and Capture of Fort Gaines, Alabama, August 1864
• Siege of Fort Morgan, Alabama, August 1864
• Mobile Campaign, including Siege of Spanish Fort and Capture of Mobile, March–April 1865

Casualties

• Arkansas Post: 10 killed, 26 wounded
• Grand Coteau: 9 killed, 33 wounded, 68 captured
• Sabine Cross Roads: 6 killed, 24 wounded, 26 captured

Comprehensive casualty figures for the entire service term are not fully detailed in all sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Joseph W. Vance
• Lieutenant Colonel Albert H. Brown
• Major Charles H. McElroy
• Major Joseph Leonard

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 96th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and additional service details valuable for genealogical research.

To view the complete roster, visit the 96th Ohio Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XVII, XXIV, XXXIV, 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, Vol. 2 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)