Overview
The 127th Ohio Infantry (also known as the 127th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry) was an infantry regiment organized in Ohio during the American Civil War. This unit was later designated as the 5th United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) Infantry. The regiment served in the Union Army and was composed primarily of African American enlisted men with white officers, as was standard for U.S.C.T. regiments. The 127th Ohio Infantry played a significant role in operations involving United States Colored Troops, participating in campaigns in the Eastern Theater.
This unit is distinct from other Ohio infantry regiments with different designations or service terms.
Organization & Service
The 127th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Delaware, Ohio, beginning in September 1863. Shortly after its organization, the regiment was redesignated as the 5th United States Colored Troops Infantry. The regiment was mustered into federal service under the authority of the Bureau for the Organization of Colored Troops. After organization and initial training, the regiment was ordered to the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, where it was attached to various brigades and divisions within the XVIII and XXV Corps.
The regiment participated in operations along the James River, including the siege of Petersburg and Richmond, and was involved in several key actions in Virginia and North Carolina. The 127th Ohio Infantry (as the 5th U.S.C.T.) remained in service through the end of the war and was mustered out in 1865.
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
- Operations on the James River, Virginia
- Siege of Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia
- Assault and capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina
- Campaigns in North Carolina, 1865
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 127th Ohio Infantry (5th U.S.C.T.) are reported under the designation of the 5th United States Colored Troops. According to Dyer’s Compendium, the 5th U.S.C.T. lost a total of 4 officers and 82 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 165 enlisted men died of disease, for a total of 252 deaths.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Giles W. Shurtleff
- Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo G. Spaulding
- Major Ezekiel W. Jaycox
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 127th Ohio Infantry, 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.
To view the complete roster, visit the 127th Ohio Infantry Regimental Roster page.
Sources & References
- The War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes.
- Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion.
- Ohio Roster Commission. Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion.
- Federal Publishing Company. The Union Army, Vol. 2 (1908).
- Fox, William F. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War.