Overview
The 138th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, on May 15, 1864, for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Composed primarily of men from the 5th Ohio National Guard (Licking County), the 32nd Battalion (Hardin County), and one company from the 37th Battalion (Lorain County), the regiment served for a term of 100 days. The 138th Ohio Infantry was part of the Union’s efforts to provide short-term troops for rear-area duties, allowing veteran units to participate in active campaigns.
Organization & Service
The 138th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service) was mustered into service at Camp Dennison on May 15, 1864. The regiment departed Ohio via the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and arrived in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 1864. Upon arrival, it was assigned to the defenses south of the Potomac River, with regimental headquarters at Fort Albany and detachments stationed at Forts Craig and Tillinghast.
On June 15, 1864, the regiment was ordered to White House Landing, Virginia, where it performed picket duty and guarded Confederate prisoners. The following day, it was ordered to Bermuda Hundred and traveled by steamer to Fort Powhatan. On June 19, the regiment arrived at Fort Spring Hill, located on the eastern bank of the Appomattox River, opposite Point of Rocks. Here, the unit was engaged in picket and fatigue duty at Point of Rocks and Broadway Landing.
Later, the regiment moved to Cherrystone Inlet, where its companies were distributed at various locations to guard telegraph lines and intercept blockade runners and Confederate mail carriers. The 138th Ohio Infantry was mustered out of service on September 1, 1864.
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
- Defenses of Washington, D.C. (May–June 1864)
- White House Landing (June 1864)
- Bermuda Hundred and Fort Powhatan (June 1864)
- Point of Rocks and Broadway Landing (June–July 1864)
- Cherrystone Inlet and telegraph line guard duty (July–August 1864)
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 138th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service) are not detailed in primary sources. The regiment primarily performed guard and fatigue duty and did not participate in major combat operations.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Samuel S. Fisher
- Lieutenant Colonel Eri F. Jewett
- Major Charles Gilpin
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 138th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. For detailed information on individual soldiers who served in this regiment, please visit the roster page.
View the 138th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service) Roster
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 37, Part II
- 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”
- The Union Army, Vol. 2 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)