Overview
The 181st Ohio Infantry (One Year Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, from September 29 to October 10, 1864, for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment served primarily in the Western Theater and was attached to the Army of the Ohio and later to Sherman’s army in North Carolina. Its service term was one year.
This regiment was among the later Ohio volunteer infantry units raised, and its service included operations in Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina during the final months of the war.
Organization & Service
The 181st Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, Ohio, between September 29 and October 10, 1864. The regiment mustered in for one year’s service under the command of Colonel John O’Dowd. On October 24, 1864, the unit was ordered to Huntsville, Alabama, arriving there on October 29. In November, the regiment operated in the vicinity of Decatur, Alabama, before moving by rail to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
During December 1864, the 181st Ohio Infantry participated in the defense of Murfreesboro against an attack by Confederate forces under General Nathan Bedford Forrest, during which several men from the regiment were wounded. The remainder of December was spent conducting foraging expeditions around Murfreesboro, where the regiment was frequently engaged with enemy forces. On December 24, the regiment was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 23rd Army Corps, and joined its command at Columbia, Tennessee, on December 29.
On January 2, 1865, the regiment was transported to Goldsboro, North Carolina, where it joined Major General William T. Sherman’s army. In April 1865, the 181st Ohio Infantry participated in the advance on Raleigh, North Carolina. The regiment was mustered out of service on July 14, 1865, in accordance with orders from the War Department.
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 around Decatur, Alabama (November 1864)
- Defense of Murfreesboro, Tennessee (December 1864)
- Foraging expeditions near Murfreesboro (December 1864)
- Assignment to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 23rd Corps (December 24, 1864)
- Advance on Raleigh, North Carolina (April 1865)
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 181st Ohio Infantry (One Year Service) are not fully detailed in available primary sources. It is recorded that several men were wounded during the defense of Murfreesboro in December 1864. Total losses from all causes are not specified in the Official Records or state reports.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel John O’Dowd
- Colonel John E. Hudson
- Lieutenant Colonel James T. Hickey
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 181st Ohio Infantry (One Year Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and additional service details where recorded.
To view the full roster, visit the 181st Ohio Infantry (One Year Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 45, 49
- 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)