The 51st Ohio Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

of the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Service

The 51st Ohio Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Meigs in

Dover, Ohio Dover is a city in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States, along the Tuscarawas River. The population was 13,112 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Micropolitan statistical area, New Philadelphia–Dover ...

, on September 17, 1861, mustered for three years of service on October 26, 1861, under the command of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Thomas Stanley Matthews. The regiment was recruited primarily in Coshocton, and Tuscarawas counties with a few coming from the neighboring counties of Stark,

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and Knox. The regiment was attached to the 15th Brigade,

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union Army, Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed ...

until December 1861 and to the 15th Brigade, 4th Division,

until March 1862. It was unattached in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, until June 1862, when it went to the 10th Brigade, 4th Division,

, until July 1862. It was with the 23rd Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio until August 1862, the 23rd Brigade, 5th Division,

until September 1862 and the 23rd Brigade, 5th Division, II Corps, Army of the Ohio to November 1862. Afterward, it was attached to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing, XIV Corps,

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creatio ...

until January 1863, to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXI Corps, Army of the Cumberland until October 1863, the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division,

IV Corps 4 Corps, 4th Corps, Fourth Corps, or IV Corps may refer to: France * 4th Army Corps (France) * IV Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * IV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperi ...

until June 1865, the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, IV Corps until August 1865 and the

Department of Texas The Department of Texas was a military department of the United States Army that existed from 1850 to 1861, and again from 1865 to 1866, from 1870 to 1913 and during the First World War. It was subordinate to the Military Division of the Missouri ...

until October 1865. The 51st Ohio Infantry mustered out of service at

Victoria, Texas Victoria is a city and the county seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria, Texas metropolitan area, Victoria Metropolitan Statis ...

, on October 3, 1865. The regiment was discharged in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, on November 3, 1865.

Detailed service

Adapted fro
Ohio in the Civil War: 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Larry Stevens

1862

* Moved to Wellsville November 3, thence to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, and had duty there until December 10. * Duty at Camp

Wickliffe, Kentucky Wickliffe is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 670 at the 2020 census. Wickliffe is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The city of Wic ...

., until February 1862. * Expedition down the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

to reinforce General Grant, thence to

, February 14–25. * Occupation of Nashville February 25. Provost duty there until July 9. * Moved to

Tullahoma, Tennessee Tullahoma is a city in Coffee and Franklin counties in southern Middle Tennessee, United States. The population was 20,339 at the 2020 census. In 2019, the population was estimated to be 19,555. It is the principal city of the Tullahoma microp ...

, and joined Nelson's Division. * March to

, in pursuit of

Bragg Bragg may refer to: Places *Bragg City, Missouri, United States * Bragg, Texas, a ghost town, United States * Bragg, West Virginia, an unincorporated community, United States *Electoral district of Bragg, a state electoral district in South Austral ...

August 21-September 26. * Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1–22. *

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the Ame ...

, Kentucky, October 8. * March to

, October 22-November 7, and duty there until December 26. * Dobbins' Ferry, near Lawrence, December 9. * Advance on Murfreesboro December 26–30. *

Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Ci ...

December 30–31, 1862 and January 1–3, 1863.

1863

* Duty at

Murfreesboro Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010 United States census, 2010. Murfreesboro i ...

until June. Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. * At McMinnville until August 16. * Passage of Cumberland Mountain and Tennessee River and Chickamauga Campaign August 16-September 22. *

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...

September 19–20. *

Siege of Chattanooga The Chattanooga campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga i ...

, Tennessee, September 24-November 23. * Reopening Tennessee River October 26–29. * Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23–27. * Lookout Mountain November 23–24. * Missionary Ridge November 25. * Ringgold Gap, Taylor's Ridge November 27. * Duty at Whiteside until January 1864.

1864

* Reenlisted January 1, 1864. * At Blue Springs, near Cleveland, until May. * Atlanta Campaign May to September. * Tunnel Hill May 6–7. * Demonstration on Rocky Face Ridge and Dalton May 8–13. * Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8–9. *

Battle of Resaca The Battle of Resaca, from May 13 to 15, 1864, formed part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War, when a Union force under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The battle ...

May 14–15. * Near Kingston May 18–19. * Near Cassville May 19. * Advance on

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

May 22–25. * Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. * Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. * Pine Hill June 11–14. * Lost Mountain June 15–17. * Assault on Kennesaw June 27. * Ruff's Station, Smyrna Campground, July 4. * Chattahoochee River July 5–17. * Peachtree Creek July 19–20. * Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. * Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25–30. *

Battle of Jonesborough The Battle of Jonesborough (August 31–September 1, 1864) was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the Am ...

August 31-September 1. * Lovejoy's Station September 2–6. * Operations against

John Bell Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the decision to replace ...

in northern Georgia and northern Alabama September 29-November 3. * Moved to Pulaski, Tenn. * Nashville Campaign November–December. * Columbia, Duck River, November 24–27. *

Battle of Franklin The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. Confederate L ...

November 30. *

Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 18 ...

December 15–16. * Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17–28. * Moved to

Huntsville Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...

, Alabama, and duty there until March 1865.

1865

* Operations in eastern Tennessee March 15-April 22. * Duty at Nashville, Tennessee, until June. * Ordered to

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, La., June 16, thence to Texas. * Duty at Indianola, Green Lake and Victoria, Texas, to October."

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 346 men during service; 4 officers and 108 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 233 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel William P. N. Fitzgerald - appointed and resigned October 14, 1861 * Colonel Thomas

Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English Association football, footballer who played as an Forward (association football)#Outside forward, outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the Br ...

- commissioned October 23, 1861, and resigned April 11, 1863 * Colonel Richard W. McClain - commanded at the battles of Perryville and Stones River as lieutenant colonel; promoted to colonel, April 14, 1863, and resigned September 30, 1864 * Colonel Charles H. Wood - commanded at the battle of Nashville as lieutenant colonel, promoted to colonel January 20, 1865 mustered out with unit October 3, 1865 * Lieutenant Colonel David W. Marshall - appointed regimental commander as lieutenant colonel

Notable members

* Sergeant Frank Carey, Company A - Served as a member of the Honor Guard for President Lincoln's Funeral Train. * Corporal Edward Blainey Crawford, Company H - Member of the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craftin ...

and

Kansas State Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of about 73,000 inhabitants. Members of ...

. * Captain Carter Bassett Harrison - Company C - Grandson of President

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

and brother of President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

. * Private John Emmitt Hessin - Company B - Member of the

. * Sergeant Luther Hixson - Company G - Builder in

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...

where several of his buildings are now on the National Register of Historic Places. * Captain John Miller Hodge - Company K - Member of the

. * Major Henry Kaldenbaugh - U.S. Secretary Consul to the Netherlands 1865-1866. * Colonel

Stanley Matthews (judge) Thomas Stanley Matthews (July 21, 1824 – March 22, 1889), known as Stanley Matthews in adulthood, was an American attorney, soldier, judge and Republican senator from Ohio who became an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, s ...

- Member of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of t ...

, U.S. District Attorney, member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

from Ohio and Associate Justice of the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

. * Lieutenant Edgar J. Pocock - Served as Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard 1892-1893. * Private Winfield Scott Weeden - Company G - Wrote the music to the popular hymn

I Surrender All "I Surrender All" is a Christian hymn, with words written by American art teacher and musician (1855–1939), who subsequently became a music minister and evangelist. It was put to music by Winfield S. Weeden (1847–1908), and published in 1896. ...

Notes and references

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Helwig, Simon. ''The Capture and Prison Life in Rebeldom for Fourteen Months of Simon Helwig, late Private Co. F. 51st O.V.I.'' (Canal Dover, OH: Bixler Printing Company), n.d. * Ohio Roster Commission. ''Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War on the Rebellion, 1861–1865, Compiled Under the Direction of the Roster Commission'' (Akron, OH: Werner Co.), 1886–1895. * Reid, Whitelaw. ''Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals, and Soldiers'' (Cincinnati, OH: Moore, Wilstach, & Baldwin), 1868. * Schaar, Nancy Boothe. ''Letters from the 51st OVI'' (New Philadelphia, OH: Tuscarawas County Genealogical Society), 2001. ;Attribution *

References

External links

Ohio in the Civil War: 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Larry Stevens

National flag of the 51st Ohio Infantry

National flag of the 51st Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry

51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company B living history organization
{{Authority control Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union army from Ohio 1861 establishments in Ohio