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 Flag of the
61st Ohio Infantry |
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Flag of the
61st Ohio Infantry |
THE 61ST OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
The regiment was formed at Camp Chase, Ohio on April 23rd, 1862 and was comprised of recruits from Hamilton, Belmont, and Pickaway Counties of Ohio, along with some men from Indiana and northern Kentucky. Many of these men were Irish, Scot, and German immigrants. The regiment’s organization included 37 officers and 877 men in 10 companies. It’s first assignment was guarding prisoners, but Col. Newton Schliech petitioned hard for his command to be moved to the front. On June 22nd, 1862, the regiment moved to Strasburg, VA and was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division of the XI Corps, Fremont’s Army of Virginia. When Maj. Gen. John Pope took over the Army of the Potomac, Fremont’s army was disbanded and incorporated into Pope’s command. The 61st Ohio crossed over the Rappahannock River at Freeman’s Ford on Aug. 22nd and marched into its first engagement. Despite a hard fight, the regiment was forced back across the river, suffering 6 killed and 6 wounded. Col. Schleich’s absence during the fight brought accusations of drunkenness and cowardice. He was quickly replaced by Lt. Col. Stephen J. McGroarty. McGroarty, a native Irishman, would remain in command until the end of the war.
On Aug. 24th, the regiment tangled with Longstreet’s Confederates at Sulphur Springs, VA. They lay in an open field raked by artillery fire for hours, suffering one killed and two wounded. The next day, it assisted in the destruction of the Waterloo Bridge after a sharp fight. At the battle of Second Bull Run, the regiment was attached to the I Corps and was heavily engaged, first as skirmishers for the brigade, then as support for the Union artillery---losing 25 killed and wounded and 7 captured. On Sept. 2nd, the Ohioans fought in the rear-guard action at Chantilly. That day, Col. McGroarty reported only eight companies present for duty and 263 were listed as AWOL. Despite this, their divisional commander Brig. Gen. Carl Shurz commented that the 61st was “…a regiment which throughout the whole campaign had exhibited the most commendable spirit.” After following the army back to Centreville, VA, the regiment was moved to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Union XI Corps and assigned garrison duties outside Washington.
After wintering at Aquino Creek, the Eleventh Corps (now under Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard) moved to Kelly’s Ford and crossed the Rappahannock in preparation of the Chancellorsville Campaign. Posted as part of the Corps’ reserve, the 61st Ohio was spared the initial onslaught of “Stonewall” Jackson’s flank attack on May 2nd, 1863. It fought from behind a split-rail fence most of the next day, until Col. McGroarty was ordered to fall back and protect the guns of Battery I, 1st Ohio Artillery. After Hooker withdrew, the regiment marched to Stafford Court House in bad need of reorganization. Chancellorsville cost the 61st 33 killed and 27 wounded. On June 12th, the regiment was brigaded with the 82nd IL, 45th and 157th NY, and 74th PA under Col. George Von Amsberg and assigned to Brig.Gen. Alex Schimmelfennig’s 3rd Division. The Army of the Potomac soon after pursued Lee into Pennsylvania. When McGroarty’s men reached the field at Gettysburg, they deployed as skirmishers east of the town and were immediately engaged by Dole’s Georgians. Despite hard fighting, they were forced to retire in good order through the town to Cemetery Hill. It took part in the night action on July 2nd after moving over to support the XII Corps on the right and skirmished with Lee’s rear-guard at Hagerstown on July 5th.
The 61st Ohio took 55 casualties of the 309 present at the battle, including its surgeon and two company commanders killed. A few days later, the regiment was assigned guard duty along the Orange & Alexandria Railroad.
On Sept. 26th, 1863, the Eleventh Corps was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and arrived at Bridgeport, AL on Oct. 1st. It was ordered to join the army at Chattanooga several weeks later. On the way, it fought a fierce battle at Wauhatchie Valley, which succeeded in driving off the Confederates, but cost the 61st 3 killed and 12 wounded. After taking part in the battles around Missionary Ridge, McGroarty was ordered to march to the relief of Knoxville. Halfway there, these orders were countermanded and the regiment returned to Bridgeport for the winter. On Feb. 25th, 1864, the entire regiment was furloughed for 60 days because of its “veteran” status. After reassembly at Camp Dennison, Ohio on April 28th, the 61st returned to Chattanooga and rejoined the army. Now brigaded under Col. James S. Robinson’s 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XX Corps (MG Joseph Hooker), the regiment set out for the capture of Atlanta. Until the end of the war, the 61st was often deployed as skirmishers in front of the division and fought in several battles around Atlanta: May 14th-15th, Resaca (took 99 Confederate prisoners); May 19th, Cassville; May 25th, Dallas (6 killed, 24 wounded, 2 captured); June 15th, Lost Mountain (1 killed, 3 wounded); June 22nd, Kolb’s Farm (4 killed, 10 wounded).
On July 20th, the regiment crossed Peachtree Creek and engaged in its most desperate fight of the war. Advancing through a dense wood, Robinson’s brigade was hit hard by the Confederates of Maj. Gen. Edward Walthall’s Division. The 61st received a devastating point-blank volley and was nearly surrounded. Fighting hand-to-hand, the men were saved by the timely arrival of reinforcements. The price paid, however, was high---21 killed, 75 wounded, and 4 missing. Col. McGroarty was carried off the field with a shattered arm, Lt. Col. Bown fell mortally wounded, and command fell to the regiment’s senior captain, John Garrett. Hooker ordered the 14 officers and 194 men left in the ranks back to the Chattahoochee River to recuperate. After Atlanta fell, the XX Corps (including the 61st Ohio) garrisoned the city on Aug. 5th. It would remain there until Nov. 15th, when Sherman began to move on Savannah, which fell on Dec. 23rd. Col. McGroarty had returned to duty at this time. Placed in a provisional brigade, the 61st stayed in the city until Jan 17th, 1865, when it crossed over the Savannah River and rejoined the XX Corps at Robertsville, SC.
On the 15th of February, the regiment witnessed the destruction of Columbia from their camp along the Edisto River. Then it was on to Winnsboro, Rocky Mount, Chesterfield, Cheraw, and Fayetteville, NC, which Sherman reached on March 11th. The 61st Ohio would participate at the battle of Averasboro on March 17th and was rushed to the battlefield at Bentonville to fill a gap in the XIV Corps’ line three days later. The regiment suffered light casualties at both engagements. When Goldsborough was captured on March 24th, 1865, the unit again was placed on garrison duties. The small regiment was then consolidated with the 82nd Ohio Infantry pursuant with War Department orders on March 31st.
Though the 61st Ohio had officially ceased to exist, the men continued their duties. After Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee at Durham Station, the 82nd left Raleigh, NC for Washington. There, they took part in a review by President Andrew Johnson. The brave Ohioans were mustered out of Federal service at Louisville, KY on July 24, 1865.
For more information about the 61st, please visit:
REFERENCES:
The Official Records of the War of the Rebellion
From Freeman’s Ford to Bentonville: The History of the 61st Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, edited by Robert Carroon
The History of Ohio in the Civil War, Ohio Historical Society