With the American Civil War's outbreak, neither the North nor the South had sufficient military forces to conduct a war. Both the United States of America and the Confederate States of America, at first, relied upon volunteers either to form or to bolster their respective militaries.
With the American Civil War's outbreak, neither the North nor the South had sufficient military forces to conduct a war. Both the United States of America and the Confederate States of America, at first, relied upon volunteers either to form or to bolster their respective militaries. Typically, individual states would recruit and send volunteers to their respective federal governments. Initially, many states relied on militia forces. Historically, every British colony in North America had established a militia. The militia usually consisted of adult, able-bodied men, who would rally to defend the colonies and, following the American Revolution, states during military crises. By the start of the American Civil War, unfortunately for both the Confederate States of America and the United States of America, most state militias were in a decline and unprepared for a major war.
In Ohio, Governor William Dennison hoped to supply the United States government with men and supplies from the Ohio militia. Ohio's militia system was virtually nonexistent by 1861. While militia forces played a vital role in Ohio's history from the American Revolution to the War of 1812, most major military threats to Ohio's security ended with the War of 1812. Following this conflict, the federal government quickly removed most Native Americans further west, and in the decades immediately following the war, no European or other major power attacked the United States. Facing no serious internal or external threats, most states, including Ohio, allowed their militia organizations to weaken. Most militia groups became mere social organizations and did not actively practice or study military maneuvers or tactics.
Dennison quickly discovered that Ohio's militia system could not play an active role in the American Civil War. Following the Battle of Fort Sumter and President Abraham Lincoln’s call for seventy-five thousand volunteers to return the seceded states to the Union in April 1861, Ohio's governor sent Jacob Cox, a state politician, and George McClellan, a former United States Army officer and current businessman, to Ohio's arsenal to assess the availability of weapons and supplies. Cox and McClellan found three or four crates of smoothbore muskets, a number of inoperable six-pound cannons, and some mildewed horse harnesses. Upon learning of the dire condition of the state's military supplies, Dennison still encouraged Ohioans to reestablish militia units to defend the state from Southern attack and to assist the federal government in reuniting the nation.
Ohioans quickly responded to the governor's and the federal government's call for troops. Some of these militia units that rallied to reunite the nation formed the basis of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Among the militia organizations forming this regiment were the Rover Guards, the Zouave Guards, the Lafayette Guards, the Columbus Videttes, the Columbus Fencibles, the Springfield Zouaves, and the Covington Blues. Officials organized the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry on April 18, 1861, in Columbus, Ohio.
On April 19, 1861, Governor Dennison dispatched the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry to Washington, D.C. While traveling to the nation's capital, on April 29, 1861, the regiment was formerly mustered into the United States military while traveling through Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment participated in the Battle of First Bull Run on July 21, 1861. At Bull Run, this regiment suffered two men killed, four wounded, eight captured, and one man missing. Having only enlisted for three months of duty, on July 31, the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment mustered out of service, but many of its former members quickly enlisted in other regiments.
2nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry (Three Months Service):
Roster of Officers:
|
Name |
Rank |
Age |
Date of Entering Service |
Term of Service |
|
Lewis Wilson |
Colonel |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
|
Rodney Mason |
Lieutenant Colonel |
37 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Augustus C. Parry |
Major |
35 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Clark McDermot |
Surgeon |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
|
James D. Webb |
Assistant Surgeon |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
|
Horace K. Thatcher |
Adjutant |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
|
Dilmer D. Mitchell |
Adjutant |
20 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Maxwell P. Gladdis |
Chaplain |
29 |
June 6, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Charles N. Berg |
Sergeant Major |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
|
Charles W. Douty |
Sergeant Major |
26 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
John M. Hubbell |
Quartermaster Sergeant |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
|
William Scott |
Hospital Steward |
May 1, 1861 |
Three months |
|
|
John R. Doggott |
Principal Musician |
36 |
May 20, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Jerome F. Dandelet |
Fife Major |
19 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
George M. Finch |
Captain |
25 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Henry Thrall |
Captain |
22 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Ackber O. Mitchell |
Captain |
28 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
James G. Baldwin |
Captain |
26 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Charles Haltenhof |
Captain |
35 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Edwin C. Mason |
Captain |
21 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
John Q. Black |
Captain |
35 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Anson G. McCook |
Captain |
25 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Leonard A. Harris |
Captain |
37 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
William Baldwin |
Captain |
27 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Thomas F. Brand |
First Lieutenant |
26 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Alexander S. Berryhill |
First Lieutenant |
40 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
William A. Smith |
First Lieutenant |
38 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Thomas A. Gamble |
First Lieutenant |
28 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Jacob E. Taylor |
First Lieutenant |
38 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Howard D. John |
First Lieutenant |
31 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Joseph E. Riggs |
First Lieutenant |
23 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Benjamin Ruh |
First Lieutenant |
38 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
James K. Jones |
First Lieutenant |
25 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Alfred G. Tuther |
First Lieutenant |
21 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Edwin D. Saunders |
First Lieutenant |
25 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Frederick S. Wallace |
Second Lieutenant |
23 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Thomas C. Platt |
Second Lieutenant |
20 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Dellmer D. Mitchell |
Second Lieutenant |
20 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Garrett V.S. Aiken |
Second Lieutenant |
18 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Jacob Waldemann |
Second Lieutenant |
26 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Harlan P. Christie |
Second Lieutenant |
22 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Milton McCoy |
Second Lieutenant |
21 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Arthur Carnahan |
Second Lieutenant |
23 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
John Herrel |
Second Lieutenant |
32 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
|
Henry Ashton |
Second Lieutenant |
25 |
April 17, 1861 |
Three months |
;
