61st Ohio Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Ohio

The 61st Regiment lost 7 officers and 68 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 90 enlisted men to disease, a total of 165. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1862
April 23 Organized at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio under Colonel Newton Schleich
May 27 Ordered to West Virginia
June 23 Joined Fremont’s army at Strasburg, Va. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Army of Virginia
July – August March to Sperryville and duty there
August 16-September 2 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 22
Freeman’s Ford

After the battle Colonel Schleich was removed from command and threatened with court martial for desertion in the face of the enemy. Thirteen other officers and the regimental sergeant-major were also removed. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen J. McGroarty took over as colonel.
August 23-24 Sulphur Springs
August 29 Battle of Groveton
August 30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C. attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
October Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 11th Army Corps
November Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps
December 10-15 March to Fredericksburg, Va.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February-April Duty at Stafford Court House
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5 Battle of Chancellorsville
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Colonel Stephen J. McGroarty.

From the monument:

Gettysburg July 1,2, 3 1863. Present for duty 309. Killed 6, wounded 36, missing 12, total loss 54.

The 61st Ohio Infantry, on arriving from Emmitsburg about one o’clock p.m. July 1, 1863, was deployed as a skirmish line in advance of its brigade, and moved towards Oak Hill. Later it supported a section of Dilger’s Battery, and engaged the enemy on this ground. After an obstinate contest it withdrew with the 11th Corps to Cemetery Hill. On the evening of July 2nd it moved to the assistance of the 12th Corps on Culp’s Hill, and returning lay on Cemetery Hill during the remainder of the battle
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
July 26 to September 26 Duty along Orange & Alexandria Railroad
September 26-October 3 Movement to Bridgeport, Ala. attached to the Army of the Cumberland
October 26-29 Reopening Tennessee River
October 28-29 Battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn.
November 23-27 Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign
November 23 Orchard Knob
November 24-25 Mission Lodge
November 28-December 8 March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn.
1864
January Moved to Bridgeport, Ala., and duty there
March – April Veterans on furlough
April Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland
May 1-September 8 Atlanta Campaign
May 8-11 Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge
May 14-15 Battle of Resaca
May 19 Cassville
May 25 New Hope Church
May 25-June 5 Battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills
June 8 Lost Mountain
June 10-July 2 Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain
June 11-14 Pine Hill
June 15-17 Lost Mountain
June 15 Gilgal, or Golgotha Church
June 17 Muddy Creek
June 19 Noyes’ Creek
June 22 Kolb’s Farm
June 27 Assault on Kenesaw
July 4 Ruff’s Station
June 5-17 Chattahoochie River
July 19-20 Peach Tree Creek
July 22-August 25 Siege of Atlanta
May 26-September 2 Operations at Chattahoochie River Bridge
September 2-November 15 Occupation of Atlanta
October 26-29 Expedition from Atlanta to Tuckum’s Cross Roads
November 15-December 10 March to the sea
December 9 Montieth Swamp
December 10-21 Siege of Savannah
1865
January – March Campaign of the Carolinas
March 16 Taylor’s Hole Creek, Averysboro, N. C.
March 19-21 Battle of Bentonville
March 24 Occupation of Goldsboro
March 31 Consolidated with 82nd Ohio Infantry