United States Regiments & Batteries > Ohio


The 12th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 3 officers and 93 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 77 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Antietam.

1861
June 28 Organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio under Colonel John W. Lowe and Lieutenant Colonel Carr Bailey White
July 6 Left State for the Kanawha Valley, Va. Attached to Cox’s Kanawha Brigade, W. Va.
July 17 Action at Scary Creek, Va.
September 10
Battle of Carnifex Ferry

Colonel Lowe was killed, and Lt. Colonel White promoted to colonel.

September Operations in the Kanawha Valley, Va., and New River Region attached to Bonham’s Brigade, Dist. of the Kanawha, W. Va.
September 12 Gauley River
September 14 Wilderness Ferry
September 16 Hough’s Ferry
September 24 Advance to Sewell Mountain
September 25 Sewell Mountain
October 10 At Hawk’s Nest attached to 1st Brigade, District of the Kanawha
November 1-18 Movement on Cotton Mountain and pursuit of Floyd
November 12 Laurel Creek (Co. H)
November Duty at Charleston
1862
March Attached to 1st Brigade, Kanawha Division West Virginia, Dept. of the Mountains
April 22-May 1 Advance on Princeton
May 4 Narrows of New River
May 20 – August 14 Operations on Flat Top Mountain
July 24-26 Scout in Wayne County (Detachment)
August 14-24 Moved to Washington
August 24-September 2 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 27 Action at Bull Run Bridge
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign.

Attached to 1st Brigade, Kanawha Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

September 14
Battle of South Mountain

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Carr B. White and Lt. Colonel J. D. Hines. It brought about 500 men to the field and lost 35 killed, 100 wounded and 30 missing. Major E. L. Carey was badly wounded, Captain W. W. Liggett of Company H was mortally wounded, and Captain R. Wilson was wounded and captured, but escaped.

The 12th Ohio captured about 200 North Carolinians. Private Leonidas H. Inscho earned the Medal of Honor by capturing a Confederate captain and four men, alone and with a wounded left hand.

September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

From the monument on the Otto Farm at Antietam: 

This Regiment advanced to this place on the afternoon of September 17, 1862. It moved from extreme left of Union line of battle exposed to a severe flank fire and held their position the remainder of the day. Its loss was 17 men killed and 25 men wounded, total 33.

From the War Department marker for Ewing’s Brigade on the Antietam bayylefield:

On the evening of September 16th, Ewing’s Brigade formed line under cover of the ridge east of the Antietam, and southeast of the Burnside Bridge. On the morning of the 17th it followed the left bank of the Antietam to Snavely’s Ford where it crossed and moving up the right bank of the stream until nearly abreast the bridge, advanced in support of Rodman’s Division over the hills and ravines to this point where it met and temporarily checked the advance of A.P. Hill’s Division. Its left having been turned by the enemy, it fell back to the cover of the rolling ground east of this tablet.

From Colonel Carr’s Official Report on the 12th Ohio at Antietam:

Late in the evening of the 16th of September the regiment was placed in line of battle on the Miller farm, to support Lieutenant Benjamin’s battery. At 2 a. m. of the 17th I moved the regiment to the left and front of the bridge over Antietam, and in line with the Twenty-third and Thirtieth, and in supporting distance of McMullin’s battery. We occupied this position from one to two hours, when we moved with the brigade, under command of Colonel Ewing, to a ford about 1 mile down the stream. While fording the stream the enemy opened on the column with artillery, fortunately inflicting but little injury. After crossing the stream, we moved up along its bank to the left and front of the bridge over Antietam, to within supporting distance of General Rodman’s division. While lying in this position the enemy shelled us severely for about two hours.

By order of Colonel Ewing, we were then moved forward and put in line of battle with the brigade, to charge the enemy’s lines posted on and beyond the hill. Before the line moved forward to the charge, it was discovered that the enemy was moving two columns around our left flank. My regiment was then ordered to form a line at right angles with the main line, to advance and engage a flanking column of the enemy, which was promptly done under a shower of shell and canister that threatened the destruction of the regiment. With a view to a better position, the regiment was withdrawn to a fence 50 yards in the rear, and put in position. Finding this position equally exposed with the former, both to musketry and artillery, the regiment was ordered back to the position just abandoned, which was held in the face of a heavy fire until ordered back by Lieutenant Kennedy, acting assistant adjutant-general of the Kanawha Division, to the brow of the hill in front of the bridge, where it remained by your order during the night.

Our loss on this day was 6 killed and 24 wounded out of about 200 engaged, and occurred mainly from the enemy’s artillery while engaged in holding in check the force endeavoring to turn our left.

On the 18th we were advanced to a hill in front, and threw forward a heavy line of pickets, which kept up a fire all day on the enemy’s skirmishers. Our loss on this day was 1 man killed and 2 men wounded.

Among so many officers who did their whole duty it might seem invidious to particularize, but I cannot refrain making honorable mention of Lieutenant Colonel J. D. Hines, to whose aid I am so much indebted for the conduct of the regiment; also of William B. Nesbitt, my adjutant, and Sergt. Major James H. Palmer. And though it may swell this report beyond a reasonable limit, I must bear testimony to the good conduct of Capts. Joseph L. Hilt, W. B. Smith, and John Lewis; of Lieuts. John Wise, J. W. Ross, T. J. Atkinson, W. A. Ludlum, H. F. Hawkes, J. A. Yordy, W. H. Glotfelter, and H. G. Tibbals; also of Sergts. W. B. Redmon, Maurice Watkins, Jonathan McMillen, and M. B. Mahoney, with others whose names cannot at present be mentioned for want of space, whom I recommend as deserving promotion. Captains Wilson, Williams, and Pauley were absent. The first named was wounded at South Mountain. The last two were sick and in hospital.

October 8 March to Clear Springs
October 14-November 17 To Hancock and to the Kanawha Valley, Va. attached to 1st Brigade, Kanawha Division, District of West Virginia, Dept. of the Ohio
December 4 Moved to Fayette Court House
1863
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 8th Army Corps, Middle Department
May 9 Action at Blake’s Farm
May 17-20 Repulse of McCausland’s attack on Fayetteville
May 19 Fayette Court House
June Attached to 2nd Brigade, Scammon’s Division, Dept. of West Virginia
July 17-26 Pursuit of Morgan’s forces and patrol on the Ohio River
November 3-13 Expedition from Charlestown to Lewisburg
December 4 Action at Meadow Bluff
December 8-25 Scammon’s demonstration from the Kanawha Valley attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of West Virginia
December 11 Action at Big Sewell Mountain and Meadow Bluff
December 12 Lewisburg and Greenbrier River
December 14 Near Meadow Bluff
1864
April Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry, Division West Virginia
May 2-19 Crook’s Raid on Virginia & Tennessee Railroad
May 6 Princeton (Cos. B and D)
May 9
Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain
May 10 New River Bridge
May 26-July 1 Hunter’s Raid to Lynchburg
June 17 Diamond Hill
June 17-18 Lynchburg
June 19-July 1 Retreat to Charleston
July 2 Ordered to Columbus, Ohio. Veterans and Recruits transferred to 23rd Ohio Infantry.
July 11 Mustered out, expiration of term