59th Ohio Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 59th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 59th OVI) was an infantry
regiment
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
and mustered in for three years service on September 12, 1861 under the command of Colonel
James P. Fyffe. The regiment was recruited in Brown
and Clermont
counties.
The regiment was attached to 11th Brigade, Army of the Ohio
, to December 1861. 11th Brigade, 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, to March 1862. 11th Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Ohio, to September 1862. 11th Brigade, 5th Division, II Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing, XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland
, to January 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXI Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to September 1864. Unattached, 4th Division, XX Corps, Department of the Cumberland, to October 1864. Tullahoma, Tennessee, Defenses of Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, Department of the Cumberland, to October 1864.
The majority of 59th Ohio Infantry mustered out of service on October 31, 1864. Recruits and non-veterans were kept in the service as Companies I and K, 59th Ohio Infantry and mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee
on June 28 and July 16, 1865.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Service
The 59th Ohio Infantry was organized at Ripley, OhioRipley, Ohio
Ripley is a village in Brown County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River 50 miles southeast of Cincinnati. The population was 1,745 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and mustered in for three years service on September 12, 1861 under the command of Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
James P. Fyffe. The regiment was recruited in Brown
Brown County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 42,285 people, 15,555 households, and 11,790 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 17,193 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile...
and Clermont
Clermont County, Ohio
Clermont County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States, just east of Cincinnati. As of 2010, the population was 197,363. Its county seat is Batavia...
counties.
The regiment was attached to 11th Brigade, Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two 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:...
, to December 1861. 11th Brigade, 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, to March 1862. 11th Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Ohio, to September 1862. 11th Brigade, 5th Division, II Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing, XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland
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:...
, to January 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXI Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to September 1864. Unattached, 4th Division, XX Corps, Department of the Cumberland, to October 1864. Tullahoma, Tennessee, Defenses of Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, Department of the Cumberland, to October 1864.
The majority of 59th Ohio Infantry mustered out of service on October 31, 1864. Recruits and non-veterans were kept in the service as Companies I and K, 59th Ohio Infantry and mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
on June 28 and July 16, 1865.
Detailed service
Moved to Maysville, Ky., October 1. Nelson's Campaign in Kentucky October-November. Action at West Liberty October 21. Olympian Springs November 4. Ivy Mountain November 8. Piketon November 8–9. Moved to Louisa, thence to Louisville and to Columbia, Ky., December 11. Duty at Columbia, Ky., December 11, 1861 to February 15, 1862. March to Bowling Green, Ky., thence to Nashville, Tenn., February 15-March 8. March to Savannah, Tenn.; March 18-April 6. Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6–7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Occupation of Corinth May 30, and pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 12. March to Stevenson, Ala., via Iuka, Miss., Tuscumbia, Florence, Huntsville and Athens, Ala., June 12-July 24; thence to Battle Creek and duty there until August 20. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 20-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1–22. Battle of Perryville October 8 (reserve). Nelson's Cross Roads October 18, March to Nashville, Tenn., October 22-November 7, and duty there until December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26–30. Battle of Stones River December 30–31, 1862 and January 1–3, 1863. At Murfreesboro until June. Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Occupation of middle Tennessee until August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19–20. Siege of Chattanooga September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23–26. Orchard Knob November 23. Tunnel Hill November 24–25. Missionary Ridge November 25. Pursuit to Graysville November 26–27. March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 8. Operations in eastern Tennessee until April 1864. Action at Charleston December 28, 1863 (detachment). Atlanta Campaign May 1-September 8. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge and Dalton May 8–13. Battle of Resaca May 14–15. Adairsville May 17. Near Kingston May 18–19. Near Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22–25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Pickett's Mills May 27. Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 10–14 Lost Mountain June 15–17. Assault on Kennesaw June 27. Ruff's Station July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5–17. Peach Tree Creek July 19–20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25–30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy's Station September 2–6. Transferred to XXIII Corps and ordered to Tullahoma, Tenn., thence to Nashville, Tenn., October 24.Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 157 men during service; 2 officers and 45 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 109 enlisted men died of disease.Commanders
- Colonel James P. Fyffe
- Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
William HowardWilliam Howard (congressman)William Howard was a United States Army soldier, lawyer, and a U.S. Representative from Ohio.-Biography:Born in Jefferson County, Virginia, Howard attended the common schools and later studied law...
- commanded at the battle of Stones River - Lieutenant Colonel Granville A. Frambes - commanded at the battle of Chickamauga
See also
- List of Ohio Civil War units
- Ohio in the Civil WarOhio in the Civil WarDuring the American Civil War, the State of Ohio played a key role in providing troops, military officers, and supplies to the Union army. Due to its central location in the Northern United States and burgeoning population, Ohio was both politically and logistically important to the war effort...