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2nd Ohio Cavalry
Online Books
2nd Ohio Cavalry Soldier Roster - Official Roster of the Soldiers of the
State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, Volume 11, by Ohio
Roster Commission (Joseph B. Foraker, Governor, James S. Robinson, Sec'y of
State and H. A. Axline, Adjutant-General), 1886
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| Regimental History |
| Second Cavalry. — Cols., Charles Doubleday, August V.
Kautz. Bayard Nettleton, Dudley Seward; Lieut. -Cols., Robert W.
Ratliff, George A. Purington, David E. Welch; Majs., Henry F. Willson,
George G. Miner, Henry L. Burnett, Albert Barnitz, Hyman N. Easton, Rynd
E. Lawder. The 2nd cavalry was recruited and organized under the
supervision of Hon. B. F. Wade and Hon. John Hutchins, in the summer and
fall of 1861, to serve for three years, and rendezvoused at Camp Wade.
Early in Jan., 1862, under orders from the war department, the regiment
proceeded by rail via Cincinnati, St. Louis and St. Joseph to Platte
City, Mo. In February a scouting party of 120 men of the regiment was
attacked in the streets of Independence by an equal force under the
command of the subsequently noted Quantrill, but as the results of the
regiment's "first fight," Quantrill was routed in 15 minutes, losing 5
killed, 4 wounded and 5 captured, the Ohioans losing 1 killed and 3
wounded. In Aug., 1862, there was a detail of 2 officers and 13 men from
each company for the purpose of forming a light battery of artillery.
And in Jan., 1863, there was an order issued by the war department,
making the detail a permanent Ohio battery, to be known as the 25th
battery Ohio light artillery. Early in September the mounted portion of
the regiment, with the battery above-mentioned, moved with the army of
Gen. Blunt into Missouri and Arkansas, sharing in the active campaign,
which ended in the victory of Prairie Grove. In this autumn campaign the
regiment fought at Carthage and Newtonia, Mo., camped at Pea Ridge, and
fought at Cow hill, Wolf creek, White river and Prairie Grove. In Sept.,
1863, the regiment participated in the defeat of the Confederates at
Blountsville and Bristol, Tenn. During the siege of Knoxville it
operated on the enemy's flank and after the siege was raised joined in
the pursuit. In December it fought Longstreet's cavalry at Morristown;
two days later it formed the advance of a brigade which attacked and
fought eighteen regiments for 2 hours at Russellville, losing 40 men
killed and wounded; it was at the front 5 hours in the battle of Bean's
station, and for five days was almost constantly under fire. The time
was spent in maneuvering and fighting until Jan. 1, 1864, when out of
470 men 420 reenlisted and were furloughed. At Brandy Station, Va., it
engaged Rosser's cavalry with slight loss, and from this time on in the
Wilderness campaign it was employed almost constantly in covering the
right flank of the infantry, either on picket duty or skirmishing. The
regiment occupied the center and sustained the heaviest of the shock at
Hanover Court House, driving the enemy from the front, taking possession
of and holding the town. In Ashland it was surrounded by the enemy under
Fitzhugh Lee and an action ensued which lasted until sunset, when the
Union forces withdrew, the regiment covering the retreat. It had an
active share in the fighting at Nottaway Court House, Stony creek and
Reams' station, losing 105 killed, wounded and missing, and returned to
the lines at Light House point on July 1. It was engaged in August at
Winchester and Charlestown, then marched to the vicinity of Berryville
and assisted in driving the enemy from that town. At the battle of the
Opequan, after 4 hours' hard fighting, the regiment was the last to
leave the pursuit on the Valley pike. With its division, it moved out
the Front Royal pike, drove Wickham's cavalry through Front Royal and
marched and skirmished in Luray valley until it joined the army at New
Market. At Waynesboro the regiment fought, dismounted, till all had
withdrawn and then charged through a line of Confederate infantry in
column of fours and continued as rear-guard until noon the next day.
Rosser's cavalry attacked the command at Bridgewater, but was repulsed,
the regiment sharing in the action. It shared in the battle of Cedar
creek, being in the saddle from daybreak until 9 o'clock p. m. The
regiment marched with the cavalry to reconnoiter Early's force at New
Market, where it became hotly engaged, and it repulsed that portion of
the enemy which attacked the 1st brigade at Lacey's springs. It was
mustered out on Sept. 11, 1865, at St. Louis, Mo.
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Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
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