46th Ohio Infantry

The 46th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 46th Regt. OVI) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The 46th was armed rather differently from most infantry regiments in the Civil War. In March 1864 many of the regiment's men re-enlisted as the 46th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry (or 46th Regt. OVVI) and received a 30-day furlough. Upon return to its encampment at Scottsboro, Alabama in April 1864, the regiment exchanged its muzzleloading rifle-muskets for the Spencer repeating rifle. The colonel of the 46th Ohio, Charles C. Walcutt, wrote a manual of arms for the Spencer, and the 46th OVVI first employed its Spencers in force at the Battle of Resaca.

Service

The 46th Ohio Infantry was organized in Worthington, Ohio October 16, 1861 through January 28, 1862 and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Thomas Worthington.

The regiment was attached to District of Paducah, Kentucky, to March 1862. 1st Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Tennessee, to May 1862. 2nd Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Tennessee, to July 1862. 2nd Brigade, 5th Division, District of Memphis, Tennessee, to November 1862. 2nd Brigade, 5th Division, Right Wing, XIII Corps, Department of the Tennessee, November 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, District of Memphis, Tennessee, XIII Corps, to December 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVII Corps, to January 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps, to March 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps, to July 1863. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, XVI Corps, to September 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XV Corps, to July 1865.

The 46th Ohio Infantry mustered out of service at Louisville, Kentucky on July 22, 1865.

Detailed service

At Camp Chase, Ohio, until February 18, 1862. Ordered to Paducah, Ky., February 18. Moved to Savannah, Tenn., March 6–10, 1862. Expedition to Yellow Creek, Miss., and occupation of Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., March 14–17. Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6–7. Duty at Pittsburg Landing until April 27. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. March to Memphis, Tenn., via LaGrange, Grand Junction, and Holly Springs June 1-July 2. Guard duty along Memphis & Charleston Railroad and provost duty at Memphis, Tenn., until November. Affair at Randolph September 25. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign. Operations on the Mississippi Central Railroad November 1862 to January 10, 1863. Guard duty along Memphis & Charleston Railroad, and scout duty in northern Mississippi until June 8. Ordered to Vicksburg, Miss., June 8. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., June 11-July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4–10. Bolton's Ferry July 4–6. Siege of Jackson July 10–17. Camp at Big Black until September 25. Moved to Memphis, then marched to Chattanooga, Tenn., September 25-November 20. Operations on Memphis & Charleston Railroad in Alabama October 20–29. Paint Rock, Ala., November 20. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23–27. Tunnel Hill November 23–24. Missionary Ridge November 25. Pursuit to Graysville November 26–27. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 8. Duty at Scottsboro, Ala., December 31, 1863 to May 1, 1864. Atlanta Campaign May 1-September 8. Demonstrations on Resaca May 8–13. Near Resaca May 13. Battle of Resaca May 14–15. Advance on Dallas May 18–25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church, and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Assault on Kennesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2–5. Chattahoochie River July 6–17. Battle of Atlanta July 22. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Ezra Chapel, Hood's 2nd Sortie, July 28. Flank movement on Jonesborough August 25–30. Battle of Jonesborough August 31-September 1. Lovejoy's Station September 2–6. Operations against Hood in northern Georgia and northern Alabama September 29-November 3. Rome October 17. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Griswoldsville November 22. Siege of Savannah December 10–21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April 1865. Reconnaissance to Salkehatchie River, S.C., January 25. Salkehatchie Swamp February 2–5. South Edisto River February 9. North Edisto River February 11–12. Congaree and Savannah Creeks February 15. Columbia February 16–17. Battle of Bentonville, N.C., March 20–21. Mill Creek March 22. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10–14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 20. Grand Review of the Armies May 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June, and duty there until July.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 290 men during service; 10 officers and 124 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 7 officers and 149 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

• Colonel Thomas Worthington
• Colonel Charles Carroll Walcutt

Notable members

• Corporal Harry Clay Davis, Company G - Medal of Honor recipient for action during the siege of Atlanta, July 28, 1864; he captured the flag of the 30th Louisiana Infantry
• Major Henry H. Giesy - Brevet Brigadier General
• Private James K. Sturgeon, Company F - Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

See also

• List of Ohio Civil War units
• Ohio in the Civil War

References

• Brewer, James D. Tom Worthington's Civil War: Shiloh, Sherman, and the Search for Vindication (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.), 2001. ISBN 0-7864-0922-3
• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908.
• Ohio Roster Commission. Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War on the Rebellion, 1861–1865, Compiled Under the Direction of the Roster Commission (Akron, OH: Werner Co.), 1886-1895.
• Reid, Whitelaw. Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals, and Soldiers (Cincinnati, OH: Moore, Wilstach, & Baldwin), 1868. ISBN 978-1-154-80196-5
• Worthington, Thomas. Ballads of the Rebellion: With a Sketch of His Service in the Civil War, and Evidence of Treachery by Union Commanders at Shiloh (S.l.: s.n.), 1879.
• Worthington, Thomas. Brief History of the 46th Ohio Volunteers (S.l.: s.n.), 1878.
• Worthington, Thomas. Report of the Flank March to Join on McClernand's Right, at 9 a.m.: And Operations of the 46th Reg't Ohio Vols., 1st Brigade, 5th Division, on the Extreme Union Right, at Shiloh, April 6, 1862 (Washington, DC: s.n.), 1880.

Attribution

• This article contains text from a text now in the public domain: Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.

External links

• Ohio in the Civil War: 46th Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Larry Stevens
• National flag of the 46th Ohio Infantry (probably first issue)
• National flag of the 46th Ohio Infantry (probably second issue)
• National flag of the 46th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry
• Regimental flag of the 46th Ohio Infantry (probably first issue)
• Regimental flag of the 46th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry

Ohio in the American Civil War
1861	Early military recruiting Camp Chase Camp Dennison Camp Harrison Camp Thomas Department of the Ohio McClellan's Buckeyes seize western Virginia Fighting McCooks Johnson's Island POW camp
1862	Anti-war movement Knights of the Golden Circle First Confederate incursion into Ohio Defense of Cincinnati Black Brigade of Cincinnati
1863	"Fort Fizzle" Morgan's Raid Battle of Buffington Island Battle of Salineville
1864-65	Hundred Days Men Ohio's generals and admirals Ohio's regiments Cincinnati in the War Cleveland in the War Buckeye POWs and the Sultana
Post-war	Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument