History Of Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Infantry

The Twelfth Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Jackson, Ohio, on the 3rd of May, 1861. On May 6th, it moved to Camp Dennison and there it went under the reenlistment process and were mustered in for a three year period on June 28, 1861.

The Regiment fought the Battle of Scary Creek, Western Virginia on July 17, 1861. It was up against an enemy that has already settled in for a fight beyond a ravine. The Twelfth fought for three hours and completely running out of ammunition, fell back to its camp at the mouth of the Pocotaligo. A loss of five killed, thirty wounded and four were missing. One of the ones killed was Jabez Turner, the first mortality in Warren County in the War of the Rebellion.

After many battles and skirmishes in the Western Virginia area, the Twelfth was engaged in a furious battle at Bull Run Bridge on August 27, 1862. Fighting against great odds, the Twelfth was forced to fall back to Fairfax Station. The six hour battle cost the Twelfth a loss of nine killed and sixty- eight wounded, (six mortally) and twelve missing. (The actual battle of Second Bull Run took place on Aug. 29th and 30th, 1862)
Taken from Reid's Ohio in the War:

"On the 3rd of May, 1864, the regiment left Fayette C.H., and marched to Cloyd's Mountain and there engaged the enemy on the 9th. The fight lasted over an hour, and the regiment lost eleven killed and sixty-eight wounded, in addition to these Surgeon Graham and nineteen men, left on the field in charge of the wounded, fell into enemy's hands. The Twelfth pursued the fleeing Rebels to New River Bridge, where a heavy artillery fight ensued, in which the enemy was driven back. The regiment crossed New River at Pepper's Ferry, destroyed a number of bridges and a large amount of property belonging to the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. The Twelfth marched northward, and on the 19th reached Blue Sulphur Springs where it remained until the 31st, when it moved on to Staunton. Arriving at Staunton June 8th, it joined the forces under Hunter, marched southward, flanked Lexington, and on the 12th assisted in destroying large quantities of ammunition and in burning the Virginia Military Institute. On the 16th it destroyed the railroad between Liberty and Lynchburg and burned several large bridges. The next day it moved on Lynchburg, and met the enemy in force at Quaker Church, three miles from the city. The Twelfth and Ninety-First Ohio Regiments charged the enemy in fine style and drove them back in disorder. The regiment captured a number of prisoners, and lost eight killed and eleven wounded. The next day the regiment was engaged before the enemy's works but withdrew after dark, and on the 19th marched to Liberty. It moved along the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad to Salem, and from there proceeded northward, via Catawba Valley, New Castle, Sweet Springs, White Sulphur, Lewisburg and Gauley to Camp Piatt, on the Kanawha, where it arrived June 29th. On this march both men and horses suffered considerably from hunger and thirst."

During its term of service the regiment moved on foot, by rail and by water, a distance of four thousand and forty- nine miles, and sustained a loss in killed, wounded and missing, of four hundred and fifty-five men. (Companies A and F were from Warren County.)

The list of battles and dates are:

SCARY CREEK, W. VA....................July 17, 1861.
GAULEY BRIDGE, W. VA..................August 25, 1861.
CARNIFAX FERRY, W. VA.................September 10, 1861.
BULL RUN BRIDGE, VA...................August 27, 1862.
FREDERICK MOUNTAIN, MD................September 12, 1862.
SOUTH MOUNTAIN, MD....................September 14, 1862.
ANTIETAM, MD..........................September 17, 1862.
FAYETTEVILLE, W. VA...................May 17-20, 1863.
MEADOW BLUFF, VA......................December 12, 1863.
CLOYD'S MOUNTAIN, VA..................May 9-10, 1864.
LYNCHBURG, VA.........................June 17-18, 1864.

Regiment lost during service, 3 officers and 93 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 officers and 77 enlisted men by disease. Total 175.

FOOTNOTES: a place to add additional information that you might want to submit

This page created 6 September 2004 and last updated 21 March, 2010
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