51st Ohio Infantry

compiled by Larry Stevens

References for this Unit

• see also Bibliography of State-Wide References
• Ohio In The War-Volume II. Whitelaw Reid. Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin. Cincinnati 1868
• Bedtime Story. Undated story consisting of eleven chapters, first is missing, of a story of a boy who ran away to join Co. K, 51st Ohio Regiment during the Civil War. Originally told as a bedtime story to children during the Civil War. 139 pgs. NA. NP. ca. 1861-1865. Call# VFM2593. Ohio Historical Society. Columbus. Ohio
• The Capture and Prison Life in Rebeldom for Fourteen Months of Simon Helwig: Late Private Co. F 51st O.V.I... Simon Helwig. 50 pgs. Bixler Printing Co. Canal Dover (?) Ohio 18__?
• National Tribune. The Sultana Disaster. Joseph B. Norris. December 17th, 1885
• National Tribune. In the Hands of the Philistines. A Weary Sojourn in the Bull-Pens of the South for a Year and a Half. Winfield S. Neely. August 30th, 1894 and September 6th, 1894
• National Tribune. Battle of Stone River. Samuel Welch. May 12th, 1904
• J.W. Kimmel Papers. J.W. Kimmel. Co. K. 51st OVI. Typscript copy of J. W. Kimmel's "Experiences During the Civil War" as dictated to his daughter Katherine Kimmel. ca. 1905. 65 pgs. Call# VFM2539. Ohio Historical Society. Columbus. Ohio
• James McClintock Papers. Captain James M. McClintock. 51st OVI. 84 items. Orders, together with letters, a journal, documents, and photos. Includes material on McClintock's service with the 51st Ohio Infantry. Located at The Huntington Library. San Marino. California
• Capt. Carter B. Harrison - Our Friends the Enemy. by Leander B. Kinsey. From: Confederate Veteran. Volume XIV. March, 1906
• Instantaneous Rigor-Mortis Occasionally Occurring and Observed Upon the Battlefield. By Lieut. Charles Gentsch, M.D. First Lieutenant and Quartermaster 51st O.V.I.. A Paper read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion, December 4, 1907. 16 pgs. NP Cincinnati 1907
• A Sketch of the Movements of the Fifty-First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In: The First Centennial Atlas of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Including a Map of the State of Ohio 1908. pgs 107, 109, 111, 113 and 115.
  Reprint: A Sketch of the Movements of the Fifty-First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In: The First Centennial Atlas of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Including a Map of the State of Ohio 1908. by The Tuscarawas County Genealogical Society. Strasburg. Ohio. 1973
• National Tribune. An Unusual Sight. Leander B. Kinsey. Jonesboro. July 24th, 1913
• National Tribune. Whitaker's Brigade at Lookout. Leander B. Kinsey. July 2nd, 1914
• National Tribune. The 51st Ohio at Stone River. William H. King. August 27th, 1914
• National Tribune. Prison Experience. John K.P. Ferrell. Andersonville Prison. December 10th, 1914
• National Tribune. From Chickamauga to Danville. John K.P. Ferrell. August 5th, 1915
• At the Tomb of President Polk. Mr. Kinsey Writes the Veteran. by Leander B. Kinsey. From: Confederate Veteran. Volume XXIII. February, 1915
• Civil War Incidents On Signal Mountain, by L.B. Kinsey. by Leander B. Kinsey. 12 pgs. Mountain Land Company. Chattanooga. 1915
• Orson Brainard: a Soldier in the Ranks. Orson Brainard. Co. K. 51st O.V.I. Letters edited by Wilford W. Black. Ohio History. Pgs. 54-72. The Ohio Historical Society. Winter Spring 1967
• The 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI): A Regimental History. by Fred McDavitt. The Civil War Diary of Second Lt. Isreal Correll of the 51st O.V.I..From: Civil War, The Magazine of the Civil War Society. Volume XII, ISBN# 0-939685-03-5. The Country Publishers, Inc. 1988
• Unit Bibliography. U.S. Army Military History Institute. Carlisle Barracks. PA. 1995
• 51st OVI Page. by Grace-Marie Moore Hackwell. 1997
• Mineral Point Mosiac. Sixteen Years in the Life of Frederick Fishley. Frederick Fishley. Notes and transcription by Ed Anderson. 184 pgs. Diary and account book of German immigrant Frederick Fishley (1840-1911), a soldier in the 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry who was captured at Chickamuaga and spent time in several prisoner of war camps, including Andersonville and Libby Prison. Softcover. Private Printing. ? town. 2000
• Letters from the 51st OVI. by Nancy Boothe Schaar. 28 cm. Letters and articles appearing in the Tuscarawas Advocate. Tuscarawas County Genealogical Society. New Philadelphia. Ohio. 2001. Call# F497.T9 S32 vol. 1. Hayes Ohio Reading Room. Bowling Green State University. Bowling Green. Ohio

Principal Musician Peter S. Huffman
F & S, 51st OVI
Imprint J.C. Price New Philadelphia Oh
Courtesy of and Copyright © B. Pruden Collection

History

This Regiment was organized October, 3, 1861, under Colonel Fitzgerald, who having resigned, Colonel Stanley Matthews took command. The 51st went to Kentucky in November, and in February, 1862, moved to Nashville. It operated against Bragg, and was present at Perryville. At Stone River it fought with fearful loss, and at Chickamauga performed splendid service. It participated in the storming of Lookout Mountain and the victory at Mission Ridge. In May, 1864, the Regiment joined Sherman's Atlanta campaign, taking part in all the great battles; followed Hood north into Tennessee; fighting under Thomas at Nashville, and joined the pursuit of Hood south. In March, 1865, it moved into East Tennessee, and in April back to Nashville, where it was soon transferred to Texas, performing arduous duty until mustered out in November, 1865.

From Dyer's Compendium

51st Regiment Infantry. Organized at Camp Meigs, near Canal Dover, Tuscarawas county, September 17 to October 26, 1861. Moved to Wellsville November 3, thence to Louisville, Ky., and duty there till December 10. Attached to 15th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to December, 1861. 15th Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Ohio, to March, 1862. Unattached, Nashville, Tenn., to June, 1862. 10th Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Ohio, to July, 1862. 23rd Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to August, 1862. 23rd Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Ohio, to September, 1862. 23rd Brigade, 5th Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 21st Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, to June, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, to August, 1865. Dept. of Texas to October, 1865.
SERVICE.--Duty at Camp Wickliffe, Ky., till February, 1862. Expedition down the Ohio River to reinforce General Grant, thence to Nashville, Tenn., February 14-25. Occupation of Nashville February 25. Provost duty there till July 9. Moved to Tullahoma, Tenn., and joined Nelson's Division. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 21-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-22. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 22-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Dobbins' Ferry, near Lawrence, December 9. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Middle Tennessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 23-July 7. At McMinnville till August 16. Passage of Cumberland Mountain and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Lookout Mountain November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. Ringgold Gap, Taylor's Ridge November 27. Duty at Whiteside till January, 1864. Reenlisted January 1, 1864. At Blue Springs, near Cleveland, till May. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May to September. Tunnel Hill May 6-7. Demonstration on Rocky Face Ridge and Dalton May 8-13. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. 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. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, 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 Station September 2-6. Operations against Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. Moved to Pulaski, Tenn. Nashville Campaign November-December. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Huntsville, Ala., and duty there till March, 1865. Operations in East Tennessee March 15-April 22. Duty at Nashville, Tenn., till June. Ordered to New Orleans, La., June 16, thence to Texas. Duty at Indianola, Green Lake and Victoria, Texas, to October. Mustered out at Victoria October 3, 1865. Discharged at Columbus, Ohio, November 3, 1865. Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 108 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 233 Enlisted men by disease. Total 346.

Thanks to Dr. Richard A. Sauers for the initial research and indexing of the National Tribune articles.

More about the Civil War in Ohio.

Copyright © 1995 Larry Stevens

Last updated October 9 2014