55th 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
• National Tribune. The 55th Ohio at Chancellorsville. C.S. September 25, 1884
• National Tribune. Chancellorsville Again. J.W. Rumple. October 23, 1884
• National Tribune. The First Day at Gettysburg. Charles Stacy. 55th O.V.I. September 6, 1888. Thanks to Ed Keen for submitting this source.
• War as Viewed from the Ranks. By Rev. W. A. Keesy. Personal Recollections of the War of the Rebellion by a Private Soldier. Rev. William A. Keesy. 240 pgs. Published by The Experiment and News Co. Norwalk. Ohio. 1898.
  Reprint: War as Viewed from the Ranks. By Rev. W. A. Keesy. 241 pgs. New Washington Historical Society. P.O. Box 463. New Washington. Ohio. 1991
• Trial and Triumphs, the Record of the 55th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with 80 portraits, four views and ten maps. Captain Hartwell Osborn and Others. 364 pgs. A.C. McClurg and Co. Chicago. Illinois. 1904
• On the Right at Chancellorsville. Hartwell Osborn. Read February 1, 1900. From: MOLLUS. Illinois. Military Essays and Recollections Read before the Commandery of the State of Illinois. vol.4 171-192. Cozzens and Beaton. Chicago. 1907
• The Eleventh Corps in East Tennessee. Hartwell Osborn. Read November 1, 1900. From: MOLLUS. Illinois. Military Essays and Recollections Read before the Commandery of the State of Illinois. vol.4 348-378. Cozzens and Beaton. Chicago. 1907
• Some Relics and Reminiscences of the Fifty-fifth Ohio Infantry. Hartwell Osborn. Firelands Pioneer. ns XVI. 1907. pgs. 1359-1394. Newark (probably Norwalk). Ohio. 1907
• National Tribune. Repulsing the 'Tigers' at the Cemetery, Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. A. F. Sweetland. 55th O.V.I. October 21, 1909. (A running commentary between Sweetland and members of the 4th O.V.I. & 14th Indiana Infantry about the attack on July 2d takes shape in several of the NT articles) Thanks to Ed Keen for submitting this source.
• Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Hartwell Osborn. pgs. 116-131. Western Reserve University Bulletin. Vol. XIV. 1911
• The Twentieth Army Corps on the March to the Sea. Hartwell Osborn. pgs. 1-19. 2 maps. Western Reserve University Bulletin. Vol. XV. 1912
• Sherman's Carolina Campaign. Hartwell Osborn. pgs. 101-119. map. Western Reserve University Bulletin. Vol. XV. 1912
• The Eleventh Army Corps. Hartwell Osborn. pgs. 12-42. Western Reserve University Bulletin. Vol. XVI. 1913
• The Fifty-fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Its Forty-eighth Annual Reunion. Hartwell Osborn. pgs. 1677-1680. Firelands Pioneer. ns XVIII. Norwalk. Ohio. 1915
• National Tribune. First Day at Gettysburg. A. F. Sweetland 55th O.V.I. November 2, 1916. Thanks to Ed Keen for submitting this source.
• "Ohiowa Soldier." The Letters of John Wesley Rumpel of the 55th O.V.I.. by John W. Rumpel. Edited by H.E. Rosenberger. Annals of Iowa. Third Series - Vol.XXXVI. No.2. Fall. 1961. Published Quarterly by Iowa State Department of History and Archives. Des Moines. Iowa. 1961
• Unpublished Memoir. by Sgt. Luther B. Mesnard. 25th & 55th O.V.I. Firelands Historical Society. Norwalk. Ohio
• The Rise and Survival of Private Mesnard. Luther B. Mesnard. CWTI. 24 Jan. 1986. pp. 18-25. 8 photocopied pages. CWTI. 24 Feb. 1986. pp. 10-17 & 44-45. 10 photocopied pages. Per. USAMHI. Carlisle Barracks. PA.
• Wildman Family Papers. Correspondence and diaries of a Norwalk, Ohio family describing camp life and service in the 25th OVI and 55th OVI. .5 cubic ft. Call# MSS384. Ohio Historical Society. Columbus. Ohio
• Unit Bibliography. U.S. Army Military History Institute. Carlisle Barracks. PA. 1995
• The 55th Ohio Infantry, an example of the regimental histories found in Ohio in the War. Her Statesmen, Generals and Soldiers. Volume II. by Whitelaw Reid. WWW format by Co. F, 55th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry Living Historians. Fort Tejon State Historic Park. 70 miles north of Los Angeles. California. Transcribed and published by John H. Doing. Saugus. California. 1998. These are web archive links. Unit looks inactive.
• Colors of the 55th O.V.I. Painting and Original Photo. Fight for the Colors. Ohio Historical Society. Columbus. Ohio. 2000
• Buckeye Blood: Ohio at Gettysburg. by Richard A. Baumgartner. 254 pgs. Blue Acorn Press. Huntington. West Virginia. 2003
• In The Ranks With The 55th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The Story of The "Sixty-Round Boys" During The Civil War. by Stephen M. Burr. 464 pgs. Self Published. NP. Ohio. May. 2009. Call # OHIO 973.7471 BUR. Willard Memorial Library. Willard. Ohio

Clay Holtz. Co. H

History

This unit went into camp at Norwalk on the 17th of October, 1861 and was organized by Col. John C. Lee. The 55th moved to West Virginia in January 1862. It crossed the Alleghanies and fought at Bull Pasture Mountain and Cross Keys. It joined Pope's campaign and was at the second Bull Run battle; again at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. The Regiment moved with Hooker to the west in late 1863. It fought in the Mission Ridge battle and went to the relief of Knoxville. After a veteran furlough it fought in Sherman's Georgia campaign, at Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, New Hope Church, Marietta, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek, and the Siege of Atlanta. It lost 200 men in this campaign. Marching to the Sea and up through the Carolinas with Sherman, it passed through Virginia and participated in the Grand Review at Washington. The Regiment mustered out of the service at Cleveland on July 19, 1865. It numbered during the war 1,350 men and lost in killed or wounded 750.

From Dyer's Compendium

55th Regiment Infantry. Organized at Norwalk, Ohio, September to December, 1861. Mustered in January 25, 1862. Ordered to Grafton, W. Va., January 25. Attached to Schenck's Brigade, Railroad District, West Virginia, to March, 1862. Railroad District, Dept. of the Mountains, to April, 1862. Schenck's Brigade, Dept. of the Mountains, to June, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Pope's Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to October, 1863, and Army of the Cumberland, to April, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland and Army of Georgia, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.--Moved from Grafton to New Creek, W. Va., February 3, 1862. Expedition to Romney February 6. Expedition to Moorefield February 12-16. Action at Moorefield February 12. Moved to Grafton February 19, and duty there till March 31. Moved to Green Spring River March 31, thence to Romney April 10. Ordered to Join Milroy at Monterey. Battle of McDowell May 8. March to the Shenandoah Valley May 26-29. Near Franklin May 26. Harrisonburg June 6. Battle of Cross Keys June 8. At Middletown till July 7, and at Sperryville till August 8. Reconnoissance to Madison Court House July 16-19. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9 (Reserve). Slaughter Mountain August 10. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Catlett's Station August 22. Battles of Bull Run August 28-30. Duty in the Defences of Washington, D.C., till December. Reconnoissance to Bristoe Station and Warrenton Junction September 25-28. Moved to Fredericksburg December 12-16. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth till April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee July 5-24. At Catlett's Station, Va., July 25 to September 24. Movement to Bridgeport, Ala., September 24-October 3. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn., October 28-29. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23. Tunnel Hill November 24-25. Mission Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 17. Duty in Lookout Valley till May, 1864. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1 to September 8. Demonstrations on Rocky Face Ridge May 8-11. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22-25. Action at New Hope Church May 25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 26-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Gilgal or Golgotha Church June 15. Muddy Creek June 17. Noyes Creek June 19. Cassville June 20. Kolb's Farm June 22. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruffs Station July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Operations at Chattahoochie River Bridge August 26-September 2. Farmer's Ferry August 27. Occupation of Atlanta September 2 to November 15. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Lawtonville, S.C., February 2. North Edisto River February 12-13. Reconnoissance on Goldsboro Road, near Fayetteville, N. C., March 14. Taylor's Hole Creek, Aversyboro, March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. 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 19. Grand Review May 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 10, and duty there till July. Mustered out July 11, 1865. Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 136 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 119 Enlisted men by disease. Total 262.

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Copyright © 1995 Larry Stevens

Last updated July 27 2013