120th 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
• McCormick and Carey Family Papers, 1856-1883. 40 items. Inludes letters of William H. Carey. 120th OVI. Call# MMC-3612. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Washington D.C.
• Diary of Henry S. Sherman, Nephew of Gen. W.T. Sherman, Sergeant Major, 120th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 9th Division, 13th Army Corps. Oct. 25, 1862-July 12, 1863. by Henry S. Sherman. 30 pgs. Typewritten copy. Call# E525.5 120th S. Western Reserve Historical Society Archives Library. Cleveland. OH
• National Tribune. The First Union Colors at Arkansas Post. W.E.M. Co. A 120th O.V.I. August 16, 1883
• National Tribune. The 120th Ohio's Red River Experiences. J.P. Van Nest. 120th O.V.I. May 1, 1884
• Reminiscences of the Civil War, 1899. by Cyrus J. Wilford. Co H. 120th OVI. Written into the blank "reminiscences" section at the end of J.W. Carnahan's 1899 Manual of the Civil War and Key to the Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies. Also includes annotations throughout the book. Wilford was captured at Snaggy Point on Red River La. Call# General VOL 424. Ohio Historical Society. Columbus. Ohio
• Your True Marcus the Civil War Letters of a Jewish Colonel. Marcus M. Spiegel. 67th and 120th Ohio Infantry. Edited by Frank L. Byrne and Jean Powers Soman. The Kent State University Press. Kent. OH. 1985
• The Civil War Diary of Christopher McClellan. Christopher McClellan. Co. H. 114th OVI. Co. E. 120th OVI. Interpreted by Judith H. McNally. 1994. Mrs. M. Vansoesberg. Walker. Michigan. 1994
• Unit Bibliography. U.S. Army Military History Institute. Carlisle Barracks. PA. 1995
• Grandpa's Gone. The Adventures of Daniel Buchwalter in the Western Army 1862-1865. by Jerry Frey. 227 pgs. Publisher Burd Street Press. Shippensburg. PA. Printer Beidel Printing House Inc. Shippensburg. PA. 1998
• 120th OVI Monument. Vicksburg National Military Park. 3201 Clay Street. Vicksburg. MS. 39180. 1998
• From the Rhineland to the Red River. Marcus Spiegel. 67th and 120th O.V.I. pg. 88. Civil War Times Illustrated. Volume XXXIX. No. 5. October. 2000
• 120th OVI Page. by Susie Holderfield. 2000

1st Lt. John M. Baer Co H 120th OVI
Courtesy of and Copyright © Carl Baer Collection

History

One Hundred and Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 949 men, Daniel French colonel, mustered in October 17, 1862, at Camp Mansfield; moved to Kentucky, thence to the right wing of the Army of the Tennessee, for the Vicksburg campaign; when General Grant assumed command, February, 1863, assigned to Third Brigade, Ninth Division, Thirteenth Army Corps; in July moved into Mississippi; in August to New Orleans; served the year out in Louisiana; in 1864 engaged in the Red River campaign; May 1st while in transport on the river, engaged with great loss in killed and wounded the boat was run ashore and three companies escaped; the remainder, over two hundred, were made prisoners and held in the miserable prison pen Camp Ford, near Tyler, county seat of Tyler county, Texas, till after the close of the war. The companies that escaped capture, served as a battalion under Banks in Louisiana until November, 1864; then the remnant of the One Hundred and Twentieth consolidated with the One Hundred and Fourteenth Ohio, having lost more than six hundred of its original members.

From: The Military History of Ohio. by H.H. Hardesty

From Dyer's Compendium

120th Regiment Infantry. Organized at Mansfield, Ohio, August 29, 1862. Moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, October 25; thence to Covington, Ky., and duty there till November 24. Served Unattached, Army of Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 9th Division, Right Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Sherman's Yazoo Expedition, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 9th Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Dept. of the Gulf to November, 1863. Plaquemine, La., District of Baton Rouge, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, to November, 1864.
SERVICE.--Moved to Memphis, Tenn., November 24-December 7, 1862. Sherman's Yazoo Expedition December 20, 1862, to January 3, 1863. Chickasaw Bayou December 26-28, 1862. Chickasaw Bluff December 29. Expedition to Arkansas Post, Ark., January 3-10, 1863. Assault and capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, January 10-11. Moved to Young's Point, La., January 17, and duty there till March 8. Moved to Milliken's Bend March 8. Operations from Milliken's Bend to New Carthage March 31-April 17. James' Plantation, near New Carthage, April 8. Dunbar's Plantation, Bayou Vidal, April 15. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-30. Battle of Port Gibson May 1. Duty at Raymond till May 18. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Near Jackson July 9. Siege of Jackson, Miss., July 10-17. Camp at Vicksburg till August. Moved to New Orleans August 18. Duty at Carrollton till September 3, and at Brashear City till October 3. Western Louisiana Campaign October 3-November 30. Duty at Plaquemine, La., till March 23, 1864. Moved to Baton Rouge March 23, and duty there till May 1. Ordered to join Banks at Alexandria on Red River Expedition May 1. Embarked on Steamer "City Belle." Action en route at Snaggy Point May 3. Most of Regiment captured. Those who escaped formed into a Battalion of three Companies and marched to Alexandria. Retreat from Alexandria to Morganza May 13-20. Mansura or Marksville Prairie May 16. Duty at Morganza till September. Expedition to mouth of White River and St. Charles September 13-20. Expedition to Duvall's Bluff, Ark., October 21-27. Consolidated with 114th Ohio Infantry November 25, 1864. Regiment lost during service 2 Officers and 17 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 275 Enlisted men by disease. Total 300.

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Copyright © 1995 Larry Stevens

Last updated February 12 2018