History Of Fourth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry

The Fourth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry was organized at Camp Gurley on August 5, 1861. Here it received its equipment, arms, mounted and was drilled. On November 23, 1861, the unit moved to Camp Dennison with one thousand and seventy men. The fourth crossed into Kentucky on the 27th of December. It was attached to the Third Division under General O.M. Mitchel.

After the surrender of Nashville, the Fourth moved toward Huntsville, Alabama, and in this town succeeded in capturing a train, loaded with eight hundred Rebel soldiers and also confiscated seventeen locomotives and many cars.

Taken from Reid's Ohio in the War:

"The regiment joined in the pursuit of Bragg, and, on arriving at Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was ordered to Brownsville, where Buell's wagon-train was to cross Green River. After about five days' march over a mountainous country, subsisting on flour and fresh meat with no salt, the regiment met the train at Brownsville, and was assigned a section of about nine hundred wagons to guard through. The Fourth brought the train safely to the mouth of Salt River, and then advanced via Shepherdstown, Frankfort, and Harrodsburg to Danville, Kentucky, where a detachment under Captain Robie was ordered to accompany an expedition toward Lexington, Kentucky. This expedition was unfortunate, as John Morgan, with two thousand eight hundred men, surrounded the command and, in a short time, two hundred and fifty of the regiment were surrendered, robbed, paroled, and on their way to Ohio. From Danville, the Fourth proceeded by way of Crab Orchard and Lebanon to Nashville, marching sixty-nine consecutive days."
"While at Nashville the regiment participated in several skirmishes, and in two raids to Franklin, Tennessee, destroying a flour mill at that place used by the Rebels. On the 26th of December, (1862), the Fourth advanced toward Murfreesboro', reconnoitering the enemy's position from Franklin to Triune. It participated in the battle of Murfreesboro' and pursued the enemy toward Shelbyville, Tennessee, and on its return camped near Murfreesboro'. It was frequently engaged in skirmishing, and was on scouting expeditions to Liberty, Lebanon and Alexandria. It engaged and routed John Morgan's command, killing and wounding seventy five rebels, and capturing one hundred."
"The regiment started with the Army of the Cumberland June 24, (1863), and one battalion skirmished with the enemy at the crossing of Elk Creek, and after crossing, continued to drive the Rebels until dark. After continuous marching and counter- marching, it camped for a few days at Fayetteville, Tennesse, and again moved southward, and on the 9th of September, fought with Wheeler's cavalry, in the vicinity of Alpine, Georgia, and routed them. The Fourth moved northward, and on the 29th was engaged on the extreme right of the army at Chicamaugua, with a loss of thirty-two killed, wounded and missing. After the battle it marched into East Tennessee, and engaged in the pursuit of Wheeler, fought with him near Farmington, Tennessee, and followed him through Pulaski to the Tennesse River, where the pursuit ended."
"The regiment remained in Northern Alabama guarding railroads and inflicting summary punishment on "bushwhackers," until December 27th, when it moved through Huntsville to Pulaski; there reenlisted as veterans, and proceeded to Ohio on furlough. Meanwhile the second battalion marched into east Tennessee, made a raid on Cleveland, captured a large number of prisoners, and burned a shot, shell and cap factory. Falling back it joined the expedition for the relief of Knoxville, and from there moved into North Carolina, and captured a large number of mules. The battalion then moved to Calhoun, Tennessee, where it reenlisted and went to Ohio on veteran furlough. On the 7th of March, 1864, the regiment rendezvoused at Camp Dennison, and on the 13th started for Nashville."
"On the 12th of January, 1865, the Fourth left Nashville and moved to Gravelly Springs, procuring its forage off the country, after leaving Columbia. At Gravelly Springs it received the necessary outfit for a long campaign, and the time was spent in drilling and in building quarters and stables. The regiment marched down the river to Waterloo, crossed in transports, and moved to Chickasaw. From this point the baggage was sent to Nashville for storage; the only wagons allowed being those necessary for carrying the ammunition, a small quantity of forage, and sixty days' rations of coffee, thirty of sugar; and fifteen of salt; in addition to this each man carried five days rations on his person. On the 22nd of March General Wilson's cavalry command, of which the Fourth was a part, advanced via Frankfort, Russellville, Jasper, Elyria, and Montevallo to Selma. At Montevella there was a slight skirmish, and on the 1st of April, at Ebenezer Church, fifteen miles from Selma, the enemy was encountered and routed, losing three pieces of artillery and between two and three hundred prisoners. On arriving within six hundred yards of the works at Selma, April 2nd, the troops dismounted and established a skirmish line. Wilder's brigade occupied the right and Fourth was on their left. The entire charging force only amounted to fifteen hundred men, as one-fourth of the original number were holding the horses. When the word "Forward" was given, the Rebels had already opened with shell; and when the attacking party appeared in full view, it was met with a shower of grape and canister, while small arms poured in their still more destructive fire. Five hundred yards of open ground were passed over and the works were reached. The men pulled up or pushed aside the palisades, jumped into the ditch, and mounted the works. The Rebels fled and our men pursued, crossing a swamp, and capturing a two-gun lunette; pressing forward they advanced across a cotton field as level as a floor, and captured another lunette mounting five guns. Here the line halted, all opposition having ceased. Fifty men of the Fourth, killed and wounded, lay near the enemy's works, with scores of bleeding, dying heroes of other regiments. The dead were buried with military honors. The arsenal and navy-yard were destroyed, and on April 6th the column took up the line of march, capturing Montgomery and Columbus, and reached Macon on the 20th of April."
"Here it remained, performing guard and patrol duty, until May 23rd, when it proceeded via Atlanta and Chattanooga, to Nashville, where it arrived June 25th, and was mustered out in the latter part of July, 1865."

The list of battles and dates are:
BOWLING GREEN, KY............February, 15, 1862.
NASHVILLE, TENN..................March 8, 1862.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA................. April 11, 1862.
BRIDGEPORT, ALA..................April 29, 1862.
LEXINGTON, KY..............….....October 17, 1862.
MURFREESBORO, TENN.........January 1-2, 1863.
LEBANON, TENN................…..February 8, 1863.
BRADYVILLE, TENN................March 1, 1863.
SNOW HILL, TENN...............….April 2-3, 1863.
CHICAMAUGUA, GA.................September 19-23, 1863.
MIDDLETON, TENN........….......May 21, 1863.
CLEVELAND, TENN..........…......November 27, 1863.
DECATUR, GA...............…….......May 26-27, 1864.
MOULTON, ALA..................... ….May 28-29, 1864.
JONESBORO, GA…….................August 19-20, 1864.
WILSON'S RAID, ALA. AND GA.......March 22 to April 24, 1865.
SELMA, ALA.............………........April 2, 1865.
MONTGOMERY, ALA..................April 12-13, 1865.
MACON, GA...................………...April 20, 1865.

Regiment lost during service, 5 officers and 50 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 169 men by disease. Total 225.

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

This page created 6 September 2004 and last updated 9 August, 2010
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