OHIO THIRTIETH INFANTRY (Three Years)

Thirtieth Infantry. Cols., John Groesbeck, Hugh Ewing, Theodore Jones; Lieut.-Cols., George H. Hildt, Emerson P. Brooks; Majs., John Ferguson, David Cunningham, Charles Townsend. This regiment was organized at Columbus, in Aug., 1861, to serve for three years. It was armed and equipped immediately and on Aug. 30 was ordered to the field. The next day found the regiment at Benwood, Va., and on Sept. 2 it reached Clarksburg. Two companies were left at Big Birch bottoms and the remainder of the regiment moved on to Carnifix Ferry, where a sharp engagement took place. During the winter the regiment worked upon fortifications, which were upon several occasions of signal benefit to the army. In the following August it joined the army in eastern Virginia and participated in the severe engagement at South mountain, losing 18 men killed and 48 wounded. At Antietam the regiment lost 2 commissioned officers killed and 2 wounded, 8 men killed and 37 wounded. Being transferred the western field of operations, from May 18, 1863, until the surrender of Vicksburg it was engaged in demonstrations against the enemy's works and in fatigue and picket duty. The casualties of the 30th during the siege were 1 commissioned officer killed and 6 wounded, 6 men killed and 48 wounded. After the surrender of Vicksburg the regiment marched to Jackson and upon the evacuation of that place by the Confederates it returned as far as the Big Black river and went into camp. Sept. 24 found it in position in front of Missionary ridge and the next day, in company with a detachment of the 4th W. Va., it assaulted and carried the outer line of the enemy's works. Later in the day the 30th and 37th Ohio made two unsuccessful assaults on the works on Tunnel hill, the 30th losing 39 men killed and wounded. Veteranizing and being furloughed home, it rejoined the army at the beginning of the Atlanta campaign and was under fire at Dallas and at Kennesaw mountain. In an attack at the latter place on June 27 it lost 35 men killed and wounded. In the engagement at Atlanta on July 22, it lost 27 men in killed, wounded and prisoners. On the 28th the regiment maintained its ground manfully and lost 30 men killed and wounded. The enemy abandoned a stand of colors under the regiment's fire and 105 dead Confederates were picked up in its immediate front. In the engagement at Jonesboro the 30th lost 25 killed and wounded. On Dec. 13, it was in front of Fort McAllister, where at a given signal all moved forward to the crest of the works and engaged the enemy in a hand-to-hand conflict. The regiment then participated in the Carolina campaign, and after the surrender of Lee and Johnston it was retained on guard duty until Aug. 13, 1865, when it was mustered out. Source: The Union Army, vol. 2 Antietam after battle report: Report of Col. Hugh Ewing, Thirtieth Ohio Infantry, of the battle of South Mountain. HDQRS. THIRTIETH REGIMENT OHIO VOL. INFANTRY. Battle-field, September 14, 1862. SIR: In compliance with orders from Col. Scammon, commanding, I moved at 10 a. m. with the Thirtieth Regiment to turn the enemy's left, and assist in taking the battery planted on the crest of the mountain. Lieut.-Col. Jones, in command of a heavy body of skirmishers, covered the advance of the column, and immediately began to drive in their outlying sentries. At the same time a battery on a spur to our right opened upon us a heavy fire of shell. We took possession if the crest halt or deployment, and formed line of battle to move upon the support in rear of the battery. At this moment the enemy developed himself in force on our right flank, and we changed front and increased and pushed our line of skirmishers against him. Soon he showed him-self in force passing down a lane in front, and in a moment opened a heavy fire from a thicket on our left, which we soon silenced. In five minutes he, having changed his battery 600 yards to our right front, sent in on us a hail of grape, and we fell a few yards back, under cover. We lay here supporting a battery, which was soon sent up, until 5 o'clock when, supported on the right and left, under your orders we, with the entire line charged over the rise thickets to the cleared fields which lay before the battery, and in and beyond which, behind stone walls and in covers, lay the enemy's supports in heavy masses. Here a spirited engagement ensued, which was kept up with great animation until, our ammunition beginning to fail, the second line was ordered up, and we fell back slowly and in perfect order to our former position. The officers and men, under an unceasing fire of eight hours of musketry, grape, and shell, obeyed all orders with alacrity intelligence, and skill, and stood at the close under an excessive fire of musketry and grape with a hardihood which elicited the applause of all who saw them. Lieut.-Col. Jones exposed himself repeatedly, and exhibited great judgment in carrying out the delicate duties assigned him. Our killed, as so far handed in, is 21; wounded, 65.* I have the honor be, sir, your obedient servant, HUGH EWING, Col., Comdg. Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. R. P. KENNEDY. Assistant Adjutant-Gen., Kanawha Division. ----------Report of Maj. George H. Hildt, Thirtieth Ohio Infantry, of the battle of Antietam. HDQRS. THIRTIETH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, Camp Antietam, Md. September 20, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order, I have the honor to submit the following report of the action of the Thirtieth Regiment on September 17, 1862: During the morning we were held under the fire of the enemy's batteries as a reserve corps, and, although under a perfect hail of shot and shell, by carefully covering I have no casualties to report from the effects of the enemy's batteries to this time. Near 4 o'clock in the evening were distant one-half mile, on the slope of a cleared hill facing us, a part of which was planted in corn, and severed to screen both the enemy and ourselves. We moved forward by brigade at double-quick, the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry on our right, and the Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Infantry on our left, some distance in rear receiving a severe fire from the enemy the moment we moved over the brow of the hill, which continued and increased until we reached the stone wall, distant only 100 yards from the enemy, when we delivered our fire with great precision, and for a time checked the advancing enemy. Our men were at this time utterly exhausted from the effect of the double-quick step across the plowed field, and their fire was necessarily slow and desultory for several minutes. As soon, however, as our first volley had been given, and our colors erected at the wall, a withering fire was directed upon us from our left flank, and from which we suffered most severely. We continued at the wall until our men had fired from 12 to 15 rounds each, directing their fire to the front and left, when our supports on the right fell back, and that on the left had not yet come to our assistance, leaving both of our flanks exposed and enduring a fire from the front and left. Col. Jones, on the right, gave the order to move by the right flank to join the right wing of the Twenty-third, which was still in position, which order was not heard, except by the four companies on the right (A, F, D and I) which moved in that direction, the remaining companies still occupying their first position at the wall. A few minutes later and the wall. A few minutes later and the enemy's fire from the flank could not be borne, and we fell back across the plowed field and over the brow of the hill. Capt. Fowler, of Company D, was wounded in the right arm a short distance from the wall, but made his way out. Lieut. Furbay, of Company K, was mortally wounded near the same place by two balls passing through his body, and died on the field. Adjt. Charles Duffield was wounded in the leg, in the corn-field, and, while being borne off, was mortally wounded in the back. Lieut. Wilson, of Company I, was mortally wounded in the neck, and died while borne off. Lieut.-Col. Jones, after giving the order to move by the right flank and afterward to fall back, has not been seen, and must have fallen into the hands of the enemy. Capt. Brown, of Company F, is also missing, and is, no doubt a prisoner. Sergeant White, bearer of the national color, stood amidst the rain of bullets and defiantly waved the color toward the advancing enemy, when he received a shot in the breast and fell dead. Corporal Howerth, of Company D, seized them and bore them off the field. Sergeant Carter, who bore the regimental color, was shot through the head near the edge of the corn-field, and color, was shot through the head near the edge of the corn-field, and Corporal Buchanan, of Company C, bore them off. Too much praise cannot be given the officers and men for their coolness, courage, and gallant conduct on the field, and, having scarcely recovered from the terrible contest on Hagerstown Heights, they stood up and bravely bore a fire upon their front and left, of which veterans night well be proud. Before closing, allow me to recommend a change of arms of all the companies except A and B, as the men found great difficulty in loading their pieces after the fifth round, and could scarcely ram their balls home. A report of the killed, wounded, and missing in both battles has already been given. With much respect, I am your obedient servant, GEORGE H. HILDT, Maj., Comdg. Thirtieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Col. HUGH EWING, Commanding First Brigade, Kanawha Division.

Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 19. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 27

Ohio 30th Volunteer Infantry (Union)

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