OHIO NINETY-SEVENTH INFANTRY (Three Years)

Ninety-seventh Infantry. Col., John Q. Lane; Lieut.Col., Milton Barnes; Maj., James W. Moore. This regiment was organized at Zanesville, Sept. 2, 1862, to serve for three years. It moved by rail to Covington heights, opposite Cincinnati, and during the Kirby Smith raid was in position near Fort Mitchel, 3 miles from the Ohio river. At the battle of Perryville it was with the main part of Buell's army and assisted in holding in check and driving back the Confederate forces in an attempt to turn the Union right. It was with the army at the battle of Stone's river, and in that engagement lost 25 men killed and wounded. In the battle of Missionary ridge the regiment lost 156 officers and men killed and wounded. It remained in East Tennessee the following winter and in May, 1864 entered upon the Atlanta campaign. It participated in an unsuccessful charge on Rocky Face ridge, with slight loss, was under constant fire for two days at Resaca, and at Adairsville it had a sharp fight, losing 20 men in less than 15 minutes. At Dallas it was under constant fire from May 25 to June 5. At Kennesaw mountain it made a charge on the enemy's position and with the assistance of the 28th Ky. drove his outposts into his second line of works. On June 22 the regiment was ordered to drive in the Confederate outposts and of 153 men who were sent forward to perform that duty 112 were either killed or wounded in the space of 30 minutes. On June 27 a general charge was made on Kennesaw mountain and in this disastrous affair the regiment lost 35 men killed and wounded. At Peachtree creek seven determined charges were made against the point held by the regiment, but the little band of less than 300 men stood firm and so pleased were Gens. Howard and Newton that they sought out the regiment and personally thanked the men for their bravery in standing up against the dreadful shock of the Confederate charges on the left. In addition an order was issued exempting the regiment from all further picket and fatigue duty during the campaign. The regiment participated in the action at Jonesboro and assisted in driving the enemy back to Lovejoy's Station. Following Hood into Tennessee it fought at Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville and in the last engagement participated in two daring charges. The regiment spent the following winter in Alabama and after news had been received of the surrender of Lee, returned to Nashville. The members whose term of service would have expired previous to Oct. 1, 1865, were mustered out on June 10, and the remaining members were transferred to the 26th Ohio infantry. During its term of service the 97th lost 113 officers and men killed and 560 wounded. Source: The Union Army, vol. 2 Stone's River after battle report: Report of Col. John Q. Lane, Ninety-seventh Ohio Infantry. JANUARY --, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to report to you the part taken by the Ninety-seventh Regt. Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the late engagement in front of Murfreesborough, commencing December 31, 1862, and ending January 3, 1863. On the night of December 30, we were, by your order, placed in the front, our advance pickets being deployed on the left bank of Stone's River. On the morning of the 31st, at the commencement of the engagement, our position was on the north side of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, one-fourth of a mile from the river. At 9 a.m. the enemy commenced feeling for our position with shot and shell, and by your order I moved my regiment by the left flank to a position in an open field, one-fourth of a mile from the railroad, and deployed one company to the river as skirmishers. We remained in this position under a fire from the enemy's artillery and infantry until 11 a.m. Our casualties up to this time were: Wounded, Jacob G. Brill, private Company A; Matthias Tapier and Samuel Browning, privates Company I, the latter having since died from the effects of his wound. By your order I now moved to the south side of the railroad to re-enforce Gen. Hascall. We found the enemy vigorously assaulting his lines with artillery and infantry. Our place here was assigned us by Gen. Rosecrans in person, who ordered us to take the position and hold it. We advanced to the place designated, which was on the south side of the Nashville and Murfreesborough turnpike, returning the fire of the enemy until near sundown, when he withdrew to the cover of the woods, leaving us in possession of the ground. At nightfall I threw out one company as pickets 100 paces to the front, instructing the officer in command to avail himself of the opportunity to carefully note any movement of the enemy. Near midnight he informed me that he could distinctly hear the tramp of horses and rumbling of artillery moving from our right to our left. Upon investigation I was satisfied that the enemy was massing his forces on our left, and forthwith informed you of the fact. At 2 o'clock on the morning of January 1, I informed Gen. Rosecrans of this movement of the enemy, when he immediately arranged to relieve us from this position, which we had held since noon of the preceding day. Our casualties during our absence from your brigade were: Wounded, Isaac McDonald, private Company B; Israel Garrett and J. C. Huffman, privates Company C; Austin Harvey and Evan Foulke, privates Company D; Lewellyn Echelberry, sergeant Company E; George Robinson, private Company G, and John Moore, private Company H. Killed: A. M. Hasom, color sergeant; August Reinsch, private Company B, and John Rodecker, private Company G. At 3 o'clock on the morning of the 1st, I reported my regiment to you, and was assigned a place in the front line, about a half mile to the rear of the position occupied by me at the beginning of the engagement. We remained here during the day, with no other annoyance than an occasional shot or shell from the enemy's guns. At night we bivouacked on the spot. On the morning of the 2d, our skirmishers were advanced a half mile to the front, where they remained undisturbed until 2.45 p.m., when the enemy attacked our forces across the river and our skirmishers were driven back. We were here subjected to a cross-fire from the enemy's guns for more than an hour, wounding Charles H. Claspbell, corporal Company K; Purley Dickson, sergeant, and Benjamin Kinsey, private Company D. At 5 p.m. we crossed Stone's River and remained on its right bank until the morning of the 4th without further event. Our loss during the whole engagement was 3 killed, 15 wounded, and 6 missing. The officers and men in my command everywhere acquitted themselves nobly, and we never lost a position after once taking it. I have the honor to be, colonel, your obedient servant, JOHN Q. LANE, Col. Ninety-seventh Regt. Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Col. G. D. WAGNER, Cmdg. Twenty-first Brigade.

Source: Official Records PAGE 500-29 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. [CHAP. XXXII. [Series I. Vol. 20. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 29.]

Ohio 97th Volunteer Infantry (Union)

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