OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - HISTORY of 72nd OVI Regiment (published 1908)
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April 6, 1999
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                    Regiment History      
                OHIO SEVENTY-SECOND INFANTRY 
                       (Three Years) 

Seventy-second Infantry. Col.,Ralph P. Buckland ; Lieut.Cols.,
Herman Canfield, Leroy Crockett, Charles G. Eaton; Majs.,
Eugene A. Rawson, Samuel A.J. Snyder. This regiment was
organized in the state at large from Oct., 1861, to Feb.,
1862, to serve for three years. It was equipped fully, and in
February was ordered to Paducah,Ky. On April 4 Cos. B and H,
while reconnoitering, became separately engaged with
Confederate cavalry, Maj. Crockett and 2 or 3 men of Co. H
being captured and several were wounded. Co. B was surrounded,
but fought for an hour against great odds, when it was saved
by the arrival of other companies though it lost 4 men
wounded. The regiment was at the front constantly in the
battle of Shiloh and on the second day parti- cipated in the
final charge which swept the enemy from the field, resting
that night in the camp which it had abandoned the day before.
The regiment lost 15 killed, 73 wounded and 46 missing. In the
siege of Corinth it bore a conspicuous part and its losses
were trifling in action but terrible by disease. It
participated in the battle at Jackson, Miss., May 14, 1863,
and on the next day continued the march toward Vicksburg,
where it participated in the assaults on the Con- federate
works on May 19 and 22, after which came the labor of the
siege. It was finally thrown out on the advance picket line
and continued to hold that position until the surrender. It
then moved against Gen. Johnston at Jackson, and after the
battle there pursued the Confederates to Brandon, where it was
in an engagement. In Feb., 1864 it took part in the expedition
to the Tallahatchie river, this really being a part of Gen.
Sherman's Meridian expedition. The regiment veteranized and
was furloughed home, and then resumed its duties in the field.
In June it formed part of an expedition against Forrest,
encountered him at Brice's cross-roads, Miss., and in the
unfortunate affair 248 of the regiment were killed, wounded or
captured, the greater portion captured, and of these very few
ever returned to the regiment. On another expedition in the
direction of Tupelo the casualties in the regiment were 21 men
wounded, 5 of them mortally. In Dec., 1864, the regiment was
on a reconnaissance and became warmly engaged with a band of
Confederates, losing 11 men killed and wounded. On the first
day of the battle of Nashville it participated in a charge, in
which 350 prisoners and 6 pieces of artillery were captured.
At night it was sent to Nashville with prisoners,but returned
in time to take part in the fight the next day and was engaged
in the charge on Walnut hills. The regiment was then sent to
Louisiana and later participated in the siege of Spanish Fort,
near Mobile, Ala., losing 1 man killed and 3 wounded. It then
returned to Mississippi and was mustered out at Vicksburg,
Sept. 11, 1865. Source: The Union Army, vol. 2 

The Union Army A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65
-- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- 
Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. 8 vols. 
Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908.


Bob


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