The One Hundred & Twenty-First (121st) Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized at Delaware, Ohio, on September 11th, 1862, to serve for the period of three years service, or the war, under the command of Colonel William P. Reid.
The regiment left Ohio and entered Kentucky with an effective strength of 985 officers and men, and participated in the fall campaign in that state as part of the Army of the Ohio; the most stirring event of that campaign was the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, (October 8th, 1862), in which the regiment engaged at great disadvantage and of course did not win for itself much reputation for military efficiency.
They remained in Kentucky performing various camp and guard duty until January of 1863, when they received orders to move to Tennessee and join the Army of the Cumberland. They took part in the active campaigning in that state in the operations against Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the pursuit of the Confederate Army of Tennessee into Georgia. In September of 1863 they were fiercely engaged in second day's fighting at the Battle of Chickamauga, during that fight a charge was made by the regiment to save the only remaining road leading into the town of Chattanooga, it performed feats of bravery second to no other in the army and won for itself an enduring name. During the action it engaged and drove back the men of the 22nd Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment, succeeding in capturing that’s regiment’s colors and a large portion of its men. However the loss of the regiment was severe, suffering 19 killed, 77 wounded and 3 missing (who were also probably killed). Falling back with the army, they regrouped behind the entrenchments at Chattanooga, Tennessee, and remained at that place until the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge in November of 1863, in which it took a prominent part.
They remained in camp around Chattanooga until it moved with the Army into Georgia as part of the operations against Atlanta. The first engagement on this campaign in which the regiment participated was that of Buzzard Roost Gap (May 8th & 9th, 1864), in which it drove the enemy from an important position, and was then engaged in the affair at Rome it was complimented by the brigade commander for having been first inside the city. It formed part of the charging column upon Kennesaw Mountain on June 27th, 1864, and in that disastrous affair lost 164 killed and wounded. It was engaged at Peachtree Creek (July 19th & 20th), and through the siege of Atlanta taking its turn in occupy the siege lines which began to encircle the city. They participated in the final assault at Jonesboro on September 1st, 1864, and with the other regiments of the 2nd Division, 14th Army Corps, succeded in breaching the Confederate lines. During the course of the Atlanta Campaign the regiment lost 240 officers and men either killed, wounded, or captured.
Following a brief rest the regiment was hurried north with the other commands of the 14th Army Corps in the pursuit of the Confederate Army of Tennessee back towards Chattanooga and into North Alabama, however they returned to Atlanta when recalled to the army by General Sherman and reached Atlanta on November 3rd, 1864. Not allowing much time for rest they marched with the army in the famous “March to Sea” from Atlanta to Savannah, a march described by Private Henry F. Jackson of of the Regiment as “….a very pleasant trip. We lived of from the Country all the way threw. It would take to much time to tell you all about our trip threw, so I will leave it until I git home then... I can tell you all, we had one man taken prisoner out of our company. We had but very little skirmishing on our way threw, & we are now formed in line of Battle around Savannah behind our breastworks, our lines runs from the Savannah River to the mouth of the Ogachee River so you can see that we have got the jonies in rather a nice fix….” Arriving at Savannah, Georgia, in December of 1864 the regiment took part in the operations against the city, mostly involved in throwing up earthworks, however the Confederates evacuated the town and the town was occupied by the Union Army on December 21st.
Going into camp around Savannah for December of 1864, the regiment crossed with the Army into South Carolina at Sister’s Ferry in January of 1865 and begun the Carolina’s Campaign, which would culminate in the surrender of the Confederate Army of Tennessee and those forces commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston. Through the march through South Carolina the regiment was not actively engaged outside of skirmishing with Confederate Cavalry and a handful of men who strayed from the column were captured, however upon entering North Carolina the regiment was engaged in the action at Averysboro on March 16th, and on March 19th the 14th Corps was surprised by a massive Confederate attack near Bentonville, North Carolina. The action was described by Major Aaron B. Robinson as follows:
“On the morning of the 19th the First Division passed us and we marched at 8 a.m. and went about five miles. About 9 a.m. artillery firing was heard in front, and as we advanced musketry could also be distinguished. The First Division formed upon the left of the road and the second upon the right. Our brigade had the advance and immediately……..In this shape we advanced, obliquing to the right until the skirmish line engaged the enemy's skirmishers, and by a spirited charge drove them inside their works and came near carrying the works, but in turn were compelled to retire. Our main line having closed well up with the skirmishers, and the enemy's position having been ascertained, each regiment constructed works by throwing up logs upon their respective lines.…...Our works faced the enemy's and were nearly parallel with them, the right a little refused. This accomplished, we lay in comparative quiet an hour or more, when the firing upon our left began to increase at about 2 p.m. In about half an hour the Third Brigade was sent hastily to meet what was now ascertained to be the advancing columns of the enemy, which had broken the lines of the First Division and were now threatening our left flank. In a few minutes General Morgan ordered me to move the One hundred and twenty-First one regimental front to the left, refusing the left, which was immediately done, and the regiment went hastily to work throwing up a breast-work of logs in this new position, while the First Brigade moved one regiment into the works just abandoned by us.
“In the meantime the firing increased along the whole line and was advancing alarmingly upon our left flank, making it evident our left had given back. In a few minutes now I received an order from General Mitchell to advance the regiment until we reached the Thirty-fourth Illinois, and to form upon their left, which in the meantime had changed front and now formed a line at nearly right angles with the original front line, their joining upon the left of the Ninety-eighth Ohio, and had thrown up works in that new position. I was told that if I found a regiment already formed upon the left of the Thirty-fourth to move still to the left and take position upon and extension of that line. I did find, not only one but at least two regiment (the Twenty-First Wisconsin and Thirty-Eighth Indiana, of the First Division) upon the left of the Thirty-Fourth upon an extension of their line, except that the left of each was refused, and I moved the One hundred and twenty-First we formed upon the left of these. All this was done in a swamp covered with water and thickly overgrown with underwood and brambles as well as larger trees, and under a continual fire, which was growing hotter every minute. Before we got in position the enemy were discovered moving by their right flank within 200 yards in a direction nearly parallel with our line, in such a manner, however, as to expose our left flank to continual danger. Such, however, was the similarity in appearance of their uniform to the dusty, threadbare, and faded uniform of our own troops, added to the repeated assurance that we still had troops in that direction, as left a doubt in my mind whether they were not our own troops, and I ordered the men to lay down, reserving their fire. In this emergency, as the enemy were still moving rapidly to our left flank, I sent Lieutenant James Ball, of Company G, with six men of his company to reconnoiter our left, to watch their movements and ascertain to a certainly who they were and to prevent a surprise to our regiment from that direction. In a few minutes I became thoroughly satisfied who they were, as I saw their colors emerging from the brush, and I ordered the men to fire, which was quickly returned. The fire was now kept up for about fifteen minutes with great obstinacy, the enemy slowly advancing and we holding our ground. In the meantime Lieutenant Ball found them closing in upon our left and the fire upon our right became a perfect tempest and was approaching, when it was discovered that the line upon our right was broken and falling back in disorder. To remain longer in that position would have been madness, and we fell back about 400 yards. The enemy, apparently more intent to close in upon what seemed to be the main force, and no doubt now flattering themselves with the idea that one more blow would complete their victory, allowed us to reform our regiment while they pushed up to the works of the First Blly occupied the first line, but were soon after repulsed with great loss and retreated in confusion.
“In the meantime the position of the Second Brigade was charged upon three sides and the troops were compelled to change position from one side to the other of their works, but they stood like a rock, and the enemy were handsomely repulsed and driven back in confusion. In falling back through the brush and swamps the regiment divided, and when we were only partly reformed, a staff officer of the First Brigade entreated the troops that were there (and there were no less than three regimental colors besides our own) to form and advance to the support of the First Brigade, which, he said, was in danger of being flanked. Calling as many of the regiments as were present together, without waiting for the balance I ordered them to advance at double-quick, which they did with a shout, but the enemy had already been repulsed, and I moved them to the right, into the works where the First Brigade were performing, and reported to General [William] Vandever. In a few minutes I saw Lieutenant Scott, brigade ordnance officer, who told me the Second Brigade were still in their old position, and I immediately reported with what men I had to General Mitchell, and he assigned us to a new position on the left of the Thirty-Fourth Illinois, behind the works abandoned by the Twenty-First Wisconsin. In the meantime the balance of the regiment were formed by Captain Banning, who was assisting me in the command of the regiment, and by Adjutant Lewis, and by the direction of Captain Craft, division provost-marshal, he conducted them toward the train and reported to Colonel McMahan, commanding [Third] Brigade, of the First Division, Fourteenth Corps, and by that means became separated from us the balance of the day. About the time of the repulse by the First and Second Brigades, the First Division and the Twentieth Corps, which also had given away at First, rallied their troops and fought with terrific fury until about sunset, when the firing subsided and the enemy were evidently repulsed at all points.
“During this last period there was comparative quiet in our front. At dark, however, our sentinels ran in telling me that the enemy were coming and were very near us. Fearing that some of our troops might have become bewildered and were coming in, I ordered the men not to fire, but to lay close to their works and I challenged the enemy. They were plainly to be seen not thirty paces from us, picking their way through the swamp, and apparently forming line in our front, unconscious of our position. After some parleying I succeeded in getting one to come in, a lieutenant, and when he saw who we were he surrendered his sword to me and reported that the Tenth North Carolina Regiment was there. This satisfied me as to who they were and I communicated this information to the Thirty-fourth Illinois immediately on our right, and sent the officers to General Mitchell. I then ordered the enemy to come in at once, telling them if they did not we should fire upon them. After a moment's pause I ordered the men to fire, which was kept up for about fifteen minutes. One more prisoner gave himself up and was sent to General Mitchell. The enemy broke and fled in great confusion, throwing away blankets, knapsacks, and guns. Thus ended the day.”
During the Battle of Bentonville, the 121st Ohio had suffered the losses of 4 men killed and 27 wounded. This battle saw the last fighting for the regiment, and they continued advancing with the army until April 26th, 1865, when Generals Sherman and Johnston officially meet and the later surrendered the Confederate forces under his command. The army then began a march to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Virginia, this march was made quickly and with much fatigue, however they arrived in Washington, D.C., on the morning of May 19th, 1865. On May 24th, 1865, the regiment was formed in line with the rest of the 14th Army Corps and General Sherman’s army and took part in the Grand Review of the Union Armies in Washington, D.C., the event being attended by a very large crowd anxious to see the Westerners who had marched to the Sea. They remained in the Alexandria, Virginia, area for a short time and on June 8th, 1865, were officially mustered out of United States service and returned to Ohio where the men returned to their homes following a reception by the people of Ohio upon their return.
During the service of the One Hundred & Twenty-First (121st) Ohio Volunteer Infantry from September of 1862 to June of 1865 the regiment had suffered the losses of 9 officers and 92 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and another 2 officers and 246 enlisted men died of disease for a total loss by death of 349 Officers and Men.
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