125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimen

125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimen

On Sept. 16, 1862 Company A was mustered in at Camp Cleveland, Ohio. They were destined to go with the 105th Ohio, but the 105th had enough companies so the Governor ordered another regiment to be recruited from the North-east corner of the state. Thus, the 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment came into being. Assigned to command was Colonel Emerson Opdycke, a veteran of the battle of Shiloh, where he was wounded while erving as Captain of Company A, 41st OVI.

Other officers assigned to the 125th were E. B. Taylor, of Warren, as Lt. Colonel and George L. Wood, from Company D, 7th Ohio, as Major. Company officers included Joseph Bluff, Robert B. Stewart, and Alexander Dickson.

By Jan. 2, 1863 the regiment reached its full complement and was ready to march out "for Dixie". It traveled to Nashville, arriving on Feb. 11, and became part of the Army of the Cumberland.

The first action experienced by the 125th was at Franklin, TN when they advanced along the Columbia Pike as skirmishers until they were far enough out to act as pickets. The fight was a small affair but was the first time many of the men were exposed to enemy fire. Other skirmishes ensued in the week that followed as Van Dorn's troopers advanced towards Franklin. A direct attack was made by Van Dorn on the 10th of April, the first "battle" to involve the 125th, although they were in reserve most of the time.

The regiment spent a quiet summer, seeing little action except for supplying skirmishers and pickets, but things were soon to change as the Army of the Cumberland moved south to a place called Chickamauga, in Georgia just south of Chattanooga.

On Sept. 17th they arrived and, as part of Harker's Brigade, Wood's Division, guarded the road from Lafayette to Chattanooga. They were not sent into the battle until late on the first day. They deployed to the right of the Lafayette Rd. near Viniard's along with the 64th Ohio, 65th Ohio, and 3rd Kentucky. Facing them were the 10th and 41st Tennessee; the 17th, 23rd, 25th, 44th Tennessee; and the 18th, 36th, and 38th Alabama. After heavy fighting, Harker's Brigade settled in for the night near Viniard's. Scattered musket fire was heard during the night which was quite cold. There was a readjustment of the line during the night, with Wood's Division moving to a ridge a mile or more west of Brotherton's.

The following day, they were withdrawn from the line, along with the rest of Wood's Division, as per instructions of the disputed order to have him support Reynold's Division. It was this withdrawal that left the gap in the line which allowed Longstreet to pour through. Harker's Brigade was halted north of Dyer's field and as the Confederate attack swept across the field, the Springfields of the 125th spoke for the first time that day. The fight was furious but the line held long enough for the routed Union forces to regroup along Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill. It was during the fight that Lt. Charles T. Clark, of Co. H, yelled to Col. Opdycke, "They might kill us but they will never beat us!". It was for their stand at Dyer's field that the regiment was dubbed "The Opdycke Tigers" by Gen. Wood.

The regiment was withdrawn to Snodgrass Hill, where it remained for the rest of the battle, before they moved back to Chattanooga with the rest of the Army. While on the hill , they assisted in repulsing numerous heavy assaults. Casualties suffered by the 125th during the battle numbered 105 out of the 314 who went into the battle (17 killed, 83 wounded, 5 missing).

In Chattanooga, the regiment camped with the rest of the brigade near Fort Wood, about one-half mile southeast of town. It was there that they endured the siege of the city until on Nov. 25th, the assault on Mission Ridge commenced. The 125th was part of a demi-brigade, commanded by Col. Opdycke and consisting of the 125th along with 3rd Kentucky, 64th and 65th Ohio, 79th Illinois. They were ordered forward to take the rifle pits at the base of the ridge but upon reaching the pits, found themselves exposed to fire from the ridge itself, so they kept going, without orders, to the top of the ridge, routing the Confederate defenders. The 125th went into the battle with a total of 216 men. Casualties numbered 32 (2 killed, 30 wounded)

Following the victory at Missionary Ridge, the 125th, along with the rest of the 2nd Division and the 3rd Division of the 4th Corps were sent to the relief of Burnside in Knoxville. On Jan. 16, 1864, the regiment marched from Blain's Crossroads towards Dandridge. The next morning, they were detailed for picket duty. That afternoon the enemy attacked , almost routing the regiment. They held their position until called into reserve after dark. The regiment lost four killed, including Lt. Seabury Smith, acting Adjutant. Fourteen were wounded and seven men captured, five of whom later died in Andersonville prison.

As part of the Army of the Cumberland, the 125th was part of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's forces in the campaign to take Atlanta. They entered the campaign with a total force of 517 officers and men. Before Atlanta fell, 225 of them were killed or seriously wounded, including Col. Opdycke, wounded at Recasta. Throughout the campaign, they were involved in many battles and skirmishes, including Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Adairsville, Cassville, New Hope Church, Pine Mountain, Muddy Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Nancy's Creek, and Peach Tree Creek.

After the fall of Atlanta, they joined the pursuit of the retreating Confederates and were involved in battles at Lovejoy Station and Jonesboro. Upon their return to Atlanta on Sept. 8, 1864 they were transferred from the 3rd Brigade to the 1st Brigade, that they might once again be under the immediate command of Col. Opdycke.