Cpl. John Graybeal, Co. D
Makers of  Web sites about Civil War regiments have many motivations. Mine was to learn more about the Civil War experiences of my great-great grandfather, William Rea, who served with the 45th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry from August 1862 until his capture in the siege of Knoxville in November 1863.
His regiment, at first glance, had an unremarkable war. It did not fight in the most famous battles, suffer the worst casualties or win the most distinguished honors. No one gave it a nickname or wrote its regimental history.
And yet when I did a bit of digging, I discovered that the 45th had at least two distinctions that set it apart from most Ohio regiments, one colorful and one tragic.
On July 19, 1863, the 45th was present at the Battle of Buffington Island -- the only Civil War battle fought on Ohio soil. Federal forces captured nearly 700 of John Hunt Morgan's 2,000 men, while killing 57 and wounding 63. The remaining raiders either crossed the Ohio River into West Virginia -- Morgan's original objective in stopping at Buffington Island -- or escaped with their leader. Morgan continued his raid through Ohio until July 26, when he and his remaining troops surrendered. The 45th, whose men had fought Morgan's forces in one of the first engagements of the raid, sent detachments on this final pursuit as well.
Second, the 45th suffered more deaths in Confederate prisons, 134, than any of Ohio's 315 units, of all branches of the service. Mostly captured in two engagements, one at Philadelphia, Tennessee on October 20, 1863 and another at Holston River, Tennessee on November 15, 1863, prisoners from 45th were first sent to Richmond, Virginia, where 63 perished in the harsh winter months. The survivors were among the first contingents sent to the prison in Andersonville, Georgia, which opened in February, 1864. Sixty-eight never left its gates alive. Altogether three-fifths of the 274 men from the 45th captured during the war died either in prison or soon after their release, from the effects of malnutrition and disease.
After fighting in the siege of Knoxville in November and December 1863,  the 45th took part in many engagements of Sherman's Atlanta campaign, including the battles of Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain and Jonesboro. As part of  the 4th Army Corps, it joined the pursuit of Hood's army through Tennessee in the waning days of 1864 and engaged the enemy in the battles of Franklin and Nashville. The regiment was mustered out on June 12, 1865.

If you have any comments or information about the 45th that you would like to share, please contact me at schill@gol.com.

Thank you and enjoy!

Mark Rea Schilling
First, it took part in the dramatic pursuit of Morgan's Raiders as they rode raising havoc through Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio for three weeks in July of 1863 -- making the farthest northern penetration of any Confederate troops and conducting the longest raid of the war, nearly 1,000 miles from start to finish.
History
Roster
Morgan's raid
Battle of Philadelphia
Siege of Knoxville
Atlanta Campaign new!
Andersonville
Cline articles
Wilshire article
Richmond article
Durling diary
Musgrave diary
Blair diary, letters
Letters
James letter new!
Photos
Soldier bios
Regimental data
Reunions
Final Camping Ground
Regimental flags
Links
Web rings
Awards
Friends of the 45th
45th news

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This page was last updated on: November 15, 2010
HIGHLIGHTS

* New photos of William Rea!

*  Article on the Atlanta Campaign

* New bio of Alonzo Grafton

* Newly discovered letter by Joseph James, Co. E!

* Diary and letters of David Humphrey Blair

* New article about discovery of soldier graffiti in Richmond, KY hospital!

* "Life in Rebel Prisons"-- recently discovered articles by Belle Isle and Andersonville survivor Henry Cline.

* Reunion minutes, with MIDI files of songs sung at reunions by 45th OVI veterans!

* Account of Morgan's Raid by Co. K Sergt. Charles Durling.

* Account of capture and prison life by. Zelotes Musgrave.

* Description of Burnside's entrance into Knoxville by Capt. Joseph Wilshire

* McKinlay Kantor's description of 45th OVI prisoners in his Pulitzer-Prize
-winning novel Andersonville.

* Scan of letter sent from Andersonville prison by William Humphreys, Co. C.

* Letter by Charles Gray of Co. K describing the death of his brother Marcus at Lexington, KY.

* Newspaper accounts of the 45th's 60th and last reunion, on August 16, 1933.

* Biography of last surviving  45th OVI soldier, Eli Pence of St. Paris, Ohio
Sergt. Simpson Dow, Co. D
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