April 27, 1861 Mustered by Captain Grainger for 3 months service (Camp Harrison).
June 18, 1861 Mustered by Captain Walker, U.S. Army, for 3 years service (Camp
Dennison - Aggregate 1,016 men.
June 30, 1861 Left Camp Dennison.
July 4, 1861 On duty at Grafton, West Virginia.
July 13, 1861 Battle of Carricks Ford (6th OVI arrived too late to take part). Bivouac at
Cheat River.
August, 1861 Went into camp at the foot of Cheat Mountain. Involved in
reconnaissance, holding fortifications, and skirmishing. Forty men of the
6th OVI placed as advanced picket post. Company "I" was taken
prisoner (exchanged in fall of 1862).
Nov. 26-29, 1861 Moved by steamer to Louisville where the 6th OVI joined the Army of the
Ohio, General Don Carlos Buell commanding. Enter Camp Jenkins (later
named Camp Buell).
Dec. 9, 1861 - Camp Wickliffe, Kentucky.
Feb. 13, 1862
Dec. 6, 1861 6th OVI place in 15th Brigade- Col. M.S. Hascall, commanding. Brigadier
General "Bull" Nelson commanding the 4th Division.
Feb. 25, 1862 Army of the Ohio, 4th Division, reached Nashville. 6th OVI was the first
regiment of the division to march through town.
March, 1862 Army of the Ohio moved southward from Nashville. Crossed Duck River
at Columbia, Tennessee.
April 5, 1862 Set up camp at Savannah, Tennessee.
April 7. 1862 Battle of Shiloh (2nd Day). Division was advanced at daybreak and
engaged on the left. Several companies of the 6th OVI sent out as a part
of the skirmish line to drive off the enemy. The 6th OVI was ordered to
support Terrill's battery of 5th U.S. Artillery. Volunteers from 6th OVI take
gun positions as Terrill's gun crews become depleted. Final charge by
the division clears enemy from Stuart's camps. Army camped on the field
of battle.
May 24, 1862 The advance on Corinth, Mississippi commenced.
July 17, 1862 Division ordered to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Remained there a week,
then ordered to McMinnville, Tennessee where they went into camp. At
McMinnville, 6th OVI was detailed as provost guards and quartered in
town.
August 17, 1862 Movement of the Army of the Ohio to Louisville commenced.
September, 1862 Army reaches Louisville. In a reorganization of the Army of the Ohio, the
6th OVI was placed in 3rd Brigade (Col. Grose), 2nd Division (Brig. Gen.
W.S. Smith), 14 Corps (Maj. Gen. T.S. Crittenden). The Division
marched across Ky. in pursuit of Bragg to within 35 miles of Cumberland
Gap.
October 24, 1862 Buell replaced as commander of the Army of the Ohio by Major General
Wm. Rosecrans.
Nov. 23, 1862 Went into camp at Nashville, Tennessee.
Dec. 26, 1862 Brigade marched south toward Murfreesboro as part of the army's left
wing under Major General T.S. Crittenden. 6th OVI in 2nd Division
(Brigadier General John M. Palmer).
Dec. 31, 1862 Battle of Stone's River commenced. Division heavily engaged. Out of
383 officers and men in the 6th OVI, 152 were killed, wounded or
captured.
January, 1863 Battle of Stone's River (no major action took place on January 1, 1863). The 6th OVI was heavily engaged in support of the left (7 casualties).
Jan.-May, 1863 Army of the Ohio is renamed the Army of the Cumberland. 6th OVI
camped in Murfreesboro.
June 24, 1863 Army moved south against rebel forces at Tullahoma. Hard marching but
no fighting for the 6th OVI.
August 16, 1863 Campaign against Chattanooga commenced.
Sept. 19-20, 1863 The regiment actively engaged at Chickamauga losing 12 killed and
wounded out of 384 officers and men. Colonel Nicholas Anderson
(commanding the 6th) was wounded on the 19th, and the regiment was
under the command of Major Erwin until October when Lt. Col.
Christopher joined the regiment from the recruiting service. After the army
fell back to Chattanooga, the 20th and 21st Corps were consolidated as
the 4th Corps under Major General Gordon Granger. The 6th OVI became
part of the 2nd Brigade.
October 25, 1863 The shutting up of the army at Chattanooga after the fiasco at
Chickamauga, and the scarcity of rations was a severe test of endurance
for both officers and men. The affair known as the Battle of Browns Ferry,
was fought by picked men from the brigades of Hazen and Turchin,
which the 6th furnished it due portion of men. This battle opened up what
is known as the "Cracker Line" and supplies were then made available for
the besieged troops of Chattanooga.
Nov. 23-25, 1863 When active operations commenced in front of Chattanooga, the 4th
Army Corps occupied the center, and the 6th was in the advance upon
Orchard Knob on the 23rd, and in the charge up Missionary Ridge on the
25th. While actively engaged in skirmishing on the 25th Major Erwin was
killed, and in the first line of battle on the afternoon of the same day the
6th OVI lost 33 out of a total of 265 officers and men.
June 6, 1864 Battle of Resaca (Georgia). After guarding a railroad bridge over the
Oostenaula River, the 6th OVI was released from duty and ordered home
to be mustered out of service.
June 15, 1864 The regiment arrived at Cincinnati and was mustered out of service on
June 23, 1864 at Camp Dennison.
Many of the men of the 6th OVI reenlisted in Hancock's "Veteran Corps" after mustering out. The 6th OVI marched, in round numbers, 3,250 miles and traveled by steamer 2,650 miles. The 6th OVI was in four pitched battles losing a total of 325 killed, wounded and missing. In addition, it shared a half dozen skirmishes and lesser engagements. A large number of enlisted men, at least 75, received commissions in other regiments. Eleven of these were in the regular army.
The 6th OVI was in a good state of discipline from start to finish. The men were always cheerful, willing, and obedient, and were at all times ready for duty. It is sufficient to say that both officers and men enjoyed to the fullest the confidence of their brigade, division, and corps commanders. They earned a reputation in the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland that their native city should well be proud of them.
