10th Ohio Infantry

The 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 10th OVI) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was also known as the Montgomery Regiment and the Bloody Tenth. The 10th Ohio Infantry was predominantly made up of Irish American recruits, but two companies were made up of German American recruits.

Three-months regiment
The 10th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Harrison near Cincinnati, Ohio and mustered in for three months service on May 7, 1861 under Colonel William Haines Lytle in response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers. The regiment moved to Camp Dennison on May 12 and performed duty there until June 3, 1861. The 10th Ohio Infantry mustered out on August 21, 1861.

Three-years regiment
The 10th Ohio Infantry was reorganized at Camp Dennison on June 3, 1861 and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel William Haines Lytle.

The regiment was attached to 2nd Brigade, Army of Occupation, western Virginia, to September 1861. Benham's Brigade, Kanawha Division, Western Virginia, to October 1861. 1st Brigade, Kanawha Division, Western Virginia, to November 1861. 17th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to December 1861. 17th Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Ohio, to September 1862. 17th Brigade, 3rd Division, I Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Center, XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XIV Corps, January 1863. Headquarters Provost Guard, Department of the Cumberland, to May 1864.

The 10th Ohio Infantry mustered out of service on June 3, 1864. Seventy-five enlisted men whose terms of enlistment had not expired were left unassigned within the Army of the Cumberland, until September, then assigned to the 18th Ohio Infantry.

Detailed service
Left Ohio for western Virginia June 24, and duty at Grafton, Clarksburg and Buckhannon until August. Western Virginia Campaign July to September 1861. Battle of Carnifex Ferry September 10. Operations in the Kanawha Valley and New River Region October 19-November 24. Pursuit of Floyd November 10–15. Gauley Bridge November 10. Cotton Mountain November 10–11. Moved to Louisville, Ky., November 24-December 2, thence to Elizabethtown, and to Bacon Creek December 26. Duty there until February 1862. Movement to Bowling Green, Ky., February 10–15. Occupation of Bowling Green February 15–22. Advance on Nashville, Tenn., February 22-March 2. Advance on Murfreesboro March 17–19. Occupation of Shelbyville, Fayetteville, and advance on Huntsville Ala., March 28-April 11. Capture of Huntsville April 11. Advance on Decatur April 11–14. Action at West Bridge near Bridgeport April 29. Duty at Huntsville until August. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 27-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1–15. Battle of Perryville October 8. March to Nashville, October 16-November 7. Provost duty at the headquarters of Gen. William S. Rosecrans, Commanding Army of the Cumberland, until December 1863, and at headquarters, Gen. George H. Thomas, Commanding Army and Department of the Cumberland, until May 1864. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 26–30, 1862. Battle of Stones River December 30–31, 1862 and January 1–3, 1863. Stewart's Creek January 1. Duty at Murfreesboro until June. Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Occupation of middle Tennessee until August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19–21. Siege of Chattanooga September 24-November 23. Battles of Chattanooga November 23–25. Missionary Ridge November 24–25. Reconnaissance of Dalton, Ga., February 22–27, 1864. Atlanta Campaign May 1–27. Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8–11. Battle of Resaca May 14–15. Ordered to rear for muster out May 27.

Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 168 men during service; 3 officers and 86 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 77 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

 * Colonel William Haines Lytle
 * Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Burke - commanded at the battles of Perryville and Stones River
 * Lieutenant Colonel William M. Ward - commanded at the battle of Chickamauga

Notable members

 * 1st Sergeant Thomas J. Kelly, Company C - leader of the Irish Republican Brotherhood