The Fifty Fifth Ohio Infantry is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.
About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? Sept. 14, 1887.
What is it made out of? Sculpture: Amherst, Ohio silver grey sandstone; Base: Amherst, Ohio silver grey sandstone.
What size is it? Sculpture: approx. 12 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 1 in.; Base: approx. W. 6 ft. x D. 6 ft.
Who made it? King, R. R., sculptor. Karkadoulias Bronze Art, founder.
What does it depict? Sculpture consists on a shaft on a two-tiered base. On the front face of the shaft is a uniformed soldier crouching behind a stone fence. He is firing his rifle and is kneeling on his proper right knee. The 11th Corps crescent appears at the top front. This is the site’s only sandstone monument and the only Ohio monument built with Ohio materials. Unfortunately, the soft stone does not weather well like harder stones such as granite and the monument is actually slowly melting away under the elements. Little can be done to correct this problem
What does it honor? It marks the location where the 55th Ohio held the ground that the 1st and 11th Corps retreated to on July 1, 1863. The 55th Ohio maintained its position through July 2 & 3.
How is it inscribed? 55TH/OHIO INFANTRY/ARRIVED AT 2:20 P.M. JULY 1, IN/THIS POSITION WHICH IT HELD/THROUGHOUT THE BATTLE/WITH SEVERE LOSS./ITS SKIRMISHERS DROVE BACK/THOSE OF THE ENEMY/AND SEIZED A BARN BETWEEN/THE LINES,/WHERE 12 OF ITS MEN WERE SURROUNDED AND CAPTURED BY/THE ENEMY’S MAIN LINE./CASUALTIES/6 KILLED. 31 WOUNDED./12 MISSING.
When was this photograph taken? August 26, 2011.
Where is it located? Located Gettysburg National Military Park, East junction of Taneytown Road, Steinwehr Avenue, and Washington Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325. Monument is located East side of the Taneytown Road at its junction with Steinwehr Avenue and Washington Street.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? No.
Has this monument been moved or changed? This monument has not been moved. New bronze inscription plaques were added in April 1989 by Karkadoulias Bronze Art.
Monument Details, Alternative Views, and Contextual Views
At Gettysburg
The 55th Ohio Infantry served as a member of Smith’s Brigade in von Steinwehr’s Division of the Eleventh Corps, Army of the Potomac. A Fighting 300 Regiment.
Commander: Col. Charles B. Gambee (1827-1864)
Number Engaged: 375
Casualties: 6 killed, 31 wounded, 12 missing
Soldiers Buried in the Ohio Plot of the Gettysburg National Cemetery:
- Pvt. Haskell E. Farr, Company G, E-6
- Pvt. Ozias C. Ford, Company A, B-8
- Pvt. Joseph Klinegelter, Company F, A-27
- Pvt. Jacob Mitchell, Company C, C-13
- Pvt. John R. Myer, Company C, B-5
- Pvt. Henry Opher, Jr., Company E, B-3
- Pvt. William E. Pollock, Company C, C-15
Medal of Honor Winners: STACEY, CHARLES. Rank and organization: Private, Company D, 55th Ohio Infantry. Place and date: At Gettysburg, Pa., 2 July 1863. Entered service at: ——. Birth: England. Date of issue: 23 June 1896. Citation: Voluntarily took an advanced position on the skirmish line for the purpose of ascertaining the location of Confederate sharpshooters, and under heavy fire held the position thus taken until the company of which he was a member went back to the main line.
General Information
Raised: Erie, Huron, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wyandot counties.
Regimental History ~ Dyer’s Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:
Organized at Norwalk, Ohio, September to December, 1861. Mustered in January 25, 1862. Ordered to Grafton, W. Va., January 25. Attached to Schenck’s Brigade, Railroad District, West Virginia, to March, 1862. Railroad District, Dept. of the Mountains, to April, 1862. Schenck’s Brigade, Dept. of the Mountains, to June, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Pope’s Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to October, 1863, and Army of the Cumberland, to April, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland and Army of Georgia, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.–Moved from Grafton to New Creek, W. Va., February 3, 1862. Expedition to Romney February 6. Expedition to Moorefield February 12-16. Action at Moorefield February 12. Moved to Grafton February 19, and duty there until March 31. Moved to Green Spring River March 31, thence to Romney April 10. Ordered to Join Milroy at Monterey. Battle of McDowell May 8. March to the Shenandoah Valley May 26-29. Near Franklin May 26. Harrisonburg June 6. Battle of Cross Keys June 8. At Middletown until July 7, and at Sperryville until August 8. Reconnaissance to Madison Court House July 16-19. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9 (Reserve). Slaughter Mountain August 10. Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Catlett’s Station August 22. Battles of Bull Run August 28-30. Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until December. Reconnaissance to Bristoe Station and Warrenton Junction September 25-28. Moved to Fredericksburg December 12-16. “Mud March” January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth until April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee July 5-24. At Catlett’s Station, Va., July 25 to September 24. Movement to Bridgeport, Ala., September 24-October 3. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn., October 28-29. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23. Tunnel Hill November 24-25. Mission Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 17. Duty in Lookout Valley until May, 1864. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1 to September 8. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11. Buzzard’s Roost Gap May 8-9. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22-25. Action at New Hope Church May 25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 26-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Gilgal or Golgotha Church June 15. Muddy Creek June 17. Noyes Creek June 19. Cassville June 20. Kolb’s Farm June 22. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruffs Station July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Operations at Chattahoochie River Bridge August 26-September 2. Farmer’s Ferry August 27. Occupation of Atlanta September 2 to November 15. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Lawtonville, S.C., February 2. North Edisto River February 12-13. Reconnaissance on Goldsboro Road, near Fayetteville, N. C., March 14. Taylor’s Hole Creek, Aversyboro, March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett’s House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19. Grand Review May 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 10, and duty there until July. Mustered out July 11, 1865. Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 136 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 119 Enlisted men by disease. Total 262.
Ohio at Gettysburg
4th Infantry :: 5th Infantry :: 7th Infantry :: 8th Infantry :: 25th Infantry :: 29th Infantry :: 55th Infantry :: 61st Infantry :: 66th Infantry :: 73rd Infantry :: 75th Infantry :: 82nd Infantry :: 107th Infantry :: 1st Cavalry :: 6th Cavalry :: 1st Artillery H :: 1st Artillery I :: 1st Artillery K :: 1st Artillery L
