15TH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY

1861-1865

     The Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was among the first troops to respond to President Lincoln's call for troops in April 1861. The troops assembled at Camp Jackson, Columbus, Ohio and were mustered into the service of the State to date from April 27, 1861. Four days later, the Regiment removed to Zanesville, Ohio. The Regiment was used to guard the B&O Railroad in Western Virginia and were engaged at Philippi, Laurel Hill and Carrick's Ford. With its term about to expire, the regiment was reorganized into a three year unit. In September of 1861, the unit began to gather at Mansfield, Ohio.

     Moses R. Dickey was named Colonel. William T. Wilson served as Lt. Col. and William Wallace as Major. The regiment was fully orgainzed by September 20, 1861 and was mustered into service on September 21st with equipment being issued on the 22nd. The regiment arrived in Columbus, Ohio on September 26 and moved the next day to Camp Dennison.

     Colonel Dickey resigned on October 24, 1862, reportedly because command of the brigade was given to General August Willich. In April of 1863, a copy of the Mansfield Shield and Banner newspaper arrived in camp containing a speech by Col. Dickey which the men of the regiment felt was unpatriotic. On the evening of April 16th, men from the 15th Ohio, 49th Ohio and 32nd Indiana gathered and wrote a response to the paper denouncing Col. Dickey's speech.

     William Wallace took command of the regiment and led it in the fighting at Shiloh in April of 1862 (Col. Dickey was absent) and Stone River. Following that campaign, Wallace returned to Ohio because of ill health and took command of Camp Chase, a prison camp outside of Columbus. Col. Askew was left in command of the regiment and led it throughout the remainder of the war. Col. Wallace returned briefly for the Atlanta Campaign but was mustered out after hurting his back in a severe fall at Pickett's Mill.

     The most well known and honored commander of the 15th Ohio was Frank Askew of Belmont Co. Ohio. His father was a harnessmaker in Barnesville. Askew attended the University of Michigan in 1859 with the hopes of becoming a lawyer. With the outbreak of the war, he enlisted in the 17th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a 90-day unit. At the end of his initial enlistment, he reenlisted as a Captain in the 15th Ohio.

     Askew was wounded and captured at the Battle of Stone River but was left behind by his captors when the Confederate Army retreated from Murfreesboro. He reported back for duty in May of 1863 as commander of the regiment. He led the regiment, except for a brief period in the early part of the Atlanta Campaign when Col. Wallace returned, for the rest of the war. He was wounded again at Nashville but did not leave the field.

     His appointment to Colonel and later Bvt. Brig. General, was met with get satisfaction with the men of the regiment who trusted Col. Askew as a "man of unusual skill and efficiency and a man of unusual qualifications and fitness for higher command."