1862 U.S. Civil War Unit Roster Broadside of Company C, 32nd Regiment, Ohio Infantry

This is a c. 1862 American Civil War broadside roster for Company C, 32nd Regiment, Ohio Infantry. It is a scarce memorial of the company's service published as a memento for surviving soldiers. Few such records for any unit survive.

A Closer Look

Visual elements dominate the top third of the sheet, with a gigantic eagle in flight acting as the major focal point. The eagle also separates several vignettes. The largest, at top center, illustrates a battle, while a naval engagement appears on the top right. A soldier leaving home to go to war appears below the eagle's left wing and the soldier returns home from the war below the eagle's right wing.

Below, three columns present the specific information relating to Company C of the 32nd Regiment, Ohio Infantry. Soldiers holding the rank of Private are listed in alphabetical order in the left and right columns, with short remarks attached to certain soldiers. Among these remarks are whether they were discharged, wounded, killed, or captured, as well as one soldier that is noted as deserting. Officers are listed in the center. The company's muster in date and its battle history appear along the bottom, up until its capture during the Battle of Harper's Ferry.

The 32nd Ohio Infantry

Recruits for the 32nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry began to form the company at Camp Bartley near Mansfield, Ohio, but were transferred to Camp Dennison (near Cincinnati, Ohio) to complete the regiment's formation. The regiment was formally mustered into federal service for a three year enlistment on August 31, 1861. They were ordered to western Virginia on September 18, 1861, and first saw combat on October 3, 1861, at the Battle of Greenbriar River, an inconclusive battle that ended in a Confederate withdrawal. The 32nd remained in the area for the rest of the autumn. They next saw combat on December 13, 1861, at the Battle of Camp Allegheny in western Virginia, which ended in a Union retreat. Then the 32nd fought at the Battle of McDowell on May 8, 1862, and the Union retreated to Franklin, Virginia, where they withstood ten days of Confederate attacks. Union forces pursued the withdrawing Confederates into the Shenandoah Valley and fought the Battle of Cross Keys on June 8, 1862, which ended in a Confederate withdrawal. The 32nd Ohio did not see combat again until September, when, as part of the garrison at Harper's Ferry, the regiment fought in the Battle of Harper's Ferry from September 12 - 15, 1862. The entire 32nd Ohio Regiment was captured by Confederate General Thomas Jonathan 'Stonewall' Jackson during this battle. Jackson paroled the regiment the next day, after stripping the men of their supplies. The regiment was then sent to Annapolis, Maryland, and then to Chicago, Illinois, before finally arriving in Cleveland, Ohio. This is where the unit's history ends on the present broadside.

The regiment's history does not end here, however. The entire regiment was exchanged in January 1863, and reentered the Union Army. After the exchange, the 32nd Ohio joined General Grant's Army of the Tennessee and fought in the Vicksburg Campaign. The regiment then took part in General Sherman's March to the Sea, and was fighting in North Carolina when the war ended.

Civil War Unit Rosters and Memorials

Unit rosters and memorials were published for many Civil War units, usually specific companies but sometimes larger units were memorialized in this manner. Our research of surviving digitized examples indicates that publishers created templates wherein the artwork and other imagery remained, but text would change according to the unit. Soldier's names, their ranks, and even notes about each individual's service could be included. The company’s muster in and out dates were usually included, along with specifics about the unit's combat history.

Publication history and Census

This broadside was created by an unknown publisher c. 1862 and was published for Company C, 32nd Regiment, Ohio Infantry. This is the only known cataloged example of the present broadside.