Ohio Volunteer Cavalry

Story adapted from a post by Scotts Bluff National Monument.

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the state of Ohio raised 260 regiments of men in infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Recruiting primarily out of southern Ohio, the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry (11th OVC) was sent into the West for the purpose of protecting the mail routes and roads through Nebraska and Wyoming.

As of December 31, 1864, there were four companies at Fort Laramie, one at Fort Halleck (north of Elk Mountain), one at Camp Marshall (modern Douglas), and one at Platte Bridge (Casper) in Wyoming. Two companies were at Camp Collins (Fort Collins) and one company at Fremont Orchard (Orchard), Colorado.

An additional company was stationed at the base of Scotts Bluff at Fort Mitchell.

Members of the regiment would serve in the area between the summer of 1862 and the summer of 1866. Their legacy extends beyond history, as names like Collins and Caspar remain in the area, along with many of the 84 men who perished due to warfare and disease.