The 63rd OVI was recruited and organized from counties in
the southeastern part of the state in October 1861 to serve for three years. A camp was located at Chillicothe, Ohio, called Camp
Worthington, and the work of recruiting for the regiment began in the month of August
1861. Captain William Craig of the U.S. Regular Army obtained authority to recruit a
regiment, of which he was to be Colonel, for the three years' service, to be called the
Sixty-third Ohio. He located a Camp at Marietta, Ohio, called Camp Tupper, and
engaged men about the first of October, 1861 to recruit for several companies of his
proposed regiment. In the latter part of December 1861, Colonel Gilmore at
Chillicothe had enough men enlisted to organize four companies. Work at recruiting
was still going on but neither of these organizations was completed because of the
following: Early in January 1862 Governor Tod ordered six full
companies of the men at Chillicothe recruited for the 22nd Ohio to be transferred to
Marietta to join the four companies there. This made a full regiment at Marietta,
which he called the 63rd. The surplus men at Chillicothe over and above the six
companies were transferred to Mt. Vernon to join a regiment being recruited there called
the 43rd. Governor Tod appointed as Colonel of the 63rd just formed, John W. Sprague
who had not assisted in recruiting any part of it, and who was an entire stranger to every
member. Colonel Gilmore of the 22nd was appointed Lieutenant
Colonel and Captain Craig of the Regular Army who had recruited the four companies at
Marietta dropped out entirely. The companies of the new regiment were given letters
according to the respective rank of their Captains, the senior commencing with A.
The six companies recruited at Chillicothe were designated A, B, E, H, I and K and the
four companies recruited at Marietta were designated C, D, F and G. The companies were assigned place in line in the regiment
according to the letter given each and the rank of its Captain as provided in Army
regulations. This order is as follows, commencing on the right, A, F, C, I, C, H, E,
K, G and B. The companies of the 63rd maintained this order in line during their
four years service. The original Captains of the Regiment and the localities
from which they principally recruited their respective companies are as follows: Company A, Captain Nathan Picket Recruited mostly from the northern part of Athens County,
some from adjoining counties. Company B, Captain Charles E. Brown Recruited in Ross County. Company C,
Captain Christopher E. Smith
Recruited in Meigs County.
Company D, Captain John W. Fouts
Recruited in Washington, Morgan and Noble Counties.
Company E, Captain Thomas McCord
Recruited in Ross and Pike Counties.
Company F, Captain Charles H. Titus
Recruited in Washington, Meigs and Noble Counties.
Company G, Captain Rodney K. Shaw
Recruited in Washington, Athens and Morgan Counties.
Company H, Captain Oscar L. Jackson
Recruited about 1/3 each from Hocking and Athens Counties; the other 1/3 from Ross, Vinton, Washington and Morgan Counties.
Company I, Captain James Taggart
Recruited mainly in Ross County, some from adjoining counties.
Company K, Captain Charles W. McGinnis
Recruited mainly in Ross County, some from adjoining counties.
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