Ohio touring, traveling and visiting information

Just the beginning:

Ohio & the Civil War

There's a new book "Blood, Tears & Glory" by James Bissland in which he states that the Civil War was the most important event in the United States since the Constitution.

Up to the outbreak of the great war, most of Ohio tended to ignore the social conflict brewing. On occasion the differences between north and south would erupt, but for the most part, Ohio's citizens were busy growing into one of the most industrious states in the Union.

John Brown

In 1859, just a little over a year before actual fighting erupted, a man from northeastern Ohio. Although he was born in Connecticut, his family moved to Hudson, Ohio in 1805.

As John grew up in the small community, he developed from his father and others in the community, a deep hatred for slavery.

Northeastern Ohio was a hotbed filled with antislavery sentiment. At one rally in support of antislavery, John Brown stood up and vowed to dedicate his life to the destruction of slavery.

While living in northeastern Ohio, John tried numerous occupations and ventures, but nothing was successful. He moved often from place to place trying to find his way. The only thing that Brown became successful at, was inciting others in his personal hatred for slavery.

John Brown became an outspoken abolitionist. Later, Abraham Lincoln would call him a "misguided fanatic."

Although many antislavery supporters detested the idea of slavery, they had different feelings about the rights of blacks. Not John Brown. In 1838, John Brown invited a number of blacks to the little church in Franklin Mills, Ohio. The congregation was astonished.

In 1856 John Brown led a group of men in Kansas against the residents of the small community Osawatomie known for its pro-slavery sentiments. Brown and his men went from cabin to cabin butchering those they knew were pro-slavery. All together they killed 5 people, cut off the arms and legs of numerous others. This put John Brown's name on the map of the infamous.

In October, 1859, the former Ohioan led a group of men against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry. Their goal was to take enough weapons that they could arm slaves with weapons so they could rise up in revolt against slavery. The revolt was over within 36 hours and Brown was quickly captured. The state of Virginia charged him with treason and hanged him in December.

This act by the fanatical Brown, convinced many southerners that he was typical of all northern abolitionists. This opinion by the south is one of the main reasons they feared the election of Abraham Lincoln whom they also viewed as an abolitionist. After Lincoln was elected to the Presidency, in less than 4 months, the south succeeded from the Union, resulting in the outbreak of the Civil War.

The Militia

At the outset of the Civil War, the United States consisted of 34 states and 32 million people. It had a regular army of just 15,322 enlisted men and 1,080 officers that were mostly scattered on the western frontier.

Each state had its own militia. In Ohio, the militia consisted of mostly town folks who dressed up for special parades and holidays. Militia members elected their officers, not on merit or abilities, but on their popularity or position in the community.

Each militia unit could choose their own uniforms. Training usually meant learning how to accomplish parade maneuvers without bumping into one and other. All together, before the start of the war, Ohio had just over 1,000 militia members.

Immediately after the onset of the war, the ranks of the militia grew at an unimaginable rate. As quickly as someone requested to form a company, the company was filled with would-be soldiers.

The initial enlistment period was just 90 days. Feeling that the rebellion would soon be quashed, there was no need to ask for longer enlistments from these citizen soldiers.

Letter from Marcus Spiegel of Millersburg, Ohio
to his wife, May 25, 1863

After fighting for five days and nights with but two days rations before Vicksburg; after skirmishing, charging, deploying in line and again in mass, standing picket, supporting batteries, building breastworks for ourselves and charging as those of the enemy; in short after five days of the most laborious, hazardous and terrible hardship and privations, when we expected relief, we received order to get ready to march in an hour.

Well, here we are eleven miles from the battlefield and in fact I feel relieved; I was almost tired of hearing the incessant roar of the hundreds of cannons and mortars, the rattling of musketry, which never ceased for a minute the five days and the former never stopped any for the last five days or nights.

...

It seems like Sunday to us, to be without the continual whizzing of bullets and bursting of shells, but how long we may be permitted to enjoy this pleasant quietude, God only knows.

The Civil War Comes into Ohio

For the most part, all the fighting during the war was mostly in other states, except for the summer of 1863.

Ohio's population was just learning about Gettysburg and the surrender of Vicksburg. There was much to be encouraged about as the Civil War was entering its 2nd year.

That was when the war came to Ohio. It was called Morgan's Raid, which included the Battle of Buffington Island as well as numerous other skirmishes throughout southern Ohio.

A band of 2500 rebel cavalry went from town to town in southern Ohio, stealing and looting through the small towns.

More about Morgan's Raid and the Battle of Buffington Island>>

Prisoner of War Camps in Ohio

Ohio had 2 Confederate Prisoner of War Camps. Today, all that remains of each camp are the cemeteries.

Camp Chase located on the west side of Columbus started out as a training camp for new recruits. That lasted for about 8 months. It was then converted to a prisoner of war camp.

Initially, Camp Chase was operated by Columbus, but it was later turned over to the Federal government. Conditions in the camp were deplorable as were most prison camps on both sides. Many men died in the camp because of the conditions in the camp including poor food, poor medical facilities, and poor housing conditions.

The other camp in Ohio was on Johnson's Island, which is not far from where Marblehead Lighthouse is located. This camp was designed and built to house prisoners from the outset.

More about Camp Chase >>

More about Johnson's Island >>

Ohio's First Military Units are Formed

The 1st and 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) regiments were the first units formed from Ohio.

The enlistment called for 3 months of duty. They left Columbus at 4:00 a.m. for Washington on Friday, April 19, just 7 days after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter.

Before the 1st and 2nd OVI could reach their destination, riots broke out in Maryland. Secessionists cut the telegraph wires, and burned railroad bridges. This forced the troops to remain in Pennsylvania a while longer.

On April 29, 10 days after leaving Columbus, the new Ohio regiments were mustered into Federal service, given uniforms and arms. Still cut off from Washington, the men were sent to Philadelphia. Finally, in late May, they reached Washington and set up camp just north of the Capitol.

Once in Washington D.C., the men continued drilling. When they weren't drilling they were taking in the sites of the capital city, although many thought the city was a bit weedy and unkempt.

The streets were unpaved, pigs and other livestock roamed free and the Washington canal reeked of sewage.

On May 23, Virginia seceded and the state became enemy territory for the federal troops stationed in D.C. Lincoln quickly ordered troops across the Potomac and into Virginia to better protect the capital. This was the first time that Ohio's soldiers had the opportunity to face their now sworn enemy. But faced with overwhelming odds, the Confederate forces quickly withdrew from Alexandria and Arlington Heights. With only light resistance the Union troops set up a camp called Camp Upton. They had successfully captured the first enemy ground, including the home of the future Confederate general, Robert E. Lee.

In May, Irvin McDowell from Columbus, had graduated from West Point in 1838. On May 14, 1861he was made brigadier general and given command of the Army of Northeastern Virginia. McDowell, who had been a tactics instructor at West point and served in the Mexican American War as an aide-de-camp, the largest group of men he was ever in charge of was 8. Now he was in charge of 35,000, the largest American military ever assembled to date.

His promotion was based mostly on his political connections with Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase, another Ohioan.

Although McDowell realized the men under his command, including the 1st & 2nd OVI were ill trained, Washington politicians were anxious to get this war over and done with through a quick and decisive battle. It was this pressure that forced McDowell to launch a premature offensive against the Confederate forces in Northern Virginia.

His plan was a sound military plan, except for one thing: the men executing it were just merchants and farmers less than a month ago.

The goal was to move on Manassas, Virginia, a first step in taking Richmond, the new capital of the Confederacy.

It started with the Confederates aligned on the far side of Bull Run Creek.

On July 16, the Union forces went into motion. It was a gay time for the citizen soldiers, and as one military observer noted, they (the troops) looked more like a mob than an army.

It took several days for the army to reach their destination and McDowell wanted to make sure everything was in place before attacking. While waiting 2 days for additional supplies to catch up with them, the smaller Confederate forces had been reinforced.

On July 21, the Union forces began the attack. The 1st & 2nd OVI were deployed on the flanks of the turnpike road leading into Manassas.

By mid morning the Union forces had pushed back the rebels. Hearing that the battle had begun, many of Washington's politicians and gentry came out to watch the battle.

By mid day there was a lull in the fighting as both sides tried to regroup. McDowell was convinced the Confederates had retreated and rather than push his men, he let them rest.

By 4 p.m., rebel reinforcements had arrived and McDowell's battle plan fell completely apart. So heavy was the fire that the Union forces began to fall back. This retreat turned into a panic as soldiers were running past the shocked on looking civilians.

This was known as the First Battle of Bull Run. The 1st & 2nd OVI suffered 2 killed, 6 wounded, and 15 missing after the battle. By the time they returned to Washington D.C., their 90 day enlistment was over and they returned home to Ohio and on August 2, 1861 they were mustered out.