The 26th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry- The Book
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The third edition of The 26th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry: the Groundhog Regiment is available! The third edition was published on February 7, 2020. The tome now comprises 945 pages, with 160 more pages added from the second edition. The third edition includes many more first hand accounts from primary sources, as well as more burial sites, photos, and maps. The third edition includes also a new chapter covering the imprisonment experience of the regimental brothers. A unique feature of the third edition are soldier's quotes to introduce each chapter. Wade Barr, fellow descendant, authored a heart-felt new Foreword for the book.
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The third edition is available for purchase from the publisher, Authorhouse, as well as numerous other on-line vendors, including: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Alibris, Books-a-Million, Bookshop, and E-Bay, just to name a few. The book can also be purchased on Etsy. (click on any of the hyperlinks to be directed to the specific retail site.)
The three editions of the book can be found at many local bookstores. To locate a bookstore near you, go to Indiebound. The history is available as an e-book from many of the on-line retailers as well as from Bookshelf.vitalsource.com. A read-to option is a feature with Bookshelf.vitalsource.com.
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A synopsis on the creation of the book's three editions:
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Jeffrey A. Hill, webmaster of the 26th Ohio web site, announced on August 7, 2007 that he was writing the regimental history of the 26th Ohio. The title of the book: "The 26th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry- The Groundhog Regiment." The veterans of the 26th Ohio were unable to fulfill their dream to write a definitive regimental history. After spending years discussing and planning to do so, in 1895 the veterans finally decided that they did not have the financial means to pay for the cost of publishing. By mid 1890s, those who were still alive, were in their late 50s, 60s, or even 70s. Many were unable to pursue a gainful living after the war due to the injuries and illnesses they suffered as a result of the War. Many of them were struggling to survive on the meager pension provided to them for their service in the War.
The veterans did leave a wealth of information in the form of company histories, letters and diaries. In addition, Mr. Hill located excellent supporting source material, traveled on six trips to the battlefields and followed the regiment's trek during the war, visited the National Archives in Washington, D.C on three occasions. His goal was to write as comprehensive history as possible, that the veterans would have been proud to call their own. And hopefully, their descendants' will also find the history informative and inspiring.
The manuscript for the original edition was completed in May, 2010. Fellow Descendant, Jon Thompson copy edited the manuscript and offered additional suggestions to the project. Hill received the first copy of the published book on September 1, 2010. The first edition was a 23 chapter, 800 page history with 80 photos, a roster, burial sites, 17 maps and illustrations, and an index. The feedback from fellow descendants as well as professional reviewers were highly positive.
The book was featured in the Winter, 2011 Issue of the Civil War Book Review, Louisiana State University, and listed in the Feb/March 2011 issue of Civil War News. The book was the featured title in the "General's Store" of the Blue & Gray Magazine, Issue XXVII, No. 5, "150th Anniversary: The Battle of First Manassas" Issue.
A review of the book was in the April, 2011 issue of the national periodical publication, Civil War News, p.46. The review is titled, "Overdue 26th Ohio Infantry History Thoroughly Researched, Well Done." Professor Jonathan Noyalas, the reviewer concluded the three column review with the following lines: "Impressively researched and soundly written, Hill's 26th Ohio regimental history preserves the regiment's legacy, but does so in a way that is appealing to historians interested in more than the regiment or Ohio's role in the Civil War. With broad appeal, Hill's book is a fitting tribute to a long-forgotten regiment."
As anticipated, the publication of the original edition sparked increased interest in the regiment's history and many new contacts with descendants who shared their ancestors' information and asked for genealogical assistance. The second edition of the book was published in September 2013, at the time of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga. The updated edition contained more stories, primary sources, and burial sites. Fellow descendant, James Eaton graciously shared the letters and other documents of his ancestor, Captain John Henry James, Co. A that amplified the regiment's story in the second edition.
Seven years later, in February 2020, the greatly expanded third edition was published. The now 972-page history includes a new chapter, plus more photos, maps, updated roster, expanded burial sites, and many more primary sources.
ISBN: Soft Cover: 978-1-7283-3751-7
ISBN: eBook: 978-1-7283-3750-0
Library of Congress Number: 2019920246
For more information, write to Jeffrey Hill @ the26thohio@aol.com.
Libraries
The book can be checkout and/or is available for in-house research only at many university and local libraries across the country:
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The book is now available for checkout and/or in-house research at 78 libraries, including these 22 higher learning academic institutions: The Ohio State University, Capital University (Ohio), Ohio University, Miami University (Ohio), Ashland University (Ohio), Kent State University (Ohio), Kenyon College (Ohio), Wilmington College (Ohio), West Virginia University, Louisiana State University, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Lord Fairfax Community College (Virginia), University of Wisconsin, University of Tennessee, Marshall University (West Virginia), Auburn University (Alabama), Eastern Michigan University, Bowling Green State University (Ohio), the United States Army Military History Institute (Pennsylvania), Utah Valley University, and Western Illinois University.
The volume is available as well at the following 39 public libraries: State Library of Ohio, Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library, Dayton (Ohio) Metropolitan Library, Southeastern Ohio Library Center, Porter-Westlake (Ohio) Public Library, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (Ohio), Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Public Library (Fairview Park Branch), Guernsey County (Ohio) Library, Galion (Ohio) Public Library, Mt. Gilead (Ohio) Public Library, Champaign County (Ohio) Library, Caldwell (Ohio) Public Library, Granville (Ohio) Public Library, Schiappa Branch Library (Steubenville, Ohio), Westerville (Ohio) Public Library, Bucyrus (Ohio) Public Library, Cardington-Lincoln (Ohio) Public Library, Middletown (Ohio) Public Library, West Chester (Ohio) Public Library, Upper Arlington (Ohio) Public Library, Kate Love Simpson Morgan County (Ohio) Library, Lane Public Library (Hamilton, Ohio), Delaware County (Ohio) District Library, Wornstaff Memorial Public Library (Ashley, Ohio), Massillon (Ohio) Public Library, Warren-Trumbull County (Ohio) Library, Portsmouth (Ohio) Public Library, Elyria (Ohio) Public Library, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Ohio), the Stark County (Ohio) District Library, Newark (Ohio) Public Library, Southwest Public Libraries (Grove City, Ohio), Akron-Summit County (Ohio) Public Library, London (Ohio) Public Library, Ashtabula (Ohio) District Library, Saint Louis County Libraries (Missouri), Allen County (Indiana) Public Library, Askews and Holts Library Services Ltd, United Kingdom, and the U.S. Library of Congress (Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms), Washington, D.C.
The book is in the collections of eleven historical and/or genealogical societies', and private museums for in-house research: Ohio History Center (Columbus), Ohio Genealogical Society, Wisconsin Historical Society, Delaware Co. (Ohio) Genealogical Society, Madison Co. (Ohio) Historical Society, Mahoning Valley (Ohio) Historical Society, Ross Co.(Ohio) Historical Society (McKell Library), Blackford Co. (Indiana) Historical Society, Champaign Co. (Ohio) Historical Society, Rippavilla Plantation (Spring Hill, Tennessee), and the Family Research International- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Utah).
The regiment's history is in the research libraries of six national military parks and historic sites: Andersonville (Georgia) National Historic Site, Chattanooga-Chickamauga (Tennessee/Georgia) National Military Park, Kennesaw Mountain (Georgia) National Military Park, Shiloh (Tennessee) National Military Park, Corinth (Mississippi) National Military Park, and the Stones River (Tennessee) National Military Park.