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On May
of 2003, we are pleased to announce the publication of our first book:
SACRIFICE AT CHICKAMAUGA
A History of the
89th Ohio
Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Bryan P. Weaver
with H. Lee Fenner
This
Civil War regimental history is a story of 1,001 men from the southwest Ohio counties of Brown, Clermont, Highland and Ross. They were subjected to a colonel who was eventually dismissed from service for incompetence,
and after 13 months of duty without major combat, was thrown into the failing Union lines during the battle of Chickamauga
to save the Army of the Cumberland from complete defeat. The order to withdraw
was never received by the 89th Ohio and their fate thus sealed.
Very few of the estimated 350 soldiers who marched into battle escaped – 75 reported
to duty the next day, 19 were killed, 48 wounded and the rest went to Confederate prisons. The 89th Ohio suffered the
second highest number of deaths in prison by an Ohio Regiment - 108, of which, 56 are buried at Andersonville Prison, and
21 at Danville Prison.
Discover the
fate of these heroic men through their letters, journals, diaries and pension records. For those who were not captured
at Chickamauga, it would be a long 2,582-mile journey that would travel through 11 states - Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia,
Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland ans West Virginia. Experience the
emotions from first-hand accounts of the siege of Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, the road to Atlanta, Jonesboro, Sherman's
march to the sea, through the Carolina's in pursuit of General Johnston, and their march through the streets of Washington for
the Grand Review of the victorious armies.
Read how 16-year
old private, Joseph Benson Foraker, became an officer, and after the war, became a two-time Governor of Ohio and
then a US Senator; and how Private William Christie Johnson was unanaminously elected Commander-in-Chief of the GAR,
and presided over the 1899 National Encampment held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Book Review
Quotes:
"This is the most comprehensive book I have read on the 89th Ohio. Years ago I read a regimental history, which
traced the movements of the regiment, but gave no details on what these men went through. Bryan Weaver has brought this
story to life for me and I thank him for it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Ohio in the
Civil War and especially Brown County." - George Edmondson, Hemet, California,
“Learning about the 89th
Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment through short biographies and especially through the men’s own words made the book
compelling - at times gutwrenching and at other times breathtaking. The book is a must read for Civil War buffs and non-Civil
War buffs alike.”- David Thorpe, Palos Verdes Peninsula News
“I
did not come into the reading as a Civil War buff and didn't know too much about the people or battles. The small details
provided by the letters, journals and military documents made the war, conditions and attitudes of the times come vividly
alive. Quite an enjoyable read.” - Dr. Glenn Hofer, Roseville, California
“Reading the day-to-day
account makes me feel like I'm making the journey along with grandpa [Hezekiah England]. - Emma Moore, Co-Chairperson
of the First Pioneers of Ross County
I read the acknowledgments, introduction, and first ten pages of the book before I had to go in for the night,
and like the way the book is layed out. I'm looking forward to learning more of the day-to-day life and more of what
these guys were living through and thinking. Most of my books are strictly the facts, not a man's actual life. My
family was from Tennessee, and I actually had relatives fighting for both sides during the war. I've collected quite
a number of books, and enjoy reading in particular about soldiers passing near the area I live in; maybe reading of the way
they viewed the area of northern Alabama, or southern Tennessee I live around. - Mel Klepper, Scottsboro, Alabama
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