A Historic Sketch, Lest We Forget Company "E," 26th Ohio Infantry in the War for the Union, 1861-65

In Short

This book serves as a dedicated, modest memorial to Company E of the 26th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Rather than a sweeping narrative of generals or grand strategy, it provides an intimate, granular history of the ordinary soldiers who marched, starved, and fought from 1861 to 1865. By tracking the company’s internal organization, its grueling campaigns in the Army of the Cumberland, and its staggering casualty rates, the author preserves the identity of men who might otherwise be lost to history. It remains a vital primary record of regimental life.

The Story

The story of Company E begins in the summer of 1861 at Mt. Gilead, Ohio, where local men gathered under the first call for three-year troops. Their early service was marked by the practical inconveniences of war, including a shortage of regulation uniforms that led to the company being fired upon by their own side because they wore gray. Following these initial hardships at Camp Chase and in Virginia, the company was integrated into the 26th Ohio, a regiment that would eventually earn a reputation as a hardened "fighting machine."

As the conflict escalated, the narrative moves into the relentless rhythm of the Army of the Cumberland. The company participated in the march to Murfreesboro and the subsequent Battle of Stone River, where they held a pivotal position on an open plain for hours, repulsing multiple charges until their ammunition was exhausted. The account details the transition from the chaotic, early-war organization of "wings" to the more structured corps system under generals like Thomas and Rosecrans.

The arc of their service reflects the escalating intensity of the Western theater. In the Tullahoma campaign, the men experienced long marches through the Cumberland Mountains and across the Tennessee River. The narrative reaches its emotional and tactical peak during the Chickamauga campaign, where the company faced catastrophic losses. Here, due to a fragmented line and a mistaken order, the unit found itself isolated in a gap between commands, forced to make a desperate, last-ditch stand. The author carefully reconstructs these moments of horror and heroism, noting where men fell and clarifying discrepancies in official records that had previously misidentified the fates of soldiers as mere "missing."

Following the siege of Chattanooga—a period defined by extreme hunger, where the men survived on "beef dried on the hoof"—the company took part in the assault on Missionary Ridge. The narrative continues through the Atlanta campaign, describing the grueling skirmishing at Peach Tree Creek and the final, frantic movements against General Hood’s army in Tennessee. The book concludes with the winter campaign of 1864 and 1865, ending as the remnants of the company arrive in Huntsville for a final, well-earned rest after the Confederate collapse. Throughout the text, the author refuses to indulge in romanticism, focusing instead on the logistics of survival, the shifting commanders, and the profound, thinning attrition of the company roll.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The company forms in Mt. Gilead and marches to Camp Chase, where the men trade civilian life for the rigid discipline of military training. They quickly learn the dangers of supply shortages when their gray uniforms trigger friendly fire from other Union troops.

The shift to the front The unit moves into the direct line of conflict under the Army of the Cumberland. They transition from training to the harsh reality of the battlefield, participating in the defense of key positions during the Battle of Stone River.

The crucible of Chickamauga The company faces its most defining and tragic moment when an attenuated line leaves them isolated against an enemy charge. The author painstakingly documents the high percentage of casualties sustained here, correcting historical records that failed to account for the company’s true losses.

The siege and the charge The men survive the lean, desperate winter of the Chattanooga siege before participating in the decisive assault on Missionary Ridge. The narrative captures the adrenaline and confusion of that climb, where the company helped secure the ridge despite heavy artillery fire.

The final march The account follows the unit through the Atlanta campaign and the subsequent pursuit of Hood’s retreating army across Tennessee. The story closes with the company’s transition to veteran status and their final muster after years of service.

The People

The narrative centers on the collective identity of the men of Company E, rather than the exploits of a single hero. Sylvester M. Hewitt, the original organizer, represents the civilian transition to leadership. He moves on to higher promotion, leaving the company to forge its own identity under new captains. Colonel E. P. Fyffe is the professionalizing influence, a West Point graduate who instilled the discipline necessary for the unit to survive. The soldiers themselves—men like Lieutenant Francis M. Williams, who was killed at Chickamauga, and Sergeant Hall, who died while scouting at a cotton gin—are rendered not as statistics, but as individuals whose fates were tied to the success of their comrades. The author, Walden Kelly, occupies a dual role as both a participant and a self-appointed archivist. He writes with a sense of duty to his fallen peers, acting as a bridge between the confusion of the battlefield and the historical record. His desire to correct the record for men like Silas Stucky and John Blaine shows a man motivated by loyalty to the dead, seeking to ensure their sacrifice is acknowledged accurately by the state and future generations.

In Its Own Voice

"The Quartermaster's department was unable to furnish regulation uniforms as fast as the new troops organized, hence our first uniforms consisted of gray pants and roundabouts."

The author describes an early, dangerous logistical blunder that caused the men of Company E to be mistaken for the enemy.

"Thus for hours we held the key position of the battle, until a new line was established at nearly right angles with us."

This reflects the intensity of the fighting at Stone River, where the regiment stood its ground on an exposed, open plain.

"The cattle were driven from the Ohio river, a distance of near 400 miles, and grazing in the mountainous country was not well calculated to produce fat."

This illustrates the grim reality of the siege of Chattanooga, where the soldiers were reduced to eating "beef dried on the hoof."

What It's Really About

At its core, this work is an argument for the accuracy of history as experienced from the ground up. The author is preoccupied with the discrepancy between "official" military reports and the lived, messy reality of warfare. He challenges the reader to look past the grand narratives of victory to understand the "boiling down" of a regiment—how a company of over a hundred men is whittled away by disease, discharge, and combat until only a fraction remain. It is a meditation on the cost of war, asking the reader to recognize that behind every percentage of casualty and every "missing" label in an official roster lies a specific man with a specific end.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the granular, unvarnished history of the Civil War will find this book essential. It lacks the polished, retrospective gloss of many later war memoirs, opting instead for a plain-spoken, methodical approach. The prose is functional and precise, reflecting the author’s identity as a soldier-historian who values accuracy over flourish.

You will encounter the challenges of period-specific language and the occasional technical jargon of mid-19th-century military organization, but the reward is a genuine look at the American infantry experience. The book captures the physical exhaustion of the long marches and the psychological weight of standing in a line of battle while supplies dwindle. It feels like a long, steady conversation with a veteran who is determined to get the facts right before the memory fades. For anyone who seeks to understand the human scale of the Civil War—the pride in a regiment's performance, the deep grief for lost comrades, and the meticulous care taken to remember them—this sketch provides a powerful, sobering testament. It stays with you because it refuses to let the names of the men in Company E be forgotten.