Gratuitous Civil War Geekery Posting

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, fought this day in 1864 near Marietta, Georgia during Sherman's Atlanta Campaign.

I mark this occasion each year simply because my great-great-grandfather was in the battle, serving as an officer in the 10th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery. Here's the unit's history:

Organized at Xenia, Ohio, January 9, 1862. Moved to Camp Dennison, Ohio, and mustered in March 3, 1862. Ordered to St. Louis, Mo., thence moved to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., April 4-9. Attached to 6th Division, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1862. Artillery, 6th Division, District of Corinth, Miss., to November, 1862. Artillery. 6th Division, Left Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 6th Division, 16th Army Corps, to January, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 6th Division, 17th Army Corps, to September, 1863. Artillery, 1st Division, 17th Army Corps, to April. 1864. Artillery, 4th Division, 17th Army Corps, April, 1864. Artillery, 3rd Division, 17th Army Corps, to November, 1864. Artillery Reserve, Nashville, Tenn.. Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, District of East Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberland, to July, 1865.

SERVICE.--Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30, 1862. Duty at Corinth, Miss., until September 15. Moved to Iuka, Miss., and duty there until October 1. Battle of Iuka September 19 and 27. Moved to Corinth October 1-2. Battle of Corinth October 3-4. Pursuit to Ripley October 5-12. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign November, 1862, to January, 1863. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., January 10, 1863, thence to Lake Providence, La., January 21, and duty there until April. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-30. Duty at Grand Gulf until June. Siege of Vicksburg June 13-July 4. Messenger's Ferry, Big Black River, June 29-30 and July 3. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Bolton's Ferry, Big Black River, July 4-6. Siege of Jackson, Miss., July 10-17. Duty at Vicksburg until April, 1864. Moved to Clifton, Tenn., thence march via Huntsville and Decatur, Ala., to Ackworth, Ga., April to June 9. Atlanta Campaign June 9 to September 8. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Chattahoochie River July 5-12. Turner's Ferry July 5. Moved to Marietta, Ga.. July 12, and duty there until November. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., November 2, and duty there until April, 1865. Battles of Nashville December 15-16, 1864 (Reserve). Moved to Sweetwater, Tenn., April 1, 1865, thence to Loudon, Tenn., and duty there until July. Mustered out July 17, 1865.

Battery lost during service 18 Enlisted men by disease.

Great-Great-Grandad volunteered in 1863. After serving in the ranks, he became a sergeant and later a lieutenant. I've got copies of his enlistment and other military documents retrieved from the National Archives somewhere about the place. The man was hardly a professional soldier, but instead a farmer's son. Nonetheless, I feel a certain amount of family pride about him.

Here's the website of a group that's recreated the 10th.