Browse all content in the Civil War Western Theater Region.
Rienzi
1860-1878 During the American Civil War, Rienzi was Union General Philip Sheridan’s favorite horse. This steed’s exploits became immortalized in prose and also helped President Abraham Lincoln win reelection in 1864. In 1862, Union cavalry forces under the command of General Philip Sheridan, a native of Ohio, passed through the town of Rienzi, Mississippi. Members…
Robert Anderson
June 14, 1805 – October 26, 1871 Commander of Fort Sumter during the engagement that started the American Civil War, Robert Anderson also served as commander of the Department of the Cumberland in 1861. Robert Anderson was born on June 14, 1805 on his family's plantation, "Soldier's Retreat," near Louisville, Kentucky. He was the son…
Robert Latimer McCook
December 28, 1827 – August 6, 1862 A member of the famed "Fighting McCooks," Brigadier General Robert Latimer McCook died near New Market, Alabama on August 6, 1862, from wounds he received during an ambush the previous day. Robert Latimer McCook was born at New Lisbon, Ohio, on December 28, 1827. He was the fourth…
Robert Selden Garnett
December 16, 1819 – July 13, 1861 Confederate Brigadier-General Robert S. Garnett was mortally wounded at the Battle of Corrick's Ford on July 13, 1861, making him the first general officer on either side to be killed during the American Civil War. Robert Selden Garnett, Jr., was born on December 16, 1819, at his family's…
Romney Expedition
January 1–24, 1862 The Romney Expedition was a short winter offensive led by Major General Thomas J. Jackson to clear Federal troops from northeastern Virginia in January 1862 in preparation for the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862. Following their stunning victory at the Battle of Bull Run I in July 1861, Confederate fortunes in Virginia…
Romney Expedition Petition
January 25, 1862 On January 25, 1862 officers of the Army of the Northwest requested that Brigadier General William W. Loring petition the Confederate War Department to recall his forces from Romney. January 25, 1862 Brigadier-General LORING, Commanding Army of the Northwest: GENERAL: The undersigned officers of your command beg leave to present their condition…
Rutherford B. Hayes
October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893 Civil War general, U.S. Congressman, and Governor of Ohio, Rutherford Birchard Hayes served as nineteenth President of the United States from March 3, 1877 to March 4, 1881. Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born on October 4, 1822, in Delaware, Ohio. He was the son of Rutherford Hayes and…
Samuel Emerson Opdycke
January 7, 1830 – April 25, 1884 A prominent Union general officer, Ohioan Emerson Opdycke played significant roles at the Battle of Chattanooga and the Battle of Franklin. Samuel Emerson Opdycke was born January 7, 1830, on his family's farm in Hubbard Township, Trumbull County, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven children of Albert…
Samuel Ryan Curtis
February 3, 1805 – December 26, 1866 Perhaps one of the more underrated Union officers of the American Civil War, Major General Samuel R. Curtis played a prominent role in securing and maintaining Federal control of the border state of Missouri throughout the conflict. Samuel Ryan Curtis was born near Champlain, New York, on February…
Sands’ Battery of Ohio Volunteer Artillery
1861–1864 In the American Civil War, Ohio provided the federal government with 260 regiments of men, including infantry, artillery, and cavalry units. Ohioans also served in several other regiments from other states, most notably from Kentucky, West Virginia, and Massachusetts, as well as in federal units. In the American Civil War, Ohio provided the federal…