The Story of Camp Dennison – 1861-1865

More than 300,000 Ohioans served in the military during the Civil War. They gathered at approximately 60 camps of instruction located throughout the state to organize, train, and later to discharge from the army. There was nothing standard about the training the soldiers received at these camps. Some regiments spent a couple of days at camp–enough time to receive rations and weapons and not much else. Other units stayed for months trying to organize. Regiments such as the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry left Camp Dennison well schooled in battlefield drill, while others like the 89th Ohio Volunteer Infantry left the camp largely ignorant of the military arts.The Story of Camp Dennison 1861-1865 chronicles the history of one of the largest of these camps as seen through the eyes of the men who were there. Images of the camp, drawn from public and private collections, greatly enhance the book’s narrative. The lives and wartime contributions of thirty-one of “The men of Dennison” are explored in “The Profile” sections. Read more