Formation

Formative- adjective

1. Giving form or shape; forming, shaping, fashioning, molding.

I see this coming year and the events that we do as formative. With the 150 year anniversary activities coming up we have a duty and responsibility not only to ourselves but to the spectators who come to events to up our game. Part of upping our game will include research, helping each other, setting goals for ourselves for authenticity, personal growth within the reenacting community and attracting more new "recruits" both to the civilian and military camps. All these things will come together to shape the future of our hobby. As a group of like minded individuals, bound together by a love of history we, the 14th OVI and 3rd Arkansas are in a formative year that is shaping up to be extraordinary.

Spring Drill

Our year began with Spring Drill over the weekend of March 26/27/28. It would not have happened without the hard work of our own Captain Porter. He organized and planned the whole weekend and made many trips back and forth from his home to Bowling Green to deliver wood and other items we would need for the weekend. Special thanks also goes out to Mrs Wilhelm who organized and planned for the instruction of our civilian ladies. Lessons included letter writing and general instruction from our new ladies handbook. I think all of the ladies can agree that the books are fantastic!

The weekend was cut short by rain but Saturday included a skirmish with the 9th Virginia, lots of Drill for the men, a pay call that ended with several of the younger soldiers being docked pay due to financial burdens that they caused their families by leaving them to join the Army and one soldier who gave up his pay in order to get whiskey... for medicinal purposes of course. Each soldier got at least one letter from home during Saturday's happenings which gave them a glimpse of what things were like at home while they were away. Some of the letters were very serious, some sentimental and some were love letters. Yet all were written after some very good instruction by Mrs Wilhelm on period letters. We had a fun game of Rounders in the afternoon and some delicious food cooked and arranged for by Miss Burris and Miss Fitzpatrick. The Spring General Meeting was also held that same evening followed by relaxation around the campfire. Sunday became a soupy mess of rain and bad weather. Everyone began packing up early in the morning and got out of there as quickly as possible.

Johnson Island Cleanup Day-

Thank you to everyone who came up to help with the Johnson Island Cleanup day. There were almost 80 people there to help clean up the property owned by the Friends and Relatives of Johnson's Island Civil War Prison. I'm proud to say that over 30 of those people were members or friends of the 14th OVI/3rd Arkansas. I am also proud to announce that Dr Bush told us at the cleanup day that they plan to retire the mortgage this year. This is quite a feat considering that they bought the property in 2002 for $350,000.00 and have managed to very nearly pay it off in 8 years! As a group we have donated over $55,000.00 to this cause since 2000 and will be donating more toward the end of the summer after the Golf Outing. If you are interested in participating in the Golf Outing please let someone in the 14th know.

~E. Aldridge

End of one season and the beginning of another...

I want to personally thank Lisa and Rob Morgan for their service this past year as President and Captain, respectively. They did a wonderful job! For those who have served the unit in the past and made us what we are today, my hat's off to you!

Over the last year we've made leaps and bounds in civilian recruiting. At the November meeting we added two families, 3 civilians and 2 soldiers to our ranks. At Hayes we had the largest group present at the event, at least in the Confederate camp.



With the Christmas party being the last "event" of the year for the 14thOVI/3rdARK, I expect that it will be a fitting end to a wonderful year of living history. There are big hopes and dreams for the 2010 season. We are the host unit for Wildwood this year and there are HUGE plans for the Hayes event in October. Everything is in the works and many of us are already beginning to develop expectations for the year to come. It will most certainly be an exciting venture.

I personally look forward to the service I will be doing for the unit, for the companionship around the campfire and being able to do justice by the original cast.

Warmest Regards,
E. Aldridge

History of the 14th OVI

The 14th Ohio Voluntary Infantry Regiment was organized at Toledo, Ohio from 8/14 - 9/5/1861. The 14th OVI was Northwest Ohio's first volunteer regiment formed. Dyer's Compendium Of The War Of The Rebellion lists the regiments losses during service as 5 Officers and 141 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 185 Enlisted men by disease.

Lt Col Henry Dennison Kingsbury, pictured at right


Fourteenth Infantry. - (Three Years' Service.)

Cols., James B. Steedman, George P. Este; Lieut.-Cols., Paul Edwards, Henry D. Kingsbury, Albert Moore; Maj., John W. Wilson.

This regiment was organized at Toledo, from Aug. 14 to Sept. 5,

1861, to serve for three years. It first saw service in

Kentucky and in October went into quarters at Camp Dick

Robinson. About this time rumors were rife that the Federal

forces stationed at or near Wild Cat were surrounded by the

Confederates. The 14th, with Barnet's 1st Ohio artillery,

started at once for that place, making forced marches through

the deep mud and driving rain, and reached there on the morning

of Oct. 21. On nearing the battlefield the crash of musketry

and artillery was heard. This spurred the excited troops, who

were going into their first engagement, and they double-quicked

to the point of attack. The enemy shortly abandoned the field

and retreated. In the charge which carried the works at Mill

Springs the 14th was the first regiment to enter, and pushing

on after the flying enemy it reached the bank of the river in

time to fire into the rear of the retreating column as it was

boarding the steamer. The regiment was with the army that

shared in the slow advance upon Corinth. It was in the march

from Nashville to Louisville, but on Oct. 9 the brigade with

which it was acting was detailed to guard headquarters and the

ammunition train, and hence did not participate in the battle

of Perryville. The following winter was spent at Gallatin and

other points in middle Tennessee, and in June, 1863, the regi-

ment formed a portion of Rosecrans, advance on Tullahoma and

Chattanooga. At Hoover's gap a brisk engagement ensued, in

which the 14th participated with its brigade. On Sept. 19 it

marched upon the field at Chickamauga and was immediately de-

ployed in line of battle. The men were not in the best trim to

engage in a fatiguing day's work, having marched incessantly

all the previous day and night, but they were ready and willing

to perform their whole duty and they did it nobly. The regi-

ment was engaged in hot and close contest with the enemy from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. Being then relieved, it replenished its ammu-

nition boxes and again entered the fight, continuing until

sunset. The regiment went into the battle with 449 men, and

out of that number it lost 233, killed, wounded and missing.

In the brilliant assault on Missionary ridge the 14th bore a

gallant part, charging and capturing a Confederate battery of 3

guns, which Gen. Hardee in person was superintending, losing 16

killed, 91 wounded and 3 missing. Of those that were eligible,

all but 30 men of the entire regiment re-enlisted for another

term of three years and after a 30-days' furlough home it re-

joined the army at Ringgold, Ga., and commenced that long, fa-

tiguing campaign for the possession of Atlanta, the "gate

city," of the South. In all the marches and the almost

incessant skirmishes and flanking movements of that campaign it

bore an honorable part, losing heavily in men and officers.

While lying in front of Atlanta the regiment lost 20 men,

killed and wounded. In that heroic charge at Jonesboro the 14th

took nearly as many prisoners as the regiment numbered men, a

battery of 4 guns, several stands of colors, and two lines of

trenches full of Confederates. All this was not accomplished

without sad cost. One hundred members of the regiment whose

time had expired went willingly into this fight, some of whom

were killed and many wounded. It next followed Hood into Ten-

nessee and then returned and participated in the "march to the

sea." It was mustered out of the service at Louisville, Ky.,

July 11, 1865.

source: Union Army, Vol 2