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Printouts of information regarding to William A. Huddard and some of the soldiers he refers to in his correspondence.

Scope and Contents Note

Printouts of information regarding the history of the 1st Ohio Infantry Regiment in the Civil War.

Scope and Contents Note In his first seven months of service, Huddard describes the life of a union soldier training in Ohio and then marching in Kentucky. He informs his father that he is in good health and that when he goes to town to weigh himself, he realizes that he has gained eight pounds. In September he visits the Ohio state fair. The fair this year is very poor and was not worth the price of admission, Huddard writes. But the first time the regiment is called out to action, Huddard is...

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Huddard writes of his good health, the weather, hard marches, news of the capture of Forts Henry and Donaldson, constant drilling, and rebel movements. Taking it all together, he writes on January 8, I still like a soldier’s life and I hardly think you will see me home until the war is over.

Scope and Contents Note In the spring and early summer months of 1862, Huddard discusses his marches through Tennessee and tells his father that he is anxious for a fight.So far I am pleased with the country but not with the people for more than two thirds of them are secesh. He asks his father to send stamps, money, and shirts. On April 16, he mentions the stench of dead bodies still on the Shiloh Battlefield. But Huddard believes that the two armies will...

Scope and Contents Note Huddard continues to enjoy good health but the continuous marches are beginning to take a toll. My feet were never so near played out as now, he writes at the end of the month. When not marching, the regiment forages liberally. When we want fresh meat, we go and take it right before the eyes of the farmers. The abundance of supplies and the ability of the federal army to procure whatever it wants prompts Huddard to inform his father: I...

Scope and Contents Note The long marches cripples Huddard’s feet and he is forced to ride in the ambulance in the early October. Marching through Kentucky, the 1st Ohio misses the battle of Perryville. While marching back to Nashville, one hundred and fifty of the regiment are captured by John Hunt Morgan’s Confederate cavalry. When he sees brick chimneys at the headquarters, Huddard is assured that the regiment will be there for some time. At the end of November, Huddard realizes that the...

Scope and Contents Note Huddard is upset with the role that the 1st Ohio played in the battle of Murfreesboro (Stones River). He believes that his division commander, General Johnson, has acted the traitor. During the battle, Huddard is captured and taken prisoner. However, when Union cavalry retake the position he is being held at he is able to escape. The regiment loses one hundred and thirty men during the engagement. Huddard is discouraged by news from the homefront. He is appalled that the...

Scope and Contents Note Rest assured that the Copperheads of the North have no friends here in the army, Huddard tells his father. Rumors abound that the regiment will be ordered back to Ohio to enforce the Conscription act but these rumors do not come to fruition. Huddard is further disappointed when he is unable to procure a furlough. News of the army of the Potomac’s movements in the early spring give Huddard excitement. We begin to think that we will yet winter in Ohio,...

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Huddard is upset with the lack of letters he is receiving from home. In a moment of sarcasm he writes on July 31: For the last two or three weeks I have been anxiously looking for a letter from you but day after day I have been disappointed. The number of Confederate deserters coming into the Union lines is a good sign for Huddard. The latest rumor now is that the regiment will go to Atlanta.

Scope and Contents Note The regiment participates in the battle of Chattanooga. Huddard is stationed so close to the Confederates that he can hear their conversations. He tells of exchanging coffee, sugar, and papers with Confederate soldiers during a cease fire period. The rumor mill says that General Hooker is en route with three corps of infantry and that Grant will take command. On November 27, Huddard writes to his father about the great battle of Missionary Ridge where the men of his...

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In the final months of Huddard’s preserved correspondence, his regiment is constantly on the move. The rumor in April is that the regiment will be assigned to the Army of the Potomac. Also, Huddard claims that it is very difficult to get papers and news in and around Knoxville. New recruits join the regiment to augment its strength.