Title: The 26th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry: An Overview of the Groundhog Regiment's Service

By Jeffrey A. Hill

Presentation to CCWRT on September 15, 2011, Summarized by Andy Simmons

Photography by Mike Rogers

©Cincinnati CWRT, 2011

In September, the Cincinnati Civil War Round Table was proud to have Jeffrey A. Hill from Hilliard, Ohio, give a presentation, entitled The 26th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry: An Overview of the Groundhog Regiment's Service. Mr. Hill is the descendent of nine Union soldiers, including two veterans of the 26th OVI and has spent the past eight years researching and writing the history of the regiment referred to by William S. Rosecrans as the “Old 26th.” Mr. Hill’s great, great grandfather, Jessie Mason, was a musician in Company C, and was captured at Lookout Mountain. Finding out about Jessie Mason’s and the absence of a regimental history were Mr. Hill’s chief inspirations in writing the book.

The 26th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was known as the “Groundhog Regiment.” Samuel F. Robinson, secretary for the veteran association after the war, clarified the origin of the nickname, stating that “from the facility with which the regiment could bury itself with a bayonet or half a canteen or a spoon and the expedition with which it could construct a line of elaborate fieldworks or the frequency with which it was called upon to do so caused the boys to liken themselves to groundhogs and finally to call the regiment with some pride ‘The Groundhog Regiment.’ Now many who are not acquainted with this animal may think it is a queer fancy and not at all complimentary in nature but if they take the pains to get down their Appleton Encyclopedia or their Natural Histories, they will find that the regiment that has the soldierly qualities of this little fellow is a good one.”

Mr. Hill then gave an overview of the major events from the initial recruiting phase in May – July of 1861, through the Battle of Chickamauga, where Jessie Mason was captured. Mr. Hill noted that over the entire service time of the regiment, one hundred twenty-two were killed in action, thirteen died in prison and eighty-five died of disease, which was not in line with the usual ratio of men killed in action to men dying of disease. The regiment ranked 12th of all Ohio units in men lost to enemy fire, losing 11% of its men that way. The regiment marched through eight Confederate States, leaving dead in every one of them, and traveled over 10,600 miles, with over 3,000 miles on foot, 4,000 by rail, 2,800 by river, and 1,000 on the Gulf of Mexico. The 26th was one of the first regiments formed, and one of the last to be mustered out, seeing service with Phil Sheridan in Texas.

The regiment was commanded during the first part of the war by Edward P. Fyffe from Urbana. Colonel Fyffe was a physician and surgeon and a former cadet as the U.S. Military Academy. Nicknamed “The Old Roman,” Colonel Fyfe suffered from rheumatism and asthma. Ephraim Eckley, from Carroll County, served as Lieutenant Colonel in the Western Virginia campaign, and later served with the 80th OVI. William H. Young, from Western Virginia, served as Lieutenant Colonel and figured prominently at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. Finally, Major Christopher Degenfield of Sandusky, was the only officer of the 26th with a solid military background in the Prussian Army.

The 26th fought in many of the Western Campaigns, including Western Virginia, Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville, Stones River, Tullahoma, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Knoxville and Northeast Tennessee, Northern Georgia, including Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Adairsville, New Hope Church, Pickett’s Mill, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station, Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville and Southeastern Texas.

Mr. Hill then took the focus of his presentation to Chickamauga. In July of 1863, the Confederate armies suffered defeats at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. General William Rosecrans also reported successes at Stones River and Tullahoma in the Army of the Cumberland’s march towards Chattanooga, an important railroad junction. At this time, the 26th OVI was in the XXI Corps, under Major General Thomas Crittenden. As Colonel Fyffe was home in Ohio on medical leave, Lieutenant Colonel William H. Young was leading the regiment.

On September 9, 1863, General Bragg determined to vacate Chattanooga and move south into Georgia. The 26th Ohio was dispatched to deal with the rear guard and scaled Lookout Mountain. Eventually, the 26th Ohio was the first federal infantry unit to enter Chattanooga. General Rosecrans determined to follow and split his army to pursue. General Bragg then stopped along the Chickamauga Creek, expecting to receive reinforcements.

General Bragg devised a plan for his army to strike on the federal left flank along Chickamauga Creek, driving the federal army south and rolling up its lines. As General Bragg’s line made continual northward shifts, the federal army mirrored its movements. On September 18, 1863, General Bragg was in position to execute his plan.

The 26th OVI, led by Lieutenant Colonel William H. Young, whose experience was at Perryville, was near Jay’s Mill when the battle began on September 19. From there, the 26th moved to reinforce the federal forces at the Viniard Field, where they were ordered to fix bayonets and lay down. The 26th was forced to hold its fire until friendly forces cleared the field, causing it to receive the first discharge from the advancing Confederates. At this point, their line was enfiladed, and the regiment ordered to retreat to a fence line. Again, the regiment was being hit by fire from three sides and from friendly fire in the rear. A retreat into a ditch was followed by another into the woods to the west. Lieutenant Colonel Young then began to move the 26th east again, until they were past their original position. Federal reinforcements then arrived, followed by two more charges, No significant ground was gained, and the 26th retired for the night. Sixty members of the 26th OVI were killed that day.

On September 20, the 26th was moved back along the Dry Ridge Road into reserve near General Rosecrans’ headquarters. About mid-morning, the 26th OVI took up position in the Brotherton Field. General Longstreet arrived with reinforcements on the 18th, and he arranged his troops into an eight-brigade deep line, one-third of a mile long. Although the battle began in the north on the federal left, it stalled. Meanwhile, through a miscommunication, General Wood received an order to close up on General Reynolds. However, General Brannon was already there. Nevertheless, General Wood moved his division and left a gap in the federal line, directly across from General Longstreet’s battering ram. The federal lines were overrun, and they were routed. The 26th OVI was among the last ordered to leave. Thirty-nine members of the 26th were captured, including Jessie Mason.

A monument now stands where the 26th OVI made its last stand. The front relief shows a figure representing peace over broken weapons of war. On the back, there were crossed battle flags. The veterans wanted a groundhog on the very top, but the monument commission refused. The veterans were nevertheless appeased, but years after the war, they always remembered their days as a groundhog.

For more information on the 26th, see Jeff's extensive website at 26th OVI and Dan Reigle's review of the book at The 26th OVVI.