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Ohio Civil War Antiques and Research

Regiments, the 5th USCT, Black Brigade, camps, prisons, flags, GAR posts, family papers, and Ohio archival research.

Collector guide

Ohio Civil War Antiques and Archives

Nearly 320,000 Ohioans served in the U.S. military. Ohio material ranges from regimental papers and battle flags to local aid societies, camps, prisons, GAR posts, businesses, and family archives.

Collector guide

23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

The 23rd OVI is especially visible in Ohio history because Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley served in the regiment. Objects still require person- and company-level proof.

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5th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Research photographs, letters, buttons, documents, reunions, and family groups connected to the 5th OVI through unit records and individual service files.

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7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Material tied to the 7th OVI may include prisoner correspondence, officer papers, photographs, unit histories, GAR records, and local family archives.

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8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Build attributions from rosters, service files, photographs, letters, county histories, and GAR records rather than from generic Ohio insignia.

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30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Regimental and soldier research can support letters, documents, CDVs, GAR badges, reunion ribbons, and family groups.

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36th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Research the 36th OVI through service records, pension files, unit histories, Ohio archives, photographs, and local newspapers.

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51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Letters, documents, photographs, and reunion pieces connected to the 51st OVI should be documented at soldier and company level.

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55th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Use federal and Ohio records to connect material to the 55th OVI, including names, company, dates, campaigns, wounds, pensions, and GAR membership.

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63rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Ohio archival collections and federal service records can strengthen or disprove attributions to the 63rd OVI.

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73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Research 73rd OVI objects through soldier names, company letters, county origins, service records, pension files, and veterans’ organizations.

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78th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Letters, photographs, documents, and memorial objects associated with the 78th OVI benefit from local newspaper and county-history research.

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100th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

The 100th OVI appears in Ohio archival holdings, including company muster-roll material. Use archival call numbers as research leads, not private-object authentication.

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104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Research identified 104th OVI groups through service and pension records, company rosters, photographs, letters, GAR posts, and family papers.

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127th OVI and 5th United States Colored Infantry

Ohio’s first African American recruiting effort was initially known as the 127th OVI; the 5th USCT was organized at Camp Delaware, Ohio. Use exact designation and date.

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Black Brigade of Cincinnati

The Black Brigade of Cincinnati served in September 1862 and is central to Ohio’s African American Civil War history. Material requires careful institutional and family research.

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Ohio Hundred Days Men

Ohio raised short-term regiments in 1864. Papers and photographs should be identified by exact regiment, company, dates, and service context.

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Ohio Cavalry Material

Research Ohio cavalry photographs, documents, horse equipment, insignia, reunion material, and family groups through exact regiment and company.

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Ohio Artillery Material

Independent batteries and artillery units produced documents, photographs, tools, badges, reunion pieces, and service records requiring battery-level identification.

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Camp Chase, Columbus

Camp Chase functioned as a training and prison site. Research documents, photographs, prison material, local businesses, cemetery records, and later memorial objects separately.

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Johnson’s Island Prison

Johnson’s Island material can include prisoner letters, diaries, camp-made objects, guards’ papers, photographs, and later memorial items.

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Ohio Civil War Battle Flags

Ohio History Connection and Ohio National Guard collections preserve hundreds of flags. Private fragments demand exceptional documentation and legal provenance.

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Ohio GAR Posts and Veterans

Ohio GAR badges, ribbons, post records, photographs, encampments, memorials, and reunion items document veterans’ postwar lives.

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Ohio Soldier Letters and Family Papers

Ohio family archives may connect letters, photographs, service papers, envelopes, pension documents, and later memorial objects across generations.

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Ohio Home-Front Material

Aid societies, businesses, farms, schools, churches, newspapers, political organizations, and families created a broad Ohio wartime record.

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Researching Ohio Civil War Collections

Use Ohio History Connection manuscripts, battle flags, photographs, Adjutant General records, county histories, newspapers, cemeteries, and local societies.