| Inspiration for the 26th OVVI Web Site |
| The inspiration for the web site began many years ago, when I was but a child. With my family, I visited several eastern theater civil war battlefields, and my fledgling interest was sparked. As a lad, my father told me that my great, great, grandfather had fought in the Civil War on the Union side. His name was Jesse Mason. The family lore, passed down through the generations, was that Jesse Mason may have been captured at Lookout Mountain at an unknown time, and may have been imprisoned at Andersonville. There were no more details known or at least shared. In the absence of any definitive information, my mother loved to tease my father that Mason was most likely captured either sleeping under a tree or while romancing some southern belle. A few years ago, at the time of the passing of my paternal grandmother, Genevieve Hill, ( granddaughter of Alfred Frost ( 18th OVI ) we found numerous original letters written by other ancestors while they were fighting in the Civil War: Alfred Frost, Albert Frost ( 179th OVI ), and Samuel Corwin. (Samuel Corwin, who was a sergeant with the 125th OVI, died of typhoid fever at Franklin, Tennessee in May, 1863. ) These letters provided excellent glimpses into their hopes, fears, and daily trials while in the service during the war. To date, we have not found any letters written by Jesse Mason. These letters served as a renewed motivation to learn more. Next, my father and I visited the archives at the Ohio Historical Society, Columbus. Here we found out the regiment assignments of our ancestors, and the basic discharge information that was included in the Official Rosters. With this information, we then sent for their military and pension records at the National Archives at Washington, DC. We discovered that my great, great grandfather Jesse Mason was a field musician ( a drummer) in co C, 26th OVI. He enlisted at the age of 18 in April, 1861, shortly after President Lincoln's first call for troops. He was captured at the battle of Chickamauga ( not at Lookout Mountain) on September 19th or 20th, 1863, and he was imprisoned at various confederate prisons, including: Libby, Pemberton, Danville, Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence until December 7, 1864. Though he suffered severely from scurvy and was emaciated beyond recognition, somehow he managed to survive, and was honorably discharged January, 1865. We also discovered that his older brother (and my great great grand uncle), Benton, also served in co C, 26th OVI. In an effort to learn more, we tried to locate a definitive written regimental history of the 26th OVI, similar to what is available for many other regiments; however, we came up empty. We did find at the Ohio Historical archives a booklet by the 26th Association ( the post war fraternal organization for the 26th OVVI members ) that alludes to the intent to compile such a detailed regimental history. However, in 1895, it appears that intention could not fulfilled due to the lack of funding to pay for publication. There does exist excellent company history accounts and/or diaries by Captain Walden Kelly ( company E ) , Sgt. Elias Cole ( company C), Lt. Luther Timberlake ( company D), Samuel Chestnut ( company B), Thomas Cantwell ( company D), anbd Charles Brusman ( company H). Thus, we decided that we would research and compile all available info on the 26th OVI and start a web site as a lasting means to share the information with any and all interested persons. We have learned a great deal so far, and believe that the visitor will find the web site contains the most comprehensive info available on the 26th OVI anywhere in the world. We continue to research and make new discoveries all the time. The web site continues to be updated and remains a work in progress, and truly a labor of devotion. The web site is respectfully and humbly dedicated to the soldiers who fought with the 26th OVVI in the American Civil War, and to all soldiers who fought and died for what they believed in. On a personal note, the web site is dedicated to the following eight confirmed direct ancestors who fought in the Civil War: Jesse Mason, 26th OVI, Co. C Benton Mason, 26th OVI, Co. C Alfred Frost, 18th OVI, Co. D Albert Frost, 179th OVI, Co. A Edwin Frost, 96th OVI., Co. C Major Frost, 31st OVI, Co. E Samuel Corwin, 125th OVI, Co. E Isaac Guthrie, 151st OVI, Co. K Their sacrifice, commitment, and perseverence serves as a daily inspiration. Jeff Hill, webmaster 26th OVVI web site |
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