A Historical Sketch of Company "B," Eighteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry: Three Months Service

In Short

This concise regimental record documents the formation, deployment, and eventual disbandment of Company B, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry during their ninety-day enlistment in 1861. Written by former company officer Jewett Palmer, the narrative follows roughly one hundred men from Marietta, Ohio, as they navigate uncomfortable temporary quarters in Columbus, guard vital railroad infrastructure in western Virginia, and celebrate the nation's independence with local citizens. Blending personal memory, excerpted letters, and an exhaustive post-war roll, the book offers an intimate glimpse into how early volunteer units learned the fundamentals of soldiering before committing to longer service.

The Story

The narrative begins in mid-April 1861, following the outbreak of the American Civil War, when Captain Frank Buell raises a volunteer company from the local militia in Marietta, Ohio. Accepted by Governor Dennison on April 17, Company B receives a patriotic sermon at the local Congregational church, pocket New Testaments from the regional Bible society, and a silk banner presented on the public common before three thousand cheering citizens. On April 22, the men board the steamer Lizzie Martin and travel down the Muskingum river, greeted at every lock and town by enthusiastic crowds flying newly made flags.

Upon reaching Columbus, the unit experiences the unglamorous realities of military life. Quartered initially in the basement of the state house on beds of straw mixed with lumps of coal, and later on the hard marble floor of the rotunda, they suffer through terrible meals until securing better accommodations and food at the Ohio Penitentiary. For four weeks at Camp Jackson, the men endure basic drill while growing increasingly anxious over bureaucratic delays that prevent them from reaching the front lines. Several members leave out of frustration to join regiments entering active service earlier.

Relief arrives on May 23 when orders send the unit east. Mustered into the Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry as Company B at Athens, they cross the Ohio River into western Virginia at Parkersburg, establishing "Camp Union." Over the next two months, the company performs essential guard duties along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, rebuilding swept-away bridges, searching suspicious rural homesteads for arms, and erecting liberty poles. They establish a particularly enjoyable base at Camp Sandusky near Bridgeport, where they bond with local Unionist residents and hold a festive Fourth of July picnic complete with speeches, shared meals, and outdoor dancing.

By mid-July, the full regiment joins General Hill's movement across the Allegheny Mountains, covering thirty-five and a half miles in twenty-four hours in an attempt to cut off retreating Confederate forces. Though recalled by General McClellan before engaging the enemy, the strenuous march tests the soldiers' endurance. Returning toward Ohio as their three-month enlistments expire in late July, the company arrives in Harmar on July 31 to a roaring artillery salute and a warm public welcome. After formal discharge in late August, the vast majority of these men immediately re-enlist in three-year regiments, carrying their initial field experience into the longer, bloodier conflict ahead.

How It Unfolds

The rally at Marietta Captain Frank Buell recruits Company B from local militia members in mid-April 1861 following the call for volunteers. The town bids the men farewell with religious services, gift Testaments, a silk flag presentation on the public common, and enthusiastic cheering along the riverbank.

Hardships in Columbus Traveling by canal boat and train to the state capital, the company endures poor rations and uncomfortable lodgings in the state house basement and rotunda. They eventually secure better food at the Ohio Penitentiary while spending four frustrating weeks drilling at Camp Jackson waiting for field assignment.

Crossing into Virginia Mustered into service as Company B of the Eighteenth Ohio, the regiment moves to Parkersburg and sets up Camp Union on the Virginia side of the river. The men receive their initial military equipment and immediately begin guarding rail lines, rebuilding damaged bridges, and scouring nearby farmhouses for concealed rebel weapons.

Life at Camp Sandusky Stationed near Bridgeport for four weeks, the unit guards local tunnels while enjoying warm hospitality from Unionist locals. The stay culminates in a large Fourth of July celebration featuring military drills, shared feasts, speeches, and dancing on the lawn with community members.

Mountain march and return In mid-July, the regiment completes a demanding forced march across thirty-five miles of the Allegheny Mountains under General Hill to intercept enemy forces before being recalled. Upon returning to Ohio at the end of July, the soldiers receive a hero's welcome, disband, and overwhelmingly re-enlist in long-term military units.

The People

• Captain Frank Buell serves as the central figure and commander of Company B. A twenty-three-year-old local prosecuting attorney, he seeks to lead his men safely and efficiently despite lacking political influence to speed up their deployment. He later commands Battery C of the 1st West Virginia Light Artillery and dies from wounds received at Freeman's Ford in 1862.
• Jewett Palmer, Jr. acts as both a member of the company and the narrative's author. Seeking advancement and active duty, he earns the respect of his peers during an election for second lieutenant and goes on to become a Major in the 36th Ohio Infantry.
• Dr. John T. Booth provides crucial historical grounding through his detailed daily wartime diary. Serving as a private who uses his bayonet to check wheat bins for hidden enemies, he later becomes a surgeon and the primary chronicler for the company's postwar records.
• Eli P. Boring writes descriptive letters home detailing the company's early travel and living conditions. A printer by trade, he captures the initial high spirits and intense desire of the young men to join the fighting rather than linger in training camps.

In Its Own Voice

"The company was ranged on the hurricane deck, and as the boat moved out from the landing cheer upon cheer arose from the vast assemblage, hats were swung, handkerchiefs waved, and many a ‘God speed you,’ uttered, and the crowd slowly and sadly dispersed."

— A local newspaper report captures the emotional departure of the volunteers from Marietta in April 1861.

"If there is to be any fighting done we want a hand in it. We parted from our friends with the expectation of being in Washington city, or on our way to Fort Pickens or Fort Sumpter before this time."

— Private Eli P. Boring describes the eager, restless mood of the recruits waiting in Columbus.

"In one house an enraged citizen was poked out of a wheat bin in his loft, by John T. Booth, who had put his bayonet on his gun for the purpose of ‘feeling round’ in the bin."

— Jewett Palmer recalls an incident during a patrol searching rural homesteads for concealed rebel sympathizers.

What It's Really About

The text addresses the rapid transition of civilian volunteers into organized military units at the onset of the American Civil War. It highlights the logistics, political friction, and administrative delays involved in mobilizing early three-month regiments. Beyond the administrative facts, the work examines the intense local patriotism that fueled enlistments in southern Ohio and the strong bonds formed between northern soldiers and border-state civilians. It underscores how brief initial enlistments served as a critical testing ground, preparing young men for full-scale military careers. Ultimately, the narrative functions as an act of historical preservation, ensuring the sacrifices and post-war trajectories of a single local company are documented accurately for future generations.

Why Read It Today

This work offers a remarkably grounded, unvarnished look at the earliest days of the Civil War from the perspective of small-town volunteers. Rather than focusing on grand strategic overviews or famous generals, it highlights the mundane details that defined daily military existence: bad coffee, sleeping on prison floors, camp name origins, and local Fourth of July celebrations. Readers interested in military history will appreciate the precise dates, geographical tracking, and detailed descriptive roll that records what happened to nearly every member after their initial term expired.

The primary difficulty for modern readers lies in its structured presentation, as much of the book consists of an alphabetical roster, list of camp names, and transcriptions of wartime letters. The tone remains simple and direct, avoiding romantic flourishes or excessive melodrama. What stays with the reader is the clear sense of community responsibility that drove these young men into uniform, along with the quiet tragedy revealed in the roster notes, which record how many of these eager summer volunteers died in harder battles just a year or two later.