Book Description

The history of the 115th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry is the seldom told story of soldiers who fought behind the front lines protecting the only rail supply line of General Sherman's Union army. The regiment's soldiers fought and died protecting the crucial Nashville and Chattanooga Railway from Confederate cavalry, infantry, and guerrillas; all of whom were hell bent on destroying the solitary road. General Sherman confessed that his "perfect success" of the capture of Atlanta would have been impossible without the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad's constant daily stream of 1,600 tons of provisions needed for his troops.The blood, courage and tears of the 115th regiment's soldiers made sure the vital railroad supply line remained open and intact. The history of the regiment commences in 1862 with President Lincoln's third call for volunteers and follows the regiment throughout the war to final muster out at Cleveland, Ohio in July, 1865. REXFORD G. WIGGERS A compelling interest in a Civil War ancestor turned into a study of a regiment and culminated in a ten-year research odyssey for the material contained in this book. It is the hope of the author that this work adds to the rich genre of Civil War literature while fostering an interest in others to read (and write) about our amazing American Civil War. Rex is a Cum Laude graduate of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Library Science, and has recently retired from the field of public education where he was employed for thirty-three years.