Camp Dennison, Ohio

Buckeye Bill

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* The Waldschmidt House (Federal Commander's Headquarters).

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Camp Dennison was a Federal Army training camp during the American Civil War. It was located in the town of Germany, Ohio, sixteen miles northeast of Cincinnati. George B. McClellan, a major general in the Ohio militia, chose Germany as the site for a camp. The camp was named for Ohio Governor William Dennison. Camp Dennison was strategically located near Cincinnati, the Ohio and Little Miami Rivers, and the Little Miami Railroad. The rivers and railroad provided quick transportation from various parts of Ohio and surrounding states. The presence of troops at Camp Dennison also provided Cincinnati with soldiers to protect this important manufacturing city from Confederate attack. Camp Dennison encompassed more than seven hundred acres of land.

The task of laying out the camp fell to Colonel William S. Rosecrans. Construction of barracks began in 1861. The barracks provided homes for the more than fifty thousand men who passed through the camp during the Civil War. They were located on both sides of the Little Miami Railroad. In 1862, military officials established a hospital on the western edge of the camp, just to the west of the railroad. It eventually held more than 2,300 sick or injured soldiers.

The soldiers at Camp Dennison usually remained in the area for only a short time. After receiving some training, military officials would send the men off to war. On July 14, 1863, men recovering at the hospital or undergoing training at Camp Dennison helped defend the camp, Little Miami Railroad, and Cincinnati from Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his Raiders. Morgan's men captured and destroyed a supply train but failed to destroy an important railroad bridge across the Little Miami River at nearby Miamiville.

Upon the Civil War's conclusion, Camp Dennison was closed. Local residents dismantled the barracks and hospital, scavenging building supplies to construct their own homes. Hoping to increase the community's population, Germany residents changed the town's name to Grand Valley, but the railroad continued to use Camp Dennison as the name of the local station.

* Vintage Map of Federal Camp Dennison in Germany, Ohio.

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* Camp Dennison (Symmes Township), Ohio Marker.

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* The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail Marker at Camp Dennison.

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* The Old Federal Guardhouse to Camp Dennison (Civil War Museum).

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* Camp Dennison Federal Soldier's Memorial.

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* Ohio State Historical Marker at the Waldschmidt Cemetery.

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* An Unknown Federal Soldier's Grave.

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* The Little Miami River Bridge (Looking North from Camp Dennison - Morgan's Raider's Skirmish at Miamiville, Ohio).

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* The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail Markers in Miamiville, Ohio (Just North of Camp Dennison).

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Camp Dennison was a Federal Army training camp during the American Civil War. It was located in the town of Germany, Ohio, sixteen miles northeast of Cincinnati. George B. McClellan, a major general in the Ohio militia, chose Germany as the site for a camp. The camp was named for Ohio Governor William Dennison. Camp Dennison was strategically located near Cincinnati, the Ohio and Little Miami Rivers, and the Little Miami Railroad. The rivers and railroad provided quick transportation from various parts of Ohio and surrounding states. The presence of troops at Camp Dennison also provided Cincinnati with soldiers to protect this important manufacturing city from Confederate attack. Camp Dennison encompassed more than seven hundred acres of land.

The task of laying out the camp fell to Colonel William S. Rosecrans. Construction of barracks began in 1861. The barracks provided homes for the more than fifty thousand men who passed through the camp during the Civil War. They were located on both sides of the Little Miami Railroad. In 1862, military officials established a hospital on the western edge of the camp, just to the west of the railroad. It eventually held more than 2,300 sick or injured soldiers.

The soldiers at Camp Dennison usually remained in the area for only a short time. After receiving some training, military officials would send the men off to war. On July 14, 1863, men recovering at the hospital or undergoing training at Camp Dennison helped defend the camp, Little Miami Railroad, and Cincinnati from Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his Raiders. Morgan's men captured and destroyed a supply train but failed to destroy an important railroad bridge across the Little Miami River at nearby Miamiville.

Upon the Civil War's conclusion, Camp Dennison was closed. Local residents dismantled the barracks and hospital, scavenging building supplies to construct their own homes. Hoping to increase the community's population, Germany residents changed the town's name to Grand Valley, but the railroad continued to use Camp Dennison as the name of the local station.

* Vintage Map of Federal Camp Dennison in Germany, Ohio.

View attachment 152169

* Camp Dennison (Symmes Township), Ohio Marker.

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* The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail Marker at Camp Dennison.

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* The Waldschmidt House (Federal Commander's Headquarters).

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* The Old Federal Guardhouse to Camp Dennison (Civil War Museum).

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* Camp Dennison Federal Soldier's Memorial.

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* Ohio State Historical Marker at the Waldschmidt Cemetery.

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* An Unknown Federal Soldier's Grave.

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* The Little Miami River Bridge (Looking North from Camp Dennison - Morgan's Raider's Skirmish at Miamiville, Ohio).

View attachment 152175

* The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail Markers in Miamiville, Ohio (Just North of Camp Dennison).

View attachment 152176
Thanks for posting this information.
Camp Dennison comes up frequently in my reading about the war and this posting- particularly the vintage image- is quite helpful.
 
Thanks for posting this information.
Camp Dennison comes up frequently in my reading about the war and this posting- particularly the vintage image- is quite helpful.

My pleasure....

A good portion of injured Federal troops which fought at the Battle of Shiloh were transported by train to Camp Dennison, Ohio.

Bill
 
Was the museum open?
 
Camp Dennison was a Federal Army training camp during the American Civil War. It was located in the town of Germany, Ohio, sixteen miles northeast of Cincinnati. George B. McClellan, a major general in the Ohio militia, chose Germany as the site for a camp. The camp was named for Ohio Governor William Dennison. Camp Dennison was strategically located near Cincinnati, the Ohio and Little Miami Rivers, and the Little Miami Railroad. The rivers and railroad provided quick transportation from various parts of Ohio and surrounding states. The presence of troops at Camp Dennison also provided Cincinnati with soldiers to protect this important manufacturing city from Confederate attack. Camp Dennison encompassed more than seven hundred acres of land.

The task of laying out the camp fell to Colonel William S. Rosecrans. Construction of barracks began in 1861. The barracks provided homes for the more than fifty thousand men who passed through the camp during the Civil War. They were located on both sides of the Little Miami Railroad. In 1862, military officials established a hospital on the western edge of the camp, just to the west of the railroad. It eventually held more than 2,300 sick or injured soldiers.

The soldiers at Camp Dennison usually remained in the area for only a short time. After receiving some training, military officials would send the men off to war. On July 14, 1863, men recovering at the hospital or undergoing training at Camp Dennison helped defend the camp, Little Miami Railroad, and Cincinnati from Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his Raiders. Morgan's men captured and destroyed a supply train but failed to destroy an important railroad bridge across the Little Miami River at nearby Miamiville.

Upon the Civil War's conclusion, Camp Dennison was closed. Local residents dismantled the barracks and hospital, scavenging building supplies to construct their own homes. Hoping to increase the community's population, Germany residents changed the town's name to Grand Valley, but the railroad continued to use Camp Dennison as the name of the local station.

* Vintage Map of Federal Camp Dennison in Germany, Ohio.

View attachment 152169

* Camp Dennison (Symmes Township), Ohio Marker.

View attachment 152167

* The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail Marker at Camp Dennison.

View attachment 152168

* The Waldschmidt House (Federal Commander's Headquarters).

View attachment 152170

* The Old Federal Guardhouse to Camp Dennison (Civil War Museum).

View attachment 152171

* Camp Dennison Federal Soldier's Memorial.

View attachment 152172

* Ohio State Historical Marker at the Waldschmidt Cemetery.

View attachment 152173

* An Unknown Federal Soldier's Grave.

View attachment 152174

* The Little Miami River Bridge (Looking North from Camp Dennison - Morgan's Raider's Skirmish at Miamiville, Ohio).

View attachment 152175

* The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail Markers in Miamiville, Ohio (Just North of Camp Dennison).

View attachment 152176
Thanks for posting, Bill! One more place I'm adding to my ever-growing list of places I hope to visit in the Buckeye State!
 
I have a few items from my research on the Ohio Statehouse cannons regarding Camp Dennison.
The first is regarding Morgans Raid. ( I'll follow up later with the other information)
This information is from the reports to the Governor of Ohio for the year of 1863. I have found at times the information I have differs from other accounts, considering the source as what I have found has been taken from official records of the State of Ohio, I must consider that souce to be accurate.
Lt- Col. Neff. was in command of the Ohio Militia troops. He sends the following telegram to Gov. Tod

Camp Dennison, July 13, 1863.
Gov. Tod:- Send me a battery of four or six guns, harness and ammunition.
Geo. W. Neff


then 2 days later he sends a 2nd telegram

Camp Dennison, July 15, 1863

Gov. Tod: - I have two thousand (2000) militia in camp without arms, and five hundred (500) more will arrive this afternoon. Send me twenty-five hundred (2500) muskets, and ammunition for same. Have such an organization, that if I have the arms, and Morgan comes near here, I will give him small chance for escape. I very much need some cannon. Can’t you send them by special train, so that I can get them this evening?

Geo. W Neff, Lt-Col. Ad Mil Com

We can not tell from this telegram how many men he has that are armed, but we do know he has an additional 2,500 with no arms.

However, there were no arms to send him. The States provided arms for troops going into federal service at the beginning of the war, and by mid 1863, the state arsenal was empty. The militia had no accountability for arms, and the Adjutant General was not aware that the militia members did not already have arms available to them. As for artillery, by mid 1863 Ohio had sent 39 6-pdr field guns into federal service, and none had been returned or replaced. There were no functional pieces of artillery left in the state arsenal, and the few that the militia still had were in such bad shape they were unserviceable.

By this point, the U.S. Gov. had started to send US gov. arms to the state arsenals to give to troops going into federal service. In desperation, Ohio Quartermaster General Wright begins to issue US owned arms to the militia, and Gov. Tod writes to Sec. of war Stanton asking him to approve issuing the arms and to not hold quartermaster general Wright responsible, as it was the only way to arm the militia.
 
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I have a few items from my research on the Ohio Statehouse cannons regarding Camp Dennison.
The first is regarding Morgans Raid. ( I'll follow up later with the other information)
This information is from the reports to the Governor of Ohio for the year of 1863. I have found at times the information I have differs from other accounts, considering the source as what I have found has been taken from official records of the State of Ohio, I must consider that souce to be accurate.
Lt- Col. Neff. was in command of the Ohio Militia troops. He sends the following telegram to Gov. Tod

Camp Dennison, July 13, 1863.
Gov. Tod:- Send me a battery of four or six guns, harness and ammunition.
Geo. W. Neff


then 2 days later he sends a 2nd telegram

Camp Dennison, July 15, 1863

Gov. Tod: - I have two thousand (2000) militia in camp without arms, and five hundred (500) more will arrive this afternoon. Send me twenty-five hundred (2500) muskets, and ammunition for same. Have such an organization, that if I have the arms, and Morgan comes near here, I will give him small chance for escape. I very much need some cannon. Can’t you send them by special train, so that I can get them this evening?

Geo. W Neff, Lt-Col. Ad Mil Com

We can not tell from this telegram how many men he has that are armed, but we do know he has an additional 2,500 with no arms.

However, there were no arms to send him. The States provided arms for troops going into federal service at the beginning of the war, and by mid 1863, the state arsenal was empty. The militia had no accountability for arms, and the Adjutant General was not aware that the militia members did not already have arms available to them. As for artillery, by mid 1863 Ohio had sent 39 6-pdr field guns into federal service, and none had been returned or replaced. There were no functional pieces of artillery left in the state arsenal, and the few that the militia still had were in such bad shape they were unserviceable.

By this point, the U.S. Gov. had started to send US gov. arms to the state arsenals to give to troops going into federal service. In desperation, Ohio Quartermaster General Wright begins to issue US owned arms to the militia, and Gov. Tod writes to Sec. of war Stanton asking him to approve issuing the arms and to not hold quartermaster general Wright responsible, as it was the only way to arm the militia.

Great stuff!

I just visited and photographed Federal Brevet Brigadier General George Washington Neff's grave at the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a friend in Missouri.

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During the year of 1863, work was done to reorganize the Ohio Militia into a new military organization. The work was completed in early 1864, and when the new organization was officially brought into existence, it was named the Ohio National Guard (ONG).


The ONG was authorized to have 20 2 gun batteries of artillery. However, from the beginning of the war till mid-1863, Ohio had sent 39 6–pdr field guns into federal service. The US Gov refused to provide replacements, and the state arsenal did not contain any serviceable artillery, leaving the ONG with no way of arming the artillery. Ohio purchases 2 batteries of 6-pdr and 2 batteries of 12-pdr guns along with 200 horses.

The plan was to send a 6-pdr battery with 100 horses to camp Dennison and camp Cleveland to be used to train the ONG batteries. 3 2-gun batteries would report to each location, train for 60 days, then be relieved by the next 3 batteries scheduled to be trained. However, the first 2 batteries to be trained would be manned for 6 guns. After training on the 6-pdr battery, they would keep the horses and then be issued a 12-pdr battery. This would give Ohio a full 6-gun 12-pdr battery with the horses stabled close to the guns to protect Cleveland, Cincinnati, and the northern and southern borders with the intention that they could be mobilized in as little as an hour if needed.

At camp Dennison, the 14th Ohio Independent Battery under the command of Capt. Paulson, ONG was selected to operate the 12-pdr battery that was to be placed at camp Dennison. The 14th was called up to duty for training and the first problems arose. Capt. Paulson had problems getting the men to report for duty. Eventually, he was able to get the men to camp Dennison to begin their 60 days of training on the 6-pdr battery. Due to the problems getting the men to report and then receiving a large number of requests for medical discharges from the men of the 14th, Adj. General Cowen loses faith in the 14th Ohio.

The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce had requested permission to form a battery to protect Cincinnati. In response to the request, AG Cowen sends them a letter informing them that he already had a 6-gun battery at Camp Dennison that could respond and Capt. Paulsen and his men had been called up to duty. However, next to his signature, AG Cowen has written “Not for Publication” – he wants the letter to be confidential. On the 2nd page he tells them that “Perhaps it would be better for you to get your own men, as they would be more reliable

At the end of their 60 days of training, 3 2 gun batteries arrive and the 6-pdr battery is turned over to them for their training. Capt. Paulsen is given orders that his men are to remain at Camp Dennison. However, the men begin to walk out. In his first telegram, Paulsen states The men say their time has expired and that I cannot keep them in camp. The 14th Ohio was listed in the reports for 1864 as having 110 men. In Capt. Paulsen’s next telegram he states “I only have 21 privates, sergeants, and officers left then in a 3rd, desperate telegram he states 6 deserters have filed a writ of habeas corpus and I am summoned forthwith – who defends the state? Please reply and other than a mention that Paulsen and his men have been discharged in a letter, the 14th ceases to exist. No mention of what happened to them, they are not listed in the reports for 1865. This leaves AG Cowen with no battery to operate the 12-pdrs at Camp Dennison. The men who are training on the 6-pdr battery now assume the duty of protecting Cincinnati and the southern borders of Ohio, and the 12-pdr battery is not shipped to Camp Dennison.
 
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A great grandfather on my mother's side, William Henry Iliff, served during Civil War in Company D, 12th Ohio Vol Inf. enlisting April 16, 1861. He was from Cedarville, Greene, Ohio, and was at Camp Dennison before his Regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac and sent to Virginia. It was said his Regiment assisted in the construction of the camp.
 
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