Ohio: Difference between revisions

Ohio's central position and its population gave it an important place in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. The Ohio River was a vital artery for troop and supply movements, as were Ohio's railroads. Ohio's industry made it one of the most important states in the Union during the war. It contributed more soldiers per capita than any other state in the Union. In 1862, the state's morale was badly shaken in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Shiloh]], a costly victory in which Ohio forces suffered 2,000 casualties.<ref name="knepper233-234">Knepper (1989), pp. 233–234.</ref> Later that year, when [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] troops under the leadership of [[Stonewall Jackson]] threatened Washington, D.C., Ohio governor [[David Tod]] recruited 5,000 volunteers to provide three months of service.<ref name="roseboom188">Roseboom and Weisenburger (1967), p. 188.</ref> From July 13 to 26, 1863, towns along the Ohio River were attacked and ransacked in [[Morgan's Raid]], starting in [[Harrison, Ohio|Harrison]] in the west and culminating in the [[Battle of Salineville]] near [[West Point, Columbiana County, Ohio|West Point]] in the far east. While this raid was overall insignificant to the Confederacy, it aroused fear among people in Ohio and [[Indiana]] as it was the furthest advancement of troops from the South in the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Morgan's_Raid|title=Morgan's Raid—Ohio History Central|website=Ohiohistorycentral.org|access-date=April 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621033754/http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Morgan%27s_Raid|archive-date=June 21, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Almost 35,000 Ohioans died in the conflict, and 30,000 were physically wounded.<ref name="cayton129">Cayton (2002), p. 129.</ref> By the end of the Civil War, the Union's top three generals—[[Ulysses S. Grant]], [[William Tecumseh Sherman]], and [[Philip Sheridan]]—were all from Ohio.<ref name="cayton128-129">Cayton (2002), pp. 128–129.</ref>