Introduction | Agency History | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The Kevin B. McCray Papers, a research archive on the 99th O.V.I. consists of journal and newspaper articles, copied letters, regimental orders and other military records, biographical sketches, copy of daybook and general orders, and microfilm documenting the mustering, training and campaigns of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The material was used in the research and production of McCray's 2003 book "A Shouting of Orders: a History of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment."

The collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections by Kevin McCray of Westerville, Ohio on August 11, 2008. Duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and research. The register was prepared by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts in August 2008.

Agency History

The 99th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was mustered at Lima, Ohio on August 26, 1862 for three years of service; at the end of December 1864 it was consolidated with the 50th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

According to the listing in Dyer's "Compendium" just a few of the major actions during their term of service included the Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863, the Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20 and the Siege of Chattanooga September 24-November 23, Lookout Mountain November 23-24 and Mission Ridge November 25, 1863, Rocky Face Ridge May 8-11, 1864, Battle of Resaca May 14-15, battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5, Assault on Kenesaw June 27, Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25, Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1, Battle of Franklin November 30, and Battle of Nashville December 15-16. The 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was consolidated with 50th Ohio Infantry December 31, 1864.

The 50th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was originally mustered at Camp Dennison, Ohio, and mustered in August 27, 1862 for 3 years service. After the 99th O.V.I. was consolidated with the 50th on December 31, 1864 the combined regiment saw some action, but was not involved in any major battles, primarily being involved in occupation activities. The regiment was mustered out June 26, 1865. Similarly, the 185th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry was originally mustered at Camp Chase, Ohio for 1 year service on February 25, 1865 and was primarily involved in guard and garrison duty until they were mustered-out on Sept. 26, 1865.

Scope and Content

The Kevin B. McCray Papers consists of the principal collection of research materials gathered in the course of writing his book, "A Shouting of Orders: a History of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment", which was published in 2003. Drawing on primary resources in public repositories and in private hands as well as copies made from published material, the archive gathered by McCray documents the history of the 99th O.V.I. through official documents, private correspondence, and contemporary reports.

The heart of the collection is provided in the personal views in the correspondence of Thomas C. Honnell and John E. Cummins. Honnell was a Sergeant of the 15th O.V.I. during the initial 3-month service and later Captain in Co. C. of the 99th O.V.I., mustering-in at the age of 22 on July 24, 1862 as a sergeant, promoted to 1st Lieut. on Nov. 26, 1862, and to Captain on Feb 2, 1863. After the consolidation of the 99th with the 50th O.V.I he served in the same capacity until mustered-out on June 26, 1865. John E. Cummins served as Lt. Col. of the 99th O.V.I., having mustered-in on Aug. 9, 1862 at the age of 31. With the consolidation on Dec. 31, 1864 he became the Lt. Col. of the 50th, but on Feb. 16, 1865 he was promoted to serve as Colonel of the newly formed 185th O.V.I., which he served until he mustered-out on Sept. 26, 1865. The Honnell correspondence was copied from holdings at the Ohio Historical Society, and so has been somewhat accessible to researchers. However, the John E. Cummins material is privately held so the copies in the collection provide access to a unique resource to the public. McCray also used correspondence of Jacob Early, which was published in "Letters Home: the Personal Side of the American Civil War" and so copies of those are not in this collection of primary resources.

This correspondence is complemented by an array of documents including photocopies of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry daybook, with the sequence of orders (general, special, and field) related to their actions, copies or transcripts of other correspondence related to the regiment found in newspapers, and private collections. Of particular note in this regard are two rolls of microfilm from the National Archives; one roll of documents of the Adjutant General's "Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations" which includes not only the 99th O.V.I. but also the 92nd through 98th regiments, and a second roll of documents filmed at the request of McCray with 99th O.V.I. documents, various rosters, morning reports, and special orders .

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

DAYBOOK
1862-1864
Compiled photocopies of General Orders, Special Orders, Special Field Orders, and other official communications of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE - JOHN E. CUMMINS
1862-1865
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence written by the commanding officer of the 99th O.V.I. to his wife Hattie, covering the entire war from 1862 through 1865 when he was in command of the 50th O.V.I. . Originals privately held.

CORRESPONDENCE - THOMAS C. HONNELL
1862-1865
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence written by the Captain of Co. C., 99th O.V.I during the war to various individuals. Originals held by Ohio Historical Society

SUBJECT FILES

BATTLES
Arranged chronologically
Compiled copies of accounts related to the recruitment, service, movement, and battles in which the 99th O.V.I. was involved, taken from contemporary newspapers, local histories, the Official Record, and other published accounts

BIOGRAPHIES
Arranged alphabetically
Compiled copies of biographical notes and background information on members of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, both contemporary and modern, taken from a variety of printed and primary resources such as county histories, regimental histories, newspapers, and military records

REGIMENTS
Arranged numerically or by region
Compiled copies of research notes related to the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry or other Ohio, Union, or Confederate regiments which they encountered; information taken from regimental histories, newspaper accounts, military records, and web sources

MICROFILM

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE RECORDS
1862-1865
National Archives Microfilm (roll 157) of "Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations (Ohio Regiments 92nd- 99th); includes Regimental Returns documenting troop movement, battles and location

99TH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY RECORDS
1862-1865
Microfilm produced by the National Archives on request for Kevin McCray of regimental records including various rosters, morning reports, and special orders. Complements the photocopied Daybook material

Inventory

Box 1

Folder

1. Daybook copies, 1862-1864
2. Daybook copies, 1862-1864
3. Correspondence - John E. Cummins, 1862
4. Correspondence - John E. Cummins, 1863
5. Correspondence - John E. Cummins, 1864
6. Correspondence - John E. Cummins, 1865

Box 2

Folder

1. Correspondence - Thomas C. Honnell 1862
2. Correspondence - Thomas C. Honnell 1863
3. Correspondence - Thomas C. Honnell 1864
4. Correspondence - Thomas C. Honnell 1865, 1869
5. Subject - Battles - Camp Lima-Kentucky Aug-Dec 1862
6. Subject - Battles - Stones River-Snow Hill Dec 1862-Jan 1863
7. Subject - Battles - Chickamauga Sept 1863
8. Subject - Battles - Lookout Mt./Mission Ridge Nov 24-25, 1863
9. Subject - Battles - Rocky Face-Nashville May-Dec 1864

Box 3

Folder

1. Subject - Biographies - Bittler-Fryer n.d.
2. Subject - Biographies - Honnell-Keel n.d.
3. Subject - Biographies - Kizer-Wilkinson n.d.
4. Subject - Biographies - Misc. web-based sources 2001-2002
5. Subject - Regiments - CSA, USA, Ohio general n.d

Box 4

Folder

1. Subject - Regiments - 3rd & 4th Ohio Cavalry n.d.
2. Subject - Regiments - 7th, 15th & 19th OVI n.d.
3. Subject - Regiments - 40th, 50th, 51st & 95th OVI n.d.
4. Subject - Regiments - 99th, 185th OVI n.d.
5. Subject - Regiments - Confederate regiments n.d.
6. Subject - Regiments - Union (non-Ohio regiments) n.d.
7. Microfilm - National Archives resources n.d.

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