Essential Books - The Army of the Ohio

General Orders Number 97 established Don C. Buell as the commanding officer of the Department of the Ohio. All the forces within the department were then formed into the Army of the Ohio. the department initially consisted of the states of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana, but was later expanded to include Michigan, Wisconsin, and Kentucky east of the Tennessee River. Once again the department grew to include western Virginia. By this time the Army of the Ohio became the XVI Corps, then the Army of the Cumberland. When Ambrose Burnside took over the department, the troops within its boundaries were once again collected together to form the second Army of the Ohio. While there is not a lot in print on either of these formations, what follows are the essential titles to consider when studying this formation.

Belcher, Dennis W. - The Cavalry of the Army of the Ohio: A Civil War History. McFarland, 2024. You are going to have to really want this title, simply from a price point perspective - it stands at $49.95 for a 389 page softback book. However, owning several titles by Mr. Belcher, his books offer a great deal of information and insight to the mostly untold story of cavalry in the Western Theater. When I had heard this particular book was being written, I knew that it would not only be an essential book for my library, but that it would be well researched and bring to the fore the mounted arm of both iterations of the Army of the Ohio. It does not disappoint.

Engle, Stephen D. - Don Carlos Buell: Most Promising of All. University of North Carolina Press, 1999. I like Engle - he writes biographies without becoming enamored with his subject. I thought his work on Franz Sigel was very fair. His effort about Buell might fall towards a more negative view of the man, but Engle does address Buell's successes as well.

Marvel, William - Burnside. University of North Carolina Press, 1991. While this biography, like the Buell title above, covers Burnside's entire life, the sections dealing with Burnside's involvement with the second incarnation of the Army of the Ohio are essential in understanding the Knoxville Campaign. Marvel does a fine job dispelling the Morgan myth - that Morgan's Raid caused Burnside to delay his advance into east Tennessee.

Prokopowicz, Gerald J. - All for the Regiment: The Army of the Ohio, 1861-1862. University of North Carolina Press, 2001. Of all the books listed here, this is perhaps the most essential. While dealing strictly with the first version of the Army of the Ohio, it takes a deep, but not overwhelming dive into the makeup and motivations of the men who will form the regiments within the army, then follows the army as it moves through its various campaigns.

Reid, Richard J. - The Army That Buell Built. R. J. Reid, 1994. This one might be tough to find - I happened to buy my copy at Perryville several years ago. Mr. Reid, although less well known than his contemporary Dr. Hafendorfer, also delved into a variety of Kentucky related topics through his small booklet-sized publications. This one is only seventy-six pages of small typewriter style font, but covers the formation of the army up to Perryville. If you can find it on the aftermarket for under ten bucks, then it might be a consideration.