Civil War

An unusually large number of Scotch-Irish men enlisted and fought in the Civil War. The 15th, 26th, 78th, 97th, 122nd, and 126th Ohio Volunteer Infantries were recruited largely from the Eastern Ohio enclaves of these people.

For these staunch Presbyterian Scotch-Irish soldiers, the Civil War was a war against Slavery and they set out to right the wrong, plunging into the bloodiest war in history.

Follow these deeply-committed men through the battles at Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville, The Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, seeing The War through their eyes. Poignant, and sometimes angry letters to loved ones, as well as diaries and journals kept as they sojourned far from home, will leave no doubt about their commitment to their cause.

 

Genealogy/Scotch-Irish

This book provides a truly amazing resource for the genealogist with Scotch-Irish roots. Over 3,000 individuals participate in the story laid out here and the author has included excellent personal and anecdotal information about many of the families and individuals; for example, land transfers and business dealings, as well as marriages and family trees.

These 3,000 individuals are indexed by surname - over 800 surnames to be exact. The men in the soldier list of the Appendix are also cross-referenced to the Names Index, enabling researchers to establish service dates, and final disposition of these men, if known.

The author personally researched all the families through genealogical groups, cemeteries, family records, and other resources. The Bibliography alone will be of great help to anyone looking for additional information on Scotch-Irish ancestors.

 

Ohio History

In the late 1700s, the Ohio Country beckoned to thousands of immigrants who longed for a piece of land and the right to live by their beliefs. The trail of their migration into this promised land is the basis for the complete story of the Scotch-Irish and their contributions to Eastern Ohio.

The forging of Zane's Trace, the settlement of towns such as New Concord, Norwich, Otsego, Zanesfield, Cambridge, and Lancaster - to name a few, the building of the National Road, and the importance of the railroads play large parts in this story. Early settlers and the stamp they made on these areas are followed closely throughout the story, with special attention to pre- and post-war information. An additional historic side-trip involves the Underground Railroad stations in Eastern Ohio, as well as the people who participated in this endeavor. The author provides an excellent history of the Presbyterian Colleges in the area and their roles throughout the decades.

 

The Presbyterian Church

The Covenanter, Seceder, and Associate Reformed Presbyterians rejected slavery as a "sin against God" at which "the angels weep." Their Ohio colleges, Franklin and Muskingum, became centers of strident abolitionism. This religious position drove the Scotch-Irish people to support the clandestine efforts of the Underground Railroad and other vehicles which pushed the country relentlessly toward war.

This story starts in Northern Ireland in the mid-1700s and tracks the migration and beginnings of these church communities in Eastern Ohio, on through the turmoil of the pre-war years, and into the fray. Well-researched information regarding church leaders such as Whitefield, Willson, Junkin, Craighead, Cuthbertson, and Henderson who led these enclaves, and the church politics of the times are presented in vivid detail.