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Horatio Quiggle was that rarest of Civil War soldiers, serving continuously from the conflict’s outset to its conclusion. He initially joined the 14th Ohio Infantry, a three-month militia unit from northwestern Ohio, in April 1861. After its term expired that August, he promptly reenrolled in the three-year organization of the 14th, serving with the Army of the Ohio (later christened the Army of the Cumberland). On December 17, 1863, he again reenlisted for the duration of the war, not mustering out until the summer of 1865. His enduring commitment offers a unique perspective on the entire wartime experience.
Through the Civil War with the Fourteenth Ohio Infantry: Horatio Quiggle’s Memoir of Service, 1861-1865 presents a fascinating, previously unpublished glimpse into the life of this “fighting regiment” and the men who filled its ranks. The 14th Ohio earned its reputation as a formidable combat unit. Out of a total enrollment of 1,404, the regiment suffered significant losses: 146 men killed in action, 186 to disease and accident, and 329 to non-lethal wounds. It fought at Mill Springs in early 1862 and engaged repeatedly under Generals Don C. Buell, William S. Rosecrans, and George H. Thomas. Among its most brutal engagements were the battles in Georgia at Chickamauga in September 1863, and a year later at Jonesboro outside Atlanta. Quiggle’s firsthand descriptions of Chickamauga’s bloody scenes are particularly striking, offering vivid insight into the realities of combat.
Though he escaped serious physical injury, Quiggle endured profound personal loss, including his brother, late in the war. His memoir offers a poignant and often humorous recounting of his experiences, imbued with deep humanity. Enlisting as a 23-year-old farmer, he emerged from the conflict a profoundly transformed individual. While rich in detail and drawn from his wartime diary, Quiggle’s memoir does not present a purely tactical or analytical history of the 14th Ohio Infantry. Given the scarcity of other primary sources for the 14th, the Quiggle manuscript stands as an invaluable addition to the history of the 14th Ohio and the broader narrative of the war in the Western Theater.
Joanna R. Hagopian is an enthusiast of history and ancestry. With a diverse professional background that includes owning a travel agency and court and paralegal experience, Joanna has cultivated a keen eye for detail and a deep respect for the human stories behind historical events. In 2012, she was honored with the Judge Richardson Award at Dedham District Court for her dedicated volunteer contributions. When she is not digging through archives or tending to her gardens, Joanna and her husband, Mark, live with their three spirited black cats in a small New England town outside Boston.
David A. Powell is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (1983) with a BA in history. He has published many articles in various magazines and more than fifteen historical simulations. For the past decade his focus has been on the epic battle of Chickamauga, and he is nationally recognized for his tours of that battlefield. David is the author of many books including The Chickamauga Campaign trilogy, The Maps of Chickamauga, and Failure in the Saddle. He won the Nevins-Freeman Award given by the Chicago Civil War Round Table and his first installment of The Atlanta Campaign was a finalist for the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award. David and his wife Anne live with their trio of Bloodhounds in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.
