Our Battery; Or, The Journal of Company B, 1st O.V.A.

In this intimate, first‑person journal, a Union light‑artillery battery from Cleveland recounts its birth in the early days of the Civil War. The entries capture the excitement and uncertainty as the men leave home, march to Camp Dennison, and learn the hard trade of handling cannon under the watchful eye of experienced officers. Daily life in shanties, the rhythm of drills, and the bonds formed among the recruits bring the era to vivid life.

Soon the battery is on the move again, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky amid rain‑soaked roads and obstinate horses. In Cincinnati's former orphanage turned barracks they receive a warm welcome from curious citizens, a reminder of the home they have left behind. The narrative builds toward their first field engagements, offering a soldier’s perspective on the anticipation, the cramped camps, and the early skirmishes that signal the war’s widening scope.