Lamont’s War

In December of 1861, the 82nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized for enlistment at Kenton, Ohio. Composed of men from four counties in central Ohio, it included Company D from Marion County. Lamont Cupp, along with his cousin, Solomon Dunklebarger, joined as original members, pledged for 3 years of service. The 82nd OVI was destined for a significant battle history, ranging from its first duties in western Virginia in 1862, to its addition to XI Corps for the great battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg in the east in 1863. After its destruction at Gettysburg, the XI Corps was broken apart and sent on an epic record-setting railroad transfer to Chattanooga in October of 1863 under “Fighting Joe” Hooker to break the siege and open up supply lines to the starving city before fighting at Missionary Ridge in November. 1864 brought Sherman’s Atlanta campaign and the battles of maneuver with the Army of the Cumberland under General Thomas as part of XX Corps. In September the 82nd OVI was the first to enter Atlanta with its division. In November of 1864, the 82nd, formed as part of the new Union Army of Georgia, marched through Georgia with Sherman. In early 1865 it would move from Savannah through the Carolinas, defeating the largest remaining Confederate army under Johnston. The 82nd OVI is recognized by William Fox in his authoritative work Regimental Losses in the American Civil War as the infantry regiment that had the highest combat casualty losses of officers of any Ohio unit in the Civil War.(1) For Lamont, his cousin Solomon, and later his older brother William, the war had devastating consequences.

(1). Fox, William F. Lt. Col, USV. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865: A Treatise on the Extent and Nature of the Mortuary Losses in the Union Regiments, with Full and Exhaustive Statistics Compiled From the Official Records in the State Military Bureaus and at Washington, 1888.

Below is a photo (1 large page split into 2 sections) showing the type of local regimental memory produced by many units as testament to their duty. These are roll calls of a sort, produced to honor those who volunteered and served in the war, and they were popular for unit reunions and kept as family heirlooms. If you look closely, along with the heroic themes, as each soldier is listed in the company, those who may have left the unit on other than honorable terms are clearly listed as “Deserter.” This could of course be cause for great shame in the local community, but these were the risks of not performing your duty.