On the weekend of September 13 - 15, 2002, a group of eleven descendants of soldiers of the 4th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Regiment [hereinafter referred to as 4th OVC], along with other family members, met in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and founded the 4th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Descendants Association (hereinafter referred to as 4thOVCDA). They rededicated the 4th OVC Monument at nearby Chickamauga Battlefield where the Regiment had fought during the Civil War. The monument had been moved from the battlefield in the 1960s because of traffic patterns in the park but had recently been returned to its original position. Since that first descendant's reunion in 2002, membership in the Association has steadily grown.
The 4th OVCDA is dedicated to preserving the memory and history of the heroic men who honorably served in the 4th OVC at a time when their country needed them the most - the American Civil War, 1861-1865. The Association provides a source for anyone who is researching the unit, its soldiers, or its battles, free of charge. Periodic reunions are held for all descendants, families, and friends of the 4th OVCDA. To date, five reunions have been held, including that at Chattanooga. The others were at Columbus, OH (October 10 - 12, 2003); Stones River, Murfreesboro, TN (October 1 - 3, 2004); Cincinnati, OH (September 30 -October 2, 2005); Louisville, KY (October 3-5, 2007); and Andersonville, GA (October 7-10, 2010). Each reunion includes a ceremony held at one or more cemeteries in the area where soldiers of the 4th OVC are buried. A small flag is placed on each of their graves in honor of the service they performed.
The members of the Association have been involved in a number of projects. One is the collection of photographs of some of the men, along with their papers and letters, reunion ribbons, stories, and obituaries. The locations of the graves of about half of the men who served in the 4thOVC have been identified and pictures of over 70% of those graves have been secured. In one instance, the records of a national cemetery were corrected. Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia listed a 4th OVC soldier as belonging to the 9th OVC. By working with the cemetery, the records were amended and the soldier is now recognized as having served with the 4th OVC. Perhaps our most enduring and satisfying project was raising funds over seven years to conserve the Regimental Colors (Battle Flag) of the 4th OVC. This project came to fruition in 2011 with the display of the conserved flag at the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, a picture of which appears on the home page.
Money collected via dues payments and separate donations is used to locate unmarked graves of the members of the 4th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and place headstones on them so our ancestors have the memorial and recognition they richly deserve.
For further information about the 4th OVCDA or its projects, please contact:
4OVCdescassn@gmail.com.
To join the 4th OVCDA, please print and fill out the application form on the Membership Application page. Mail it along with your dues to the address listed on the application. Currently, dues are $10 annually for individual membership and $15 for family membership. (NOTE: family membership only applies to family members residing at the same address.) As a member of the 4th OVCDA, you will receive a quarterly magazine and assistance with genealogy searches.
Thank you for your interest in our organization.
Bill Krebs
President
