Did you know that residents of Montgomery played a significant role in the Civil War?
At the beginning of the Civil War, Montgomery men enlisted in several Union Army cavalry and infantry regiments, most with the 4th and 5th cavalries. The cavalries trained at Camp Dennison, named for Governor William Dennison, which was one of three major training sites for Ohio soldiers. More than 50,000 Union soldiers were mustered in or out of services at Camp Dennison and as many as 12,000 men occupied the camp at one time. Doctor John Naylor, a Montgomery resident, served as a surgeon in Camp Dennison before serving as a village doctor after the war. The military hospital at Camp Dennison had over 200 beds in a series of wooden barracks.
In the summer of 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, and his cavalry of approximately 2,000 men rode through Montgomery during their nineteen-day raid across Indiana and southern Ohio. At the time, militia in Symmes and Sycamore townships were to report to C. Constable in Montgomery. While the militia concentrated on the southern portions of Hamilton County, the Raiders swept through the northeastern areas, including Montgomery and Blue Ash, virtually unopposed, looking for fresh horses, food, and drink. Montgomery residents were creative in protecting their horses and property; however, the Raider’s looted homes, stole horses and spread panic throughout Montgomery.
Many believe that the Grover-Kjellenberg House located at 10305 Montgomery Road was part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. The home has a large basement at a height that allows for standing and two fireplaces, which was highly unusual for the period. There were Underground Railroad networks throughout the country; however, due to its location, Ohio had the most active network of any other state with around 3000 miles of routes.
Civil War Veterans buried at Hopewell Cemetery: Jacob Addison, Mannin Apgar, Henry Bolser, Samuel Carnes, Fred Carney, Alex Constable, Fred Cruger, William Doepke, Fred Deffinger, James Frame, George Freising, Charles Graham, Joseph Gray, Thomas Groover, Samuel E. Huston, William Henry Jones, Sgt. Lloyd Irwin, James D. Irwin, Robert Isdell, Thomas Isdell, Thomas Jenkins, David Johnston, John A. Jones, Willet Lepley, David Lind, W. Malsbary, James Mullen, Dr. John Naylor, John Phillips, James Radabaugh, John Ralston, Daniel Ready, John G. Riker, Daniel Riker, Joseph Roosa, Sylvester Roosa, William Smethurst, Jacob Snider, Tyler Snider, Henry Stowder, David Sutton, Foster Todd, Maxwell Vorhis, Sam Vorhis, Benjamin Wines, Christopher Weller, John B. Weller, John W. Weller.