Crook's Regulars

Crook's Regulars: The 36th Ohio (Veteran) Volunteer Infantry in the War of Rebellion Crook's Regulars tells the story of the 36th Ohio Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. It not only reveals the lot of the soldier and unit, but puts their story into the larger context of the war. It also explores a number of elements that thus far have been neglected, such as desertion, discipline, problems with officers, shooting of prisoners, and wanton destruction, resulting in a study unlike no other unit history. While the 36th's experience in many ways is similar to that of the other 2,100 Union infantry regiments raised during the Civil War, it is unusual in others. It served throughout the war, in both the eastern and western theaters, with a majority of the men reenlisting after their three year term expired, earning the unit the title, "Veteran" Volunteer Infantry. It sustained considerable casualties, as only 12 of the 126 Ohio infantry regiments suffered more combat deaths. It was closely associated with one of the better known Federal generals, George Crook, its original commander, as well as with two officers who later became president, Rutherford Hayes and William McKinley. It engaged in both conventional and guerrilla warfare. The 36th fought in a number of notable battles, some small (Lewisburg and Cloyd's Mountain) and some major (South Mountain, Antietam, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign). The 36th was also involved in some controversial actions including the burning of VMI, the destruction in the Shenandoah Valley, anti-guerrilla warfare, and the shooting of prisoners. Crook's Regulars is based on materials from a number of archives along with considerable work in secondary sources. Unlike many of the accounts of the Civil War, and most regimental histories, this study is documented and includes an annotated bibliography.