Book Review: Buckeye Odyssey: A Civil War History of the 82nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Through the Stories of Six Men

Buckeye Odyssey: A Civil War History of the 82^nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Through the Stories of Six Men. By Samuel H. Fink. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2026. Paperback. 280 pp. $49.95.

Reviewed by Michael L. Smith

SPOILER ALERT: This is a review of one book and seven stories. The book is Samuel H. Fink’s Buckeye Odyssey: A Civil War History of the 82^nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Through the Stories of Six Men (McFarland & Company, Inc., 2026). The stories embrace men, some of whom did and some of whom did not survive the American Civil War, with some who did survive carrying their scars and suffering pain for the rest of their lives.

Fink’s story—or stories—deserve(s) to be told and, fortunately, he has now done that. The book’s title is certainly clear enough, but it seems important to emphasize that this is essentially a regimental history and so shares both the strengths and weaknesses of such works even when done well (the “breadth vs. depth”-thing). And while books with this focus lack the more universal appeal of battle or campaign histories, few works capture the ebb and flow of daily routines and the abrupt interruption of those caused by combat as well as they do. And it seems also true that some units simply by virtue of their experiences deserve works that focus on them specifically. The 82nd Ohio Infantry Regiment was one such unit.

Time and again thrown into battle against overwhelming odds (viz, McDowell, Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg), the 82nd lost more commissioned officers killed than any other Ohio regiment in the Civil War. It was a regiment that saw considerable combat in both Eastern and later Western theaters, blessed most although not all of the time with superior—even inspiring—leadership, but also suffering from ill effects of certain officers’ selfish ambitions. It was also a regiment that bore—unfairly—the burden of cowardice (arising from its connection to the ill-starred XI Corps of the Army of the Potomac), but later recognition for its members’ courage, and inclusion in historian William Fox’s listing of “three hundred fighting regiments.” (226) Surprisingly, it includes Martha Washington and Walt Whitman as figures in its history.

To be sure, no one will confuse Fink’s prose with that of Faulkner’s, but his style is direct, reasoned and lucid, with the author seemingly warming to a more engaging style as his stories unfold. His research is impressive—perhaps exhaustive—and draws heavily from extant letters written to and from the six men who figure most prominently in his telling.

But beyond that, Fink draws deeply from both primary and authoritative secondary sources, providing the reader with essential context so necessary to this type of history. The illustrations that sprinkle the work are informative, and the maps (and can there ever be “too many” maps in books about the Civil War?) are useful and strategically placed within the narrative. Informative footnotes are (happily) limited and appropriate. One does wish the author had included an appendix with a list of names of men who served in the regiment.

This is, in short, a solid piece of scholarship, an illuminating description of life (and death) in a Civil War unit, and likely the signature history of the 82nd Ohio for all time. So I close this review as Fink closes his narrative: “Six remarkable men; one outstanding regiment.” (284)

Michael L. Smith, PhD, is a former officer in the U.S. Air Force and retired university professor and academic administrator. He holds Masters degrees in History, Social Work, and Public Administration. A life-long student of the American Civil War, he currently serves the Tri Cities Civil War Round Table (3ccwrt) (East Tennessee) as its president. His gg-grandfather, Pvt. Henry F. Swartsfager, was wounded (“gunshot wound, left hip”) on the first day of the battle of Bentonville while serving in Co. H, 82nd Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment.