An Unknown Soldier - Ohio And The Civil War

An Unknown Soldier - Ohio And The Civil War. . The Reihle family once farmed what is now Pike Lake State Park. Auselein Reihle lost her son and husband amidst the raging Civil War in 1864. A Union soldier mysteriously appeared at her property days after she heard of her husband's death. Wounded and delirious, this exhausted soldier had hobbled two miles from a nearby inn. He never recovered despite Reihle's treatment. Having no identifying information, Auselein decided to bury him in on the farm. The Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic erected a stone marker here commemorating his sacrifice in 1942. The Reihle's story exemplifies how-even in unexpected ways-the Civil War touched all Ohioans., Ohioans played an integral role in the Union victory during the American Civil War (1861-65). All told, 310,654 Ohioans served in the Union army. The state was spared from major combat. Ohio's only significant Civil War battle at Buffington Island in 1863 was the turning point in Confederate general John Morgan's destructive raid across southern Ohio. Having been routed, he was later captured in Columbiana County. Some Ohioans rose to prominence during the conflict, including future U.S. presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes. Ultimately, 35,475 Ohioans-including this unknown soldier-died over the course of the Civil War.