Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Conditions Governing Access

Researchers may access born digital materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.

The PDF titled "The Civil War Diaries of Captain George Johnson," has had an email address redacted from it in both the physical and digital copies of the item. If you wish to view the original digital file, please complete Agreement for the Use of Restricted Materials.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Civil War Diary Transcriptions and Related Material of Captain George W. Johnson, 11th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, A&M 4538, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift from Robert K. Johnson, 2011.

Scope and Contents

Transcription of the Civil War diaries of Captain George Johnson of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. George Johnson was about 35 years old when he enlisted in the 11th Ohio Infantry in June 1861 and served in Companies A and K until late December 1863.

The transcription was completed by his descendant, Robert K. Johnson, in 2011, and includes the transcription of seven diaries from mid-1861 through December 1863. His diaries include candid descriptions of camp life and soldier conduct, his wounding at the Battle of South Mountain, his experiences in Confederate prisons such as Libby Prison in Richmond, Va., and his experiences in other battles such as the Second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, and Lookout Mountain. Also included are Johnson's officer commission, company muster rolls, widow's pension documents from the War Department, and several pictures of the diaries and Johnson's sword. Johnson was discharged on December 23, 1863, due to his wound incurred at the Battle of South Mountain. He lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was married to Sarah Hardin and had at least three children. He died in 1887, still suffering from his wounds.

The only physical material is the CD of the transcriptions and materials, and a two-page document containing notes by the donor about George Johnson and the transcriptions. The rest of the collection's content is PDF files of transcriptions of the seven diaries, as well as additional documents of research and images of historical documents and items pertaining to Johnson.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War - Ohio 11th Volunteer Infantry.
• Civil War - Union soldiers.
• Civil War -- War diaries
• Civil War battles.
• Diaries - Civil War.
• Johnson, George W., Captain, ca. 1826-1887
• Johnson, Robert K., fl. 2011
• Prisoners-of-war -- Civil War
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives