Kevin B. McCray papers - 99th OVI research collection

The Kevin B. McCray Papers consists of the principal collection of research materials gathered in the course of writing his book, "A Shouting of Orders: a History of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment", which was published in 2003. Drawing on primary resources in public repositories and in private hands as well as copies made from published material, the archive gathered by McCray documents the history of the 99th O.V.I. through official documents, private correspondence, and contemporary reports.

The heart of the collection is provided in the personal views in the correspondence of Thomas C. Honnell and John E. Cummins. Honnell was a Sergeant of the 15th O.V.I. during the initial 3-month service and later Captain in Co. C. of the 99th O.V.I., mustering-in at the age of 22 on July 24, 1862 as a sergeant, promoted to 1st Lieut. on Nov. 26, 1862, and to Captain on Feb 2, 1863. After the consolidation of the 99th with the 50th O.V.I he served in the same capacity until mustered-out on June 26, 1865. John E. Cummins served as Lt. Col. of the 99th O.V.I., having mustered-in on Aug. 9, 1862 at the age of 31. With the consolidation on Dec. 31, 1864 he became the Lt. Col. of the 50th, but on Feb. 16, 1865 he was promoted to serve as Colonel of the newly formed 185th O.V.I., which he served until he mustered-out on Sept. 26, 1865. The Honnell correspondence was copied from holdings at the Ohio Historical Society, and so has been somewhat accessible to researchers. However, the John E. Cummins material is privately held so the copies in the collection provide access to a unique resource to the public. McCray also used correspondence of Jacob Early, which was published in "Letters Home: the Personal Side of the American Civil War" and so copies of those are not in this collection of primary resources.

This correspondence is complemented by an array of documents including photocopies of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry daybook, with the sequence of orders (general, special, and field) related to their actions, copies or transcripts of other correspondence related to the regiment found in newspapers, and private collections. Of particular note in this regard are two rolls of microfilm from the National Archives; one roll of documents of the Adjutant General's "Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations" which includes not only the 99th O.V.I. but also the 92nd through 98th regiments, and a second roll of documents filmed at the request of McCray with 99th O.V.I. documents, various rosters, morning reports, and special orders.