8th Ohio Infantry Regiment Officers

Colonel Hard, Colonel Dick and the majors of the 8th Ohio Infantry Regiment, U.S. Volunteers on the pier in New York preparing to sail for Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish American War. The 8th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an Ohio National Guard regiment organized in July 1876 and mustered into federal service in May 1898 at Camp Bushnell in Columbus. Men in the regiment were from northern Ohio, predominantly Ashland, Holmes, Medina, Richland, Wayne, and Stark counties. The 8th Ohio was nicknamed "McKinley's Own" or "The President's Own" because three companies were from President William McKinley's hometown of Canton. The 8th Ohio assembled in Akron, Ohio, on April 26th, 1898, just three days after the call for troops. On July 4th, 1898, following several months of training at Camp Bushnell and Camp Alger, the 8th Ohio received orders to move to New York, where they would set sail for Cuba. The regiment disembarked at Siboney, Cuba on July 11. Although the unit never participated in combat, it was plagued by disease. The soldiers that did not perish from illness left Cuba on August 17 aboard the S.S. Mohawk