The Ninth Ohio:

Frederick Finnup lived the American Dream - his was a true rags-to-riches story. Born in Prussia in 1840, Frederick emigrated at a young age with his family to the United States. When they arrived in New Orleans, they had 45 cents to their name, along with a few personal possessions. His father had found work in the growing city of Cincinnati, and the family soon settled in the heavily German neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. Frederick paints a vivid picture of the pre-war years in Cincinnati, and brings to life several of the characters who played a role in his daily life.  

​

When the Civil war broke out, Frederick enlisted in the all-German Ninth Ohio Infantry. He spends the vast majority of his narrative describing both the mundane and the terrific, with accounts from Rich Mountain, West Virginia, to Chickamauga, Georgia, and everything in between. However, Frederick's post war life proves to be one of patience, hard work, and dedication, and his legacy continues to this day in his destination, Garden City, Kansas.

​

Frederick Finnup's story is a unique look at an average German-American soldier. He served as a private for three years, without a wound, and without being admitted to the hospital. He was not a member of a Turner club; he was not a Forty-Eighter, and in fact does not appear to have been particularly religious or very politically active. Frederick Finnup represents the majority of soldiers who served in his regiment: a German-speaking skilled laborer in his early 20s who enlisted for a number of reasons. His story shines new light on this perspective. 

​

​