The 26th OVI was officially organized and mustered in at Camp Chase (Columbus) Ohio from June 8 to July 26, 1861. The soldiers enlisted from Delaware, Morrow, Marion, Champaign, Madison, Mahoning, Guernsey, Butler, Richland, Scioto, Hamilton, and Ross counties.  The 26th was organized under Colonel Edward P. Fyffe; Lieutenant Colonels: Ephraim R. Eckley, William H. Young, William H. Squires, William Clark; and Majors: Christopher Degenfeld, Norris T. Peatman, James A. Spence.  The 26th was one of the first to answer President Abraham Lincoln's call for troops to defend the Union. Ohio Governor William Dennison made the challenge to Ohioans that " Ohio must lead throughout the War!", and the soldiers of the 26th answered that challenge.
Ohio's involvement in the War was key not only to preserve the Union, but also to safeguard the state's citizens and property.  Ohio shared 436 miles of common border with the slave states of Virginia and Kentucky, separated only by the Ohio River. Even though Kentucky decided to stay officially neutral, many Kentuckians fought for the Confederate cause and Kentucky's governor was outspoken in his support of the Southern cause. Virginia seceded from the Union and was a major state in support of the Confederacy, including, but not limited to serving as the home for the Confederate capital at Richmond. Thus, the need to protect the state's border was a key consideration for Ohio from the very onset of the War.
Thus, it was not surprising that the first service for the 26th was with the United States Army with the occupation of Western Virginia with the Kanawha Brigade. This occurred from August 1861 to December, 1861. Many of the 26th died here ( most dying at Gauley Bridge ). Two companies of the 26th Ohio were engaged in a brief skimish at Boone County Courthouse ( present day Madison) on September 1, 1861.  The 26th was primarily heavily involved in Fayette County, western Virginia, around the Gauley and Fayetteville towns and in the Hawks Nest area. The regiments first serious action took place on Sept 2, 1861 at the Battle of Big Creek ( present day Chimney Corner), and subsequently present at the engagement at Sewell Mountain, Horseshoe Bend ( New River Gorge), and the seige of Gauley Bridge in early November, 1961. The 26th OVI encamped at several locations including above the New River, just off the Lewisburg Turnpike near Miller's Ferry.   Â
One item of interest is that the 26th OVI was sent to Western Virginia wearing gray uniforms that had to be borrowed from Indiana. Due to the rapid influx of enlistments and the mustering in of regiments during the Summer of 1861, the regulation uniforms were not available. This presented some misidentity problems, and the soldiers of the 26th considered this a slight. This situation was remedied by having the 26th OVI maintain a forward position with the army until such time that they regulation uniforms could be obtained.
The action in western Virginia was taken, in part, to move the Confederates position from just across the Ohio River to east of the Allegheny Mountains. The action pushed the Confederates out of Virginia's 34 most western counties. Subsequently, the regiment was moved to the District of Kanawha still with the Department of Western Virginia. This action was instrumental in providing the Unionist in Western Virginia the support and protection they needed to meet in Wheeling and set forth the state constitution of what was to be known as the State of West Virginia. While in Western Virginia, the regiment saw action at Big Chimney ( just east of Gauley Bridge), Gauley Bridge, ( marched with Colonel Rutherford B Hayes ( soon to be President Hayes) on a scouting expedition towards Raleigh Courthouse ( present day Beckly), and was with Rosecrans in front of Robert E Lee's forces on Sewell Mountain.Â