THE DIARY OF SILMAN ANDRE
QUICK FACTS
462 Diary Entries: May 25, 1862 - December 31, 1864
Unit: 9th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Union Army)
Area of operations: West Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley
# of Battles & Skirmishes: 38
SILMAN ANDRE
Silman, the grandson of French immigrants, was the oldest of twelve children who grew up along the Ohio - West Virginia border in Scioto County, Ohio. He was a perfectly average sized Civil War soldier standing at 5’7”, short by today’s standards, but had a frame that was capable of carrying his own kit on foot throughout the war.
He was a twenty-eight year old Blacksmith with no military experience when he enlisted. He left behind his wife, Frances, and baby daughter to fight to preserve the Union.
THE 9TH WEST VIRGINIA INFANTRY
The North federalized troops in a way that created pride and esprit de corps. They formed volunteer regiments taking the name of the state, made up of men from that state, and with officers appointed by the Governor. However, West Virginia was interesting because it wasn’t actually a state yet and Virginia had just seceded in 1861. It was also a hotbed of secessionists so the Union needed to get this under control ASAP.
Silman’s unit formed in Guyandotte, W Va. just a few weeks after Confederate forces were expelled from that same town. It was close to home for Silman; he lived almost directly across the river in Ohio so this likely played the key role in his decision to join a unit from West Virginia and not his home state.
Ten companies were formed with over one thousand untrained men. They lacked equipment, arms, and most importantly experienced officers. There wasn’t an option though, the 9th W. Virginia needed to start patrolling and crush the rebellion in this area of the war.
