On April 10, 1862, the 55th Ohio marched to Romney, Western Virginia and joined the brigade commanded by Brigadier General Robert C. Schenck. The other units in the brigade were the 32nd, 73rd, 75th, and 82nd Ohio infantry plus Battery K, 1st Ohio Light Artillery. This brigade was to be known as the "Ohio Brigade". By the 14th of April, the brigade relocated to Moorefield, (West) Virginia.While in this camp, William Keesy of Company I relates of the experiences of two slaves who took up with the unit: "On our previous trip to this place, two slaves, said to be brothers - Dave and Ham Hamlin - took up their journey with us. Dave, who had been a porter or waiter in the hotel, was employed as cook for the captain; and Ham, who had been hostler in the same hotel, cooked for our company. They were both experts at the business. As we entered Moorefield this time, it was amusing to see the colored people great and small, sitting on the fences like crows, and 'sizing up' the Yankees. Dave and Ham sauntered on ahead of the column and were now greeting their friend, who, in turn, were doing them great honor for their marvelous enterprise in going off 'wid de Yankees.' Their boisterous ejaculations and happy exclamations, were commingled with tears of joy and expressions of jovial friendship. We could hear their great big 'yah! yah! yah! Dar's Dabe! Dar's Ham! Yah-ha I sees yer, o'le boy--yah-ha, ha. Der Yanks hane killed yer yed! Hiee! Hiee! Hi! Hi! Hi!'
The boys were urged to return to their masters, but they chose to remain 'wid de Yanks.' A few days after this, when we had settled down in camp their old masters, or their old master's friends, came into camp and wanted the officers to return their slaves. This greatly frightened the boys. They had grave fears that the 'tale of their brick would be increased' for the liberty they had taken, should they be restored to their masters. Our officers soon gave them all to understand that the Yankees were in Dixie for quite a different purpose than to catch and return slaves. Dave was very anxious to learn to read. Some of the boys got hold of a first reader for him. In three week's time, by the help of the boys, he could read quite well."
On April 29th, 1862, General Schenck and his brigade arrived at Petersburg, (West) Virginia.
Sources:
Trials and Triumphs: A Record of the Fifty-Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Hartwell Orsborne, 1904, A.C. Clurg & Co., Chicago.
War, As Viewed From The Ranks by William Keesy, 1898.
Memoirs of Luther B. Mesnard, 1901, Courtesy of U.S. Army Military History Institute.