At the start of the Civil War, Union governors often appointed prominent local citizens as commanders for their states' rapidly-growing army regiments. Often possessing more patriotism than military competence, many of these men never rose beyond the rank of colonel and so have remained mere footnotes to history. This valuable volume catalogs the Union army colonels who commanded regiments from Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, giving special attention to those who failed to win promotion to brigadier general or brevet brigadier general, and therefore are less likely to have attracted scholarly attention. Arranged by state, each section includes a comprehensive list by regiment of every colonel who led regiments from that state followed by brief biographical sketches summarizing the Civil War service and life history of those who never advanced. Impressively researched and organized, this welcome reference work will aid and entertain Civil War scholars and enthusiasts alike.