Cenotaph at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Photo taken by Kevin Frye
Andersonville Historian

Dominicus Eha was born on August 31, 1826 in Rottweil, Wuttemberg, Germany.He was five feet four inches tall, had blue eyes, brown hair, and a sorrel complexion. He grew up speaking only German he came on a ship with thousands of other German immigrants during the mid-1800, to find opportunity in the new world. When he was 27 years old, he married Sophia Lauder in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had 5 children. On June 13, 1861, Dominicus enlisted in Cincinnati as an Union soldier for three years, and assigned to the 28th Ohio. He was in the 2nd Brigade called the "Bully Dutch Brigade" because there were so many Germans in the ranks. He saw action at Carnifex Ferry, Cumberland Gap, Rocky Gap in WVA and at Princeton. He was also at South Mountain Maryland under Maj. Gen George B McClellan. He was promoted to Cpl.1862-1864 In September his unit was at Antietam. In November they moved on to the Court House at Fayetteville. He was reduced to the rank of Pvt on Feb 17. The 28th was at Buckhannon,Shinnston, Grafton, New Creek, Philippi and Beverly, and Droop Mt W.VA Dominicus reinlisted on Feb 1, 1864. They saw action at Martinsburg, WVA and ordered to march toward New Market, VA. He was captured by the Confederates during a skirmish near Strasburg, VA. He was taken to Andersonville Prison in Georgia, at the time called Camp Sumter. The prison was build to hold about 10,000 prisoners. The problem, because of the over population, was it was hard to find shelter. Some prisoners had to build their own rude huts, some had to make their own tents by using their clothes, and others made their shelter by digging a hole in the ground. Many of their shelters were not strong enough to fight against rain, sun, heat, and cold. Food was scarce. The major water supply the prisoners had was a five ft wide creek which flowed through the camp yard but it was soon polluted by wastes from the backhouses or the Confederate camp. On October 27, 1864 Domincus Eha died, at age 38 of diarrhea and scurvy as a result of exposure and bad treatment (Widow's Claim for Pension)He was moved to the "Dead House" outside the stockade, than hauled by wagon to the nearby cemetery. Paroled prisoners dug shallow burial trenches in which the bodies were placed side by side on their backs.(Strock 2) At Andersonville National Cemetery, Dominicus Eha rests in peace.There is a plaque at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cinncinati, Ohio remembering Dominicus in the Eha/Fuchs family plot.
Taken from a Report by Hideki Bates Noma, 3rd great grandson of Dominicus. (Beth Eha 2015)