| Mortimer E. Kerr | 5th Battalion Ohio Voluntary Cavalry |
| by James Dailey |
Not much is known about Mortimer E. Kerr except that he was a student or possibly faculty member of Otterbein College and served in the Civil War on the side of the Union Army. Mortimer E. Kerr was a member of the 5th Battalion of the Ohio Volunteer Calvary.
The 5th Battalion of the Ohio Volunteer Calvary was temporary group set up in 1863. It organized itself in Columbus, Ohio starting in July of that year. By August, the battalion moved on to Camp Chase, Ohio, where it continued to organize and gather members until early September. On September 8th the battalion traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to begin its tour of duty. They then traveled through Southern Ohio and parts of Kentucky. Their main job was to protect Union land and citizens, and try to stoop Morgan and his Confederate troops from encroaching upon Union territory. They were disbanded in February of 1864, suffering only three fatalities, two of which were caused by disease.
Bibliography
"5th Ohio Independent Cavalry." http://www.ohiocivilwar.com/icb5.html (accessed March 10, 2005).
"Augustus Starr." http://faculty.otterbein.edu/SFatherly/starr.html (accessed March 10, 2005).
Roster of Otterbein Civil War Veterans. Otterbein College Archives.