A Shouting of Orders

About the Book

A Shouting of Orders conveys the history of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, an American Civil War unit formed from the counties of northwest Ohio surrounding Lima. The regiment, one among nearly 200 formed in the Buckeye State, has a history rich in personalities and experiences. A Shouting of Orders is the culmination of nearly 10 years of research and features previously unpublished primary source documents from key members of the regiment, including the lieutenant colonel and a company captain. McCray also heavily relied on the regimental papers kept with the National Archives, as well as contemporary newspaper reports.

About the Author

A native of northwest Ohio, McCray’s interest in the American Civil War began with the conflicts centennial. In addition to A Shouting of Orders, he is the author of 2024’s Without Bugle or Drum, the first detailed accounts of skirmishes in Middle Tennessee’s Milton and Liberty in March and April 1863. On a topic far-removed from America’s Civil War, McCray also authored Alien Thoughts – Voices of UFO Buffs of the 1960s and 1970s (and beyond!) in 2023. He first became interested in UFOs in 1966 and went on to start several clubs and associated obligatory newsletters for UFO buffs. He organized the 1970 Congress of Scientific Ufologists, held in the Saturn Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Much of Alien Thoughts was researched in the early 1970s and only recently was the musty manuscript dusted off and renewed. He served as the chief executive of the National Ground Water Association from 1995 to 2017, where he was told to never tell anyone there about his UFO interests. Previously, he served in multiple staff roles from the time he joined the Association in 1979. He was a consultant to nonprofits from 2016 to 2023. In his employment years he taught high school, worked in community relations for a state government agency, served as public relations director for a semi-professional football team, and worked a marketing communications staff member for a larger manufacturing operation. Today, he is a freelance researcher and writer on a wide range of topics. He and his wife Gayle live in Morrow County, Ohio.