George I think you may be right in the main. My ancestor was a Quaker and opposed to violence, so he wasn't in the US Army as such but was a member of the US Sanitary Commission, which produced male nurses and as the war got started a FLOOD of female nurses. Here's an article on the Commission in Ohio. At this time of year, I think these people should be remembered because they tried to SAVE LIFES.

United States Sanitary Commission
Ohio
The United States Sanitary Commission was organized in New York in April 1861. The commissions organizers hoped to unite together the various charitable organizations, developing at the American Civil Wars outbreak, to assist Northern soldiers. The commission was to work in conjunction with the United States War Department to provide wounded and ill Union soldiers with adequate supplies and medical care. The United States Sanitary Commission also trained nurses to work in the military hospitals. The War Department authorized the United States Sanitary Commissions existence on June 9, 1861, and President Abraham Lincoln signed off on its creation on June 18, 1861.

The United States Sanitary Commission immediately set about providing support for the wounded and ill men serving in the Union army. The organizations leadership created three departments to meet the soldiers needs. First was the Preventive Service Department, which sent inspectors to military hospitals and to army camps to improve living conditions for the men. This department also published medical tracts, advising both doctors and soldiers on the various ways to prevent and to treat diseases. The second department was the Department of General Relief. This department sought monetary donations from civilians and businesses to purchase food, clothing, blankets, medicines, and innumerable other items to improve the wounded and ill soldiers living conditions. The final department was the Department of Special Relief. This department assisted wounded and ill soldiers in restarting their lives after they had completed their time in service. The Department of Special Relief also helped the families of disabled men to care for both the soldiers and the family members.

Ohioans actively assisted the United States Sanitary Commission during the Civil War. Dozens of Ohio communities had established Soldiers Aid Societies, the first in Cleveland, on April 20, 1861, to provide soldiers with various types of supplies. Most of these organizations eventually joined the United States Sanitary Commission. The Cincinnati chapter of the commission played a vital role in improving medical care for sick and wounded Union soldiers. During the course of the war, Cincinnatis members helped the federal government outfit thirty-three steamboats as hospital ships. They also helped create eight hospitals in the Cincinnati area and established a soldiers home to provide shelter and food for soldiers traveling through the community. The Cincinnati branch of the United States Sanitary Commission also held a sanitary fair in December 1863 to raise money for relief work. The commission earned 235,406 dollars. In February 1864, a similar fair held in Cleveland netted that citys chapter nearly seventy-eight thousand dollars.

The United States Sanitary Commission operated from 1861 until the wars conclusion in 1865. Before disbanding, the commissions leaders took all remaining assets and purchased government bonds. Interest earned from these investments went to poverty-stricken Union veterans to help these men provide for themselves and their families.