John R. Kinnear

John R. Kinnear was an officer and chronicler of the Eighty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, a Union regiment raised during the American Civil War. History of the Eighty-sixth Regiment was published in Chicago in 1866, soon after the unit's service ended. Kinnear organized the narrative from recruitment and training through marches, camps, battles, casualties, and the return home, drawing on his position within the regiment and on records available to its veterans. The account follows the Eighty-sixth through major western campaigns and preserves names, incidents, and movements that broader military histories often compress. Its regimental perspective gives attention to ordinary soldiers as well as officers and commanders. Kinnear also wrote for comrades and families who wanted a durable record of shared service. History of the Eighty-sixth Regiment therefore functions as both a historical narrative and a memorial document, combining operational detail with the collective identity of an Illinois volunteer unit.