THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
March 22d, the Regiment joined Banks' command at Winchester, and was soon engaged with the Rebels, driving them until into the night and as far South as Kearnstown. The men lay on their arms all night, and the next morning were the first to engage the enemy. The Infantry fighting having fairly opened, the Regiment was ordered to re-enforce General Tyler's Brigade, to do which it was necessary to pass an open field, exposed to the enemy's fire for three-fourths of a mile, which was done in double-quick, the command coming into action in fine order. In that action the Regiment lost 15 killed and 32 wounded. From that time until the last of June following, it rendered severe service in the marches to and fro in the Shenandoah Valley, over the mountains and back, from the Potomac to Harrisonburg, from Front Royal to Fredricksburg, Fredericksburg to Manassas, Manassas to Port Republic, and thence to Alexandria.
Two pictures from the 1908 reunion of the 67th OVI held in Ottokee, Fulton County, Ohio.
June 29th, the Regiment took passage by water for the James, to re-enforce McClellan. On the night of the 30th, when near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, the troops were subject to great peril and distress, in consequence of the parting of the Steamer and Barge, from a severe storm. Men, horses, arms and other equipage were swept overboard, and it was nearly an hour before the two crafts could be re-attached. The Regiment at Harrison s Landing campaigned with the Potomac Army until the evacuation of the Peninsula, when, with only 300 men for duty out of 850, it went to Suffolk, Virginia. While there it was permitted the first opportunity for rest and drill. Late in December following it was transferred to North Carolina and to Hilton Head, reaching the latter February 1,1863. It shared liberally in the Charleston expedition, landing at Cole's Island April 2d. From that time until November, it heroically met all the hardships, privations and dangers of the extraordinary siege, and was specially prominent in the sanguinary attack on Fort Wagner, sustaining heavy loss at different times. Its term of service having expired, the Regiment re-enlisted with creditable unanimity, and returned to Ohio, reaching Toledo, February 20, 1864, where it was welcomed with great enthusiasm by the people, whose spokesman, M. R. Waite (now Chief Justice), addressed them in appropriate terms, and was responded to by Colonel Voris. It so happened that the First Regiment, O.V.M., had arranged for the commemoration of Washington's Birthday, at that time, which fact added much to the interest of the occasion. Depositing their guns at Hanks' Hall, the Regiment marched to the Oliver House for dinner. The Regiment's furlough having expired, it left Toledo for the field March 24, 1864, reaching Bermuda Hundred, Virginia, under General B. F. Butler. May 6th. On the 9th it was detached as guard for the right flank of the Tenth Corps, which had gone to destroy the Railroad between Chester and Petersburg. During the night the Rebels were re-enforced, and the next morning made a general attack; but the Regiment maintained its position to the last, presenting an unbroken front to four successive charges. The day was made memorable with the Regiment by the glorious, though sad, ordeal to which it was there subjected. Its killed and wounded numbered 65, officers and men. On the 20th of May, a portion of the Union lines having fallen into the hands of the Rebels, the Sixty-Seventh, with other Regiments, was designated to recapture it, which they did by a charge which cost the Regiment 69 officers and men killed and wounded. The Rebel General W. H. S. Walker was wounded and captured, his sword being taken as a trophy. August 16th, four Companies of the Regiment charged the Rebel rifle-pits at Deep River, and at the first volley lost one-third of its men; but the position was gained before the enemy could re-load. On the 7th, 13th, 27th and 28th of October, the Regiment was again engaged with the Rebels, losing over 100 of its force. During the Spring and Summer of 1864, it many times confronted the enemy, always within range of their guns; and it is stated by officers qualified to judge, that during the year it was under fire 200 times. Danger seemed to attend its every movement. For weeks at a time, the men wore their accouterments. Of over 600 muskets taken out in the Spring, fully 360 were laid aside during the year on account of casualties. In the spring of 1865, the Regiment participated in the assault on the Rebel works below Petersburg; on April 2d was foremost in the charge at Fort Gregg; and at Appomattox C. H. was "in at the death," bearing its battle-flag proudly in the last fight with Lee's once proud Army of Northern Virginia. May 5th, the Regiment garrisoned the District of South Anna, Virginia, till December, 1865. Meantime the Sixty-Second Ohio was consolidated with it, the latter retaining its organization. The Sixty-Seventh was mustered out December 12th, lacking only six days of a Regimental existence of four years, and with but two of its original officers left. It had given Colonels to four Regiments (111th, 120th, 182d and 184th Ohio); and furnished one Brevet Major-General and two Brevet Brigadier-Generals. Among the brave men of this Regiment killed in the battles of May 9 and 10, 1864, near Petersburg, was First Lieutenant George M. Ballard, Company I. He was a son of James Ballard, Toledo, and a young man of superior endowments. His last words to a friend on leaving Toledo, after having re-enlisted, were: "If you hear nothing else from me, I hope you will hear that I did my duty." The next intelligence of him received by that friend, was, that he had been shot down in battle, in the place where a superior officer had placed him, and while taking aim at Rebels within five rods of him. Indeed, he "did his duty." His remains were brought to Toledo, where they were buried June 3d, from the residence of the family, 29 North street. In February, 1865, private David Conhisk, Company B, Sixth-Seventh Ohio, was home at Toledo on a furlough of 20 days. On his furlough was this endorsement by Major-General Gibbons, commanding First Division, approved by Major-General Ord, commanding the Corps: "Furlough granted for 20 days, for being the best-appearing Soldier in the First Division, Twenty-Fourth Army Corps, on inspection, February 2, 1865." The significance of such endorsement will be appreciated when it is understood how it was gained. Examination was made in each Regiment for the man best skilled in handling the musket and whose arms and accouterments were in best condition; such Soldier was sent to Brigade headquarters, where he met like competitors from the other Regiments; after which the best was sent to Division headquarters, where he was compared with representatives from the other Brigades, the whole being examined and drilled about two hours in the most thorough manner. Through all this rigid scrutiny and relentless test, did David Conlisk come out triumphant, to win the distinction of being "the best-appearing Soldier in the First Division, Twenty-Fourth Army Corps." Until this furlough he had never been absent a day from his Company (over three years); had been in all the battles of the Regiment; and had never received an injury in the service. In this connection, it may be stated, that about the same time, examination was made to ascertain which Regiment in each Brigade of the same Division was in the best condition and made the best appearance, when it appeared that the Sixty-Seventh won such honor in its Brigade. A similar examination for the Division, had the same result. Whereupon, that command was entitled to relief from picket duty and outside details for two weeks; but in the spirit of the true Soldier, the men voluntarily offered to perform their regular labor, and thus relieve the other Regiments of additional service, very severe at that season of the year. The losses sustained by the Sixty-Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as officially reported by Colonel A.C. Voris, at the close of the War, were as follows:
These aggregate 577. Colonel Voris stated that losses sustained on other occasions would swell the aggregate to over 600. March 23, 1867, the survivors of the Sixty-Seventh commemorated the anniversary of the first battle of Winchester, March 23, 1862, at the American House, Toledo. In that severe engagement -- one of the fiercest of the War -- the Sixty-Seventh bore a conspicuous part and suffered severely. The Rebels lost 800 killed and wounded, and 500 captured. Battery H, First Ohio Artillery, was also prominent in the fight. The enemy were under command of General T.J. Jackson, who on that occasion received the name of" Stonewall," from having fought in part from behind a stone-wall. On this occasion toasts were responded to by General John R. Bond (Major of the Sixty-Seventh at the battle); M.R. Waite; Adjutant R.J. Hathaway; Adjutant John Faskin; Captain C.C. Lewis; Surgeon S.F. Forbes; R.C. Lemmon, Esq.; Sergeant Wm. Corlett (Battery H.); Captain J.J. Weaver, and Color-Sergeant McDonald.
My great-great grandfather
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This Regiment was constituted of the fractional Regiments-the Forty-Fifth and Sixty-Seventh, and left Camp Chase January 19, 1862, for West Virginia, where it passed under command of General F. W. Lander. The month of February was chiefly spent at Paw Paw Tunnel, the only movement outside being a march to Bloomery Gap. March 5th it moved to Winchester, joining the Division of General Shields, where it had frequent skirmishes on the picket-line with Ashby's Cavalry.
