This
regiment was organized at Camp Lucas, Clermont
County, in the summer of 1861, under Colonel
Abraham S. Piatt. About September 1st it
moved to Camp Dennison, Ohio. The regiment was
equipped and the men uniformed in light blue Zouave
dress and was called the Piatt Zouaves, and was
ordered to West Virginia in September. The
baptism of fire was with a Virginia regiment at
Chapmanville, Va., September 25th, in which the loss
was one killed and eight wounded.
During the fall and winter months the regiment was on
picket duty and scouting, and had some skirmishing
with guerillas. In the month of May, 1862, the
regiment had a sharp fight with the rebel forces
under Humphry Marshall, near
Princeton. In an engagement near Fayettesville,
Va., September 10th, the regiment lost 134 killed,
wounded and missing, and the loss in officers was
very heavy. After this fight they fell back to
Point Pleasant, Va. The regiment was on
garrison duty until May, 1863. In that month
the regiment was mounted and their next engagement
was at Wythesville, where Colonel Toland
of the 34th was killed.
In January, 1864, a large number of the regiment
reenlisted as veterans. After the veteran
furlough the regiment was engaged in raiding and
destroying railroads, during the months of May and
June, and was engaged in the great Lynchburg raid
under General Hunter. They saw
some hard service and the losses were heavy.
In a fight near Winchester, July 20th, the loss was
thirty killed and wounded, and Lieutenant
Colonel Shaw of the 34th was mortally
wounded. In the battle of Winchester,
September 19th, they were hotly engaged and six men
of the color guard were killed, the total loss being
sixty.
In the fall of 1864 and the winter of 1865 the regiment
was on garrison duty the greater part of the time at
Beverly. The regiment was very much reduced in
numbers and at Cumberland, Md., the survivors were
consolidated with the 36th OhioPg. 104 -
Volunteer Infantry. It was afterward known as
the 36th Regiment, Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
The regiment was in thirty-three battles, fights and
skirmishes, and the loss in killed and died of
wounds and disease was two hundred and sixty.
The first Colonel, A. S. Piatt, was promoted
to Brigadier-General and two commanders of the
regiment were killed on the field. |
