Overview
The 168th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, from May 12 to 19, 1864, for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of men from the 66th Battalion, Ohio National Guard (Highland County), the 67th Battalion (Fayette County), and one company from the 35th Battalion (Clarke County). The unit served primarily in Kentucky, performing railroad guard and garrison duties during its brief period of service.
The 168th Ohio Infantry was mustered in for a term of 100 days and was part of the larger mobilization of Ohio National Guard units in the summer of 1864. The regiment is notable for its involvement in the defense of Cynthiana, Kentucky, where it suffered significant losses during a Confederate cavalry attack.
Organization & Service
The regiment was organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, between May 12 and May 19, 1864, and mustered into service for 100 days. It was composed of companies drawn from several Ohio National Guard battalions. On June 9, 1864, the regiment moved to Covington, Kentucky, and then proceeded along the Covington & Lexington Railroad. Companies were stationed at various points to guard the railroad, with Company B and a detachment from Company G assigned to protect the bridge at Falmouth.
On June 10, a detachment of 300 men from the regiment occupied Cynthiana, Kentucky. Early on June 11, Confederate cavalry forces attacked the town. In the ensuing engagement, the regiment lost 7 men killed, 18 wounded, and 280 captured. The portion of the regiment under Major Emery C. Newton remained in Kentucky until July 10, after which it was ordered back to Camp Dennison to join the paroled prisoners. The regiment was subsequently sent to Cincinnati, Ohio, where it performed guard duty until it was mustered out on September 8, 1864.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Guard duty along Covington & Lexington Railroad, Kentucky (June 1864)
- Action at Cynthiana, Kentucky (June 11, 1864)
- Garrison and guard duty in Cincinnati, Ohio (July–September 1864)
Casualties
- Killed: 7
- Wounded: 18
- Captured: 280
- Total losses for the regiment during its service term are not fully detailed in all sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Conrad Garis
- Lieutenant Colonel George W. Barrere
- Major Emery C. Newton
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 168th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides details on company assignments and service records.
To view the complete roster, visit the 168th Ohio Infantry (One Hundred Days’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 37, Part 1
- Ohio Roster Commission, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 7
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Federal Publishing Company, The Union Army, Vol. 2 (1908)