This regiment was organized at Camp Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, under the immediate supervision of Colonel J. W. Frizell. The officers were appointed on the 22nd of July, 1862, and so vigorously was the recruiting prosecuted that in just one month one thousand and ten men were mustered into the service of the United States.

On the 28th of August, without uniforms or camp equipage, and never having been drilled as a regiment, the Ninety-Fourth was ordered to Kentucky, that state being then invaded by the rebel forces under Kirby Smith. It proceeded via Cincinnati, and upon arriving in that city was immediately ordered to Lexington, Kentucky. By great perseverance the colonel succeeded in obtaining three rounds of cartridges to the man; and, begin supplied with this very limited amount of ammunition, and sufficient clothing to satisfy immediate wants, the regiment took the cars for Lexington, and arrived at 9 PM on Saturday night, and heard for the first time an authentic account of the battle of Richmond. After considerable search, the colonel succeeded in finding the officer to whom he was to report, but in such a beastly state of intoxication as to be unable to rise from his bed, and perfectly incompetent to give intelligent instructions. With the assistance of some citizens, passable quarters were obtained for the men; and hungry, tired, and anxious for the morning, the regiment tried bivouacking for the first time.

Sunday morning dawned, bright and beautiful, disclosing the town full of stragglers from the Richmond battle-field, relating wild stories of defeat and disaster; and though but little confidence was placed in their reports, still this, together with the general gloom always attending such state of affairs as then existed, caused the order for the regiment to proceed to Yates’ Ford, on the Kentucky River, fifteen miles east of Lexington, on the Richmond road, to be received with fearful forebodings. However, the order was obeyed without a murmur; and after a hard day’s march under a scorching sun, over a dry and dusty road, with water very scarce, the regiment arrived near the ford just a dark. This being the first march they had made, the men were much exhausted, and dropped to the ground as soon as the order to halt was given.

While the colonel was endeavoring, as best he could in the darkness, to select a position which could be easily defended, a fire was opened upon the regiment by a rebel scouting party, concealed in thickets skirting the road. It was afterwards ascertained that the whole of Kirby Smith’s army was encamped but a couple of miles north of the ford. A veteran regiment could not have behaved better than did the Ninety-Fourth on this occasion. The night was very dark, the men were lying down, and many had already fallen asleep; but, after the confusion incident to their rude awaking, very little trouble was experienced in getting the regiment properly formed. The rebel fire lasted but a moment, yet two men were killed and six wounded. After posting his men to the best advantage, Colonel Frizell remained with the advance picket-post (which, from the nature of the country, was but a short distance from the regiment) during the night; Major King, Captain Drury, and the adjutant, occupying intermediate positions between the colonel and the regiment.

The night passed slowly and without further alarm, and as soon as daylight appeared the hungry men began looking for some wagons that had arrived during the night, which the officer in command at Lexington said he would send.

The search revealed one hundred and twenty five rounds of ammunition to each man, and three sacks of green coffee! While endeavoring to make a breakfast from these “supplies,” the rebel army was reported advancing, and soon began shelling the regiment from a battery they had placed in position in the woods just across the river. Colonel Frizell watched the rebel maneuvers for a few moments, and than ordered his adjutant to form the regiment and march back until past the road, where it was supposed the rebels would attempt to form, and attempt a retreat. The movement was effected in good order, but none too soon, as the rear-guard had just past the road when the rebels came trooping from it into the pike, and began firing upon Captain Drury’s company, which had been selected as rear-guard. Colonel Frizell remained in the rear until the advancing rebels were checked, when he directed his regiment to a certain point and there to prepare for action. He knew that his force was greatly outnumbered, but his orders were to “contest every foot of ground back to Lexington.” Just as the movement was begun a messenger arrived with an order from General G. C. Smith, dated the night before, for the Ninety-Fourth to return to Lexington with all possible dispatch.

The regiment was now twelve miles from any support, with a fresh and victorious enemy (more than ten times superior in numbers) close to the rear; and to successfully conduct a retreat of raw troops under such circumstances required the most thorough ability on the part of the commander, and the most undoubted confidence on the part of the men. The regiment toiled along the hot and dusty road, Colonel Frizell, Captain Drury, and other officers, fearlessly exposing themselves to prevent straggling, but utmost efforts could not prevent quite a number of their almost exhausted men from falling by the wayside, and becoming an easy prey to the closely pursuing enemy.

At 4 O’clock the regiment reached Lexington, to the great surprise of every person who knew they had been sent out on that expedition. The order sending it to the ford was blunder, and probably the only thing that prevented its capture was the very boldness of the movements made. Our army that had retreated from Richmond, had already left Lexington, still in retreat, towards Louisville, and all stores that could not easily be transported had been destroyed. With the exception of coffee and crackers on Sunday Morning, the men of the Ninety-Fourth had had but little to eat since Saturday morning, were tired and footsore, and in bad condition for further marching. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, it was Colonel Frizell’s intention to remain in Lexington (unless driven out) until his men had procured the much needed food and rest; but the order for continued retreat reached him and was obeyed. At daylight the retreating army reached Versailles, and a halt for breakfast was ordered, but just as the coffee began to boil another order to “fall in immediately” came from the officer in command.

The season was very dry, and but little water could be obtained. The suffering in consequence of this may be inferred from the fact that Ohio soldiers gave five dollars for a canteen full of muddy water, a dollar for a drink, and many drank from standing pools the water that the horses refused to touch! The roads were almost ankle deep with dust, and the sun shone fiery overhead. The day’s march began at from 2 to 3 o’clock in the morning, and continued till late in the night. The only provisions issued (or to be obtained) were a few hard crackers each night, and what green corn yet remained in fields adjacent to the camping grounds. The troops were nearly all newly enlisted, and, being unused to such a life, it is not to be wondered at that they fell out of ranks by the hundred, and were easily captured by the force of rebels following.

Upon arriving at Louisville, the Ninety-Fourth went into camp, without tents, in the woods, but the men were so exhausted that their only want was to rest as best they could. Having been almost entirely deprived of sleep, water or food, for seven days, marching night and day, with feet and limbs swollen almost to bursting, and every sense dulled by suffering, many of the men were pitiable objects.

In a short time, however, all had regained comparative strength, health and cheerfulness, and were ready to go where duty called.

The first regular report that the adjutant could make after arriving at Louisville, showed a loss of two hundred and eighteen men. With the exception of two men killed at Yates’ Ford, all eventually rejoined the regiment, have been paroled by the rebels as soon as captured.

With the exception of some hard work in the trenches, and on fortifications, for the defense of Louisville, and a participation in two or three “grand reviews” the regiment had a very easy time until the 1st of October, when the movement began which resulted in the battle of Perryville, and the driving of Bragg’s rebel army from Kentucky.

Previous to the battle of Perryville, the Ninety-Fourth had been assigned to Ronsseau’s division of McCook’s corps, and took a prominent part in this engagement, being highly complimented in general orders.

The regiment broke camp near Nashville on Christmas day 1862, and was in advance of the army, marching on Murfreesboro, and during the battle of Stone River was engaged every day from Wednesday until Saturday.

The Ninety-Fourth was again in advance on Tullahoma, participating in the fight at Hoover’s Gap, in June, 1863, had a skirmish at Dug Gap, and were engaged in the hard-fought battle of Chickamiauga. At Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge the regiment again took a prominent part, participating in the grand charge upon the ridge; was with Sherman, on the march to Atlanta, taking part in the battles at Buzzard’s Roost, Resaca, Kingston, Pumpkin-vine Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochie River, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, and Jonesboro.

After pursuing Hood, the Ninety-Fourth participated in Sherman’s grand march to the sea, arriving in Savannah before Christmas. On the 20th of January 1865, it was again on the march through South and North Carolina, and after participating in the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, arrived at Goldsboro on the 23rd of March 1865.

The Ninety-Fourth was the first regiment to enter Raleigh, North Carolina, and soon after the surrender of Johnston, marched to Washington, via Richmond and Alexandria, participated in the grand review before the president, General Grant, and others, and was mustered out of service at Washington, on the 6th of June, 1865, with an aggregate of three hundred and thirty-eight men “all that were left of them, left of one thousand and ten!.”