The Eighteenth Infantry was organized at Hillsdale under the call of President Lincoln, issued July 2, 1862, for 300,000 men. The date of the call was a depressing one owing to the reverses that had overtaken General McClellan’s army on the Peninsula. The regiment was assigned to the counties of Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe, and recruiting was so actively pushed that the ranks were filled and the regiment mustered into service August 26, 1862, with an enrollment of 1000 officers and men.

The field, staff and line officers at organization were as follows:

Colonel, Charles E. Doolittle, Hillsdale; Lieutenant Colonel, George Spalding, Monroe; Major, John W. Horner, Adrian; Surgeon, Simeon P. Root, Somerset; Assistant Surgeon, Horace P. Woodward, Blissfield; Sec­ond Assistant Surgeon, David S. Stevens, Oakville; Adjutant, John C. Whipple, Monroe; Quartermaster, James H. Pratt, Hillsdale; Chaplain, David C. Curtis, Augusta.

1. Captain, Edwin M. Hulburd, Hudson. First Lieutenant, Myron W. Reed, Hudson. Second Lieutenant, James S. Riddle, Hudson.
2. Captain, James D. Hinckley, Adrian. First Lieutenant, John Shelt, Rome. Second Lieutenant, George H. Wells, Tecumseh.
3. Captain, John W. Horner, Adrian. First Lieutenant, Charles R. Miller. Adrian. Second Lieutenant, Stephen A. Denison, Madison.
4. Captain, C. B. Van Valer, Hillsdale. First Lieutenant, Jacob O. Ames, Hillsdale. Second Lieutenant, James G. Bunt, Hillsdale.
5. Captain, Charles D. Stevens, Tecumseh. First Lieutenant, William A. Weatherhead, Tecumseh. Second Lieutenant, Edward H. Hoag. Te­cumseh.
6. Captain, Theo. J. Hill, Exeter. First Lieutenant, Sheridan F. Hill, Eagle. Second Lieutenant, Stanley W. Turner, Hillsdale.
7. Captain, George W. Bullock, Jonesville. First Lieutenant, John R. Randall, Fayette. Second Lieutenant, Harman Bross, Canandaigua.
8. Captain, Richard P. Ingersoll, Dundee. First Lieutenant, Albert H. Babcock, Dundee. Second Lieutenant, Alonzo C Clark, Hillsdale.
9. Captain, David A. Dodge, Tecumseh. First Lieutenant, William C. Moore, Medina. Second Lieutenant, Isaac O. Savage, Fairfield.
11. Captain, John J. Stevens, Monroe. First Lieutenant, Henry D. Spaulding, Monroe. Second Lieutenant, Henry C. Elliott, Monroe.

The Eighteenth left the state September 18, for Cincinnati, Ohio, and its first active service was in the state of Kentucky. The Confederate Gen­eral Pegram was in the state and the Eighteenth occupied several important places in advance of the Confederates and succeeded in saving cities and villages from being plundered by the enemy. After marching through Central Kentucky the Eighteenth was ordered to Nashville, Tenn., where it was engaged on provost duty from November, 1863, to June, 1864. Dur­ing the summer and fall it did garrison duty at Decatur, Ala., occasionally pursuing the Confederates when they approached that part of the state. At this date it formed a part of the First Brigade, Fourth Division. Twentieth Corps.

General Wheeler raided through the state while the Eighteenth was at Decatur and the regiment did excellent service in driving the Confederates away from important towns which the enemy tried to capture. A detachment of the Eighteenth consisting of about 200 men started from Decatur to reinforce the garrison at Athens, but were attacked by General Forrest when near their destination with a force estimated at 5,000, and after fighting five hours, were surrounded and the entire command was captured with heavy loss in killed and wounded. While guarding Decatur the forces under the Confederate General Hood advanced to meet General Thomas at Nashville and made a heavy attack upon Decatur.

Colonel Doolittle of the Eighteenth was in command of the post and though his force was small the first day of the attack he managed by show­ing a bold front in beating the enemy off. He was reinforced the second day and the third day had 5,000 troops under his command and held his post against great odds and in the face of severe fighting. He was highly com­plimented by General Thomas for his brave and spirited defense.

At Stevenson, Ala., the Eighteenth helped to build strong fortifications and was then ordered to Huntsville, Ala., where it did garrison duty until June 20, 1865, when it was ordered to Nashville for muster out. It arrived in Jackson, Mich., July 2. and was paid off and disbanded July 4.

The paroled prisoners of the Eighteenth suffered severely by the ex­plosion of the Steamer Sultana, a vessel engaged to take paroled men, con­valescents and others from Vicksburg, Miss., north. The report of the disaster to the Secretary of War says 1,866 troops were crowded upon the boat and on the morning of the 27th of April, 1865, about an hour before day, when near Memphis, Tenn., the boilers of the steamer exploded creat­ing an appalling tragedy. Those on board were hurled into the air by the force of the explosion and their mutilated bodies fell into the Mississippi. Of the 1,866 troops on the steamer, 1,101 were lost. The hundreds who were not seriously injured were thrown into the river and drowned. There were also 70 passengers and a crew of 85 and 137 of them were killed on the steamer or drowned. There were 68 members of the Eighteenth killed or drowned, and only a small number survived. The accident was made the subject of a board of inquiry, but the cause of the explosion was never learned. Most of the men killed had served long terms in Confederate prisons and had embarked on the Sultana with the expectation of soon being at home with their families and friends.

The regiment participated in encounters with the enemy at Danville, Ky., Feb. 24, 1863; Pond Springs, Ala., June 28, 1864; Curtiss Wells, Ala., June 24, 1864; Courtland, Ala., July 25, 1864; Athens, Ala.. Sept. 24, 1864; Decatur. Ala., Oct. 24. Nov. 28, 1864.