William enlisted in Company 1 of the 23rd Infantnry Regiment, Ohio as a Private on May 22, 1861 at the age of 26. He was promoted to Full Corporal on Aug. 8, 1863. After the war, he was mustered out on July 26, 1865 in Cumberland, Maryland.

Note the name Rutherford B. Hayes listed as an officer. He went on to become the 19th President of the United States, following right after Ulysses S. Grant. Hayes served as President from 1877 to 1881. His political career also included two terms as governor of Ohio.

Twenty-third Infantry. - Cols., William S. Rosecrans, E. Parker Scammon, Rutherford B. Hayes, James M. Comely; Lieut.-Cols., Stanley Matthews, Russell Hastings; Majs., James P. McIlrath, Edward M. Carey, Harry Thompson.

This regiment was organized at Columbus, Ohio from June 1, 1861, to March 23, 1862, to serve for three years. It left the state in July, 1861, for western Virginia and was at once launched into the arena of war. It was in line of battle at Carnifix ferry in September and engaged in sharp skirmishing with the enemy. The winter of 1861 was devoted to recruiting, drill and discipline. At Princeton, the following May, the regiment was attacked by four regiments of the enemy's infantry and 6 pieces of artillery, but made a determined stand, and when overwhelmed and forced to retire did so in good order, fighting as it went. It proceeded to the city of Washington in September and a few days after its arrival was ordered to Maryland, where it took part in the battles of South mountain and Antietam. At South mountain it lost nearly 200, of whom almost one-fourth was killed on the field or afterward died of their wounds. In Nov., 1862, the regiment went into winter quarters m the Great Kanawha valley and remained there until March, when it was ordered to Charleston, W. Va., and remained at that place until July performing little or no duty with the exception of a few scouts, an advance as far as Raleigh, W. Va., and its participation in the movements against the Morgan raid in July. In the last-named affair the regiment performed good service in heading off Morgan's band on the line of the Ohio river at Buffington island and near Hockingport, picking up a number of the guerrillas as they attempted to cross the river. The regiment then returned to Charleston and lay there in camp until the spring of 1864, when the battle of Cloyd's mountain was fought. In May there was an affair at New River bridge, in which the regiment participated. It then started on the long march to Lynchburg and the subsequent retreat from that place. It then engaged in the battle of Winchester in July, in which the Federal forces were defeated after a well-contested fight that continued from early in the morning until 9 o'clock at night. The 23d lost in this engagement 153 men, 10 of whom were commissioned officers. Nothing of importance transpired until in September at Berryville, where the regiment was sent out on picket. A general engagement was brought on, in which there was desperate fighting. After the usual amount of marching and counter-marching the battle of Opequan was fought, in which the regiment captured about 200 men. On Oct. 19, occurred the battle of Cedar creek, in which a defeat was turned into victory by the timely arrival of Gen. Sheridan. The following winter was spent in West Virginia, and the collapse of the Southern Confederacy in the spring made the regiment's services no longer required. It was therefore mustered out on July 26, 1865.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 2

Battles Fought

Fought at Strasburg, VA.
Fought on 15 August 1861 at By Bushwhacker.
Fought on 28 August 1861 at Weston, VA.
Fought on 10 September 1861 at Carnifax Ferry, WV.
Fought on 15 September 1861 at Wounded By Bushwhacker.
Fought on 15 November 1861 at Camp Ewing, VA.
Fought on 01 May 1862 at Clark's Hollow, WV.
Fought on 06 May 1862 at Princeton, WV.
Fought on 10 May 1862 at Pearisburgh, VA.
Fought on 14 September 1862 at South Mountain, MD.
Fought on 17 September 1862 at Antietam, MD.
Fought on 10 October 1862.
Fought on 18 July 1863 at Hockingsport, OH.
Fought on 20 July 1863 at Pomeroy, OH.
Fought on 31 July 1863.
Fought on 01 February 1864 at Logan C.H., VA.
Fought on 05 February 1864 at Kanawha River, WV.
Fought on 09 May 1864 at Cloyd's Mountain, VA.
Fought on 17-18 June 1864 at Lynchburg, VA.
Fought on 09 July 1864 at Monocacy, MD.
Fought on 21 July 1864 at Buford's Gap, VA.
Fought on 24 July 1864 at Winchester, VA.
Fought on 02 August 1864 at Near Charlestown, VA.
Fought on 15 August 1864.
Fought on 15 August 1864 at Strasburg, VA.
Fought on 19 August 1864 at Near Cedar Creek, VA.
Fought on 21 August 1864.
Fought on 25-26 August 1864 at Halltown, VA.
Fought on 27 August 1864.
Fought on 02 September 1864.
Fought on 03-04 September 1864 at Berryville, VA.
Fought on 19 September 1864 at Opequan, VA.
Fought on 22 September 1864 at Fisher's Hill, VA.
Fought on 24 September 1864 at Winchester, VA.
Fought on 07 October 1864 at New Market, VA.
Fought on 19 October 1864 at Cedar Creek, VA.
Fought on 20 November 1864 at Cabletown, VA.