It will be remembered that the military organization of the county, as well as elsewhere in the State, had become unpopular, and the parades of the "Cornstalk Militia" were contemned and abandoned, that all the paraphernalia of war which the State had distributed, was, at least in our county, otherwise appropriated. And although the insufficiency of the militia law was apparent, little attention had been given to it until 1856 or 1857, after which at every session of the legislature an amendatory law was passed; the last was that of Mar. 31, 1864, the principal features of which were the organization of the active militia of the State as a "national guard."
     Under this law four companies were recruited on the west side of the river:
     In Malta Township, Company B, Robert Lutton, captain; Samuel Price, first lieutenant; F. A. Daniels, second lieutenant.
     In Penn Township, Company G, Eli G. Coulson, captain; James Lewis, first lieutenant; George Matson, second lieutenant.
     In Marion Township, Company (afterward K), Asa Vincent, captain John Galbreath, first lieutenant; William J. Weller, second lieutenant.
     In York township Company ____, George W. Deaver, captain.
     On the 11th of August, 1863, the four companies met, organized the 43d battalion, and elected George S. Corner, Lieutenant-colonel.
     On the 23d of april, 1864, the adjutant-general, R. B. Cowan called the regiment and battalion into service with orders to rendezvous at such place as the commanding officer might designate on the second of May, and to re-

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port by telegraph by 4 o’clock p. m.  Accordingly Colonel Corner ordered the four companies to meet in Malta at the time designated, and on Wednesday, May 4th, the battalion left for Camp Chase.
     In the mustering of the battalion into the regiment the number of men rejected reduced the battalion to three companies, and Captain Denver's company was disbanded and the accepted men distributed to other companies, retaining him as first lieutenant.  The companies were then mustered into the regiment, as B, G and K, with a battalion of four companies from Tuscarawas, three from Noble and one from Hancock, as the 161st regiment O. V. I., with Colonel, O. P. Taylor, of Tuscarawas; Lieutenant-Colonel, George S. Corner, Morgan; Adjutant, W. A. Bovey, Tuscarawas; Quartermaster, M. McDaniel, Morgan.
     Immediately after the organization on the 9th of May, the regiment was ordered to Cumberland, Md., where it arrived on the 12th and remained until the 28th, when it was ordered to Martinsburgh, Va.
     On the 4th of June five companies, A, B, D, F and H, with other troops under Colonel Corner, were ordered to support a heavy supply train for General Hunter, supposed to be near Staunton, Va.  The route was up the Shenandoah Valley, but General Hunter was not overtaken until the 11th at Lexington.  The escort went with Hunter’s army nearly to Lynchburg, when it was ordered back to Martinsburgh with the train, then consisting of over one hundred wagons and ambulances with many sick and wounded, one hundred and fifty prisoners, and a number of contrabands.  The escort left Hunter’s army on the 17th and over hostile hills and rough roads a distance of 500 miles, reached Beverly on the 28th; after a rest of two days arrived at Webster on the 30th; thence by rail to Martinsburgh, and on the 2d of July marched out to Hainesville and rejoined the regiment at 8 p.m.  But the stay was brief, the troops being ordered immediately back to Martinsburgh, where they arrived about daylight, and after remaining in line of battle until 11 a.m., commenced falling back through Shepardstown and Sharpsburgh to Maryland Heights.  Skirmishing commenced on the morning of the 6th and continued for two days, in which the brigade, with the regiment, took an active part, and afterward took position in Stone Fort and assisted in the defense of the Heights until the rebels were driven from the Shenandoah Valley.
     On the 25th of August the regiment was ordered to Ohio, and on the 2d day of September was mustered out of the service.
     The battalion was never afterward mustered.
     Captain Button, of Company B, 161, relates the following incident which took place while the company was in the Shenandoah Valley.  He says: “I was officer of the night and, in company with Sergeant Stubbs, started out to inspect the picket posts.  The moon was shining brightly and we found two of the posts readily.  We had not gone far before we discovered what we supposed was another post.  Just at this time the moon became slightly obscured by a cloud and Sergeant Stubbs, who was slightly in advance, thinking it to be the post we were looking for, walked up to them.  The moon came from

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under the cloud and 1 saw that Stubbs was surrounded by a squad dressed in gray.  I immediately sprang back and was called upon to halt.  Click went the locks of their muskets but for some inexplicable cause their guns missed tire.  Had they not done so I should have been literally blown to pieces.  I lost no time in getting back, but Sergeant Stubbs was a prisoner from that Saturday night until the next Tuesday, when he was paroled and caught up with the command.

COMPANY B, 161ST O. V. I.

     This company was organized by Captain Robert Lutton, and was mustered into the service at Camp Chase, May 9, 1864.  The company was mustered out Sept. 2, 1864, unless otherwise specified.

     The following were sick at muster out:
 

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COMPANY K, 161ST O. V. I.

     Company K, 161st O. V. I., was mustered into the service at Camp Chase, Ohio, May 2, 1864, and was mustered out at the same place Sept. 2, 1864.