SEVERAL expeditions had been organized during the summer, some of them in connection with the navy, but all of them had been attended with poor success.  In fact, with the exception of the first expedition to the Sea Islands, and the rather barren honors resulting from the Morris Island campaign, the "Department of the South," from a military point of view, was a magnificent fraud, and reflected no honor upon the commanding general or the troops.
     However, with Sherman's grand army rapidly approaching the coast, it became necessary for a cooperation movement to take place from the seaboard, with the Charleston & Savannah Railroad as an objective point.  Accordingly the "Coast Division" was organized, and placed under the immediate command of Gen. John P. Hatch.
     The expedition left Hilton Head on the 28th of November, with the usual pomp attending all such movements in the department; but several steamers ran aground that night, and it was not until the next afternoon that the troops were landed at Boyd's Neck, on the main land.
     The same evening the column moved forward towards Grahamville, but became bewildered in the darkness, and at midnight encamped near a church.  The next morning the march was resumed, the 25th Ohio in advance and the enemy early discovered.  Companies A and B were deployed as skirmishers, and the Regiment place in line of battle, with a wing on each side of the road.  Colonel Haughton, with the right wing, was directed to drive the enemy from their position by a flank movement.  He succeeded in doing it, and returning to the line, the Regiment advanced steadily in support of its skirmishers.
     The rebels retreated to their works on Honey Hill, and the brigade, under Gen. E. E> Potter, moved forward to carry the position.  The 25th was placed upon the extreme right of the second line, the formation being column by division.
     Moving rapidly forward, the Regiment overtook the first line, and heavy firing commenced on the left.  Colonel Haughton deployed his regiment in support of the 144th New York.
     A charge was at this time ordered, but owing to a deep swamp in front, the first line was considerably broken up in crossing.  Colonel Haughton took his regiment through the swamp in perfect order, and the sight of an unbroken front, backed by a well directed volley, caused the rebels to give way.  At such a moment, prompt and efficient action from well-drilled and willing troops means certain victory.  Colonel Haughton rapidly changed front forward on tenth company, and understanding that the 144th New York would support him, moved up the hill, through an almost impenetrable thicket, and under a terrible fire formed his regiment within two hundred yards of the rebel works, for the purpose of charging their position, which at that time was comparatively weak.  But certain victory was lost by the eccentric movements of the 144th New York, which fell back to its old line, a very safe place, leaving the 25th entirely without support.
     The rebels, taking advantage of this grave blunder, to call it by no worse name, reenforced their left, and under a murderous fire the 25th sustained its position for nearly an hour when a regiment of colored troops came up on its left, and the 32d U. S. colored troops on the right.
     Colonel Haughton seeing the futility of maintaining the line at such a sacrifice, rode to the commanding officer of the regiment on his right, and urged him to swing his regiment around so as to face the enemy, and move forward to his (Colonel Haughton's) support, while he charged the enemy in front, and thus accomplish by desperation what might have been done at the commencement of the battle with but slight loss.  But the department troops were unaccustomed to fighting in real engagements, and the colonel commanding the 32d, with the excuse that he had received no orders for such a movement, refused to comply with Colonel Haughton's suggestion.
     With no one on the field to give orders, and no support whatever, the colonel knew that the day was lost; and recognizing the uselessness of longer maintaining his position with such heavy loss, he withdrew the Regiment in perfect order to the first line of battle.  The Regiment was nearly out of ammunition, but received a supply in time to check an attempted flank attack.
     After dark the troops were withdrawn from the field, and to the cover of the gunboats.
     Thus ended the battle of Honey Hill, fought without a plan, without commanding officers near enough to give intelligent orders, at the will of regimental commanders, and most of them too timid or cowardly to use decent judgment.  Had the old "second brigade" been together, it would have swept over Honey Hill and regarded it as a joke.  As it was, the loss to the 25th was very severe, more than in all the other regiments combined, and without any compensation, excepting to show the department troops what an old "Army of the Potomac" regiment could do under fire.
     Sixteen commissioned officers and one hundred and eleven enlisted men were killed or severely wounded.  The names of those slightly wounded do not appear in this report; if so, it would swell the number of wounded to over two hundred. 

KILLED:
Major Carrington E. Randall
Adjt. John O. Archbold
Lieut. Austin Haughton (Company C)
Lieut. Ethan W. Guthre (mortally wounded)
Color Sergt. August Nack (Company K.)
Co. A:
Private Thomas G. White
Co. B:
Sergts. Moses D. Grandy, Henry Benson
Private Michael R. Newton
Co. C:
Corporal James Ridgeway
Privates:
James M. Henthorn
J. E. Eastman
George Wright
Co. D:
Two men, names unknown
Co. E:
Jeremiah Mackey
Co. H:
Corporals Eli Pyle, John Gellespie, Oscar J. Dunn
Co. K:
Privates George Shuse, John Bowers

WOUNDED:
Co. A:
Sergt. James Justus
Privates:
William T. Hughes
Samuel T. McClelland
Charles Kline
Eli Navarre
James McCormick
Co. B:
Lieut. Alex Mattison
First Sergt. David McGuckin
Sergt. James McGuckin
Corporals:
Theodore S. Williams
Benjamin F. Welsh
Dennis H. Odell
Privates:
John Perdue (mortally)
Lowell Reese
Benjamin Benson
John Bowers
Abram Starkey
Martin Brown
Gideon M. Jones (mortally)
Joseph N. Watrous
William Holman
Enoch Porter
Co. C:
Lieut. Olivier W. Williams
Sergt. John H. Twaddle
Corporals:
Isaiah Masters
William H. Batton
Privates:
G. Clapper
J. Conolly
John Henderson
W. Louther
C. H. Lockwood
James W. Monroe
Dias Markee
Albert Reed
William Steed
Alfred Vance
Co. D:
Lieut. M. S. Bell
and seventeen enlisted men, names unknown.
Co. E:
Sergt. Thomas Howell (mortally)
Corporals:
Harvey N. Hall
Edward J. Teeples
Privates:
Howard Cameron
Oscar Cotant
Frederick Gilyer
Jeremiah Grant (Mortally)
John Miller
Daniel Potter
Daniel Kniceley
John Schoup
Co. F:
Sergts:
John Tucker
Hugh Wilson
Privates:
Mitchell Huffman
Joseph E. Collister
Co. G:
Capt. Burget McConnaughy
Lieut. Samuel T. Hutchinson
Sergt. Isaac Troxell
Corporal Oliver C. Longmore
Privates:
Eli Stiles
Frank B. Adams
Simon Keck
John W. Shotwell
Spencer F. Andrews
James Wagner
Nelson Thorp
Elbridge Scott
Jacob Crossley
Andrew J. Crossley
Lucius Moore
Co. H:
Lieut. Hez. Thomas
Sergt. George S. Clements
Corporal Theodore Timberlake (mortally)
Privates:
Artilus Musgrave
Ruel Noland
William A. Barrell
Samuel M. Gillespie
Thomas J. Barclay
Thomas B. Sheets
John W. Grier
Co. I:
Capt. Israel White
Sergts:
Samuel G. Shirk
Joseph H. Wilson
Corporal Benjamin F. Brown
Privats:
Michael Consadine
David McMeen
James N. Moore
Hugh Scullen (morally)
Charles R. Thompson
Arthur Wharton
Jacob Wanzel
Co. K:
Capt. Charles W. Ferguson
Lieut. Peter Triquart
Corporal James S. Grim (mortally)
Privates:
John P. Linden
Fred. Conrad
Joseph Bierschmidt
Fred. Richards
Charles A. Smith
Charles W. Smith
     Although the 25th Ohio took the most prominent of part of any regiment in the battle, and its losses exceeded that of all the other regiments combined, at least in its brigade, it was not mentioned in any of the dispatches or official accounts of the action.  Lieut. Col. Haughton was the only regimental commander in the action, in our brigade, who showed himself capable of handling a regiment under fire, and having absolute control of it.  His name was not mentioned in the dispatches; yet the colonel of every other regiment in the brigade was breveted brigadier general, presumably for meritorious conduct in the battle.  This was only a continuation of the farce being played in the Department of the South, and a continuation of the petty jealousy against the "regiment from the Army of the Potomac."
     Early on the morning of Dec. 3d, the Regiment received orders to prepare for an expedition, and was embarked at 5 p.m. on board the steamers Nemaha and Plato, and proceeded across the Broad River and some distance up the Coosaw, but a heavy fog coming on the steamer was ordered back to Boyd's Neck.
     On the next morning the Regiment took the same steamers, and after going some miles up the Coosaw disembarked on the mainland at a place since known as Blair's Landing, and marched towards the interior.
     After some little skirmishing, the Regiment succeeded in gaining the Beaufort road, in rear of the enemy, who abandoned their works, leaving two twenty-four pound howitzers and caissons.
     There being no transportation, Colonel Haughton ordered one of the guns spiked and caisson destroyed.  The other gun and caisson were hauled by hand to Port Royal Ferry.
     On the morning of December 6th General Potter's brigade, of the Coast Division, was embarked on steamers, and proceeding up Broad River effected a landing at Gregory's Landing on Deveaux's Neck, some ten miles above Boyd's Neck.
     The enemy's pickets retreated, and our troops pushed forward rapidly, soon encountering the rebels in force, posted advantageously on the opposite side of a march which extended the whole length of their line.
     The 127th New York and 25th Ohio were ordered to charge the enemy, and did so under a heavy and well-directed fire.  The 127th wavered some, but seeing the 25th moving forward steadily it rallied easily, and both regiments going in with a rush carried the rebel works in gallant style.  The rebels retreated from their first line in disorder, but made a stubborn rally at their second line, on the west line of the Savannah and Charleston pike.  Colonel Haughton, seeing the advantage of immediate action, without waiting for support, charged the second line, and the enemy retreated, leaving all their killed and wounded on the battle field.  Some more skirmishing took place, but night coming on, the troops went into camp on the battle field.
     This action was called the battle of Gregory Landing.  The Regiment sustained the following loss:

KILLED:
Co. A:
Richard D. Faucett and George Volk
Co. B:
Hardin D. Marsh

WOUNDED:
Co. A:
Lieut. Elisha Biggerstaff
Sergeant Geo. W. Iden
Privates:
Wm. Bodi
Harvey Wood
Co. C:
Lieut. O. W. Williams, acting adjutant.
Co. D:
Capt. W. W. King
Privates:
Hiram Clapper
Josiah Kimball
Co. E:
Privates:
Nathan Jump
Samuel Heminger
Co. G:
Lieut. Samuel T. Hutchinson
Co. I:
Privates:
Hiram Kiff
Ed. Whitford
Martin Schmidt
Co. K:
Lewis Pettel
     Lieuts. O. W. Williams and Samuel T. Hutchinson were wounded at Honey Hill a few days before, but would not report at hospital after having wounds dressed, and neither were fit to enter this engagement.  They came as volunteers.  Lieut. Williams was shot through the bowels, and considered mortally wounded.  He partially recovered, however, and is now (1883) living at Norwalk, Ohio, serving as treasurer of Huron county.  Lieut. Hutchinson was shot through the body, but finally recovered, and is now *1883) living in Ohio.  Capt. King was severely wounded, and while being taken to Ohio, and near his home met with a railroad accident, and was severely injured.  He recovered, but never rejoined his regiment, as the war was over before he recovered from his wounds.
     On the morning of the 18th of December, 1864, a reconnoisance was made by General Potter, and the enemy found strongly intrenched in the Charleston & Savannah Railroad, and supported by good works. mounting guns of heavy calibre.
     General Hatch, commanding the division, determined to cut a road through the woods to the railroad, and the next morning the 25th Ohio was selected for that purpose.  Indeed, it is difficult to remember any special work in the department for which this Regiment was not selected.
     A heavy skirmish line was thrown forward, supported by several regiments, and the 25th Ohio followed, felling the trees in good backwoodsman style.  A road had been cleared through a dense forest for over a mile, when the skirmishers became actively engaged, and the 144th New York, after a few minutes firing, fell back.  Col. Haughton immediately formed his Regiment, the men willingly giving up axes for muskets, and took the place of the New York regiment.  Seeing nothing to shoot at, he ordered the men to kneel down; the grass was very high, and the Regiment was easily concealed.  Supposing and federal forces had fallen back, the rebels came forward in heavy force, with the usual rebel yell.  When within thirty yards of the 25th, Colonel Haughton gave the command to fire, and a terribly destructive volley was poured into the dense ranks of the enemy, which sent them to their works in disorder.  They opened a heavy fire through the thicket, and it became general along the whole line.
     Darkness put an end to the firing, and the troops were shortly afterwards withdrawn, going into a strongly-intrenched camp about two miles east of the railroad.
     The skirmishing and battle of the day are called under the general name of battle of Deveaux's Neck.
     During the day the Regiment suffered the following casualties:

KILLED:
Co. D:
Private James Barnhart
Co. I:
Hollis Hutchins
Co. K:
John Hilt

WOUNDED:
Co. A:
Privates:
W. D. Clark
John Behr
Co. B:
Corporal Dennis H. Odell
Private George M. Plummer
Co. C:
Privates:
William Prouty
George W. Morgan
John Masters
Co. D:
Sergts:
D. H. Connell
D. M. Hammond
Privates:
S. M> Burkhart
James Combs
John Ralston
John Coonse
Levi Stump
E. Eckelberry
Co. E:
Sergts:
A. F. Stump
William Stump
Corporal Volney Dubel
Privates:
James Harrington
Edwin Sharp
Edward Hinds
Conrad Leasch
Franklin Wright
Levi Shroyer
James Zimmerman
Christian Fosch
Aaron Alvord
Co. F:
Sergt. Harvey D. Moore
Corporal Thomas Evans
Privates:
James Hilt
Addison Lacy
Co. G:
Privates:
Eli F. Beard
Malcomb McFall
Lucius Moore
Jacob Lips
Amos D. Armstead
Lewis Livensparger
Co. H:
Privates:
Leroy Craig
Samuel W. Robinson
William Gillespie
Co. I:
Private Lewis Engle
Co. K:
Corporals:
Joseph Moore
George S. Frazier
Privats:
Harvey J. Williams
R. O. Burdon
John Pettis
Nathan Volk
C. Tieterman
Charles Ripkie
Philip Haszenzahl