The new regiment was mustered into Federal service at Pontiac, Michigan, on August 29, 1862.

Among its ranks was Henry W. Howgate, who after the war became a controversial figure as the Chief Disbursing Officer for the United States Army Signal Corps in charge of Arctic explorations.

[1] Another notable member was John Clem, also known as the Drummer Boy of Chickamauga and Johnny Shiloh, the youngest non-commissioned officer ever to serve in the U.S. Military and the last Civil War veteran still on active duty at the time of his retirement.

In September 1862, Wisner was stricken with typhoid fever while en route to the regiment's deployment and died in Kentucky.

The regiment suffered 3 officers and 86 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 4 officers and 306 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 399 fatalities.