Perhaps most famous for its service at Salem Heights, Virginia, the 98th Pennsylvania had its initial combat experience in the Battle of Williamsburg.

In addition, the regiment fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Appomattox, among other engagements, and was also present at the surrender of General Robert E. Lee.

The regiment sustained a significant number of casualties during its service tenure, including during the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 12, 1864.

Ballier, in fact, was one of those wounded during the engagement,[2] a military encounter in which President Abraham Lincoln was also nearly injured by Confederate fire while standing on a parapet surveying the action.

There is also a monument to the 98th PA at Battleground National Cemetery in Washington DC, to honor those who fought at the Battle of Fort Stevens.