 With the outbreak of the Civil War, Potts was elected as a captain of the 32nd Ohio Infantry and mustered into the service on August 29, 1861.He served with the regiment in western Virginia and was present at Cheat Mountain and Greenbrier River.He was engaged in scouting with his company during a portion of the winter of 1861–1862; and in 
the spring of 1862 he accompanied the regiment in the advance under Maj. Gen. Robert H. Milroy.