11th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment

The 11th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment also known as the 40th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Pennsylvania Reserves infantry division of the Union Army during the American Civil War.

11th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment
(40th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry)
ActiveMay 9, 1861 to June 13, 1864
CountryUnited States
AllegianceUnion
BranchInfantry
EngagementsSeven Days Battles
Battle of Mechanicsville
Battle of Gaines's Mill
Battle of Savage's Station
Battle of Glendale
Battle of Malvern Hill
Second Battle of Bull Run
Battle of South Mountain
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Gettysburg
Bristoe Campaign
Mine Run Campaign
Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Totopotomoy Creek

Organization

CompanyMonikerPrimary Location of RecruitmentCaptains
AThe Cambria GuardsCambria CountyRobert Litzinger
BThe Indiana National GuardsIndiana CountyDaniel S. Porter
CThe Dixon GuardsButler CountySamuel Loudon
DThe Canongessing RangersButler CountyWilliam Stewart
EThe Washington BluesIndiana CountyNathaniel Nesbit
FThe Union VolunteersFayette CountyEdward Bierer
GThe Independent BluesArmstrong CountyJames P. Speer
HThe Westmoreland BluesWestmoreland CountyDaniel Kistler
IThe Washington BluesWestmoreland CountyThomas H. Spires
KThe Brady GuardsJefferson CountyEvans R. Brady[1]


Service

The 11th Pennsylvania Reserves was organized at Camp Wright near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[2] beginning May 9, 1861 and mustered in June 29 through July 5, 1861 under the command of Colonel Thomas F. Gallagher. The regiment was armed with Model 1842 smoothbore muskets and used them for its entire service.[3]

The regiment was attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall's Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac, to March 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, I Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April 1862. 2nd Brigade, McCall's Division, Department of the Rappahannock, to June 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, V Corps, to August 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, III Corps, Army of Virginia, to September 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, I Corps, Army of the Potomac, to February 1863. 3rd Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserves Division, XXII Corps, Department of Washington, to June 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, V Corps, Army of the Potomac, to November 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, V Corps, to June 1864.

The 11th Pennsylvania Reserves mustered out June 13, 1864.[4]

Detailed service

Moved to Harrisburg, Pa., June 24, then to Baltimore, Md., June 25, and to Washington, D.C., June 26. Duty at Tennallytown, Md., and picket at Great Falls August 2 to October 10, 1861. At Camp Pierpont, near Langley, Va., until March 1862. Expedition to Grinnell's Farm December 6, 1861. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10–15, 1862. McDowell's advance on Falmouth April 9–19. Duty at Manassas Junction, Catlett's Station, and Falmouth, until June. Moved to White House June 9–12. Seven Days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battles of Mechanicsville June 26, Gaines's Mill June 27 (most of the regiment captured and exchanged August 5, 1862), Charles City Cross Roads, Glendale, June 30, Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to join Pope August 16–26. Battle of Groveton August 29. Second Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6–24. Battle of South Mountain, Md., September 14. Battle of Antietam September 16–17. Duty in Maryland until October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12–15. "Mud March" January 20–24, 1863. Moved to Washington, D. C., February 6. Duty there and at Alexandria until June 25. Ordered to rejoin the Army of the Potomac in the field. Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3. Pursuit of Lee July 5–24. Duty on the Rapidan until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9–22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7–8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Duty at Alexandria until April 1864. Rapidan Campaign May 4–30. Battle of the Wilderness May 5–7, Laurel Hill May 8, Spotsylvania May 8–12, and Spotsylvania Court House May 12–21. Assault on the Salient May 12. Harris Farm May 19. North Anna River May 23–26. Jericho Ford May 25. On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28. Totopotomoy May 28–30. Left the front May 30.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 309 men during service; 11 officers and 185 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 112 enlisted men died of disease.[4]

Commanders

  • Colonel Thomas F. Gallagher - discharged December 12, 1862 due to wounds received in action at the Battle of South Mountain
  • Colonel Samuel McCartney Jackson

Notable members

See also

Notes

  1. Sypher 1865, pp. 88-89.
  2. Gibbs 2002, p. 21.
  3. During the fighting on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the 11th Reserves used buck and ball shot on the advancing Confederates to devastating effect.
  4. Dyer 1908, p. 1582.

References

  • Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Dyer Pub. Co.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Gibbs, Joseph (2002). Three Years in the Bloody Eleventh: The Campaigns of a Pennsylvania Reserves Regiment. Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0-2710-2166-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Sypher, Josiah Rhinehart (1865). History of the Pennsylvania Reserves: A Complete Record of the Organization. Elias Barr & Co.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Attribution
  • This article contains text from a text now in the public domain: Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.