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74th
Pennsylvania Infantry
Online Books
74th
Pennsylvania Infantry Soldier Roster - History of Pennsylvania
Volunteers, 1861-5, Volume 2 by Samuel P Bates, 1869
View Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Seventy-fourth Infantry. — Cols., A. Schimmelfennig,
John Hamm, A. Von Hartung, Gottlieb Hoburg; Lieut.-Cols., Edward
Freyhold, John Hamm, A. Von Hartung, Alexander Von Mitzel, Carl
Veitenheimer ; Majs., John Hamm, Franz Blessing, A. Von Hartung,
Alexander Von Mitzel, Gustav Schleiter, Frederick Klenker, E. P. Rohbach.
The 74th regiment, composed of German citizens from the cities of
Pittsburg and Philadelphia and the counties of Allegheny, Westmoreland,
Indiana, Columbia, Wyoming, Northumberland, Snyder, Union, Adams and
Berks, was recruited during the summer of 1861, by a committee of
Pittsburg citizens duly authorized by the war department for that
purpose. The recruits were largely trained soldiers, and rendezvoused at
Camp Wilkins, near Pittsburg, where on Sept. 14, 1861, they were
mustered into the U. S. service for three years, as the 35th Pa.
infantry. Col. Schimmelfennig had been a Prussian staff officer and was
a military man of fine attainments. On Sept. 19, the regiment proceeded
to Philadelphia, where it was joined by a large body of recruits under
Capt. Von Mitzel. Soon after it was ordered to Washington and a week
later to Roach's mills, Va., thence to Hunter's Chapel, where it went
into winter quarters. While here Capt. Von Hartung's Philadelphia
company, which had been on duty at Fort Delaware, was added to the
regiment. The winter was spent in drill, fatigue duty and work on the
fortifications. In the spring of 1862 it was ordered with its division
to Franklin, W. Va., to reinforce Gen. Fremont, then in command of the
Mountain Department, and joined in the pursuit of Stonewall Jackson,
being engaged with the enemy for the first time at the battle of Cross
Keys, where it lost 6 killed and 14 wounded. After the battle it moved
to Mount Jackson and thence to Middletown; was posted at Sperryville,
from July 7 to Aug. 8; then moved by forced marches the 40 miles to
Cedar mountain, but arrived too late for the battle at that point.
Falling back with Pope's army, it narrowly escaped being surrounded and
captured at Freeman's ford on the Rappahannock by the adroit tactics of
its commander, Col. Schimmelfennig. Its loss here was 12 killed, 2
officers and 35 men wounded, 3 drowned and 16 missing. Col.
Schimmelfennig now assumed command of the brigade, Gen. Bohlen having
been killed, and the regiment participated with its division under Gen.
Carl Schurz in the disastrous battles at Groveton and the second Bull
Run. In the Antietam campaign it was at Washington and it later went
into winter quarters near Stafford Court House, Va., receiving there a
large number of recruits. On the promotion of Col. Schimmelfennig to
brigadier-general, Maj. Von Hartung succeeded to the command of the
regiment. The 74th arrived too late to share in the fighting at
Fredericksburg, although ordered to the front at that time. As a part of
Schimmelfennig's brigade, Schurz's division, Howard's corps, it was
heavily engaged at Chancellorsville, fighting on the second day of the
battle with the most determined bravery. When the regiments belonging to
the 1st division on the right broke and came rushing through its ranks,
causing considerable disorder for a time, the most perfect order was
soon restored by Col. Von Hartung. With the other regiments of its
brigade it quickly executed a change of front, checked the impetuous
advance of the enemy, and held him at bay for over an hour. Its total
loss in this battle was 52 killed, wounded and missing. It remained
encamped at Stafford Court House until June 12, when it started with its
corps for Gettysburg, where it arrived about noon on July 1, and
immediately went into action, taking position on the left of the corps,
to the right of the Mummasburg road, in front of Dilger's Ohio battery.
Its thin line was forced back to Cemetery hill by the overwhelming
forces of the enemy. Lieut-Col. Von Mitzel was again a prisoner ; and
out of 14 officers and 120 men brought into action, 1 officer and 6 men
were killed, 4 officers and 40 men were wounded, and 52 men were
reported missing. For the next two days it held its position in front of
the batteries stationed in the cemetery, where it was joined by the men
who had been detached on picket duty. Its loss here was 1 officer and 8
men killed and 1 officer and 15 men wounded, a total in the battle of
136. On Aug. 7, with the division, it was ordered to Folly island, S. C,
arriving there on the 14th. It remained in that vicinity for about a
year, making frequent expeditions to other islands and taking part in
the engagement on James island in July, 1864, where it was under fire
for several days at the time of the grand assault on the works of
Charleston. In Aug., 1864, it returned to Washington and garrisoned
Forts Marcy and Ethan Allen for a time. In September 130 members whose
term of enlistment had expired were mustered out, after which the
regiment went to West Virginia, where Cos. G and K and part of the field
and staff were mustered out. At Grafton many of the men reenlisted and a
large number of recruits joined the regiment, which was from that time
employed in guarding the line of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, with
headquarters successively at Green Spring, Beverly, Clarksburg and
Parkersburg. It was finally mustered out at Clarksburg on Aug. 29, 1865.
The men proceeded to Pittsburg, where they were finally paid and
discharged. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
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