Overview
The 4th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was an early-war Union regiment organized in response to President Lincoln’s initial call for volunteers. Composed primarily of men from Montgomery, Delaware, Union, and Centre counties, the regiment was mustered into United States service at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 20, 1861. The unit served in the Eastern Theater and was among the first Pennsylvania regiments to mobilize for the defense of Washington, D.C.
This unit is distinct from later Pennsylvania regiments with similar designations that served longer terms.
Organization & Service
The 4th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) originated from the 1st Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division of the Pennsylvania state militia. After being mustered in at Harrisburg on April 20, 1861, under Colonel John F. Hartranft, the regiment received its colors in Norristown and proceeded to Philadelphia on April 21 under the temporary command of Colonel Dare. The regiment was then ordered to Perryville, Maryland, and subsequently to Washington, D.C., where it remained for a period due to a lack of camp equipage.
As part of the rapid mobilization to support General Patterson, the 4th Pennsylvania was insufficiently equipped, a common issue among the first regiments called to federal service. The regiment established its initial camp at Bladensburg, Maryland, and later moved to Shuter’s Hill near Alexandria, Virginia. While posted along the old Fairfax road, the regiment’s pickets were attacked, resulting in the first bloodshed for the unit. In July 1861, the regiment was assigned to General Irvin McDowell’s army and moved to Centerville, Virginia. General McDowell requested the regiment to extend its service, anticipating an engagement with Confederate forces, but the men were mustered out at Harrisburg at the expiration of their three-month enlistment. Many members subsequently reenlisted in Pennsylvania regiments organized for three years’ service. Colonel Hartranft remained with General McDowell after the regiment’s discharge.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Occupation of Perryville, Maryland (April 1861)
- Duty at Washington, D.C. (April–May 1861)
- Camp at Bladensburg, Maryland
- Camp at Shuter’s Hill, Virginia
- Picket duty on the Fairfax road (skirmish, first blood shed)
- Movement to Centerville, Virginia (July 1861)
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) are not fully detailed in available primary sources. The regiment experienced some losses during picket duty, but comprehensive statistics are lacking.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel John F. Hartranft
- Lieutenant Colonel Edward Schall
- Major Edwin Schall
- Colonel Dare (temporary command during movement to Philadelphia)
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. For a detailed listing of the regiment’s members, please visit the regimental roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 2
- Pennsylvania State Adjutant General’s Report, 1861
- Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Federal Publishing Company, The Union Army, Vol. 1 (1908)