Overview
The 10th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was a Union regiment organized in Pennsylvania at the outbreak of the Civil War. Composed primarily of volunteers from Lancaster, Centre, Schuylkill, Dauphin, Cambria, and Huntingdon counties, the regiment was mustered into United States service at Harrisburg between April 22 and April 29, 1861, for a term of three months. The unit served in the Eastern Theater as part of the initial mobilization following the attack on Fort Sumter.
Organization & Service
The 10th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) was organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in late April 1861. Upon mustering, the regiment was ordered to Chambersburg on May 1, where it encamped and underwent further organization and drill. On June 8, the regiment moved to Greencastle and was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, under General Robert Patterson’s command.
As part of Patterson’s army, the regiment advanced through Middleburg to St. James College, Maryland, and crossed into Virginia on July 1, 1861. The 10th Pennsylvania reached Martinsburg on July 3, encountering a minor skirmish with Confederate forces en route. The regiment participated in subsequent marches to Bunker Hill and Charlestown, forming in line of battle at the latter location. The campaign concluded abruptly with the news of the Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. The regiment returned to Harrisburg and was mustered out of service on July 31, 1861.
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
- Advance to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (May–June 1861)
- March to Greencastle and Middleburg (June 1861)
- Movement to St. James College, Maryland (late June 1861)
- Crossing into Virginia and advance to Martinsburg (July 1–3, 1861; minor skirmish en route)
- Marches to Bunker Hill and Charlestown, Virginia (July 1861)
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) are not detailed in the Official Records or state reports. Available sources indicate the regiment saw limited combat and suffered minimal losses during its term of service.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Sullivan A. Meredith
- Lieutenant Colonel Oliver J. Dickey
- Major Richard White
Regimental Roster
The full roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource provides names, ranks, and additional service details valuable for genealogical and historical research.
To view the complete roster, visit the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Months’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. 2
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report, 1861
- Dyer, Frederick H. Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Federal Publishing Company, The Union Army, Vol. 1 (1908)