Overview
The 28th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and mustered into United States service on June 28, 1861. Serving with the Union Army, the regiment was composed of men from various parts of the state and was notable for its large size, initially containing fifteen companies. The unit participated in both the Eastern and Western Theaters of the Civil War and was active from its organization until its mustering out near Alexandria, Virginia, on July 18, 1865.
This regiment is distinct from any Pennsylvania infantry units serving under different terms of enlistment.
Organization & Service
The 28th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was mustered in at Philadelphia on June 28, 1861. Due to its surplus of companies, a battery was formed from its ranks, later known as Knap’s Battery. The regiment departed Philadelphia on July 27, 1861, for Harper’s Ferry and was assigned to Colonel Thomas’s brigade in General Banks’s army. Early duties included guarding the frontier at Point of Rocks and preventing Confederate communications, resulting in skirmishes at Pritchard’s Mill, Point of Rocks, Berlin, and Knoxville.
In October 1861, the regiment fought at Bolivar Heights, a notable early Union victory. The unit also engaged Confederate forces at Noland’s Ferry. Throughout the winter of 1861–62, the regiment was involved in several skirmishes, and in March 1862, it advanced to occupy Leesburg and Upperville, later moving to Front Royal. In April 1862, Colonel John W. Geary was promoted to brigadier general, but the regiment continued under his command for a time. In May, the 28th was attached to General Banks’s division and fought at the Battle of Front Royal. It was subsequently assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Corps, and later served under General Pope in the Army of Virginia, fighting at Cedar Mountain and the Second Battle of Bull Run.
The regiment participated in the Battle of Antietam and subsequent operations in the region, including movements to Harper’s Ferry, Leesburg, and Winchester. From January to April 1863, the regiment was stationed at Acquia Creek. It then took part in the Chancellorsville Campaign, suffering heavy losses. After returning briefly to Acquia Creek, the regiment marched to Gettysburg in June 1863 and fought in the battle there. In September, the 28th was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland, engaging at Murfreesboro and guarding the railroad to Tullahoma. The regiment arrived at Bridgeport, Alabama, in October and participated in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and Ringgold.
Following winter quarters at Bridgeport, the men reenlisted as veterans and were furloughed. Upon their return, the regiment fought at Guntersville, Triana, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Pumpkin Vine Creek, New Hope Church, Pine Knob, Lost Mountain, Muddy Creek, Nose’s Creek, Kolb’s Farm, Kennesaw Mountain, and Marietta. The 28th Pennsylvania was actively engaged throughout the Atlanta Campaign, followed Sherman’s army on the March to the Sea, and continued in service through the Carolinas Campaign until mustered out on July 18, 1865, near Alexandria, Virginia.
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
- Skirmishes: Pritchard’s Mill, Point of Rocks, Berlin, Knoxville
- Bolivar Heights (October 1861)
- Noland’s Ferry
- Leesburg and Upperville operations (March 1862)
- Front Royal (May 1862)
- Cedar Mountain
- Second Bull Run
- Antietam
- Chancellorsville Campaign
- Gettysburg
- Murfreesboro
- Lookout Mountain
- Missionary Ridge
- Ringgold
- Guntersville, Triana
- Rocky Face Ridge
- Resaca
- Pumpkin Vine Creek
- New Hope Church
- Pine Knob
- Lost Mountain
- Muddy Creek
- Nose’s Creek
- Kolb’s Farm
- Kennesaw Mountain
- Marietta
- Atlanta Campaign
- March to the Sea
- Carolinas Campaign
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) are not fully detailed in all primary sources. The regiment suffered significant losses at Chancellorsville, where it lost about one-third of its strength during the three days of fighting. Additional losses occurred in other major engagements, but comprehensive totals are not consistently reported.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel John W. Geary
- Colonel Gabriel De Korponay
- Colonel Thomas J. Ahl
- Colonel John Flynn
- Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel De Korponay
- Lieutenant Colonel Hector Tyndale
- Lieutenant Colonel John Flynn
- Lieutenant Colonel James Fitzpatrick
- Major Hector Tyndale
- Major Ario Pardee, Jr.
- Major William Raphael
- Major Robert Warden
- Major L. F. Chapman
- Major James Fitzpatrick
- Major Charles W. Borbridge
- Major Jacob D. Arner
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster includes names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official state and federal records.
To view the full roster, visit the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H. Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Fox, William F. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
- The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Volume 1