47th Pennsylvania Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 47th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, between August 19 and September 20, 1861, for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment drew many of its companies from men who had previously served in other Pennsylvania regiments. The 47th Pennsylvania served in multiple theaters, including the Department of the South, the Gulf, and the Shenandoah Valley, and was notable for its extended service, remaining in the field until January 1866.

Organization & Service

The 47th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was mustered in at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, from August 19 to September 20, 1861. Three companies had prior service in the 1st Pennsylvania Infantry, with others drawn from the 2nd, 9th, 11th, and 25th regiments. The regiment was initially ordered to Washington, D.C., and encamped at Kalorama Heights before moving to Fort Ethan Allen, where it was attached to the 3rd Brigade, General W. F. Smith’s Division.

On January 27, 1862, under General Brannan, the brigade embarked for Key West, Florida, remaining there until June. The regiment then moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina, performing picket duty and later joining General Brannan’s expedition to open the St. John’s River in Florida. After returning to Hilton Head, the 47th Pennsylvania participated in the engagement at Pocotaligo, South Carolina, where its service was commended. In November 1862, the regiment was ordered back to Key West, garrisoning Forts Taylor and Jefferson until February 1864.

In early 1864, the regiment was sent to Franklin, Louisiana, and assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 19th Army Corps. It took part in the Red River Campaign, including actions at Sabine Cross Roads, Pleasant Hill, and Cane Hill, and assisted in constructing a dam at Alexandria, Louisiana. In June 1864, the regiment moved to New Orleans and then embarked for Washington, D.C. With the 1st Division, 19th Corps, the 47th Pennsylvania fought in the battles of Opequon (Third Winchester) and Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley. The regiment spent the winter of 1864–65 in quarters near Winchester and later at Camp Fairview near Charlestown, West Virginia.

In April 1865, the regiment was ordered to Fort Stevens near Washington, D.C., and participated in the Grand Review of the Union Army. Subsequent orders took the regiment to Savannah, Georgia, in June, Charleston, South Carolina, in July, and finally back to Pennsylvania, where it was mustered out in January 1866.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Key West, Florida (1862)
• Hilton Head, South Carolina (1862)
• St. John’s River Expedition, Florida (1862)
• Pocotaligo, South Carolina (October 1862)
• Garrison duty at Forts Taylor and Jefferson (1862–1864)
• Red River Campaign, Louisiana (1864): Sabine Cross Roads, Pleasant Hill, Cane Hill
• Construction of dam at Alexandria, Louisiana (1864)
• Opequon (Third Winchester), Virginia (September 1864)
• Cedar Creek, Virginia (October 1864)
• Garrison and occupation duty: Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina (1865)

Casualties

Specific casualty figures for the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) are not fully detailed in the primary sources. Fox’s Regimental Losses and state reports do not provide a complete breakdown for this regiment.

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Tilghman H. Good
• Colonel J. P. S. Gobin
• Lieutenant Colonel G. W. Alexander
• Lieutenant Colonel J. P. S. Gobin
• Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Abbott
• Major William H. Gansler
• Major J. P. S. Gobin
• Major John J. Goebel
• Major George Stroop
• Major Levi Stuber

Regimental Roster

The full roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) is available on the regiment’s roster page. This roster includes names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official state and federal records.

To view the complete roster, visit the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see Department of the South, Gulf, and Shenandoah Valley operations)
• Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report, annual reports for 1861–1866
• Dyer, Frederick H. A 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