112th Pennsylvania Regiment, 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery in the American Civil War

Overview

The 112th Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as the 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery (Three Years’ Service), served in the Union Army as a heavy artillery regiment during the American Civil War. Organized primarily from Franklin, Allegheny, and Monroe counties, the regiment was mustered into service at Philadelphia in January 1862. The unit served in the Eastern Theater and was notable for its large size and active participation in major campaigns of 1864–1865.

This regiment was one of the largest in the Union Army, at one point numbering over 3,300 men due to the influx of recruits. It played a significant role in the Overland Campaign, the Siege of Petersburg, and the final operations around Richmond and Petersburg.

Organization & Service

The 112th Pennsylvania Regiment (2nd Pennsylvania Artillery) was organized at Philadelphia and mustered in for three years’ service in January 1862. On January 9, three companies were ordered to Fort Delaware, while the remaining companies moved to Washington, D.C., on February 25. The regiment was reunited at Bladensburg, Maryland, on March 19, 1862. In November of that year, two independent companies from Fort Delaware were added to the regiment.

The regiment remained on garrison duty at Bladensburg until March 1864, when it was ordered to the forts near Chain Bridge. Due to a large number of recruits, the 2nd Provisional Heavy Artillery was organized from the surplus in April 1864, with both regiments together numbering approximately 3,300 men. The 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery was attached to the IX Corps and participated in the Wilderness Campaign, including actions at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor.

At Cold Harbor in June 1864, the regiment was divided into three battalions and attached to the XVIII Corps. The 2nd Battalion took part in the charge at Petersburg on June 18, helping secure ground that became the army’s front line. The provisional regiment rejoined the 1st on August 26, 1864, after serving at Petersburg and participating in the Battle of the Crater, where it suffered significant losses. By this time, the regiment’s strength had been reduced to about 400 men. In a charge on September 20, the 1st and 2nd Battalions lost an additional 200 men. The regiment was then stationed near Fort Harrison until December 1864.

In January 1865, many men reenlisted, and the regiment participated in the final assaults on Confederate positions, entering Richmond with the Union Army. For the remainder of 1865, the regiment was assigned to maintain order in southern Virginia. The 112th Pennsylvania Regiment was mustered out at City Point, Virginia, on January 29, 1866.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Garrison duty at Fort Delaware and Bladensburg, Maryland (1862–1864)
• Forts near Chain Bridge (March 1864)
• Wilderness Campaign (May 1864)
• Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 1864)
• Battle of Cold Harbor (June 1864)
• Siege of Petersburg, including charge on June 18, 1864
• Battle of the Crater (July 30, 1864)
• Operations near Fort Harrison (September–December 1864)
• Final assaults on Petersburg and Richmond (March–April 1865)
• Occupation and postwar duty in southern Virginia (1865)

Casualties

According to available primary sources, the 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery suffered heavy losses, particularly during the Petersburg operations and the Battle of the Crater. Exact figures for killed, wounded, and died of disease are not consistently reported in official records. Fox’s Regimental Losses notes significant casualties in the regiment’s active campaigns, but precise totals are not available for all categories.

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Charles Angeroth
• Colonel August A. Gibson
• Colonel James L. Anderson
• Colonel William M. McClure
• Colonel S. D. Strawbridge
• Lieutenant Colonel J. H. Oberteuffer
• Lieutenant Colonel S. D. Strawbridge
• Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Winger
• Major William Candidus
• Major James L. Anderson
• Major David Sadler
• Major Thomas Wilhelm
• Major Edward S. Rowland
• Major Benjamin F. Winger
• Major David Schooley
• Major William S. Bailey

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 112th Pennsylvania Regiment, 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official state and federal records.

To view the complete roster, visit the 112th Pennsylvania Regiment, 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (Army of the Potomac, IX and XVIII Corps correspondence and reports)
• Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report, annual volumes (1862–1866)
• 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