Overview
The 148th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Pennsylvania for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered into United States service at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, between August 22 and September 8, 1862, for a three-year term. The unit drew its companies primarily from Centre County, with additional companies from Indiana, Jefferson, and Clarion counties. The 148th Pennsylvania served in the Eastern Theater and was attached to the Army of the Potomac throughout its service, participating in many significant campaigns and battles.
The regiment is noted for its high casualty rate and was recognized by Fox as one of the “three hundred fighting regiments” of the war. Its service included major engagements such as Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and the siege of Petersburg. The 148th Pennsylvania Infantry was mustered out near Alexandria, Virginia, on June 3, 1865.
Organization & Service
The 148th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with mustering completed from August 22 to September 8, 1862. The regiment’s companies were recruited primarily from Centre County (seven companies), with the remainder from Indiana, Jefferson, and Clarion counties. Colonel James A. Beaver, a veteran of previous service, was appointed to command at the request of the line officers, and several other officers also had prior military experience.
After organization, the regiment was assigned to guard duty along the Northern Central Railroad in Maryland, with headquarters at Cockeysville, for approximately three months. Following the Battle of Fredericksburg, the 148th joined the Army of the Potomac at Falmouth, Virginia, and was assigned to Caldwell’s (1st) Brigade, Hancock’s (1st) Division, II Corps. The regiment remained with this division for its entire term of service.
The 148th Pennsylvania saw its first major combat at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, suffering significant casualties and the wounding of Colonel Beaver. At Gettysburg, the regiment arrived on July 2 and fought in the Wheatfield, sustaining further losses. The unit participated in the pursuit of Confederate forces after Gettysburg and was engaged in the Virginia and Mine Run campaigns later in 1863. The regiment received several drafts of recruits in late 1863 and early 1864, increasing its strength.
During the Overland Campaign of 1864, the regiment was lightly engaged at the Wilderness but suffered heavily at the Po River and Spotsylvania, where it incurred the highest loss of any infantry regiment at Spotsylvania. Lieutenant Colonel Fairlamb was wounded and captured during this action. The 148th participated in the first assaults on Petersburg and the subsequent siege, as well as actions at Jerusalem Plank Road, Deep Bottom, Reams’ Station, Hatcher’s Run, White Oak Road, and Farmville. Colonel Beaver was wounded multiple times, including at Petersburg and Reams’ Station, where he lost a leg. The regiment was selected by General Hancock to be armed with breech-loading rifles, a distinction given to one regiment per division.
After participating in the final campaigns of the war, the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry returned to the vicinity of Alexandria, Virginia, and was mustered out of service on June 3, 1865.
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
- Guard duty on the Northern Central Railroad (Maryland)
- Chancellorsville
- Gettysburg
- Pursuit after Gettysburg
- Virginia Campaigns (including Mine Run)
- Wilderness
- Po River
- Spotsylvania
- Totopotomoy
- Cold Harbor
- First assaults on Petersburg
- Siege of Petersburg
- Jerusalem Plank Road
- Deep Bottom
- Reams’ Station
- Hatcher’s Run
- White Oak Road
- Farmville
- Prison guard duty at Salisbury, North Carolina
Casualties
- Killed or died of wounds: 12 officers, 198 enlisted men
- Died of disease, accident, or as prisoners: 4 officers, 183 enlisted men
- Total killed and wounded: 769
- Died in Confederate prisons: 62
The 148th Pennsylvania Infantry is listed by Fox among the regiments with the highest losses in the Union Army.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel James A. Beaver
- Colonel James F. Weaver
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert McFarlane
- Lieutenant Colonel George A. Fairlamb
- Lieutenant Colonel James F. Weaver
- Lieutenant Colonel George A. Bayard
- Major George A. Fairlamb
- Major Robert Henry Forster
- Major James F. Weaver
- Major George A. Bayard
- Major Silas J. Martin
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides details on company assignments, ranks, and service records.
To view the full roster, visit the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 25, 27, 36, 40, 46 (reports and correspondence involving the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry)
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report, 1865
- 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, Vol. 1