Overview
The 157th Pennsylvania Infantry (Infantry) was a Union regiment recruited in Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. The regiment began organizing in the fall of 1862 but was never fully completed as a separate unit. Its partial organization and subsequent consolidation with the 156th Pennsylvania Infantry resulted in a battalion that served primarily in the Eastern Theater, including garrison and field service.
This unit is distinct from other Pennsylvania infantry regiments with different service terms or numbers.
Organization & Service
Recruitment for the 157th Pennsylvania Infantry commenced in the fall of 1862. By December of that year, the regiment’s ranks were only partially filled, and it was assigned to garrison duty at Fort Delaware. Simultaneously, efforts to organize the 156th Pennsylvania Infantry were also unsuccessful. On February 27, 1863, the 156th and 157th Pennsylvania Infantry regiments were consolidated, forming a battalion of four companies.
The consolidated battalion was stationed in the defenses of Washington, D.C., until the end of May 1864. At that time, it joined the Army of the Potomac at Cold Harbor, serving with the 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 5th Corps. The battalion participated in the operations at Cold Harbor and Bethesda Church, suffering casualties in those engagements. It continued to serve at Petersburg, the Weldon Railroad, Chapel House, and Hatcher’s Run. On March 21, 1865, the battalion was transferred to the 191st Pennsylvania Infantry, with which it remained until mustering out in the field on June 28, 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
- Defenses of Washington, D.C. (until May 1864)
- Cold Harbor
- Bethesda Church
- Petersburg
- Weldon Railroad
- Chapel House
- Hatcher’s Run
Casualties
During its service, the battalion lost 1 killed, 16 wounded, and 2 missing in action. Additional detailed casualty figures are not separately reported for the 157th Pennsylvania Infantry after its consolidation with the 191st Pennsylvania Infantry.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Lieutenant Colonel Edmund T. Tiers
- Major Thomas H. Addicks
- Major Edmund T. Tiers
- Major Thomas E. Carter
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 157th Pennsylvania Infantry (Infantry) is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster includes the names and service details of officers and enlisted men who served in the regiment during its period of organization and subsequent consolidation.
To view the complete roster, visit the 157th Pennsylvania Infantry (Infantry) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes (Army of the Potomac, 5th Corps reports)
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report
- 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