Overview
The 199th Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and mustered into United States service during August, September, and October 1864. The regiment served in the Union Army during the final campaigns of the Civil War, primarily in the Army of the James. It was attached to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Army Corps, and participated in the closing operations against Petersburg and the pursuit to Appomattox.
This regiment is distinct from other Pennsylvania infantry units with different service terms or designations.
Organization & Service
The 199th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Philadelphia and mustered in for one year’s service between August and October 1864. Upon completion of organization, the regiment moved to the front and joined the Army of the James at Deep Bottom Landing in October 1864. It was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Army Corps, and took position on the extreme right of the Union line along the New Market Road, where it constructed substantial breastworks.
During the winter of 1864–1865, the regiment remained in winter quarters, focusing on drill, discipline, and routine fatigue and picket duties. Sanitary conditions were reported as excellent, and the regiment maintained good health. In the spring of 1865, the 199th Pennsylvania participated in the final assault on Petersburg on April 2, as part of Foster’s Division, contributing to the capture of Forts Gregg and Alexander. Following the fall of Petersburg, the regiment joined the pursuit of Confederate forces to Burkesville and then to Appomattox, engaging in skirmishes at Rice’s Station and near Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
After the surrender of Lee’s army, the regiment moved to Richmond and was mustered out on June 28, 1865. Remaining recruits were transferred to the 188th Pennsylvania Infantry, with Col. Briscoe assigned to its command. Detachments performed provost duty in Virginia until final muster out on December 14, 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
- Siege of Petersburg (Winter 1864–1865)
- Assault on Petersburg, including capture of Forts Gregg and Alexander (April 2, 1865)
- Pursuit to Burkesville and Appomattox (April 1865)
- Skirmish at Rice’s Station (April 6, 1865)
- Engagement near Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)
Casualties
- Killed or mortally wounded: 18 (at Petersburg assault), 2 (at Rice’s Station), 2 (near Appomattox Court House)
- Wounded: 91 (at Petersburg assault), 1 (at Rice’s Station), 8 (near Appomattox Court House)
- Total known killed or mortally wounded: 22
- Total known wounded: 100
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel James C. Briscoe (wounded at Petersburg; brevetted Brigadier General)
- Lieutenant Colonel Ambrose A. Lechler
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert P. Hughes
- Major William A. F. Gehr
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 199th Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official state and federal records.
To view the complete roster, visit the 199th Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. XLVI, Part 1
- 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, Volume 1