Overview
The 202nd Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Pennsylvania for Union service during the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered into United States service at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, during the last week of August and the first week of September 1864, for a term of one year. Its ranks were filled by men from Carbon, Juniata, Adams, Northumberland, Lehigh, Northampton, Cumberland, Union, and Huntingdon counties. The 202nd Pennsylvania Infantry primarily performed railroad guard duty rather than participating in major field campaigns.
Organization & Service
The 202nd Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, and mustered into service between late August and early September 1864. Colonel Charles Albright, previously of the 132nd Pennsylvania Infantry, commanded the regiment, with Lieutenant Colonel John A. Maus and Major Walter H. Seip as principal officers. Some officers and men had prior military experience.
Shortly after organization, the regiment was assigned to guard duty along the Manassas Gap Railroad, covering the stretch from Thoroughfare Gap to Rectortown, Virginia. Following the conclusion of General Sheridan’s campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, the regiment was withdrawn to Alexandria, Virginia, where it guarded the Orange & Alexandria Railroad from Bull Run to Alexandria, with headquarters at Fairfax Station. In late May 1865, the regiment was ordered to Philadelphia and then dispatched to the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania, with headquarters at Tamaqua. Here, the regiment served by detachments at various locations, maintaining order and protecting property. Colonel Albright, who was brevetted brigadier-general, was placed in command of the district. The regiment assembled at Harrisburg at the end of July and was mustered out of service on August 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 Manassas Gap Railroad (Thoroughfare Gap to Rectortown), fall 1864
- Guard duty on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad (Bull Run to Alexandria), late 1864–spring 1865
- Duty in the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania, summer 1865
Casualties
Specific casualty figures for the 202nd Pennsylvania Infantry are not detailed in primary sources. The regiment primarily performed guard and provost duties and did not participate in major battles.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Charles Albright
- Lieutenant Colonel John A. Maus
- Major Walter H. Seip
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 202nd Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. For a complete listing of names, ranks, and company assignments, please visit the regiment’s roster page.
View the 202nd Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year Service) Roster
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, relevant volumes
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H., Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Federal Publishing Company, The Union Army, Vol. 1 (1908)