211th Pennsylvania Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 211th Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year’s Service) was an infantry regiment raised from the counties of Crawford, Jefferson, McKean, Mercer, Erie, Warren, and Westmoreland in Pennsylvania. Organized at Camp Reynolds near Pittsburgh, the regiment was mustered into United States service during the first half of September 1864 for a one-year term. The unit served in the Union Army, primarily in the Eastern Theater, and participated in the final campaigns around Petersburg, Virginia.

This regiment is distinct from earlier Pennsylvania infantry regiments with different numerical designations or service terms.

Organization & Service

The 211th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Camp Reynolds, Pittsburgh, and mustered in during September 1864. Shortly after its formation, the regiment moved to the front and was assigned to Potter’s provisional brigade, Army of the James, stationed on the Bermuda Hundred front. Upon arrival, the regiment was ordered to display itself on the parapets under enemy observation to create a diversion for the assault on Fort Harrison, resulting in the immediate loss of two men from Company F.

On November 27, 1864, the regiment, along with another Pennsylvania regiment from its brigade, was transferred to the Army of the Potomac and assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps. The regiment spent the winter encamped between Fort Howard and Fort Alexander Hayes. On March 25, 1865, during the Confederate attack and subsequent recapture of Fort Stedman, the 211th Pennsylvania suffered casualties while advancing under the command of General Hartranft. In the final assault on Petersburg on April 2, 1865, the regiment incurred significant losses. Following the fall of Petersburg, the regiment moved with its division along the South Side Railroad, guarding army trains as far as Nottoway Court House, where it remained until April 20. The regiment then proceeded to Alexandria, Virginia, and was mustered out of service on June 2, 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

  • Bermuda Hundred front (September–November 1864)
  • Demonstration during the assault on Fort Harrison (September 1864)
  • Siege of Petersburg (November 1864–April 1865)
  • Battle of Fort Stedman (March 25, 1865)
  • Final assault on Petersburg (April 2, 1865)
  • Advance along the South Side Railroad (April 1865)

Casualties

  • At Fort Stedman (March 25, 1865): 1 killed, 10 wounded.
  • At the final assault on Petersburg (April 2, 1865): 4 officers and 17 men killed; 4 officers and 89 men wounded; 21 men missing. Total casualties in this action: 135.
  • Additional losses occurred during earlier actions, including 2 men killed at the Bermuda Hundred front.

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel James H. Trimble
  • Colonel Levi A. Dodd
  • Lieutenant Colonel Levi A. Dodd
  • Lieutenant Colonel Augustus A. Mechling
  • Lieutenant Colonel Charles McLain (killed at Petersburg, April 2, 1865)
  • Lieutenant Colonel William A. Coulter
  • Major Augustus A. Mechling
  • Major Elias B. Lee (mortally wounded at Petersburg, April 2, 1865)
  • Major H. King Smith
  • Lieutenant Sparks (killed at Petersburg, April 2, 1865)
  • Lieutenant Alexander (killed at Petersburg, April 2, 1865)
  • Lieutenant Tarr (killed at Petersburg, April 2, 1865)
  • Lieutenant Pelton (mortally wounded at Petersburg, April 2, 1865)

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 211th Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year’s Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and company assignments for those who served in the regiment during its term of service.

To view the complete roster, visit the 211th Pennsylvania Infantry (One Year’s Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. XLII, XLVI
  • 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
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