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57th
Pennsylvania Infantry
Online Books
57th
Pennsylvania Infantry Soldier Roster - History of Pennsylvania
Volunteers, 1861-5, Volume 2 by Samuel P Bates, 1869
View Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Fifty-seventh Infantry. — Cols., William Maxwell,
Charles T. Campbell, Peter Sides, George Zinn ; Lieut.-Cols., Elhannan
W. Woods, Peter Sides, T. S. Strohecker, William B. Neeper, L. D. Bumpus,
George W. Perkins; Majs., Jeremiah Culp, S. C. Simonton, William B.
Neeper, Samuel Bryan. The 57th regiment was recruited in the autumn of
1861, principally in the counties of Mercer, Crawford and Venango,
though some came from Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.
Co. K was originally recruited at Titusville as an independent company
of sharpshooters, but was not accepted by the government. The regiment
rendezvoused by companies and squads at Camp Curtin and was slowly
mustered into service during September, October and November for three
years. It left the state for Washington on Dec. 14, 1861 ; went into
camp on the Bladensburg pike until Feb., 1862; then moved to Fort Lyon
below Alexandria, where it was assigned to the 1st brigade (Gen.
Jameson), 1st division (Gen. Kearny), 3d corps (Gen. Heintzelman), and
moved with the army in April upon the Peninsular campaign. From the
beginning at Camp Curtin, the 57th had suffered much from sickness ; its
camp at Washington was on low, wet ground ; at the siege of Yorktown it
labored for a month in trenches and on picket amid the malaria of the
swamps and marshes ; and in a very debilitated condition took part in
the battle of Williamsburg. The long, hard campaign which followed
greatly reduced the regiment, so that when it reached Harrison's landing
on July 2, it was without a field officer, had only a few line officers,
and only 56 effective men, out of upwards of 1,000 who had started three
months before. It had been active at Fair Oaks, where it lost 11 killed
and 49 wounded, Maj. Culp being killed, Capt. Chase mortally and Col.
Campbell severely wounded. It was in reserve at Savage Station, but was
active at Charles City cross-roads, losing 7 killed and 56 wounded, Maj.
Simonton and Lieut. Morse being among the wounded. Its conduct in this
fight elicited high praise from Gen. Kearny, and on the following day it
was again heavily engaged for a short time at Malvern hill, losing 2
killed and 8 wounded. Lieut.-Col. Woods left the regiment here on
account of sickness and was shortly afterwards honorably discharged.
Soon after the close of this campaign the ranks of the 57th were again
filled by returning convalescents and recruits. It shared in the ensuing
campaign under Pope, attached to Gen. Birney's brigade; suffered a small
loss at the second Bull Run ; was present, but not active at Chantilly,
where four companies from the 57th were detailed to bring into the Union
lines the body of the gallant Kearny, who fell in the fight. The
regiment was posted at Conrad's ferry for a month and on Oct. 10 Col.
Campbell resumed command. On Nov. 25 it went into winter quarters at
Falmouth ; was active at the battle of Fredericksburg, losing 21 killed,
76 wounded and 78 missing out of 316 men in action. Col. Campbell was
again wounded in this action. The command now returned to its old
quarters, and in March was assigned to the 1st brigade (Gen. Graham),
1st division (Gen. Birney), 3d corps (Gen. Sickles), and on April 28
moved on the Chancellorsville campaign. Its loss at Chancellorsville was
13 killed, 48 wounded and 23 missing. On June 11, it started on the
Gettysburg campaign, where it was heavily engaged, with a loss of 12
killed, 45 wounded and 47 missing, Col. Sides being among the wounded
and Maj. Neeper among the captured. During the balance of the year it
was active at Auburn creek, Kelly's ford, and Locust Grove and went into
winter quarters near Culpeper. More than two-thirds of the regiment
reenlisted about this time and went home on veteran furlough on Jan. 8,
1864, returning after 49 days with a large number of recruits. Assigned
to the 2nd brigade (Gen. Hays), 3d division (Gen. Birney), 2nd corps
(Gen. Hancock), it started on the Wilderness campaign and participated
in all the fierce fighting up to Petersburg, losing heavily at the
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, the North Anna river and Cold Harbor. It
shared in the first assault on the enemy's works at Petersburg, and in
the general work of the siege during the summer and early autumn. It was
posted on the Jerusalem plank road in October ; skirmished at Hatcher's
run ; later shared with its corps in driving back Mahone's division ;
and shared without loss in the raid on the Weldon railroad in December.
By reason of its losses, it was consolidated into a battalion of six
companies on Jan. 11, 1865, and united with the 84th Pa. infantry a few
days later, Lieut.-Col. Zinn of the 84th, becoming colonel. It engaged
without loss in the movement to Hatcher's run in February; was
conspicuous for its gallantry in the assault on the enemy's works near
Watkins' house in March, capturing over 100 prisoners ; shared in the
subsequent operations leading up to the evacuation of Petersburg and
Richmond and the surrender of Lee; was active at Sailor's creek and was
within a mile of Appomattox Court House when the news of the surrender
was received. Moving thence to Burkesville, it encamped there until May
and was mustered out at Alexandria on June 29. Its record proves it to
have been essentially a fighting regiment. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
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