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88th
Pennsylvania Infantry
Online Books
88th
Pennsylvania Infantry Soldier Roster - History of Pennsylvania
Volunteers, 1861-5, Volume 3 by Samuel P Bates, 1869
View Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Eighty-eighth Infantry. — Cols., George P. McLean,
George W. Gile, Louis Wagner; Lieut.-Cols., Joseph A. McLean, George W.
Gile, Louis Wagner, Edmund A. Moss; Majs., George W. Gile, D. A.
Griffith, Benezet F. Foust, John S. Steeple, Aaron Bright, Jr. The 88th
regiment, three companies of which were recruited in Berks county and
the remainder in Philadelphia, was known as the Cameron Light Guards and
was mustered into the U. S. service at Philadelphia in Sept., 1861, for
a three years' term. It was ordered to Washington on Oct. 1 and assigned
to guard duty at Alexandria, where it received its arms and equipment.
On Feb. 18, 1862, five companies were detailed for garrison duty in
forts on the Potomac, and on April 17, the regiment, reunited, moved to
Cloud's mills, to guard the line of the Orange & Alexandria railroad
from Bull Run to Fairfax Court House. May 7, the command was ordered to
report to Gen. McDowell and assigned to Gen. Ricketts' division, with
which it fought at Cedar mountain, Thoroughfare gap, the second Bull
Run, Chantilly, Antietam and Fredericksburg, its heaviest loss being at
Bull Run, where 15 were killed, 102 wounded and 48 missing. It went into
winter quarters at Fletcher's Chapel and, with the exception of the "Mud
March," remained there until April 28, 1863, when it started on the
Chancellorsville movement. Its part in this was not important, but its
service at Gettysburg was brilliant and resulted in the capture of the
colors of the 16th Ala. and 23d N. C. The regiment shared in the
movements of the army during the remainder of the year, ending with the
Mine Run campaign, after which it went into winter quarters at Culpeper.
Enough men reenlisted to insure the continuance of the 88th as a veteran
organization and on May 3, 1864, it broke camp and spent the next three
days in guarding wagon trains on their way to the Wilderness.
Engagements followed in rapid succession at Spottsylvania, the North
Anna river, Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor and White Oak swamp and on June
16 the command arrived at Petersburg. Here it was engaged on June 18 and
at the Weldon railroad in August, besides performing arduous siege
duties. In Feb., 1865, it joined in the Hatcher's run movement, being
engaged at Dabney's mills and afterward encamping on Hatcher's run. It
participated in the final assault on Petersburg and in the pursuit after
the evacuation of the city and returned to Washington, where it was
mustered out of the service on June 30, 1865. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
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