152nd Pennsylvania Regiment, 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery in the American Civil War

Overview

The 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery (also known as the 152nd Pennsylvania Regiment) served as a heavy artillery regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Recruited from across Pennsylvania, the regiment was organized at Philadelphia and mustered into United States service in late 1862 and early 1863. The regiment primarily served in the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, with headquarters at Fortress Monroe, and was notable for its versatility, providing detachments for service in infantry, artillery, and naval operations.

This regiment is distinct from other Pennsylvania artillery and infantry units. It was known for its large size, with many members later volunteering to form the 188th Pennsylvania Infantry, and for furnishing details to various arms of the service throughout the war.

Organization & Service

The 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery was formed through the consolidation of two commands. Companies A and B originated as a battalion of marine artillery organized by Hermann Segebarth in 1861, initially garrisoning Fort Delaware. In late summer 1862, Segebarth was authorized to expand this battalion into a full regiment of heavy artillery, and additional batteries (D, F, G, and H) were recruited and mustered in for three years’ service during the fall and winter of 1862–1863.

In September 1862, Major Joseph Roberts of the 4th U.S. Artillery was authorized to raise a picked battalion for service at Fortress Monroe. As companies were organized, they were sent to Fortress Monroe for training in infantry, light, and heavy artillery tactics. In spring 1863, the War Department ordered the consolidation of Segebarth’s and Roberts’s commands, forming the 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery.

Company H was detached for garrison duty in Baltimore, remaining there except during the Gettysburg Campaign, when a section served as light artillery with McIntosh’s brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, suffering casualties. The regiment’s headquarters remained at Fortress Monroe, but detachments were frequently sent out for service by land and sea. During Longstreet’s invasion of Eastern Virginia in spring 1863, Companies A, B, F, and G served in the defenses of Suffolk during the siege. Throughout 1864–1865, all companies except H provided detachments for front-line service, participating in campaigns along the James, Chickahominy, and Nansemond Rivers, and in the capture of Fort Fisher.

Detachments from Companies A and B, serving on army gunboats, suffered losses at Smithfield, Virginia, in February 1864, with 38 men captured, many of whom later died at Andersonville. Company A lost 27 men captured when the gunboat Bombshell was sunk at Plymouth, North Carolina, in April 1864. Company I performed guard duty at Army of the James headquarters and was present at Lee’s surrender. Companies D, E, G, and M served with the Army of the James before Petersburg, with Company E posted at Fort Converse. After the war, detachments guarded Jefferson Davis at Fortress Monroe. Sixteen men of Company F were lost in the destruction of the transport General Lyon in March 1865. The regiment was mustered out as follows: Companies A and B at Fortress Monroe, July 11, 1865; Company H at Baltimore, July 25, 1865; the remaining companies at Fortress Monroe, November 9, 1865.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Garrison duty at Fort Delaware (1861–1862)
• Defenses of Fortress Monroe (1862–1865)
• Siege of Suffolk, Virginia (Spring 1863)
• Gettysburg Campaign (detachment of Company H, July 1863)
• Operations on the James, Chickahominy, and Nansemond Rivers (1864–1865)
• Engagement at Smithfield, Virginia (February 1864)
• Action at Plymouth, North Carolina (April 1864)
• Siege of Petersburg and Bermuda Hundred (1864–1865)
• Capture of Fort Fisher (January 1865)
• Guard duty at Army of the James headquarters and at Fortress Monroe (1865)

Casualties

Exact casualty figures for the 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery (152nd Pennsylvania Regiment) are not fully detailed in available primary sources. Known losses include:

• Company H at Gettysburg: 2 killed, 10 wounded, 1 missing
• Smithfield, Virginia (February 1864): 38 captured (many died at Andersonville)
• Plymouth, North Carolina (April 1864): 27 captured
• Company F: 16 lost in the destruction of the transport General Lyon (March 31, 1865)

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Joseph Roberts
• Lieutenant Colonel R. V. W. Howard
• Major John A. Darling
• Major J. S. Stevenson
• Major F. Von Schilling
• Major John A. Blake
• Captain William D. Rank (Company H, detachment at Gettysburg)
• Captain Hazard (Company E, Fort Converse)
• Hermann Segebarth (original battalion organizer)

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of the 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery (152nd Pennsylvania Regiment) includes officers and enlisted men who served in the regiment throughout its term. The roster provides details on company assignments, ranks, and service records.

To view the full roster for this regiment, visit the 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery Regimental Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (Department of Virginia and North Carolina correspondence and reports)
• Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report, annual reports for 1862–1865
• Dyer, Frederick H. 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