Overview
The 30th Pennsylvania Infantry (1st Pennsylvania Reserve) was an infantry regiment organized at West Chester, Pennsylvania, from June 1 to July 20, 1861, for three years’ service in the Union Army. Known as the 1st Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, it drew men from across the state and was mustered into U.S. service on July 26, 1861. The regiment served primarily in the Eastern Theater and was notable for its participation in several major campaigns of the Army of the Potomac.
The 30th Pennsylvania Infantry was attached to the 1st Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps and saw extensive combat, suffering significant casualties. Its service included key battles such as Mechanicsville, Glendale, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg, among others.
Organization & Service
The 30th Pennsylvania Infantry (1st Pennsylvania Reserve) was organized at West Chester, Pennsylvania, between June 1 and July 20, 1861. After initial assembly, the regiment was ordered to Harrisburg and then to Baltimore, arriving there on July 22, 1861, and going into camp on Carroll Hill. The regiment was mustered into United States service for a three-year term on July 26, 1861, with a total enrollment of 1,084 men.
Following its organization, the regiment moved to Tennallytown, Maryland, where the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps was structured into three brigades. The 30th became the 1st Regiment of the 1st Brigade. During the winter of 1861–62, the regiment engaged in marches and skirmishes but saw its first major combat at the Battle of Mechanicsville in June 1862. It subsequently fought at Glendale, was held in reserve at Malvern Hill, and participated in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. At Fredericksburg, the regiment served as part of the 1st Corps, Left Division, under General Reynolds.
In February 1863, the regiment was reassigned to the 5th Corps under General Meade. At the Battle of Gettysburg, it served under General Crawford, with Company K notably including many men from Gettysburg itself. The regiment continued to serve in the Bristoe Station action and the Mine Run campaign, then wintered at Bristoe Station in early 1864. It participated in the Wilderness campaign and other actions of the Army of the Potomac until June 1, 1864. The regiment returned to Philadelphia and was mustered out on June 13, 1864. Veterans and recruits were transferred to the 190th Pennsylvania Infantry.
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
- Mechanicsville (June 1862)
- Glendale
- Malvern Hill (in reserve)
- South Mountain
- Antietam
- Fredericksburg
- Bristoe Station
- Mine Run Campaign
- Wilderness Campaign
- Other actions with the Army of the Potomac through June 1864
Casualties
- Killed in action: 139
- Wounded: 233
- Reenlisted: 148
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources regarding deaths by disease and total losses.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel R. Biddle Roberts
- Colonel W. Cooper Talley
- Lieutenant Colonel H. M. McIntyre
- Lieutenant Colonel W. Warren Stewart
- Major Lemuel Todd
- Major Tobias Kaufman
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 30th Pennsylvania Infantry (1st Pennsylvania Reserve), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and service details for members of the regiment throughout its three years of service.
To view the complete roster, visit the 30th Pennsylvania Infantry (1st Pennsylvania Reserve) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report
- 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