Overview
The 32nd Pennsylvania Infantry (also known as the 3rd Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry) was an infantry regiment organized for three years’ service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was primarily recruited from Philadelphia and Bucks County and was mustered into service at Harrisburg on July 27, 1861. It served in the Eastern Theater and was part of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, seeing action in several major campaigns and battles.
Organization & Service
The 32nd Pennsylvania Infantry (3rd PA Reserves) was organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and mustered in for three years’ service on July 27, 1861. Upon organization, it was designated as the 3rd Regiment of the 2nd Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserves, under Brigadier General George G. Meade, and was initially stationed at Tennallytown, Maryland.
In October 1861, the regiment participated in a reconnaissance to Dranesville, Virginia. During the spring of 1862, it took part in the Peninsula Campaign with the Army of the Potomac, engaging in the battles of Mechanicsville, Gaines’ Mill, Glendale, and Malvern Hill. In August 1862, the regiment joined the Army of Virginia and was active at the Second Battle of Bull Run and held in reserve at Chantilly. Returning to the Army of the Potomac, the regiment fought at South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg.
In February 1863, the 32nd Pennsylvania was ordered to Washington, D.C., and assigned to the 22nd Army Corps, remaining there until January 1864. The regiment was then sent to West Virginia, arriving at Martinsburg on January 7, 1864, and performing picket duty until late January. It subsequently moved to New Creek, marched in pursuit of Confederate forces, and returned to Martinsburg. The regiment continued picket duty at Vanclevesville until March 27, then moved to Harper’s Ferry and Webster.
On April 22, 1864, the regiment began an expedition to Parkersburg, Brownstown on the Great Kanawha River, and Fayette, with the objective of disrupting Confederate communications via the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad. On May 9, 1864, the regiment fought at Cloyd’s Mountain, suffering significant casualties but achieving its objective. The regiment then returned, reaching Meadow Bluff on May 19, and was ordered to Millville three days later. On May 30, 1864, the regiment began its return home and was mustered out at Philadelphia on June 17, 1864. Veterans and recruits were consolidated into a battalion, which continued to serve and was eventually transferred to the 54th 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
- Reconnaissance to Dranesville (October 1861)
- Peninsula Campaign (Spring 1862)
- Battle of Mechanicsville
- Battle of Gaines’ Mill
- Battle of Glendale
- Battle of Malvern Hill
- Second Battle of Bull Run
- Battle of Chantilly (in reserve)
- Battle of South Mountain
- Battle of Antietam
- Battle of Fredericksburg
- Operations in West Virginia (1864)
- Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain
Casualties
According to official reports, the 32nd Pennsylvania Infantry (3rd PA Reserve) suffered significant losses during its service. Fox’s Regimental Losses notes that the regiment lost a considerable number of men at Cloyd’s Mountain. Specific figures for killed, wounded, and died of disease are not fully detailed in all sources.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Horatio G. Sickel
- Lieutenant Colonel William S. Thompson
- Lieutenant Colonel John Clark
- Major R. H. Woolworth
- Major William Briner
Regimental Roster
The complete roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 32nd Pennsylvania Infantry (3rd PA Reserve) is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster includes names, ranks, and service details as recorded in official state and federal records.
To view the full roster, please visit the 32nd Pennsylvania Infantry (3rd PA 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., 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, Volume 1