Overview
The 37th Pennsylvania Infantry (also known as the 8th Pennsylvania Reserve) served as an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the regiment was mustered into United States service for a three years’ term on June 28, 1861. The unit was part of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps and participated in major campaigns in the Eastern Theater. The regiment was known for its steadfast service and heavy engagement in several significant battles.
Organization & Service
The 37th Pennsylvania Infantry (8th Pennsylvania Reserve) was organized at Pittsburgh and mustered in on June 28, 1861. The regiment rendezvoused at Camp Wright near Pittsburgh before being ordered to Washington, D.C., on July 20, 1861. Upon arrival, it encamped until August 2, then reported to General McCall at Tennallytown and was assigned to the 1st Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, under Brigadier General John F. Reynolds.
The regiment established winter quarters at Langley, Virginia, from October 9, 1861, until the spring of 1862. During this period, it was attached to the 1st Corps and held at Washington until late May 1862, when it joined the Army of the Potomac on the Peninsula. The 37th participated in the battles of Mechanicsville and Gaines’ Mill, suffering significant losses, and was in reserve at Malvern Hill. In August 1862, the regiment joined General Pope’s army and fought at the Second Battle of Bull Run. It subsequently served under General McClellan at South Mountain and Antietam, and later under General Burnside at Fredericksburg, where it sustained heavy casualties.
After Fredericksburg, the regiment was ordered to the defenses of Washington on February 8, 1863, where it remained until April 19, 1864. It then moved to Bristoe Station and soon after participated in the Battle of the Wilderness and subsequent actions of the Overland Campaign until May 17, 1864. At that point, veterans and recruits were transferred to the 191st Pennsylvania Infantry, and the remaining members were ordered home. The regiment was mustered out at Pittsburgh on May 24, 1864.
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
- Gaines’ Mill
- Malvern Hill (in reserve)
- Second Bull Run
- South Mountain
- Antietam
- Fredericksburg
- Defenses of Washington
- Wilderness
- Overland Campaign (to May 17, 1864)
Casualties
According to available sources, the 37th Pennsylvania Infantry (8th Pennsylvania Reserve) suffered significant losses in several major battles, particularly at Mechanicsville, Gaines’ Mill, and Fredericksburg. Exact figures for killed, wounded, and disease-related deaths are not fully detailed in all primary sources.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel George S. Hays
- Colonel Silas M. Bailey
- Lieutenant Colonel S. Duncan Oliphant
- Lieutenant Colonel William Lemon
- Major J. B. Gardner
- Major J. W. Duncan
- Major S. M. Bailey
- Major Robert E. Johnston
- Major George S. Gallupe
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 37th Pennsylvania Infantry (8th Pennsylvania Reserve), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served in the regiment during its three years’ term.
To view the complete roster, visit the 37th Pennsylvania Infantry (8th 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, Vol. 1