Overview
The 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry (also known as the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves and 1st Pennsylvania Rifles), commonly referred to as the “Bucktails,” was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in June 1861, the regiment was composed primarily of woodsmen and hunters from various parts of the state, with its nucleus formed by the “Bucktail” company from the Wildcat district. The regiment was mustered in for a three years’ service term and became renowned for the distinctive bucktails worn in their hats and their reputation as skilled marksmen.
The 42nd Pennsylvania served in the Eastern Theater, participating in many of the major campaigns and battles of the Army of the Potomac. The regiment was officially designated by the War Department as the “Kane Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps,” but it was widely known as the “Bucktails” throughout its service.
Organization & Service
The 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry was mustered into United States service at Harrisburg in June 1861 for a three-year enlistment. Shortly after organization, the regiment was ordered to Cumberland, Maryland, and participated in the campaign there, including an engagement at New Creek. Returning to Harrisburg in late July, the regiment was then sent to Harper’s Ferry and brigaded with the 28th New York, 2nd and 12th Massachusetts, and 2nd U.S. Cavalry. In October 1861, the regiment joined the Pennsylvania Reserves at Tennallytown and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade. It took part in the action at Dranesville with Ord’s Brigade.
In early 1862, the regiment participated in the movements of the 1st Corps. In May, a detachment of four companies under Lieutenant Colonel Kane joined Colonel Bayard’s cavalry for an expedition to Hanover Court House, then moved to support General Fremont in the Shenandoah Valley. From May 25 to June 6, 1862, the Bucktails were engaged in near-constant skirmishing and fighting, culminating in a costly action near Harrisonburg. The detachment also fought at Cross Keys and Cedar Mountain, and at the Second Battle of Bull Run before rejoining the main regiment in September 1862. Meanwhile, the remaining companies served on the Peninsula, fighting at Mechanicsville, Gaines’ Mill, and Glendale.
After reuniting, the regiment was engaged at South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg, suffering significant casualties. In February 1863, the Bucktails encamped at Fairfax Court House with the 1st Brigade and remained with this command through the Gettysburg Campaign, where they notably captured a large number of the 15th Georgia Infantry and their colors. The regiment participated in the pursuit after Gettysburg and wintered at Bristoe Station. During the spring campaign of 1864, the Bucktails continued to serve actively until veterans and recruits were transferred to the 190th Pennsylvania Infantry. The regiment was mustered out at Harrisburg on June 11, 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
- New Creek (June 1861)
- Dranesville (December 1861)
- Peninsula Campaign (Mechanicsville, Gaines’ Mill, Glendale – 1862)
- Hanover Court House Expedition (May 1862, detachment)
- Shenandoah Valley Operations (May–June 1862, detachment)
- Harrisonburg (June 6, 1862, detachment)
- Cross Keys (June 1862, detachment)
- Cedar Mountain (August 1862, detachment)
- Second Bull Run (August 1862, detachment)
- South Mountain (September 1862)
- Antietam (September 1862)
- Fredericksburg (December 1862)
- Gettysburg Campaign (June–July 1863)
- Gettysburg (July 1863)
- Bristoe Station (Winter 1863–1864)
- Spring Campaigns of 1864 (including Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and related actions)
Casualties
According to Fox’s Regimental Losses and state reports, the 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry suffered significant casualties during its service. The regiment lost a substantial number of men killed or mortally wounded in action, as well as from disease. Exact figures may vary between sources:
- Killed or mortally wounded: approximately 156 officers and men
- Died of disease: approximately 96 officers and men
- Total deaths: approximately 252
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Charles J. Biddle
- Colonel Thomas L. Kane
- Colonel Hugh W. McNeil
- Colonel Charles F. Taylor
- Lieutenant Colonel Thomas L. Kane
- Lieutenant Colonel Edward A. Irvin
- Lieutenant Colonel Alanson E. Niles
- Major Roy Stone
- Major Alanson E. Niles
- Major William R. Hartshorn
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry (13th PA Reserves, 1st PA Rifles) includes the names, ranks, and service details of all officers and enlisted men who served with the regiment during its three years’ service. This roster is a valuable resource for genealogists and researchers interested in individual soldiers’ service records.
To view the complete roster of this regiment, please visit the 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (see Army of the Potomac, Pennsylvania Reserves reports)
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report, 1861–1865
- Dyer, Frederick H. “A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion”
- Fox, William F. “Regimental Losses in the American Civil War”
- The Union Army, Vol. 1 (Federal Publishing Company, 1908)
- Contemporary regimental and state histories