Overview
The 46th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized in Pennsylvania for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered in at Harrisburg on October 31, 1861, and served until July 16, 1865. It was composed of companies from several Pennsylvania counties, including Mifflin, Allegheny, Berks, Potter, Luzerne, and Northumberland. The 46th Pennsylvania served primarily in the Eastern and Western Theaters, participating in major campaigns with both the Army of the Potomac and later with Sherman’s forces in the West.
Organization & Service
The 46th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and mustered into Federal service on October 31, 1861. The regiment initially consisted of the Logan Guards of Mifflin County, Company A of the 1st militia, Company E of the 15th, two companies from Allegheny County, and companies from Berks, Potter, Luzerne, and Northumberland counties.
After organization, the regiment was ordered to Harper’s Ferry and assigned to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division of General Nathaniel Banks’ command. In February 1862, three companies participated in the engagement at Kernstown, and the entire regiment fought at the First Battle of Winchester in March 1862. The 46th Pennsylvania continued to serve with Banks’ army, later joining the Army of Virginia and participating in the battles of Cedar Mountain and Antietam, where it suffered significant losses.
During the Battle of Fredericksburg, the regiment was stationed at Fairfax and spent the winter at Falmouth. In 1863, the 46th was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XII Corps, and fought at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. The regiment remained with the Army of the Potomac until the fall of 1863, when the XI and XII Corps were transferred to the Western Theater to reinforce General Rosecrans in Tennessee. The 46th Pennsylvania was assigned to guard duty along the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad between Bridgeport and Chattanooga.
In January 1864, a large number of men reenlisted, and the regiment continued in the field as a veteran organization. The 46th participated in the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign under General Sherman. The regiment marched to Washington, D.C., after the war and was mustered out at Alexandria, Virginia, on July 16, 1865.
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
- Kernstown (February 1862, three companies)
- First Battle of Winchester (March 1862)
- Cedar Mountain
- Antietam
- Fredericksburg (stationed at Fairfax)
- Chancellorsville
- Gettysburg
- Guard duty along Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad
- Atlanta Campaign
- March to the Sea
- Carolinas Campaign
Casualties
According to available primary sources, the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) suffered significant losses in several major engagements, particularly at Antietam. Exact figures for killed, wounded, and died of disease are not fully detailed in all sources. Fox’s Regimental Losses notes that the regiment lost a considerable number of men in action and by disease during its service.
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Joseph F. Knipe
- Colonel James L. Selfridge
- Lieutenant Colonel James L. Selfridge
- Lieutenant Colonel William L. Foulke
- Major Arnold C. Lewis
- Major J. A. Matthews
- Major Cyrus Strouse
- Major Patrick Griffith
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and additional service details for members of the regiment.
To view the complete roster, visit the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
- Pennsylvania State Adjutant General’s Reports
- 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