195th Pennsylvania Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 195th Pennsylvania Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized primarily from recruits in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the regiment was mustered into service at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, for two distinct terms: first for 100 days in July 1864, and later reorganized for one year in March 1865. The regiment was primarily engaged in guard and garrison duties in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, and did not participate in major battles.

This regiment served the Union in the Eastern Theater and is notable for its two separate periods of service and for being composed largely of men without prior military experience.

Organization & Service

The 195th Pennsylvania Infantry (100 Days’ Service) was mustered into United States service at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, between July 16 and July 24, 1864, for a term of 100 days. The majority of its recruits were from Lancaster County. Upon organization, the regiment moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and then to Monocacy Junction, where it was stationed for approximately two months, guarding the bridge and railway lines vital to Union operations.

During the final month of its initial service, the regiment was posted along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, with headquarters at North Mountain Station. Three hundred members reenlisted for a one-year term and were consolidated into three companies, while the remainder of the regiment was mustered out at Harrisburg on November 4, 1864.

In February 1865, Colonel Joseph W. Fisher recruited seven new companies, and the regiment was reorganized at Martinsburg, West Virginia, on March 16, 1865, for a one-year term. Three additional companies were temporarily attached. The regiment served at Charlestown, Kabletown, and Stevenson’s Station, Virginia, until April 22, 1865, then moved to Berryville, Virginia, where it was engaged in maintaining order in the region. On June 6, the regiment advanced up the Shenandoah Valley as far as Harrisonburg. The non-commissioned staff and Companies A, B, and C (the veteran battalion) were mustered out at Summit Point, Virginia, on June 21, 1865. The remaining companies proceeded to Washington, D.C., on August 1 and performed guard duty until their final muster out on January 31, 1866.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Guard duty at Monocacy Junction, Maryland (July–September 1864)
• Guard duty along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, including North Mountain Station (September–November 1864)
• Garrison and provost duty at Martinsburg, Charlestown, Kabletown, Stevenson’s Station, and Berryville, Virginia (March–June 1865)
• Advance up the Shenandoah Valley to Harrisonburg, Virginia (June 1865)
• Guard duty in Washington, D.C. (August 1865–January 1866)

Casualties

Specific casualty figures for the 195th Pennsylvania Infantry are not detailed in primary sources. Available records indicate the regiment did not participate in major combat and suffered minimal losses, primarily from disease and non-combat causes.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Joseph W. Fisher
• Lieutenant Colonel William L. Bear
• Major Oliver C. James
• Major Henry D. Markley (succeeded James during the one-year term)

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 195th Pennsylvania Infantry, listing all officers and enlisted men who served during its terms of service, is available on the regiment’s roster page. This resource is valuable for genealogists and researchers seeking information about individual soldiers.

To view the complete roster, visit the 195th Pennsylvania Infantry Regimental 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