To The
7th Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry
Or the
36th Regiment
This site is used to give a brief
history of the Units battles and encampments.
I may at a later date include
the list of names of soldiers in B co.
1. July 1861 to March 1862: 2nd Brigade, McCall's Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac.
2. April 1862 to June 1862: 2nd Brigade McCall's Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Rappahannock.
3. July 1862 to August 1862: 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac.
4. September 1862 to February 1863: 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac.
5. March 1863 to April 1864: 2nd Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserves Division, 22nd Army Corps, Dept. of Washington.
6. May 1864 to June 1864: 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac.
The seventh Pennsylvania consisted of men from all around the Central Pennsylvania area including; Perry, Dauphin, Mifflin, Juniata, Cumberland, and York counties. These counties are not all inclusive. The 36th regiment was organized in the spring of 1861 under the command of Colonel Elisha West of Wilkes-Barre. The men went to Camp Wayne near West Chester and were outfitted by the State. The regiment remained in this camp until the 21st of July and then moved to Washington DC first going to Camp Curtin in Harrisburg where they were presented their Flags.
On the 27th of July 1861 on meridian Hill they were mustered in for Service of 3 Years. Marching to Tenallytown Maryland arriving on the 2nd of August 1861 they encamped with the other regiments of the Reserve Division of General McCall. They were assigned to duty with the 2nd Brigade commanded by General George G Meade.
Skirmish at Great Falls Maryland on the 4th of September 1861. On the 9th of October 1861 the Regiment marched out of this camp and moved to Camp Pierpont at Langley Virginia and remained for the winter of 1861/1862. After marching on the 10th of March of 1862 to Manassas after finding the enemy had withdrawn they marched back to the Area of Alexandria and were assigned to the First Army Corps under General Irwin McDowell. They Regiment remained at Fairfax Station until the 9th of April 1862 when it advanced to Manassas Junction and then to Catlett's Station on the 17th of April 1862. They then marched to Falmouth on the 11th of May and remained almost a month. On the 9th of June of 1862 they were transported to White House Virginia and then to the banks of the Chickahominy and camped to the right of the Army of the Potomac, attached to General Fitz John Porter's 5th Army Corps.
on the 26th of June the seventh was then in battle fighting their first battle at Mechanicsville or Beaver Dam. They held a position for 6 hours and then acted as rear guard to watch for enemy movement within fifty yards of the enemy line. The enemy was withdrawn at dawn. That afternoon they fought at the battle of Gaines Mill and after 3 charges suffered a loss of almost half of their members as wounded or slain.
The 28th of June the Brigade took the road to Savage Station by way of the White Oak Swamp to Charles City Cross Roads. This journey driving 500 cattle took till night fall of the 29 of June. the Next Day they were attacked and fought till nightfall. The regiment was down to about 200 men. Following this they were sent to Harrison's Landing and occupied a camp for about 6 weeks, during which they crossed the James and cut down the forest and burned the buildings of Edmund Ruffin who sheltered the enemy with the hopes of destroying Union transports and stores collected on the shore of the river at Berkeley Landing. The 15th of August 1862 the regiment was transported to Acquia Creek landing, they to Kelly's Ford on the Rappahannock and became part of General John Pope's Army of Virginia and took part in the battle of Second Bull Run on the 29th and 30th of 1862 and was beat badly.
The Regiment did not take part in the battle of Chantilly but was moved to a camp at Munson's Hill Virginia and on the 7th of September camped at Meridian Hill Washington. they then Marched through Maryland and met the Enemy at South Mountain on the 14th of September. Two days later, they joined the battle of Antietam.
On the 26th of October they marched to Warrenton Virginia and arrived on the 6th of November and camped at Belle Plain. The 12th of December they positioned themselves below the town of Fredricksburg and advanced to the charge and captured prisoners at the cost of 78 killed or wounded. One of the wounded was Lt., John Q Snyder who lost a leg. On the 16th they returned to Belle Plain for the winter. On the 14th of April they were stationed at Camp Convalescent. In June of 1863 they returned to Alexandria and remained at guard duty the summer, fall and that winter of 1863. In the spring of 1864 they marched to join in the battle of The Wilderness. On the 5th of May they engaged the enemy and became separated from the main army and were captured by the enemy. They were marched to the rear to Orange Court House and then to Lynchburg Virginia. They Officers were then sent to Macon Georgia and then to Charles town South Carolina. The Privates were sent to Andersonville Georgia were 67 of the soldiers died. A larger part of the regiment died in the Florence South Carolina prison Camp. This left only 110 officers and men who were placed under the command of Capt. Samuel B King of Company H. They remained in the field as the 11th Regiment until the Battle of Bethesda Church where the remaining members returned to Harrisburg and then to Philadelphia where they were mustered out on the 16th of June of 1864.
This I believe was written by Vi P. Limric. I got it a while ago on a web page and was lucky enough to have printed it out. The web page is no longer running. If by no fault of my own I violated any copy writes or private property I apologize. For questions concerning this publication please contact me at : aprildan@geyer.com
The Background is of the 36th Pennsylvania Infantry battle flag. Personal collection.
Civil War Links:
1.
Pennsylvania in the Civil War
2.
Andersonville Prisoners of War from this Unit.
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Hits since 22 April 2000 at 11:20 PM