1861 |
August 18 |
Organized at Philadelphia from the 2nd Regtiment Pennsylvania State Militia under Colonel Joshua T. Owen, Lt. Colonel Dennis O'Kane, and Major John Devereux |
September 17 |
Left State for Washington, D.C. Attached to Baker's Brigade, Stone's (Sedgwick's) Division, Army Potomac for duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C. |
September 29 |
Affair at Vaderburg's House, Munson's Hill |
October |
Moved to Poolesville, Md. and duty on the Upper Potomac |
1862 |
February |
At Harper's Ferry, W. Va. |
March 24-April 1 |
Moved to the Virginia Peninsula attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army Potomac |
April 5-May 4 |
Siege of Yorktown |
May 7 |
Moved to West Point |
May |
Duty at Tyler's Farm |
May 31-June 1 |
Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines |
June |
Duty at Fair Oaks |
June 18 |
Skirmish at Fair Oaks |
June 25-July 1 |
Seven days before Richmond |
June 25 |
Lieutenant Thomas Carroll dies at Philadelphia |
June 29 |
Battles of Peach Orchard and Savage Station
Lieutenant Samuel McKeown wounded |
June 30 |
Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
Lieutenants Charles Fitzpatrick, Michael Dougherty and Alexander Lovett were wounded |
July 1 |
Malvern Hill |
July - August |
At Harrison's Landing |
July 18 |
Major Devereux wounded |
August 16-28 |
Movement to Newport News, then to Alexandria |
August 29-30 |
To Centreville and Chantilly |
August 31-
September 1 |
Cover Pope's retreat |
September 1 |
Chantilly |
September 6-24 |
Maryland Campaign |
September 16-17 |
Battle of Antietam
Commanded by Colonel Joshua T. Owen, the regiment lost heavily in Sumner's charge. Captain Francis V. Bierwirth and Lieutenants Joseph McHugh and James Dunn were killed and Major Devereux, Captains Thomas Kelley, James O'Reilly and Thomas Wood and Lieutenants Joseph M. Kelley and John Taggert were wounded.
Colonel Owen took command of the brigade when General Howard took over the division from the wounded General Sedgwick. He did not return to regimental command |
September 22 |
Moved to Harper's Ferry |
October 30-November 20 |
Movement to Falmouth, Va. |
Noveber 29 |
Colonel Owen promoted to brigadier general of volunteers |
December 1 |
Lt. Colonel O'Kane promoted to colonel |
December 12-15 |
Battle of Fredericksburg
Lieutenants George P. Deichler, Hugh Flood, John Ryan and Edward Thompson were wounded |
1863 |
January 1 |
Adjutant Martin Tschudy promoted to major |
January 20-24 |
Burnside's 2nd Campaign, "Mud March" |
February-April |
At Falmouth |
February 25 |
Hartwood Church |
March 31 |
Major Tschudy promoted to lieutenant colonel |
April 27-May 6 |
Chancellorsville Campaign |
May 1 and 4 |
Banks' Ford |
May 1 |
Captain James Duffy of Company A promoted to major |
May 27 |
Captain Andrew McManus killed near Falmouth |
June 13-July 24 |
Gettysburg Campaign |
July 2-4 |
Battle of Gettysburg
The regiment was in the front line during Pickett's Charhe and held its ground at great cost. It was commanded by Colonel Dennis O'Kane, who was mortally wounded on July 3rd, dying the next day. Lieutenant Colonel Tschuby had been wounded on July 2nd and mortally wounded on the 3rd, and Major James Duffy was also wounded on July 3, so Captain William Davis took over the regiment. Major Duffy would be promoted to lieutenant colonel and Davis to major, effective July 4.
Other casualties included Captains Thomas Carroll, Michael Duffy and George Thompson and Lieutenant Charles F. Kelly, who were killed, and Adjutant William Whildey, Captain Thomas Wood, and Lieutenants Edward Harman, Thomas Norman and William Whildey, who were wounded.
From the monument:
"This position was held by the 69th PA. Vols., July 2nd and 3rd 1863. Late on the afternoon of the 2nd, this regiment assisted in repulsing a desperate attack made by Wright's Ga. Brigade. About 1 O'Clock, p.m. of the 3rd, these lines were subjected to an artillery fire from nearly 150 guns, lasting over one hour after which, Pickett's division charged this position, was repulsed, and nearly annihilated. The contest on the left and centre of this regiment, for a time being hand-to-hand. Of the regimental commanders attacking, but one remained unhurt. Genl. Garnett was killed, Genl. Kemper desperately wounded, and Genl. Armistead, after crossing the stonewall above the right of this command - 2 companies of which changed front to oppose him - fell mortally wounded. A number of Confederate flags were picked up on this front after the battle.
"In memoriam of our deceased comrades, who gave up their lives in defence of a perpetual Union.
"On this spot fell our commander, Col. Dennis O'Kane, his true glory was victory or death, at the moment of achieving the former, he fell victim to the latter. While rallying the right to repulse Armistead, the Lieut. Col. Martin Tschudy was killed. He was also wounded on the previous day, but nobly refused to leave the field. The Major and Adjutant were also wounded. Out of an aggregate strength of 258 the regiment suffered a loss of 137." |
July 5-24 |
Pursuit of Lee |
August-October |
At Banks' Ford and Culpeperw |
September 13-17 |
Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan |
October 9-22 |
Bristoe Campaign |
November 7-8 |
Advance to line of the Rappahannock |
November 26-December 2 |
Mine Run Campaign |
November 27 |
Robertson's Tavern or Locust Grove |
December-May |
Duty on the Rapidan |
1864 |
February 6-7 |
Demonstration on the Rapidan |
March and April |
Veterans on furlough |
May 4-June 12 |
Rapidan Campaign |
May 5-7 |
Battles of the Wilderness |
May 8 |
Laurel Hill |
May 8-12 |
Spottsylvania |
May 10 |
Po River |
May 12-21 |
Spottsylvania C. H. |
May 12 |
Assault on the Salient
Lieutenant Josiah Jack killed, Captain Thomas Kelley mortally wounded and Captain John McHugh and Lieutenants Murdock Campbell, Thomas Norman and Charles McAnally wounded |
May 23-26 |
North Anna River |
May 26-28 |
Line of the Pamunkey |
May 28-31 |
Totopotomoy |
June 1-12 |
Cold Harbor
Adjutant William Whitley killed and Lieutenant Charles McAnally wounded |
June 16-18 |
Assalt on Petersburg
Lieutenant John Eagan wounded |
June 18 |
Siege of Petersburg begins. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps |
June 22-23 |
Jerusalem Plank Road |
July 14 |
Major Davis promoted to lieutenant colonel |
July 27-29 |
Demonstration north of the James at Deep Bottom |
July 30 |
Mine Explosion, Petersburg (Reserve) |
August 13-20 |
Demonstration north of the James at Deep Bottom |
August 14-18 |
Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom |
August 25 |
Ream's Station
Lieutenant Colonel Davis and Captains Dennis Loughery and James O'Reilly wounded |
October 1 |
Major Patrick S. Tinen pf Company D promoted to major |
October 27-28 |
Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run |
1865 |
January 24 |
Major Tinen resigns |
February 5-7 |
Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run
Lieutenant James McGinley killed |
March 1 |
Captain James O'Reilly of Company K promoted to major |
March 25 |
Watkins' House |
March 28-April 9 |
Appomattox Campaign |
March 29 |
Vaughan Road near Hatcher's Run |
March 31 |
Crow's House |
April 2 |
Fall of Petersburg |
April 6 |
Sailor's Creek |
April 7 |
High Bridge and Farmville |
April 9 |
Appomattox C. H. Surrender of Lee and his army. |
April |
At Burkesville |
May 2-12 |
March to Washington, D.C. |
May 23 |
Grand Review |
May-June |
At Ball's Cross Roads |
July 1 |
Mustered out under Lieutenant Colonel Davis and Major O'Reilly |
