The regiment lost 14 officers and 147 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 98 enlisted men to disease. It is honored along with the rest of the Philadelphia Brigade on a monument at Antietam, and by a monument at Gettysburg.
The regiment's nickname came when it was raised by California's U.S. Senator Edward Baker from men on the east coast and accepted for Federal service as part of California's quota. Baker's command was later expanded to a brigade. After he was killed at Ball's Bluff, the State of Pennsylvania claimed the regiments for their quota, and they became known as "The Philadelphia Brigade."
May 1861 |
Raised by Colonel Edward D. Baker, with Issac J. Wistar as Lieutenant Colonel |
June |
At Fort Schuyler, N.Y. |
July 22 |
Moved to Fortress Monroe, Va., then to Washington, D.C. for duty in the Defenses of Washington |
September 29 |
Affair at Vanderburg's House, Munson's Hill |
October 21-24 |
Operations on the Potomac attached to Baker's Brigade, Stone's (Sedgwick's) Division, Army Potomac. Lt. Colonel Wistar commanded the regiment with Colonel Baker in command of the Brigade. |
October 21 |
Ball's Bluff
The regiment lost 3 officers and 10 men killed, 3 officers and 37 men wounded, and 6 officers and 222 men missing. Colonel Baker was killed and Lt. Colonel Wistar wounded three times. |
November |
Duty on the Upper Potomac. Issac Wistar was appointed Colonel. |
February, 1862 |
At Harper's Ferry, W. Va. |
March 24-April 1 |
Moved to the Virginia Peninsula |
April 5-May 4 |
Siege of Yorktown |
May 5-30 |
At Tyler's Farm |
May 31-June 1 |
Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines |
June |
At Fair Oaks |
June 18 |
Skirmish at Fair Oaks |
June 25-July 1 |
Seven days before Richmond |
June 29 |
Peach Orchard and Savage Station |
June 30 |
Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale |
July 1 |
Malvern Hill |
July-August |
At Harrison's Landing |
August 16-28 |
Movement to Newport News, then to Alexandria |
August 28-30 |
To Centreville and Chantilly |
August 31-September 1 |
Cover Pope's retreat |
September 6-24 |
Maryland Campaign |
September 16-17 |
Battle of Antietam
The regiment was commanded by Colonel Isaac Wistar until he was wounded in his left arm; Captain Richard P. Smith assumed command until he, too was wounded, and finally Captain Enoch E. Lewis took over. |
September 22 |
Moved to Harper's Ferry and duty there |
October 30-
November 19 |
Movement to Falmouth |
December 12-15 |
Battle of Fredericksburg |
January 20-24, 1863 |
Burnside's 2nd Campaign, "Mud March" |
February 25 |
Hartwood Church |
March-April |
At Falmouth. Colonel Wistar is promoted to Brigadier General. |
April 27-May 6 |
Chancellorsville Campaign |
May 1 and 4 |
Banks' Ford |
June 13-July 24 |
Gettysburg Campaign |
July 2-4 |
Battle of Gettysburg
The regiment was commanded by Colonel Richard Penn Smith. It brought 331 men to the field, losing 21 killed, 58 wounded and 19 missing.
From the monument: "To the left of this point on July 2, the 71st Penna. assisted in repulsing the furious attack of Wright's Ga. brig. During the terrific cannonading of July 3, the regiment occupied a position 60 yards in the rear of this spot, a number of the men voluntarily helping to work Cushing's disabled Battery. As the enemy emerged from Seminary Ridge the regiment was ordered forward, the left wing to this point, the right to the right in the rear. When Pickett's Division rushed upon the wing in overwhelming numbers it fell back into line with the right, thus bringing the whole regiment into action, with the additional use of a large number of loaded muskets gathered from the battle field of the previous day." |
July 5-24 |
Pursuit of Lee |
August-September |
At Banks' Ford and Culpeper |
September 13-17 |
Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan |
October 9-22 |
Bristoe Campaign |
November 7-8 |
Advance to the 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 |
February 6-7 |
Demonstration on the Rapidan |
March |
Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army Potomac |
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 |
May 23-26 |
North Anna River |
May 26-28. |
On line of the Pamunkey |
May 28-31 |
Totopotomoy |
June 1-12 |
Cold Harbor |
June 12 |
Transferred to 69th Pennsylvania Infantry |
July 2, 1864 |
Mustered out |
