11th Pennsylvania Reserves

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > Infantry

(40th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment)

The 11th Pennsylvania Reserves lost 11 officers and 185 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 113 enlisted men to disease in the Civil War. It lost 19 officers and 260 enlisted men wounded and 31 officers and 727 enlisted men captured or missing. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
May – June	Recruited in Cambria, Indiana, Butler, Fayette, Armstrong, Westmoreland and Jefferson Counties. Organized at Camp Wright, near Pittsburg, under Colonel Thomas Gallagher, Lieutenant Colonel James Porter and Major Samuel Jackson
June 24	Moved to Harrisburg, Pa.
June 25	To Baltimore, Maryland. Bivouacked on Federal Hill.
June 26	To Washington, D.C.
June 29	Mustered into United States service. Attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall’s Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac
August 2	Duty at Tennallytown, Maryland
September	Picket at Great Falls, Maryland
October 10	At Camp Pierpont, near Langley, Va.
October 24	Lt. Colonel Porter resigns due to physical disability. Major Jackson promoted to lieutenant colonel
November 1	Captain Robert Litzinger of Company A promoted to major
December 6	Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm. Two spies and 57 wagons loaded with grain were captured.
1862
March	Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15	Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 1	Major Litzinger resigns due to illness
April 9-19	McDowell’s advance on Falmouth. Attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April-May	Duty at Manassas Junction, Catlett’s Station, and Falmouth
May 17	Adjutant Peter Johns promoted to major
June 9-12	Moved to White House and attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps
June 25-July 1	Seven days before Richmond
June 26	Battle of Mechanicsville Deployed as skirmishers but not actively engaged
June 27	Battle of Gaines’ Mill The regiment fought fiercely in dense woods much of the day and was unaware the rest of the Union line had retreated. Along with the 4th New Jersey Infantry, it found itself surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered and was forced to surrender. Captain Porter’s Company B had been detached for fatigue duty earlier in the battle and escaped capture.Captain Andrew Lewis, Lieutenant Newton Redic, Sergeants James Christie and Cyrus Rankin and Corporals John Dunbar, Silas Amberson, David Stuart and 39 other enlisted men were killed. Sergeant Richard Fair mortally wounded and Captain James Speer and 107 other men were wounded.
June 30	Battle of Charles City Cross Roads, Glendale The regiment consisted of Captain Porter’s Company B, reinforced to just over one hundred men by the return of detachments. It lost 9 killed and 15 wounded.Corporal Charles Shambaugh was awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing the flag of the 11th Alabama Infantry, and Corporal Howard Henderson was awarded the Medal of Honor for being three times wounded in action and, while pursuing a Confederate sharpshooter and encoutering two others, bayoneting them all.
July 1	Battle of Malvern Hill
July	At Harrison’s Landing
August 5	The enlisted men captured at Gaines’ Mill were exchanged at Aiken’s Landing.
August 12	The officers captured at Gaines’ Mill were exchanged
August 16-26	Movement to join Pope. The regiment was under the command of Lt. Colonel Jackson as Colonel Gallagher was sick in the hospital at Fortress Monroe. It marched seventy miles via Kelly’s Ford and Warrenton to Gainsville, and was attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia.
August 29	Battle of Groveton
August 30	Second Battle of Bull Run The regiment fought the Fifth Texas Infantry until outflanked and forced to withdraw. Sergeants Patrick Hanlin and Samuel Chrisley and 12 other men were killed and Captain William Stewart, Adjutant McCoy and Lieutenants Coder, Jones, Johnson and Kennedy were wounded
September 6-24	Maryland Campaign. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac. Colonel Gallagher took over command of the brigade, leaving Lt. Colonel Jackson in command of the regiment.
September 14	Battle of South Mountain Captain Evans Brady, Lieuteant Walter Jackson, Sergeant James Johnson and 12 other men were killed, Captain Nathaniel Nesbitt mortally wounded and Colonel Gallagher, Captain Bierer, and Lieutenant J. S. Kennedy were wounded
September 16-17	Battle of Antietam Sergeant George Gourley and six other men were killed, Captain Daniel Kistler and Lieutenant John Kuhn died of wounds and Sergeant William Kuhns and 14 other men were wounded out of less than two hundred engaged.
September-October	Duty in Maryland. A detached detail of over 150 enlisted men that had been left at Fort Monroe finally rejoined the regiment, bringing its effective strength to near 400.
October 30-November 19	Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12	Colonel Gallagher discharged for disability due to his wound from South Mountain
December 12-15	Battle of Fredericksburg The regiment lost 112 casualties out of the 394 men engaged. Sergeant Major John Hill and Sergeant William Kuhns were killed, Captain William Stewart and Sergeant William Evans were mortally wounded and Captain James Speer was wounded.
1863
January 20-24	“Mud March”
February 6	Moved to Washington, D. C. for duty there and at Alexandria. Attached to 3rd Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserves Division, 22nd Corps; Dept. of Washington
March 30	Major Johns resigns
April 10	Lt. Colonel Jackson promoted to colonel
May 14	Captain Daniel Porter of Company B promoted to lieutenant colonel
May 28	Captain James Speer of Company G promoted to major
June 25	Ordered to rejoin Army of the Potomac in the field attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps
July 1-3	Battle of Gettysburg The regiment was commanded by Colonel Samuel M. Jackson. From the monument: July 2nd in the evening charged from the hill in rear to this position and held it until the afternoon of July 3rd when the Brigade advanced through the woods to the front and left driving the enemy and capturing many prisoners. Present at Gettysburg 25 officers and 367 men. Killed 1 officer and 4 men. Wounded 2 officers and 33 men.* *Lieutenant J. O’Harra Woods was killed and Lt. Colonel Porter and Lieutenants Fulton and Jones wounded.
July 5-24	Pursuit of Lee
August	Duty on the Rapidan
August 27	Major Speer discharged for disability for wounds
October 9-22	Bristoe Campaign
October 28	Adjutant Robert McCoy promoted to major
November 7-8	Advance to line of the Rappahannock, attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps
November 7	Rappahannock Station
November 26-December 2	Mine Run Campaign
December	Duty at Alexandria
1864
March 10	Lt. Colonel Porter resigned
March 21	Major McCoy promoted to lieutenant colonel
March 25	Captain James Burke of Company A promoted to major
April 29	Left Bristoe Station and marched to Culpeper Court House
May 4-30	Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7	Battle of the Wilderness Captain Daniel Jones was killed and Lieutenant Archibald Stewart mortally wounded
May 8-21	Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 8	Laurel Hill
May 12	Assault on the Salient
May 19	Battle of Harris Farm
May 23-26	North Anna River
May 25	Jericho Ford
May 26-28	On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-30	Totopotomoy
May 30	The regiment left the front. Veterans were transferred to the 119th Pennsylvania Infantry
June 13	Mustered out under Colonel Jackson, Lt. Colonel McCoy and Major Burke

The Civil War in the East

11th Pennsylvania Reserves

(40th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment)

Battle of Mechanicsville

Battle of Gaines’ Mill

Battle of Charles City Cross Roads, Glendale

Second Battle of Bull Run

Battle of South Mountain

Battle of Antietam

Battle of Fredericksburg

Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of the Wilderness

Battle of Harris Farm

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