57th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > Infantry

The 57th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 12 officers and 149 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 217 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
October-November Organized at Harrisburg under Colonel William Maxwell.
December 14 Left State for Washington, D. C.and Duty in the Defenses of Washington. Attached to Jameson’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army Potomac
1862
February 27 Colonel Maxwell resigned, “owing to difficulties which have arisen in the regiment, owing in part to the inefficiency of officers, and that from my efforts at discipline acquired a faction against me in the regiment.”
March 4 Charles T. Campbell was promoted to colonel.
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army Potomac
March 16-18 Moved to the Virginia Peninsula
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown
April 11 Skirmish at Yorktown
May 5 Battle of Williamsburg
May 31-June 1 Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines
June 25-July 1 Seven Days before Richmond
June 25 Oak Grove
June 29 Peach Orchard and Savage Station
June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1 Malvern Hill
July-August Duty at Harrison’s Landing
August 16-26 Movement to Centreville. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army Potomac
August 20 Skirmish at Bull Run
August 28 Battle of Gainesville
August 29 Battle of Groveton
August 30 Battle of Bull Run
September 1 Battle of Chantilly
September 15 Captain Peter Sides of Company A was promoted to lieutenant colonel
September Guard fords from Monocacy River to Conrad’s Ferry
October 11-November 19 March up the Potomac to Leesburg, then to Falmouth, Va.
November 29 Colonel Campbell was promoted to Brigadier General.
December 12-15 Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.
1863
January 20-24 Burnside’s 2nd Campaign, “Mud March”
February-April At Falmouth, Va.
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps
March 12 Lt. Colonel Sides was promoted to colonel
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5
Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Peter Sides. It lost 10 men killed or mortally wounded, 43 men wounded and 18 men missing.
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Sides, who was wounded in the left hand on the 2nd. Captain Alanson H. Nelson then took command. The 57th brought 207 men to the field, losing 11 killed, 46 wounded and 58 missing.

From the monument:

The Regiment occupied this position, exposed to a heavy artillery fire on the afternoon of July 2, for two hours, when it advanced 170 feet and engaged the enemy.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
July 23 Whapping Heights, Va.
July-October Duty on line of the Rappahannock
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 13-14 Auburn and Bristoe
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7 Kelly’s Ford
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
November 27 Payne’s Farm
1864
January Veterans on furlough
March Veterans return from furlough. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps
May 4-June 12 Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness

Colonel Sides was wounded in the arm, permanently disabling him from command.
May 8 Laurel Hill
May 8-21
Battle of Spottsylvania Court House
May 10 Po River
May 12 Assault on the Salient
May 19
Battle of Harris’ Farm
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12 Battle of Cold Harbor
June 16-18
First Assault on Petersburg. Siege of Petersburg begins.
June 22-23 Weldon Railroad
July 27-29;
August 13-20		 Demonstration north of the James at Deep Bottom
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom
August 25 Ream’s Station
September 29-October 2 Poplar Springs Church
October 27-28 Boydton Plank Road, or Hatcher’s Run
November 28 Colonel Sides was discharged for disability for his wound form the Wilderness.
December 7-12 Expedition to Weldon Railroad
1865
January 11 The regiment was consolidated to a battalion of five Companies
February 5-7 Battle of Dabney’s Mills, or Hatcher’s Run
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
March 19 George Zinn was promoted to colonel
March 30-31 Boydton Road
April 2 Fall of Petersburg
April 6 Sailor’s Creek
April 7 High Bridge, Farmville
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
April At Burkesville
May 2-12 March to Washington D. C.
May 23 Grand Review
June Duty at Alexandria
1866
June 29 Mustered out