96th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania

The 96th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 6 officers and 126 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 86 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
September 9 – October 30 Organized at Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania under the command of Colonel Henry L. Cake, Lieutenant Colonel Jacob G. Frick and Major Lewis J. Martin.
November 18 Left State for Washington, D.C. Attached to Slocum’s Brigade, Franklin’s Division, Army of the Potomac for duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.
1862
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 4-17 McDowell’s advance on Falmouth, return to Alexandria and embark for the Peninsula. Attached to 1st Division, Department of the Rappahannock
April 24-May 4 Siege of Yorktown (on transports)
May 7-8 West Point. Attached to 1st Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 25-July 1 Seven days before Richmond
June 27
Gaines’ Mill

The regiment lost 13 men killed and 61 men wounded. Lieutenant Ernest T. Ellrich was killed and Captain John T. Boyle was wounded.
June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1 Malvern Hill
July-August At Harrison’s Landing
July 29 Lieutenant Colonel Frick was promoted to colonel of the 129th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Captain Peter A. Filbert of Company B was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
August 16-28 Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville.
August 28-31 In works at Centreville
September 1 Cover Pope’s retreat to Fairfax C. H.
September 6-24 Maryland Campaign
September 14
Crampton’s Gap, South Mountain

Major Lewis J. Martin and Lieutenant John Dougherty were killed.
September 15 Captain William H. Lessig of Company C was promoted to major.
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

From the War Department tablet for Slocum’s Division on the Antietam battlefield:

Slocum’s Division followed Smith’s in its march from near Crampton’s Pass on the morning of the 17th, and upon reaching the field, occupied the ground from which Smith was advancing; Torbert’s Brigade in the center on either side of this road; Newton’s Brigade on the right connecting with Hancock, and Bartlett’s Brigade on the left, extending beyond the cemetery and into the low ground between Mumma’s and Roulette’s. Beyond supporting the Artillery the Division was not actively engaged.
September-October Duty in Maryland. Colonel Cake took command of the brigade.
October 30-November 19 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg
December Colonel Cake returned to Pottsville, Pennsylvania due to “ill health.” He complained of having “thrust upon me… officers that I cannot recommend and in whom, knowing all about them, I have no confidence.” Colonel Cake had feuded with his line officers since the regiment was founded.
December 23 Lieutenant Colonel Filbert was discharged. Major Lessig was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
1863
January 20-24 Burnside’s second Campaign, “Mud March”
February-April At Falmouth
March 12 Colonel Cake resigned for “reasons to be assigned by His Excellency the Governor of this Commonwealth.” Lieutenant Colonel Lessig was promoted to colonel, but was not mustered.
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army Potomac
April 29-May 2 Operations at Franklin’s Crossing
May 3
Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg

The 96th Pennsylvania lost 5 men killed and 18 wounded in the morning’s fight.
May 3-4
Salem Heights

The regiment lost 16 men killed, 54 wounded and 29 missing in the afternoon fighting. Lieutenant Alexander Allison was mortally wounded.
May 4 Banks’ Ford
June 13-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lessig. It brought 356 men to the field and lost 1 man wounded.

From the monument on Wheatfield Road at Gettysburg:

Position of the 96th Regt. Penna. Volunteers, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Corps, from 5 p.m. of the 2nd until the morning of the 5th of July 1863.

From the War Department monument for Bartlett’s Brigade on the Gettysburg battlefield:

July 2. The Brigade arrived late in the day and was formed in two lines to support Fifth Corps of which the troops in front were giving ground. The Third Brigade Third Division was formed on the left and then advanced to the front. Remained in same position during the night. The 121st New York was detached from the Brigade on its arrival and supported Battery L 1st Ohio until the close of the battle.

July 3. The Third Brigade Third Division was assigned to Brig. Gen. Bartlett’s command which was in an advanced position. Late in the day theThird Brigade Third Division in a second line at an interval of 200 yards supported First Brigade Third Division Fifth Corps in an advance through the Wheatfield and the woods on the south but soon after being engaged the Third Brigade Third Division advanced to the front and the combined forces captured about 200 prisoners of Brig. Gen. Benning’s Brigade and the colors of the 15th Georgia. At dark the Brigade was recalled to a line a few hundred yards in advance of the original position.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
July 10-13 At and near Funkstown, Md.
July 14 Hagerstown
July-October Duty on line of the Rappahannock
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7 Rappahannock Station
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
December-May Duty at Hazel River
1864
January 18 Captain Levi Huber of Company B was promoted to major.
May 4-June 12 Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Captain Edward Thomas was mortally wounded and Captain Edwin L. Severn was wounded
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
Battle of Cold Harbor

Adjutant John T. Hannum was mortally wounded
June 17-18 Before Petersburg
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road, Siege of Petersburg begins
July 9-11 Moved to Washington, D.C.
July 11-12 Repulse of Early’s attack on Washington
July 14-18 Pursuit of Early to Snicker’s Gap
August – October Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
August 21-22 Near Charlestown
August 24 Charlestown
September 19
Third Battle Winchester (Opequan)
September 22
Fisher’s Hill
September 24 New Market
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
October 21 Mustered out, expiration of term