6th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves in the American Civil War

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > 6th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves

(35th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment)

The 6th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves lost 3 officers and 107 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 73 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

The Pennsylvania Reserves were 15 regiments that were recruited in early 1861. Refused by the War Department as they were in excess of Pennsylvania’s quota, Governor Curtin decided they would be armed and trained at state expense. The War Department soon realized they were needed and assigned them standard designations when they were accepted into Federal service. But the men preferred to be known by their original name: the Pennsylvania Reserves. See more about the Pennsylvania Reserves.

1861
June	The regiment organized at Harrisburg. Company A – “The Iron Guards” – Columbia County – Captain Willington H. Ent Company B – “The Union Guards” – Snyder County – Captain Chas. D. Roush Company C – “The Honesdale Guards” – Wayne County – Captain Johnathan. S. Wright Company D – “The Washington Rifles” – Franklin County – Captain William D. Dixon Company E – “The Montour Rifles” – Montour County – Captain M.H. Manly Company F – “The Northern Invincibles” – Bradford County – Captain Daniel Bradbury Company G – “The J.D. Cameron Infantry” – Dauphin County – Captain Jacob Rehrer Company H – “The Tioga Invincibles” – Tioga County – Captain Julius Sherwood Company I – “The Towanda Rifles” Bradford County – Captain W.H.H. Gore Company K – “The Susquehanna Volunteers” – Susquehanna County – Captain John Shull
June 27	The 6th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves mustered in under the command of Colonel W. Wallace Rickets, Lieutenant Colonel William Penrose and Major Henry J. Madill.
July 12-22	At Camp Biddle, Greencastle, Pa.
July 22	Moved to Washington, D.C
July 27	Mustered into United States service and attached to 3rd Brigade, McCall’s Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac
July 27	Duty at Tennallytown
September 21	Captain Wellington H. Ent of Company A was promoted to major
October 10	At Camp Pierpont, near Langley, Va.
December 6	Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm
December 20	Action at Dranesville
December 21	Lieutenant Colonel Penrose resigned
1862
February 27	Colonel Ricketts was discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate due to illness
March	Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15	Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 1	Lieutenant William Sinclair of the 3rd United States Artillery was elected colonel and Adjutant Henry McKean lieutenant colonel of the 6th Reserves
April 9-19	McDowell’s advance on Falmouth, Va. Attached to 3rd Brigade, McCall’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April – June	Duty at Fredericksburg, Va.
June	Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 11-13	Moved to White House
June 25-July 1	Seven days before Richmond
June 26-July 2	Guarded supplies at Tunstall’s Station and White House
July	At Harrison’s Landing attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps
August 16-26	Movement to Join Pope. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia
August 28	Battle of Gainesville
August 29	Battle of Groveton (Brawners Farm)
August 30	Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas) Major Henry Madill was promoted to colonel of the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry
September 6-24	Maryland Campaign. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14	Battle of South Mountain
September 16-17	Battle of Antietam The regiment was commanded by Colonel William Sinclair. There are two War Department markers for Seymour’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield. From the Mansfield Avenue marker for Seymour’s Brigade: Seymour’s Briade of Meade’s Division, after its engagement with the enemy of September 16, 1862, bivouacked on either side of the road at this point , with pickets thrown forward in the east woods. The second marker is on Smoketown Road. From the marker: Seymour’s Brigade became engaged at daybreak, and advanced on either side of this road into the East Woods, where it became heavily engaged with the enemy. At the western edge of the East Woods its advance was checked by the enemy, and its ammunition having been exhausted, it was relieved about 7 A. M. by Ricketts’ Division, and withdrawn to the ridge in the rear of Joseph Poffenberger’s.
September 18	Near Sharpsburg
September 26-November 19	Movement to Falmouth, Va.
November 25	Lieutenant Colonel McKeen was discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate
December 12-15	Battle of Fredericksburg Colonel Sinclair wounded commanding the brigade
1863
January 20-24	“Mud March”
February 6	Ordered to Washington, D.C. and duty there and at Alexandria attached to 1st Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserve Division, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington
May 1	Major Ent was promoted to lieutenant colonel
May 22	Colonel William Sinclair resigned as colonel of the regiment but continued in the Regular Army as Assistant Inspector General
June 25	Rejoined Army of the Potomac in the field attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps
July 1-3	Battle of Gettysburg The 6th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Wellington H. Ent, who was promoted to colonel effective July 1. From the monument just north of the Wheatfield Road at Gettysburg: Present at Gettysburg 25 officers and 355 men. Killed and died of wounds 3 men. Wounded 1 officer and 20 men. 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. Sergeant George W. Mears and Corporal Chester S. Furman of Company A, Sergeant John W. Hart and Corporal J. Levi Roush of Company D, Corporal Thaddeus S. Smith of Company E and Sergeant Wallace W. Johnson of Company G were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions on July 2nd as “six volunteers who charged upon a log house near the Devil’s Den, where a squad of the enemy’s sharpshooters were sheltered, and compelled their surrender.”
July 5-24	Pursuit of Lee
April 22	Captain William H. H. Gore of Company I was promoted to major
September 12	Captain William D. Dixon of Company D was promoted to lieutenant colonel
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
1864
February 1	Bristoe Station
May	Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7	Battle of the Wilderness
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	Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31	Totopotomoy Colonel Ent was wounded at Bethesda Church on May 30
June 11	The 6th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves mustered out under the command of Colonel Wellington H. Ent, Lieutenant Colonel William D. Dixon and Major William Gore

(35th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment)

The regiment organized at Harrisburg.

Seven days before Richmond

Battle of Gainesville

Maryland Campaign.

From the Mansfield Avenue marker for Seymour’s Brigade:

The second marker is on Smoketown Road. From the marker:

From the monument just north of the Wheatfield Road at Gettysburg:

Bristoe Campaign

Rappahannock Station

Mine Run Campaign

Rapidan Campaign

North Anna River

Totopotomoy