2nd Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves

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(31st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment)

The 2nd Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves lost 4 officers and 73 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 71 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
Recruited and organized at Philadelphia under the command of Colonel William B. Mann, Lieutenant Colonel Albert L. Magilton and Major William McCandless.

  • Company A –  “The Penn Rifles” – Captain George A. Woodward
  • Company B – “The Governor’s Rangers” – Captain Patrick McDonough
  • Company C – “The Hiberian Target Company” – Captain James N. Byrnes
  • Company D – “The Governor’s Rangers” – Captain Richard Ellis
  • Company E – “The Scotch Rifles” – Captain John Orr Finnie
  • Company F – “The Governor’s Rangers” – Captain Thomas Bringhurst
  • Company G – “The Taggart Guards” – Captain Evan M. Woodward
  • Company H – “The Independent Rangers” – Captain Timothy Mealey
  • Company I – “The Constitution Rangers” – Captain William Knox
  • Company K – “The Consolidation Guards” – Captain Patrick J. Smith
May 29 Moved to Easton, Pa.
July 24 To Harrisburg, Pa.
August 28 Moved to Baltimore, then to Sandy Hook, near Harper’s Ferry, Va.
September 25 Ordered to Darnestown, Md. thence to Tennallytown, Md. to join McCall. Attached to 1st Brigade, McCall’s Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac.
October 4 Lieutenant Colonel Magilton was promoted to colonel of the 4th Pennsylvania Reserves
October 18-21 Moved to Langley, Va. and duty at Camp Pierpont
October 22 Major William McCandless was promoted to lieutenant colonel
November 1 Colonel William Mann resigned.
December 6 Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm
1862
March Reconnaissance toward Dranesville. Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 2 Captain George Woodward of Company A was promoted to major and
April 9-19 McDowell’s advance on Falmouth
April Duty at Fredericksburg attached to 1st Brigade, McCall’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
June Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 9-11 Moved to White House
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 26

Battle of Mechanicsville
June 27

Battle of Gaines Mill
June 29

Battle of Savage Station
June 30

Battle of Charles City Cross Roads (Glendale)

Major Woodward was wounded and captured and Captain Horace Neide of Company A was badly wounded
July 1.

Battle of Malvern Hill
July At Harrison’s Landing
August 1 Lieutenant Colonel William McCandless was promoted to colonel and Captain Horace Neide of Company A to major
August 16-26 Movement to join Pope; attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia
August 29

Battle of Groveton (Brawner’s Farm)
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

Colonel William McCandless was wounded.
September 6-24

Maryland Campaign

Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14

Battle of South Mountain

The regiment fought at Turner’s Gap
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The regiment was commanded by Captain James N. Byrnes. Adjutant Augustus Cross was killed.

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.

From the Smoketown Road marker for Seymour’s Brigade:

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 Duty in Maryland
October 30-November 19 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 13

Battle of Fredericksburg

Colonel William McCandless took over brigade command when Colonel W. Sinclair was wounded. Captain Timothy Mealey of Company H then took command of the regiment.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February Ordered to Washington, D.C., and duty in the Defenses there attached to 1st Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserves Division, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington
February 20 Major Woodward was promoted to lieutenant colonel
June 25 Rejoined the Army of the Potomac attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Corps
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George A. Woodward.

From the monument to the 2nd Pennsylvania Reserves at Gettysburg: 

July 2nd in the evening charged from the hill in rear to this position and held it until the afternoon of July 3d when the Brigade advanced through the woods to the front and left driving the enemy and capturing many prisoners.

Present at Gettysburg, 24 officers and 243 men. Killed and died of wounds, 9 men. Wounded, 8 offices and 25 men. Captured or missing, 1 man.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
Aust 24 Lieutenant Colonel Woodward transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps.
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign
October 28 Major Patrick McDonough was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Richard Ellis of Company D was promoted to major
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7

Rappahannock Station
November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign
1864
May,

Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

May 8-21

Battle of Spottsylvania Court House
May 8

Laurel Hill

Colonel McCandless was wounded.
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 28-31

Totopotomoy
June 1 Left the front to muster out. Colonel William McCandless was offered a promotion or brigadier general so that he would not have to muster out, but he declined.
June 16 The 2nd Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves mustered out under the command of Colonel William McCandless, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick McDonough and Major Richard Ellis