United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > Infantry
The 45th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 13 officers and 214 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 252 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Antietam.
1861
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October 21 | Organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg under Colonel Thomas Welsh, Lieutenant Colonel James Beaver and Major John M. Kilbourne |
October 21-23 | Moved to Washington, D.C. and attached to Jamison’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army of the Potomac |
November 3-11 | Expedition into Lower Maryland to monitor elections |
November 19-21 | Moved to Baltimore, Md., then to Fortress Monroe, Va. on the steamer Pocahontas, and attached to Sherman’s South Carolina Expeditionary Corps |
December 6-8 | Sailed for Port Royal, S.C. The steamer Louisiana, carrying part of the 45th and the entire 76th Pennsylvania, grounded on the bank at Hilton Head, but was rescued by a gunboat. The remainder of the regiment, on the steamer Cosmopolitan, arrived without incident. |
December 11 | Companies A, C, D, E and I assigned to duty at Bay Point Companies B, F, G, H and K occupy Otter Island, S.C. |
December 20 | Companies F and K occupy Fenwick Island |
1862
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March 13 | Captain Ezekiel Rambo and Corporal Fessler were killed and 19 men wounded in a friendly fire incident |
April | Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the South |
April 4 – May 20 | Company F at Fenwick Island |
May 21 | Companies B, F, G, H, I and K moved to North Edisto Island, S.C. |
May 21-June 28 | Operations against James Island, S.C., |
June 10 | Action on James Island |
June 16 | Battle of Secessionville |
June 28-July 1 | Evacuation of James Island and movement to Hilton Head |
July 1 | Captain Edward Kelsey of Company K promoted to major |
July 18-21 | Moved to Newport News, Va. on the steamer Arago. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
July 30 | Major Kilborne resigned and Captain John Curtin of Company A (Governor Curtin’s half brother) was promoted to major |
August 4-5 | To Aquia Creek |
August | Operations on the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers |
August 5-29 | At Brook’s Station |
September 4 | Destruction of bridges at Potomac Creek and Brook’s Station by 300 men under Major Curtin.
Lt. Colonel Beaver was promoted to colonel of the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Major Curtin was promoted to lieutenant colonel. |
September 6 | Destruction of stores at Aquia Creek, then moved by water to Washington |
September 9 | Marched to Brookville |
September 12 | To Frederick |
September 13 | To Middletown |
September | Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
September 14 |
Battle of South MountainThe regiment was commanded by Lt. Colonel Curtin while Colonel Welsh commanded the brigade. It lost 145 casualties. Lieutenants James Cole and George Smith were killed, Lieutenant William Grove was mortally wounded, Lt. Colonel Curtin was lightly wounded in the arm but remained in command, and Captain Theodore Gregg was wounded. |
September 16-17 |
Battle of AntietamThe regiment lost 1 killed, 36 wounded and 1 missing From the regimental monument on Branch Avenue at Antietam: The Regiment advanced 264 yards Northwest of this point, retiring to this position later in the day. From the War Department tablet for Welsh’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield: On the morning of the 17th Welsh’s Brigade was in reserve on the eastern slope of the ridge on the left bank of the Antietam, nearly opposite the Burnside Bridge. About 2 P.M., after Sturgis’ Division had carried the bridge, the Brigade crossed and, following the road to Sharpsburg about 250 yards, formed line west of the road. The Brigade then advanced over the high ground west of the road, gradually crossing to the east, until its right was near this point, its center in the ravine and at the stone mill, and its left in the apple orchard beyond, when the attack of A.P. Hill on the left flank of the Corps compelled it to withdraw to the banks of the Antietam, where it remained until the evening of the 18th. |
September-October | Duty at Pleasant Valley, Md. |
October 26-29 | March to Lovettsville, Va. |
October 29-November 19 | To Warrenton |
December 12-15 |
Battle of FredericksburgThe regiment was in reserve and suffered no casualties |
1863
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January 20-24 | Burnside’s 2nd Campaign |
February 1-10 | At Falmouth |
February 11 | Moved by rail to Aquia Creek, then by steamer to Newport News |
March 1 | Colonel Welsh was promoted to brigadier general. Lt. Colonel Curtin was promoted to colonel, Captain Francis Hill of Company I to lieutenant colonel and Captain Edward Kelsey of Company K to major |
March 19-23 | Moved by steamer Mary Washington to Baltiimore, then by rail to Lexington, Ky. |
April-May | Duty at various points in Kentucky attached to Army of the Ohio |
June 7-14 | Moved to Vicksburg, Miss. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee |
June 14-July 4 | Siege of Vicksburg |
July 5-10 | Advance on Jackson, Miss. |
July 10-17 |
Siege of JacksonCaptain William Chase wounded |
July | At Milldale |
August 5-18 | Moved to Covington, Ky., then to Crab Orchard and transferred to the Army of the Ohip |
August 16-October 17 | Burnside’s Campaign in East Tennessee |
October 10 |
Blue SpringsThe regiment lost 21 casualties, including Captain R. Chessman, who was wounded |
November 4-December 23 | Knoxville Campaign |
November 14-15 |
Lenoir StationCaptain Hart with a wagon train and 16 men were captured |
November 16 | Campbell’s Station |
November 17-December 4 |
Siege of Knoxville |
December 5-24 | Pursuit of Longstreet |
1864
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January 1 | 426 men of the regiment reenlisted. They were granted a veteran furough, but had to march via Cumberland Gap with minimal rations, many barefoot, to leave the field. |
January – March | Operations in East Tennessee |
January 21-22 | Strawberry Plains |
March 21-April 6 | Movement to Annapolis, Md. Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
May 4-June 12 | Rapidan Campaign |
May 5-7 |
Battle of the WildernessThe regiment lost 145 casualties. Lieutenant Evan R. Goodfellow was killed, Captain John Campbell mortally wounded, and Captains William Chase and Andrew Fessler and Lieutenant Cyrus Bruner wounded |
May 8-21 |
Battle of Spotsylvania Court HouseLieutenant John Irvin was wounded. Corporal John Kinsey of Company B earned the Medal of Honor for siezing the regiment’s colors from the wounded color bearer and saving them from capture “with great gallantry.” |
May 12 | Assault on the Salient |
May 21 | Stannard’s Mill |
May 23-26 | North Anna River |
May 26-28 | Line of the Pamunkey |
May 28-31 | Totopotomoy |
June 1-12 |
Battle of Cold HarborThe regiment lost 163 casualties in three days of fighting out of 300 effectives. Lieutenants De Witt Hoig and George Scudder were killed, Major Kelsey was mortally wounded and Lieutenants John Gelbaugh and John Rogers were wounded. |
June 1-3 | Bethesda Church |
June 16-18 | First Assault on Petersburg
The regiment lost 3 killed and 18 wounded. Captain Chessman and Lieutenant Harvey Benner were wounded and Colonel Curtin was badly wounded in the shoulder and carried from the field. |
June 16 | Siege of Petersburg begins |
July 18 | Lieutenant James Gibbony and one other enlisted man killed on picket at Petersburg |
July 30 |
Mine Explosion, PetersburgThe regiment fought in the crater, bringing 210 men under Captain Theodore Gregg. It lost 6 killed and 22 wounded, with 39 men missing. Captain Edgar Eyde and Lieutenants Adolph Campbell and Ephraim Jeffers were wounded and Captain Rees Richards captured Corporal Franklin Hogan of Company A earned the Medal of Honor for capturing the colors of the 6th Virginia Infantry. |
August | Lt. Colonel Hill discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate |
August 18-21 | Weldon Railroad |
September 23 | Captain Theodore Gregg of Company F promoted to lieutenant colonel |
September 29-
October 2 |
Poplar Springs ChurchThe brigade was surrounded, and Lt. Colonel Gregg unsuccessfully tried to cut the regiment through to Union lines. Lieutenant James Gregg was killed, Captain Andrew Fessler wounded and captured, and Lt. Colonel Gregg and Captain John Trout captured along with the balance of the regiment, some 150 men. |
October 1 |
Peeble’s FarmThere were only 92 survivors of the regiment. |
October 27-28 | Battle of Boydton Plank Road, or Hatcher’s Run |
November | At Fort Rice |
1865
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February | Lt. Colonel Gregg and Captain Trout return from Confederate captivity |
March 25 | Fort Stedman |
March 31 | Captain John Trout of Company C promoted to major |
April 2 |
Assault on and fall of PetersburgLieutenant Levi Robb was mortally wounded. Captains Chessman, commanding the regiment, and Lafayette Lord were wounded. |
April 3-9 | March to Farmville. Lieutenant Colonel Gregg returned to the regiment from Confederate prison |
April 20-24 | Moved to Petersburg and City Point |
April 26-28 | To Alexandria |
May 23 | Grand Review |
June – July | Duty at Washington and Alexandria |
July 17 | Mustered out under Lt. Colonel Gregg |