United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > Infantry
The 46th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 14 officers and 165 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 136 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.
1861
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September 1 | Organized at Harrisburg under Colonel Joseph F. Knipe, Liutenant Colonel Jas. L. Selfridge and Major Arnold C. Lewis |
September 22 | Major Lewis was killed by John Lanahan of Company I. Lanahan had been in a fight with another soldier and had been tied to the rear of a baggage wagon as punishment. He got free and hunted down Major Lewis with a pistol, shooting him in the back as the major was dismounting to arrest him. Lanahan was hanged for the murder on December 23.Captain J. A. Matthews of Company A was promoted to major. |
November | Ordered to Join General Nathaniel Banks in the Shenandoah Valley. Attached to Gordon’s Brigade, Banks’ Division for guard and outpost duty on the Upper Potomac |
1862
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February 24 | Crossed the Potomac at Harpers Ferry |
March 1-12 | Advance on Winchester. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Banks’ 5th Corps |
March 7 | Near Winchester |
March 12 | Occupation of Winchester |
March 18 | Ordered to Manassas, Va. and return to Winchester. |
March 24-April 7 | Pursuit of Jackson up the Valley |
April 4 | Transferred to the Department of the Shenandoah |
April 16 | Columbia Furnace |
April 26 | Skirmish at Gordonsville and Keazletown Cross Roads |
May 15-June 17 |
Operations in the Shenandoah Valley |
May 15 | At Strasburg |
May 20-25 | Retreat to Winchester |
May 23 | Front Royal |
May 24 |
Kernstown and MiddletownCaptain Cyrus Strouse captured |
May 25 |
Battle of WinchesterThe regiment lost four killed, ten wounded, and three captured. |
May 25-26 | Retreat to Williamsport |
June 10-18 | Moved to Front Royal. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Virginia |
June 29-30 | Reconnaissance to Luray |
June 30 | Luray |
July | At Warrenton, Gordonsville and Culpeper |
August 9 |
Battle of Cedar MountainThe regiment lost 30 killed, 34 badly wounded, and 6 captured. Lieutenants William P. Caldwell, Samuel H. Jones and Robert Wilson were killed and Colonel Knipe, Major Matthews, Captains Brooks, Foulke and Lukenbaugh, Lieutenants William Caldwell, Craig, Thomas Matthews and D. C. Selheimer were wounded. Captain William Shattuck was captured. |
August 16 -September 2 |
Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia |
August 28 | Guard trains during the Bull Run battles. Manassas Junction |
September 6-24 |
Maryland CampaignAttached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 12th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac |
September 16-17 |
Battle of AntietamThe regiment was under the command of Colonel Knipe until he took over the brigade and Lieutenant Colonel Selfridge took over the regiment. It was lightly engaged in the East Woods, but suffered the loss of Captain George Brooks and 5 enlisted men killed and 3 wounded. From the War Department marker to Crawford’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield: Crawford’s Brigade advanced from Line’s farm at daybreak, on the right of Williams’ Division. The 124th Pennsylvania was detached and supported Magilton’s Brigade of Meade’s Division in its engagement on the north edge of the Cornfield. In its deployment the Brigade moved to the left in support of Ricketts’ Division, a part of which it relieved at this point, and occupied the northeast corner of the Cornfield and a part of the East Woods, where it was heavily engaged. Upon the turning of the Confederate flank by Greene’s Division, the 125th Pennsylvania advanced across the fields north of the Smoketown Road and penetrated the woods around the Dunkard Church. The Brigade supported Sedgwick’s Division in its advance and, later in the day, formed in support of the Sixth Corps. From Lieutenant Colonel Selfridge’s Official Report for the 46th Pennsylvania at Antietam:By order of Brigadier-General Mansfield, temporarily commanding the corps, the regiment was ordered to advance to the front about 5.30 o’clock a. m., and was marched into the woods, immediately fronting the position on the enemy, in column of companies, where they were deployed by order of Colonel Knipe into line of battle, and opened a lively fire of musketry upon the enemy. This position was maintained for upward of an hour, the enemy obstinately holding his ground in a corn-field fronting the woods, when Colonel Knipe ordered the regiments to advance. This order was obeyed with alacrity, the regiment advancing to the edge of the field occupied by the enemy, and pouring into their ranks at every step fire so well directed that, if well supported, would have compelled the enemy to give way. But this support was not given and, in consequence, the regiment was compelled to retire some 200 or 300 yards, where they met re-enforcements hastening to the front. The One hundred and twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, a new and untried regiment, was brought to our right in column of companies closed in mass. They had no sooner arrived in the field than their colonel fell, and their lieutenant-colonel was so severely wounded that he had to be carried to the rear. Colonel Knipe assisted Major Wanner, the remaining field officer, in deploying the regiment, and it, with other regiments, including the Forty-sixth, advanced and drove the enemy out of the corn-field over another, in clover, into woods beyond both. After this was accomplished there was a pause of about a half hour in the battle, with the exception of the artillery firing. A brigade advanced about this time out of the woods to our left, and passing us, pressed into those on our right, where they engaged the enemy, but were compelled to retire in about fifteen minutes in great confusion. They rushed past the regiments composing Crawford’s brigade, and imparted, to a great degree, the alarm which they themselves felt to some of these regiments, which joined int their flight. The situation was most critical. A battery – a regular one, I think – was wheeled into position on the crest of the slope dividing the two skirts of woods, and opened a tremendous fire of grape and canister upon the pursuing foe. No infantry at the time supported this battery. Colonel Knipe with his colors and a small fragment of this regiment were all that showed any organization in the neighborhood. Some general (name unknown) entreated him to rally what he could of the retreating regiments around his standards and save the battery. This he succeeded in doing, the One hundred and seventh New York responding to this entreaties and forming on his colors. Other regiments, seeing the posture of affairs, regained their confidence and returned to the field. The battery was saved, the enemy retreading to the woods, and the battle, as far as infantry was concerned, on this part of the field, ended. By direction of General Williams, the regiment – what was left of it – retired to the rear to enjoy that rest of which they were so much in need. Official Reports: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1 (Antietam – Serial 27) , Pages 489 – 490 |
September-December |
Duty in Maryland |
November 1 | Major Matthews was promoted to colonel of the 128th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, and Captain Cyrus Strouse of Company K was promoted to major |
November 29 | Colonel Knipe was promoted to brigadier general. |
December 10-14 | March to Fairfax Station |
December | At Fairfax Station |
1863
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January 20-24 | “Mud March” |
February-April | Moved to Stafford Court House and duty there |
April 27-May 6 |
Chancellorsville Campaign |
May 1-5 |
Battle of ChancellorsvilleMajor Cyrus Strouse, Lieutenant Obediah R. Priestly and and two enlisted men were killed, a large number wounded, and Captain Patrick Griffin and Lieutenant Edmond Cramsie captured. |
May 10 | Lt. Colonel Selfridge was promoted to colonel |
June 7 | Captain William Foulk of Company B promoted to lieutenant colonel |
June 11-July 24 |
Gettysburg Campaign |
July 1-3 |
Battle of GettysburgThe regiment was commanded by Colonel James L. Selfridge. It brought 262 men to the field, losing Privates John Wenrich and Charles Briner killed, Lieutenant Darius Gilger and 9 enlisted men wounded and one man missing in fighting near Spangler’s Spring on the south side of Culp’s Hill. From the monument:July 2. The Regiment constructed and held these works until evening when the Division moved to support the left of the line. Returning in the night the enemy was found in the works and the Regiment was posted in the open field in the rear until the enemy was driven out, when it returned and held the works until the close of battle. July 3, 1863 p.m. ordered to support of the centre between General Meade’s headquarters and the fighting line and in reserve. After repulse of Longstreet’s assault returned to breastworks. July 4, a.m. Reconnoitered towards Hanover. Returned through Gettysburg and encamped. |
July 5-24 | Pursuit of Lee |
August-September | Duty on the line of the Rappahannock |
August 1 | Captain Patrick Griffin was promoted to major |
September 24-October 3 | Movement to Bridgeport, Ala. and assigned to the Army of the Cumberland |
October | Guard duty on Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad |
1864
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January | Regiment reenlisted |
April | Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps Army of the Cumberland |
May 1-September 8 |
Atlanta Campaign |
May 8-11 | Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge |
May 14-15 |
Battle of ResacaLieutenant John Knipe was mortally wounded |
May 19 | Near Cassville |
May 25-June 5 | Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills |
May 25 |
New Hope ChurchCaptain Dennis Cheseboro and Lieutenant John Phillips were killed and Lieutenant Jacob Getter wounded |
June 10-July 2 | Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain |
June 11-14 | Pine Hill |
June 15 | Gilgal, or Golgotha Church |
June 15-17 | Lost Mountain |
June 17 | Muddy Creek |
June 19 | Noyes Creek |
June 22 | Kolb’s Farm |
June 27 | Assault on Kenesaw |
July 4 | Ruff’s Station or Smyrna Camp Ground |
July 5-17 | Chattahoochie River |
July 19-20 |
Peach Tree CreekLieutenants Samuel Wolf and Howell Davis and 5 enlisted men were killed. Captain Sefra Ketrer, Adjutant Luther R. Whitman, Lieutenant D. C. Selheliner were mortally wounded and 22 enlisted men were wounded |
July 22-August 25 |
Siege of Atlanta |
August 26-September 2 | Operations at Chattahoochie River Bridge |
September 2-November 15 | Occupation of Atlanta |
November 15-December 10 |
March to the sea |
December 10-21 |
Siege of Savannah |
1865
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January to April |
Campaign of the Carolinas |
March 2 | Thompson’s Creek, near Chesterfield Court House, S.C. |
March 3 | Thompson’s Creek, near Cheraw, S.C. |
March 16 | Averysboro, N. C. |
March 19-21 |
Battle of Bentonville |
March 24 | Occupation of Goldsboro |
April 9-13 | Advance on Raleigh |
April 14 | Occupation of Raleigh |
April 26 |
Bennett’s HouseSurrender of Johnston and his army. |
April 29-May 20 | March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va. |
May 24 | Grand Review |
June | Duty at Washington |
July 16 | Mustered out |