4th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > Infantry

33rd Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry

The 4th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves lost 2 officers and 76 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 60 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a monument at Antietam.

1861
Organized at Harrisburg under Colonel Robert G. March, Lieutenant Colonel John F. Gaul and Major Robert McClure. It recruited five Companies in Philadelphia, and one company each in Montgomery, Chester, Monroe, Lycoming and Susquehanna Counties.
July 17 Moved to Washington, D.C., then to duty at Tennallytown, Md. Attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall’s Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac
October 1 Colonel March resigned due to gastric rheumatic fever. He would later serve as a captain of emergency troops during the Gettysburg Campaign and would be wounded at Wrightville.
October 4 Lieutenant Colonel Albert Magilton of the 2nd Pennsylvania Reserves was promoted to colonel of the 4th.
October 10 At Camp Pierpont, near Langley, Va.
December 6 Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm
1862
February 15 Lieutenant Colonel John Gaul discharged by special order of the War Department
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 9-19 McDowell’s advance on Falmouth, Va. Attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April-June Duty at Fredericksburg
May 12 Major Robert McClure discharged by special order of the War Department
June Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 1 Major Richard H. Woolworth of the 3rd Pennsylvania Reserves promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 4th, and Adjutant John Nyce promoted to major.
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 30
Battles of Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale

Colonel Magilton and Lieutenant Colonel Woolworth were wounded, and Woolworth was captured. Isaac Springer of Company K captured the flag of the 8th Alabama Infantry, incorrectly identified in War Department records as the flag of the 11th Alabama. The flag was returned to Alabama in 1905 and is in the State Archives.
July 1 Battle of Malvern Hill
July 17 Lieutenant Colonel Woolworth was paroled.
July-August At Harrison’s Landing
August 16-26 Movement to Join Pope. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia
August 28 Battle of Gainesville
August 29 Groveton
August 30
Second Battle of Bull Run
September 6-24 Maryland Campaign. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14 Battle of South Mountain
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

From the monument on the Antietam battlefield:

The Regt. arrived on the field on the afternoon of September 16, 1862.

Formed at this point on the morning of the 17th, advanced about 600 yards South and became engaged with Hood’s Confederate Division.

Casualties at Antietam
Killed 5  Wounded 43  Total 48
September 18 Duty in Maryland
October 30-November 19 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
November 29 Major Nyce promoted to colonel of the 174th Pennsylvania Infantry
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg

Lieutenant Colonel Woolworth was wounded in the left groin.
December 22 Colonel Magilton resigned and Lieutenant Colonel Woolworth was promoted to colonel.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February 6 Ordered to Washington, D.C. and duty there and in the District of Alexandria attached to 2nd Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserves Division, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington
March 1 Captain Thomas Tapper of Company G promoted to lieutenant colonel
March 27 Captain Enos L. Christman of Company K was promoted to major
April 26 Major Christman resigned
July 21 Captain Frederick Conrad of Company B was promoted to major
1864
January 6 Attached to Dept. of West Virginia with duty near Martinsburg, W. Va.
January 27-February 7 Operations in Hampshire and Hardy counties
March 1 Lieutenant Colonel Woolworth promoted to colonel
March 27 Duty near Kearneysville
April 22 Moved to Webster, thence to the Kanawha Valley attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Dept. of West Virginia
May 2-19 Crook’s Expedition to Virginia & Tennessee Railroad
May 9
Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain

Colonel Woolworth was killed by a shell, his third wound.
May 10
New River Bridge

Lieutenant Colonel Tapper was commissioned colonel but not mustered
May 10-19 Expedition to Meadow Bluff
May 12-13 Near Newport
June 4 Left front for Philadelphia via Pittsburg, Pa.
June 8 Veterans and Recruits were transferred to the 54th Pennsylvania
June 17 Mustered out under Lieutenant Colonel Tapper and Major Frederick Conrad