Organization of the regiment:

• Company A – Wilkes-Barr, Luzerne County – Captain George R. Lennard
• Company B – Wyoming County – Captain Thomas B. Jaynes
• Company C – Clinton County – Captain Walter S. Chatham
• Company D – Union County – Captain James Chamberlin
• Company E – Bradford County – Captain Greenleaf P. Davis
• Company F – Luzerne County and Bradford County – Captain James Cook
• Company G – Columbia County – Captain William Silver
• Company H – Luzerne County – Captain Edwin R. Peckens
• Company I – Luzerne County – Captain Beaton Smith
• Company K – Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties – Captain John Jones, Jr

Peninsula Campaign

The regiment left camp and crossed the Long Bridge to Alexandria, where it boarded the steamship Constitution for Hampton Roads. The overloaded ship had more than 4,000 men on board and grounded twice on its way down the Potomac. It was also fired on by a Confederate battery, without effect. The men transferred to a smaller steamship, the USS Hero, which landed them at Newport News.

Siege of Yorktown

Battle of Williamsburg

The regiment led the column entering the abandoned Confederate works. It suffered its first combat death when a torpedo (Land mine) detonated as the men crossed over the Parapet and into the fort. Private John Pruyne of Company F was killed and six (maybe 9) other men were badly injured.

Operations about Bottom’s Bridge

One hundred men under the command of Captain Greanleaf Davis of Company E were selected to be sharpshooters. These men crossed the Chickahominy at Bottom’s Bridge under heavy fire and covered the crossing of a number of regiments, then established a bridgehead behind timber slashings.

Reconnaissance to Seven Pines

The regiment was part of a strong force of infantry, artillery and cavalry which was sent out to “push (a) reconnoissance as far towards Richmond as practicable, without incurring too much danger.” They advanced to  about five miles from Richmond before falling back. Despite the heavy skirmishing and sharpshooting at Seven Pines, Savage Station and along the Chickahominy, only one man, Private Dilton “Sid” Taylor of the Company G, was seriously wounded.

Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines)

The regiment brought 249 men to the field. An overwhelming assault by the enemy forced the 52nd back and cost it half its men. By nightfall the regiment was cut off, but made its way through a woods back to Union lines. It lost 125 men killed or wounded and 4 men captured. The wounded included Captains Greenleaf Davis of Company E, who lost an arm, Captain George R. Lennard of Company A, Captain James Chamberlain of Company D, and Lieutenant J. P. S.  Weidensaul and Samuel Carskaden, both of of Company D.

Seven days before Richmond

Bottom’s Bridge

The survivors of the 52nd manned fire pits around the bridge over the Chickahominy, with orders to destroy the railroad bridge if it could not be held. The bridge was destroyed on the evening of the 29th by running a heavily loaded ammunition train onto the bridge and blowing it up.

White Oak Swamp Bridge

The regiment deployed as part of the rear guard in the swamp around the bridge, many men standing up to their waist in the stagnant water. During the night the regiment withdrew and crossed over White Oak Swamp, then marched 17 miles to Haxall’s on the James River

Expedition to Gloucester, Matthews, King and Queen and Middlesex Counties

Attached to Naglee’s Brigade, Dept. of North Carolina

Operations against Charleston

Operations against Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, and Fort Sumter and Charleston

The regiment mustered about 250 men.

Capture of Forts Wagner and Gregg

Reconnaissance to Dafuskie Island. Moved to Morris Island, S.C., and operations against Charleston

Assault on Fort Johnson and Battery Simpkins, James Island

At daybreak Colonel Hoyt led 125 men who landed and captured a two-gun battery. The men successfully scaled the parapet and captured the fort.. But they were not supported, and a Confederate counterattack overwhelmed them. Seven men were killed, including Lieutenant and acting Adjutant S. A. Bunyan of company E, and Lieutenant George Scott, of Company D. Sixteen men were wounded, and the rest were captured.

More then fifty enlisted men would die at Andersonville and Columbia. Capture officers, were sent to Macon, then were transferred to Charleston and placed under the fire of Union batteries on Morris island.

First Lieutenants James G. Stevens of Company H and Thomas Evans of Company I were captured. James would die shortly after his release in Aptil, 1865.

Occupation of Fort Sumter and Charleston

Major John Hennesy commanded a boat which rowed across the harbor and landed near Fort Sumter.  The fort was deserted, and the the men raised the flag regimental flag. While a guard was left behind in the fort the group rowed across to the city and entered as the last Confederates evacuated.