5th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > 5th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

1861
April 20 The 5th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, under the command of Colonel Robert P. McDowell, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin C. Crist and Major R. Bruce Petriken

  • Company A – “State Guards” – Recruited at Allegheny City, Allegheny County – Captain George W. Dawson
  • Company B – “Turner Rifles” – Pittsburgh, Allegheny County – Captain Henry Amlung
  • Company C – “Columbian Infantry” – Glen Carbon, Schuylkill County – Captain James Brennan
  • Company D – “Standing Stone Guards” – Huntingdon, Huntingdon County – Captain Benjamin Miller
  • Company E – “Minersville Artillerists” – Minersville, Schuylkill County – Captain William Hower
  • Company F – “Scott Artillery” – Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County – Captain Francis Medler
  • Company G – “Lebanon Guards” – Lebanon, Lebanon County – Captain John Ulrich
  • Company H – “Union Light Infantry” – Reading, Berks County – Captain Frankline Cooly
  • Company I – “Ringgold Infantry” – Minersville, Schuylkill County – Captain George Lawrence
  • Company K – “United States Zouaves – Pittsburgh, Allegheny County – Captain George Seigrist
April 21 Moved by rail toward Baltimore, but returned to Harrisburg, and then moved to Philadelphia
April 22 Arrived in Philadelphia
April 23 To Perryville and Annapolis, Md.
April 26 To Annapolis Junction. The train that was to have taken the regiment there had been derailed, and the regiment was forced to proceed on foot
April 27 To Washington, D.C. Visited by President Lincoln and Secretary Seward.
May 7 The regiment received uniforms from the state.
May 28 At Alexandria, Va.
June 3 Moved to Shutter’s Hill. Attached to Franklin’s Brigade of McDowell’s Army of Northeast Virginia and duty at Alexandria
July 3 Colonel Robert McDowell was tried for allegedly being drunk and unfit for duty on June 27 at Alexandria. After conflicting testimony Colonel McDowell stated that he had taken a drink, but since he had been in the saddle for 20 out of 24 hours three days running he needed it as a stimulant to keep going, and was never drunk. McDowell was acquitted. (from Tarnished Eagles, pp. 104-105, by Thomas P. Lowry M.D.)
July 20 Left for Harrisburg to muster out
July 25 The 5th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment mustered out. Lieutenant Colonel Christ went on to become colonel of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.