63rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania

The 63rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment lost 17 officers and 169 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 133 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
August Organized at Pittsburgh under the command of Colonel Alexander Hays and Lieutenant Colonel Algernon S.M. Morgan.
August 26 Left State for Washington, D. C. Attached to Jameson’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army Potomac for duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C.
November 12 Reconnaissance to Pohick Church and the Occoquan
1862
March 5 Pohick Church and the Occoquan (Detachment)
March 16-18 Moved to the Peninsula. attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army Potomac
April 5-May 4

Siege of Yorktown
May 5

Battle of Williamsburg
May 31-June 1
Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines)

Lieutenant Colonel Morgan was wounded in both hips, and Captain Danks of Company E was wounded in the leg.
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 25

Oak Grove
June 30

Glendale
July 1

Malvern Hill
July-August Duty at Harrison’s Landing
August 16-26 Movement to Centreville. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps
August 27 Bristoe Station or Kettle Run and Buckland’s Bridge, Broad Run
August 29

Battle of Brawner’s Farm

Captain William S. Kirkwood was wounded
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Alexander Hays and took part in the bayonet charge against Jackson’s position along the Unfinished Railroad. Colonel Hays was wounded and Captain James F. Ryan took command until he was also wounded.

From the trailside marker on the Battlefield:

As the word “Charge!” rang out, we dashed forward with gleaming bayonets and loud yells on the enemy. It was desperate work. The enemy waited until we got close up and then poured such a withering volley into our line that it seemed to shrivel up and reel back. Rapidly rallying, we made another effort to face the iron storm, but the fire was too murderous and we were again compelled to fall back, leaving behind many of our dead and wounded.

– Gilbert A. Hays, A.D.C.

September 1

Battle of Chantilly
September-October Duty in the Defenses of Washington and guarding fords in Maryland
September 29 Colonel Alexander Hays was promted to brigadier general. Lt. Colonel Algernon Morgan was promoted to colonel (although he never returned from his Fair Oaks wounds), Captain William Kirkwood to lieutenant colonel and Captain John A. Danks to major
October 11-November 19 March up the Potomac to Leesburg, then to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24 Burnside’s second Campaign, “Mud March”
February-April At Falmouth
April 18 Colonel Morgan was discharged for disability from his Fair Oaks wounds (he had never returned to command) and Lieutenant Colonel William S. Kirkwood was promoted to colonel.
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 10 killed or mortally wounded, 43 wounded, and 18 men missing. Lieutenant Colonel Kirkwood was mortally wounded in the leg and chest and Major Danks was wounded and captured. Captain James F. Ryan commanded the regiment at the end of the battle.
June 11-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign
June 25 Colonel Kirkwood died of his Chancellorsville wound in Alexandria, Virginia.
May 23 Major Danks was paroled and returned to the regiment with a promotion to lieutenant colonel.
July 1 Lieutenant Colonel Danks was promoted to colonel
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Danks. It brought 296 men to the field and lost 1 man killed, 29 men wounded and 4 men missing out of 296 officers and men engaged in fighting north of the Peach Orchard on July 2.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
July 23

Whapping Heights, Va.
August-September Duty on line of the Rappahannock
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign
October 13-14

Auburn and Bristoe
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7

Kelly’s Ford
November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign
November 27

Payne’s Farm
1864
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps
May 4-June 12 Rapidan Campaign
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

Colonel Danks was wounded a third time, in the arm and hand.
May 8-21

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

May 8 Laurel Hill
May 10

Po River
May 12

Assault on the Salient
May 19

Battle of Harris’ Farm

May 23-26

North Anna River
May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 29-31

Totopotomoy
June 1-12

Battle of Cold Harbor
June 16-18

First Assault on Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg begins
June 22-23

Weldon Railroad
July 27-29 Demonstration on north side of the James River at Deep Bottom
July 27-28

Deep Bottom
July 30

Mine Explosion (Reserve)
August 13-20 Demonstration on north side of the James
August 14-18

Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom
September 5 Veterans and Recruits transferred to 105th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
September 9 The 63rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment mustered out