Battle of Antietam

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Joshua T. Owen. It lost heavily in Sumner’s charge. Captain Francis V. Bierwirth and Lieutenants Joseph McHugh and James Dunn were killed and Major Devereux, Captains Thomas Kelley, James O’Reilly and Thomas Wood and Lieutenants Joseph M. Kelley and John Taggert were wounded. Colonel Owen took command of the brigade when General Howard took over the division from the wounded General Sedgwick. He did not return to regimental command

From the War Department marker for the brigade on the Antietam battlefield at the west edge of Philadelphia Brigade Park:

Howard’s Brigade, following Gorman and Dana in their attack, passed through the East Woods, crossed the Cornfield and the Hagerstown Pike and reached the edge of the West Woods, where its advance was checked about 90 yards east of this point.

Its left flank having been attacked and turned by McLaws’ and Walker’s Divisions, it was forced to retire to the fields north of D.R. Miller’s, where it was reformed and placed in position in support of a part of the Artillery of the First and Twelfth Coprs and of Sedgewick’s Division of the Second Corps.

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was in the front line during Pickett’s Charhe and held its ground at great cost. It was commanded by Colonel Dennis O’Kane, who was mortally wounded on July 3rd, dying the next day. Lieutenant Colonel Tschuby had been wounded on July 2nd and mortally wounded on the 3rd, and Major James Duffy was also wounded on July 3, so Captain William Davis took over the regiment. Major Duffy would be promoted to lieutenant colonel and Davis to major, effective July 4. Other casualties included Captains Thomas Carroll, Michael Duffy and George Thompson and Lieutenant Charles F. Kelly, who were killed, and Adjutant William Whildey, Captain Thomas Wood, and Lieutenants Edward Harman, Thomas Norman and William Whildey, who were wounded.

From the monument:

This position was held by the 69th PA. Vols., July 2nd and 3rd 1863. Late on the afternoon of the 2nd, this regiment assisted in repulsing a desperate attack made by Wright’s Ga. Brigade. About 1 O’Clock, p.m. of the 3rd, these lines were subjected to an artillery fire from nearly 150 guns, lasting over one hour after which, Pickett’s division charged this position, was repulsed, and nearly annihilated. The contest on the left and centre of this regiment, for a time being hand-to-hand. Of the regimental commanders attacking, but one remained unhurt. Genl. Garnett was killed, Genl. Kemper desperately wounded, and Genl. Armistead, after crossing the stonewall above the right of this command – 2 companies of which changed front to oppose him – fell mortally wounded. A number of Confederate flags were picked up on this front after the battle.

In memoriam of our deceased comrades, who gave up their lives in defence of a perpetual Union.

On this spot fell our commander, Col. Dennis O’Kane, his true glory was victory or death, at the moment of achieving the former, he fell victim to the latter. While rallying the right to repulse Armistead, the Lieut. Col. Martin Tschudy was killed. He was also wounded on the previous day, but nobly refused to leave the field. The Major and Adjutant were also wounded. Out of an aggregate strength of 258 the regiment suffered a loss of 137.

Battle of the Wilderness

Battle of Spottsylvania Court House

Battle of Cold Harbor

Adjutant William Whitley was killed and Lieutenant Charles McAnally were wounded