7th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania > Infantry

(36th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry)

The 7th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves lost 3 officers and 80 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 135 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. At least 67 men died in Confederate prisons. The regiment is honored by a monument at Antietam.

1861
July Organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, under Colonel Elisha B. Harvery, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Totten and Major Chauncey A. Lyman
July 21 Ordered to Washington, D. C.
July 27 Mustered into United States service and attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall’s Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac
August 2 Duty at Tennallytown, Md.
August 24 Marched to Great Falls on the Potomac
October 10 At Camp Pierpont, near Langley
September 4
Skirmish at Great Falls

Sergeant William Harper was the only casualty, a slight wound
October 9 Marched to Langley, Va.
November 1 Major Lyman detached as Division Provost Marshall.
December 6 Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm
December 20
Battle of Dransville

The regiment marched eleven miles to the battlefield but arrived after the fighting was over
1862
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
April 9 At Fairfax Station, attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April 10-16 At Manassas Junction
April 17 At Catlett’s Station
May 5 Lieutenant Colonel Totten resigned. Captain Henry C. Bollinger of Company D was promoted to lieutenant colonel, as Major Lyman was still serving as Division Provost Marshall.
May 11 At Falmouth
June 9-11 Moved to the Virginia Peninsula and attched to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 25-July 1
Seven days before Richmond

The regiment lost 301 casualties, including Captains Henderson, Lentz, White and King and Lieutenants McCauley, Betty and Zug.
June 26
Battle of Mechanicsville
June 27
Gaines Mill

The regiment suffered the loss of nearly half its strength covering the retreat of the army’s reserve artillery.
June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1 Malvern Hill
July-August At Harrison’s Landing
July 4 Colonel Harvey resigned. Lieutenant Colonel Bolinger was promoted to colonel and Captain R. M. Henderson of Company A was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
July 30 The house of Edmund Ruffin, sheltering Confederate sharpshooters firing on transports in the river, was taken and burned.
August 16-26 Movement to join Pope. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia
August 29
Battle of Brawner Farm (Groveton)

Lieutenant Colonel Henderson was badly wounded.
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

Colonel Bolinger was badly wounded in the chest and arm leading the assault on the summit at Turner’s Gap.
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Major Lyman, the regiment lost one third of its number. Captain Colwell of Company A and Lieutenant Sanders of Company K were both killed.

From the monument on the Antietam battlefield:

The regiment 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 12  Wounded 60  Total 72
September Duty in Maryland
October 3 The Pennsylvania Reserves were reviewed by President Lincoln
October 12 Marched in pursuit of Stuart’s raid
October 26 Crossd the Potomac at Berlin and marched to Warrenton
October 30-November 19 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg

Colonel Bollinger returned to command only to be wounded again, in the leg. Lieutenant Comfort and six enlisted men were killed; Adjutant Stout, Lieutenants Snyder and Zug and 72 enlisted men wounded, and 22 enlisted men were missing. Corporal Jacob Cart of Company A captured the flag of the 26th Geiorgia Infantry.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February 6 Ordered to Washington, D.C. and duty there and at Alexandria attached to 2nd Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserves Division, 22nd Army Corps, Dept. of Washington
July 25 Major Lyman was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Le Grand Speese promoted to major
1864
February 21 Lieutenant Colonel Lyman resigned
April

Rapidan (Overland) Campaign.

Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
April 30 Lieutenant Colonel Henderson resigned
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness

During an attack into Confederate lines the regiment found itself surrounded. Colonel Bollinger was forced to surrender 272 men. Company B had been separated during the advance through the dense woods, and 40 of their men escaped.

The surrendered officers were used as human shields during the bombardment of Charleston, and 67 enlisted men were known to have died at Anderson Prison, with many others dying at Florence and after their release from malnourishment and exposure.

Captain Samuel King of Company H had been on recruiting duty and missed the battle. He assumed command of the 110 survivors of the regiment that were collected from Company B and detached duries.
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 8
Laurel Hill
May 12
Assault on the Salient
May 19
Battle of Harris Farm
May 23- 26
North Anna River
May 25
Jericho Ford
May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31
Totopotomoy
May 31 Left front to return home to muster out
June 16 Mustered out