United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania


“Battery B, 14th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves”

Battery B lost 2 officers and 19 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 17 enlisted men to diseaseduring the Civil War. It is honored by two monuments at Gettysburg.

The Pennsylvania Reserves were 15 regiments that were recruited in early 1861. Refused by the War Department as they were in excess of Pennsylvania’s quota, Governor Curtin decided they would be armed and trained at state expense. The War Department soon realized they were needed and assigned them standard designations when they were accepted into Federal service. But the men preferred to be known by their original name: the Pennsylvania Reserves. See more about the Pennsylvania Reserves.

1861
August 5 Organized at Philadelphia under Captain Hezekiah Easton
August Ordered to Washington, D.C. and Camp at Tennallytown, Md. attached to McCall’s Pennsylvania Reserve Division, Army Potomac
October At Camp Pierpont near Langley, Va.
December 6 Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm
December 20 Action at Dranesville
1862
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va. Attached to Artillery, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army Potomac
April 9-19 McDowell’s advance on Falmouth. Attached to Artillery, McCall’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April Duty at Falmouth and Fredericksburg
June Ordered to the Virginia Peninsula and attached to Artillery, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army Potomac
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond, Va.

June 26

Beaver Dam Creek or Mechanicsville

June 27

Gaines’ Mill

Captain Easton was killed. Lieutenant John G. Simpson took command of the battery.

June 30

Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale

July 1

Malvern Hill

July At Harrison’s Landing
August 15-26 Movement to join Pope. Attached to Artillery, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia
August 28

Battle of Gainesville

August 29

Battle of Groveton

August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

The battery was engaged on high ground south of the Warrenton Pike from 10 am – 1 pm. It was commanded by Captain James H. Cooper.

September

Maryland Campaign

Attached to Artillery, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army Potomac

September 14

Battle of South Mountain

September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The battery suffered 1 man killed and 3 wounded.

October-November Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

1863
January 20-24

“Mud March”

February 9 Ordered to Newport News and attached to Artillery, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army Potomac
March To Suffolk. Attached to Artillery, 2nd Division, 7th Corps, Dept. of Virginia
April 12-May 4

Siege of Suffolk

June 26-July 8

Dix’s Peninsula Campaign

July 1-7

Expedition from White House to South Anna River

Attached to U.S. Forces, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., Dept. Virginia and North Carolina

1864
January Duty at Portsmouth, Va. attached to Heckman’s Division, 18th Army Corps, Dept. Virginia and North Carolina
April Attached to Defenses of Portsmouth, Va., Dept. Virginia and North Carolina
May Attached to District Eastern Virginia, Dept. Virginia and North Carolina
July

Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond

Attached to Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Corps

August 21 Captain Simpson was dismissed. First Lieutenant William Stitt was promoted to captain
September 28-30

Chaffin’s Farm, New Market Heights

October Attached to Artillery Brigade, 18th Army Corps
October 27-28

Fair Oaks

December Attached to Artillery Brigade, 24th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia
1865
April 3

Occupation of Richmond

April-July Engaged in demolishing defenses and removing ordnance
July 25 Mustered out