United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania


“Battery G, 14th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves”

Battery F lost 1 officer and 16 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 14 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument 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 Recruited in Schylkill County and organized at Philadelphia under the command of Captain Robert West. Ordered to Washington, D.C. Attached to McCall’s Pennsylvania Reserve Division, Army of the Potomac for duty at Camp Barry and Tennallytown, Md., Defenses of Washington, D.C.
September 13-14 Captain West promoted to major. Lieutenant Mark Kern promoted to captain
October At Camp Pierpont, near Langley, Va.
December 6 Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm
1862
March Attached to Artillery, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 9-19 McDowell’s advance on Falmouth. Attached to Artillery, McCall’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April-June Duty at Falmouth and Fredericksburg
June 25-July 1 Ordered to the Virginia Peninsula attached to Artillery Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 26 Battle of Mechanicsville
June 27
Gaines Mill

Corporals Amos Barge, William Hall and Thomas Robinson and Privates William Courter, Thomas Hyens, William Rouse and Everill Stinson were mortally wounded

June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1 Malvern Hill
July-August Duty at Harrison’s Landing
August 16-26 Movement to join Pope. Attached to Artillery, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia
August 30
Second Battle of Bull Run

Captain Kern and Privates Alexander Geiger and Jacob Stonsifer were killed

September Duty at Washington, D.C. attached to Artillery, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
October 9 Rejoined Division at Sharpsburg, Md
October-November Movement to Falmouth, Va.
November 12 Lieutenant Frank Amsden promoted to captain
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg

Private Daniel Sullivan was killed

1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February-April At Falmouth and Belle Plains
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Pollock’s Mill Creek
April 29-30 Fitzhugh’s Crossing
May 2-5
Chancellorsville

Attached to 3rd Volunteer Brigade, Artillery Reserve, Army of the Potomac

May 11 Belden Spence promoted to first lieutenant
May 12 Battery attached to Battery “F” 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery
May 25 Captain Amsden resigns
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign; Attached to Artillery Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The battery was commanded at Gettysburg by Captain Robert B. Ricketts. It brought 144 men to the field serving six Ordnance Rifles, and suffered 6 killed, 14 wounded and 3 missing.

From the monument:

Present at Gettysburg Consolidated Battery F & G 3 officers & 141 men. Killed and died of wounds 7 men. Wounded 1 officer & 13 men. Captured or missing 3 men. Total loss 24.

G. Recruited in Philadelphia. Total enrollment 340. Mustered in July 25, 1861. Re-enlisted Dec. 1863. Mustered out June 29, 1865.

July 2nd. Reached the field and took this position in the afternoon and engaged the Rebel batteries on Benner’s Hill. 8 p.m. A Rebel column charged the Battery and a desperate hand-to-hand conflict ensued which was repulsed after every round of canister had been fired.

July 3rd. Engaged with the Rebel batteries on the left and centre of the line.

Privates William Mencer, Theodore Miller and Ephraim Wagner were killed

September 13-17 Advance to line of the Rapidan
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 14 Auburn and Bristoe
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
1864
January 20 Lieutenant Belden Spence promoted to captain
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
February 6-7 Morton’s Ford
February At Stevensburg
April 3 At Camp Berry, Defenses of Washington, D.C., 22nd Corps, separated from Battery “F” 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery. At Arlington Heights, Va., as garrison of Forts Bennett, Cochran and Haggerty
May Attached to 1st Brigade, DeRussy’s Division, 22nd Corps
July 3 Ordered to Frederick, Md. and attached to Reserve Division, Dept. of West Virginia
July 6 Infantry duty at Point of Rocks, Md.
December 4 Captain Spence mustered out, end of term
December 12 At Maryland Heights
1865
January Attached to 1st Infantry Division, West Virginia
May 15 Lieutenant Eugene Moore promoted to captain
April 16 At Fort Lincoln, near Washington, D.C. attached to 3rd Brigade, Hardins’ Division, 22nd Army Corps
April 27 At Fort Foote
June 29 Mustered out at Camp Cadwalader under Captain Moore