118Th Pennsylvania Infantry Soldier Roster

One Hundred and Eighteenth Kegiment. AT a ineeting of the Corn Exchange of Philadelphia, on the 27th of July, 1862, it was resolved to furnish the means necessary to raise a regiment of infantry for service in the national armies. Eecruiting offices were opened on the 30th, and a camp laid out on Indian Queen Lane, near the Falls of Schuyl- kill, known as Camp Union, where the men rendezvoused as fast as enlisted. By the 30th of August, the companies were full, and the regiment was organ- ized with the following field oflScers : Charles M. Provost, Colonel ; James Gwyn, Lieutenant Colonel ; Charles P. Herring, Major. Many of the officers and men had served in the three months' campaign, under Patterson, and in the summer campaign of 1862. Besides furnishing all the material aid for re- cruiting the regiment, tl;ie Corn Exchange gave each enlisted man a bounty of ten dollars. On the 31st of August, the day after being mustered into the United States service, orders were received from Adjutant General Thomas, for the regiment to report to General Wool, in command at Baltimore, where, upon its arrival, it was directed to proceed to Washington. Encamping first at Fort Albany, and subsequently at Fort Corcoran, it was, on the 12th of September, assigned to the First Brigade, First Division, of the Fifth Corps, and marched at once on the Maryland campaign. Passing Silver Springs, Eockville, Frederick, and Middletown, it arrived at the Antietam Creek on the evening of the 16th. During the battle of the 17th, it was held in reserve, and suffered but slight loss. On the 18th, it was sent forward on picket in front of the Burnside Bridge, and on the evening of the 19th, moved to the banks of the Potomac. On the following morning, the division crossed at Blackford's Ford, with the design of proceeding to Shepherdstown. It was scarcely over, when the enemy was dis- covered advancing upon it in heavy force. The regiment was at once ordered by the commander of the brigade to take position along the bluff. The first com- pany, on gaining the summit, was deployed as skirmishers, and the rest of the regiment quickly formed. But before the line was perfectly established, the skirmishers were driven in, and an engagement commenced, the enemy coming on in overwhelming numbers. Unsupported, and receiving a concentrated fire from front and flank, the command was subjected to a trying ordeal. Colonel Provost, while carrying the colors to the front, to check a momentary wavering of the line, was severely wounded and carried from the field. The command then devolved upon Lieutenant Colonel Gwyn, who held his position until ordered to re-cross the river, which was accomplished under a galling fire from 18C3 SHEPHERDSTOWN AND FREDERICKSBURG. 1311 the triumphant foe, who pressed quickly forward and swarmed on the bluffs. Nearly all of the wounded, and about ninety men beside, fell into the hands of the euemy, and all the dead were left upon the field. The loss in the engagement was sixty-four killed, one hundred and twenty-four wounded, and ninety -four missing 5 an aggregate of two hundred and eighty-two out of about eight hundred, who crossed the river on that disastrous day. Captains Court- land, Saunders, and Joseph W. liicketts, and Lieutenants Mora Moss, and J. Eudhall White, were among the killed, and Captain Callaghan, Lieutenants M'Keen, Lewis, and Smith, and Adjutant Perot, were among the wounded, the latter, with Lieutenant Hand, among the prisoners. For gallantry in this engagement, Colonel Provost was brevetted Brigadier General. Until the close of October, the regiment remained in Maryland, engaged in guard and picket duty. It then crossed the Potomac, and moved with the army through Virginia, gohig into camij at Hartwood Church, and at a point near Potomac Creek, where it remained until the opening of the Fredericks- burg campaign. On the 1st of December, it accompanied Averell's Cavalry on a reconnoissance on the Hartwood Eoad, returning on the following morning. On the 11th it moved at seven A. M., with the division, to a point on the Eai)pahannock opposite Fredericksburg, where it remained under arms during the bombardment of the city, which lasted the entire day. At night it moved back a mile, and bivouacked near White House. On the following morning it again moved to the front, and at two P. M., on the 13th, the pon- toons in the meantime having been successfully laid, it crossed the river, and, passing through the streets of the city under a heavy artillery fire, was ordered to advance upon Marye's Heights, which the divisions of French and Han- cock had vainly attempted to carry. The heroic efforts of this division proved alike unsuccessful. For though it was spared for a time from the enemy's artillery fire, owing to the fact that his batteries, at the moment of advance, were in the act of being relieved, yet when it approached within range of his infantry, it met such sheets of flame as no power could stand against, the most violent cannonading from the Union batteries having produced no effect upon his impregnable front. The regiment remained in Une of battle under a heavy fire, during the remainder of the afternoon and the entire night suc- ceeding. On the 14th it was still held under fire, but at night retired to the river bank, where it bivouacked and remained until seven o'clock on the morning of the 16th, when it re-crossed the river, and retiu-ned to camp near Fal- mouth. The loss in the engagement was seven killed, forty-three wounded, and sixteen missing. Major Herring was among the wounded. On the 30th, the regiment participated in a reconnoissance, which extended to Eichardson's and Ely's fords, skirmishing lightly by the way, and returning to camp on the afternoon of the 1st of January, 18G3. A committee of the Corn Exchange arriv^ed that evening, bringing numerous packages prepared by kind hands at home. On the 20th of January the regiment again broke camp and moved out on the United States Ford Eoad, the whole army in motion. On the 23d, the roads becoming impassable, a return to camp was ordered, and for two days the regiment was engaged in building corduroy roads for the rescue of the trains from the mud. On the 19th of April, Colonel Provost, who had been absent since receiving his wound at Shepherd stown, returned and assumed command. On the27th the regiment moved on the Chancellorsville campaign, bivouack- 1312 ONE HUNDKED AND EIGHTEENTH REGIMENT. 18G3 ing at night near Hartwood Church, on the night of the 28th, near Kelly's Ford, crossing the Eappahannock at mid-day, the Eapidan at evening, and bivouacking that night on the bluffs above the ford. At eleven A. M., on the morning of the 30th, it arrived at Chancellorsville, and immediately joined in pressing the enemy, driving him back two miles, and capturing his pickets. At two P. M., it came upon the enemy in strong force in position six miles from Fredericksburg. The division was ordered to retire, and returned to a point near the Chancellor House, where it bivouacked for the night. At eleven A. M., of the 1st of May, the fighting commenced. In the afternoon, the brigade to which the regiment was attached was sent on a reconnoissance towards Banks' Ford, but returned at evening to the Chancellor House, where, during the night, it was exposed to a heavy artillery fire. At two A. M., of the 2d, it moved out upon the road leading to Banks' Ford, and was set to work throwing up breast- works, its first experience in digging, at which it was kept busily engaged during the entire day. At dark it was moved at double-quick towards the Chancellor House, the Eleventh Corps holding the right of the line, having been driven from its position by the fierce onset of Stonewall Jackson's men. It remained during the entire night in line behind breast-works, engaged under a heavy infantry and artillery fire. Early on the morning of the 3d, it was moved to the United States Ford Road, and at eight was placed in line with the Sykes' Division, where it was employed in throwing up breast-works At mid-day it was taken to the Chancellor House, where it was in line of battle supporting artillery for an hour, exposed to a heavy fire. Moving to the rear, at two P. M., it rested a short time, and at dusk moved into breast-works at Barns' House. During the 4th it remained in breast-works under a constant fire from the enemy's sharpshooters, until five P. M., when the brigade supported an advance of the Second and Third brigades upon the enemy's lines. On the 5th, the greater part of the regiment was on the picket line under command of Major Herring, and at night the army began to retire across the river. At daylight of the 6th, the pickets of the regiment retired, and with detachments of other regiments acted as skirmishers. It crossed at United States Ford, at nine A. M,, and was engaged all day in the laborious duty of taking up the pontoon bridges, the stream greatly swollen by recent rains. In the evening it returned to its former camp. The loss in the engagement was ten wounded, and seven missing. On the 25th of May, Colonel Provost left the regiment to take command in tbe Invalid Corps, and was subsequently honorably discharged as Colonel.

Load more