61st Pennsylvania Infantry

Regimental History and Service Record

Organized at Pittsburg September 7, 1861. Ordered to Washington, D.C. Attached to Jameson's Brigade, Heintzelman's Division, Army Potomac, to February, 1862. Graham's Brigade, Couch's Division, Army Potomac, to March, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to July, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps, to October, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps, to February, 1863. Light Brigade, 6th Army Corps, to May, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to July, 1864. Army of the Shenandoah to December, 1864, and Army Potomac to June, 1865.

SERVICE.--Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., until March, 1862. Reconnaissance to Pohick Church and Occoquan River November 12, 1861. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15, 1862. Reconnaissance to Gainesville March 20.

• Moved to the Peninsula, Va., March 26.
• March 26-September 2, 1862 - The Peninsula Campaign
  • April 5-May 4, 1862 - Siege of Yorktown, Virginia
  • May 5, 1862 - Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia
  • May 20-23, 1862 - Operations about Bottom's Bridge, Virginia
  • May 31-June 1, 1862 - Battle of Seven Pines, Virginia
  • June 25-July 1, 1862 - The Seven Days Battles before Richmond, Virginia
    • June 26-29, 1862 - Skirmishes about Fair Oaks, Virginia
    • June 30, 1862 - Engagement at White Oak Swamp, Virginia
    • July 1, 1862 - Engagement at Malvern Hill, Virginia

At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Reconnaissance to Malvern Hill August 5-7. Movement to Alexandria, thence to Chantilly August 16-30. Chantilly September 1.

• September 3-20, 1862 - The Maryland Campaign
  • September 17, 1862 - Battle of Antietam, Maryland
• September 19-20, 1862 - Skirmishes near Williamsport, Maryland

Duty in Maryland and on the Potomac until November. Movement to Falmouth, Va., November 1-19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Burnside's 2nd Campaign, "Mud March," January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth until April.

• April 27-May 6, 1863 - The Chancellorsville Campaign

Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2. Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks' Ford May 4. Operations about Deep Run Ravine June 6-13.

• June 11-August 1, 1863 - The Gettysburg Campaign
  • July 1-3, 1863 - Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
  • Skirmish at South Mountain, Maryland

Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. At Brandy Station until April, 1864.

• May 4-June 12, 1864 - The Overland Campaign
  • May 5-7, 1864 - Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia
    • May 5, 1864 - Combat at Parker's Store, Virginia
  • May 8-21, 1864 - Battles of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia
    • May 12, 1864 - Assault on the Salient at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia
  • May 22-26, 1864 - Operations on Line of the North Anna River, Virginia
  • May 26-28, 1864 - Operations on Line of the Pamunkey River, Virginia
  • May 28-31, 1864 - Operations on Line of the Totopotomoy River, Virginia
  • June 1-12, 1864 - Battles of Cold Harbor, Virginia
• Before Petersburg June 17-19.
• Siege of Petersburg until July 9.
• Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23.
• Moved to Washington, D.C., July 9-11.
• July 12, 1864 - Action at Fort Stevens, District of Columbia

Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap July 14-19. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to December. Charlestown August 21. Gilbert's Ford, Opequan Creek, September 13. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty in the Shenandoah Valley until December. Ordered to Petersburg, Va., December 1. Siege of Petersburg December, 1864, to April, 1865. Fort Fisher, Petersburg, March 25, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox C. H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Danville April 23-29, and duty there until May 23. Moved to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D.C. Corps Review June 8. Mustered out June 28, 1865.

Regimental Roster

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Regiment Statistical Information

Regiment Casualty Comparisons by Source

Source	Casualties	Remarks
Dyer	19 Officers and 218 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded 1 Officer and 100 enlisted men killed by disease Total 338	None
Fox	19 Officers and 218 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded Total 237 (Combat Losses) Fox lists this unit as: 15th on the list of units "sustaining greatest loss in action" (Infantry units with over 200 casualties) 110th on the list of units with losses based on duration of the entire term of service of the unit (20th of the Pennsylvania troops)	This feature is not yet available. Check back soon for updates!
WotRWiki Statistics	0 troops killed Includes 0 troops mortally wounded Includes 0 troops killed by disease All others are troops killed in action or under special circumstances	This feature is not yet available. Check back soon for updates!

Legacy

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Sources

• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. The Dyer Publishing Company (Des Moine, 1908). (Pages 761, 762, 827, 897, 898, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 932, 933, 934, 936, 938, 939, 940, 941, 990, 1595)
• Fox, William F. 1840-1909. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865: A Treatise on the Extent and Nature of the Mortuary Losses in the Union Regiments, With Full and Exhaustive Statistics Compiled From the Official Records on File in the State Military Bureaus and at Washington. Albany: Albany Pub. Co., 1889. (Pages 3, 13)