85th Pennsylvania Infantry

Regimental History and Service Record

Organized at Uniontown October 16 to November 12, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C. Attached to 2nd Brigade, Casey's Division, Army Potomac, to March, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to June, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, to September, 1862. Wessell's Brigade, Division at Suffolk, Va., 7th Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to December, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of North Carolina, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Army Corps, Dept. of North Carolina, to February, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 18th Corps, Dept. of the South, to April, 1863. Folly Island, S. C., 10th Corps, Dept. South, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, Folly Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to July, 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps, July, 1863. 2nd Brigade, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to October, 1863. Howell's Brigade, Gordon's Division, Folly Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to December, 1863. District of Hilton Head, S.C., 10th Corps, to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to November, 1864.

SERVICE.--Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., until March, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15.

• Moved to the Peninsula March 28.
• March 28-September 2, 1862 - The Peninsula Campaign
  • April 5-May 4, 1862 - Siege of Yorktown, Virginia
  • May 5, 1862 - Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia
  • May 24, 1862 - Skirmish at Savage's Station, Virginia
  • May 24-27, 1862 - Reconnaissance to Seven Pines, Virginia
  • May 29, 1862 - Affair at Seven Pines, Virginia
  • May 31-June 1, 1862 - Battle of Seven Pines, Virginia
  • June 25-July 1, 1862 - The Seven Days Battles before Richmond, Virginia
    • Brackett's June 30.
    • July 1, 1862 - Engagement at Malvern Hill, Virginia

At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Moved to Fortress Monroe August 16-23, thence to Suffolk September 18, and duty there until December. Reconnaissance to Franklin on the Blackwater October 3. Ordered to New Berne, N. C., December 4. Foster's Expedition to Goldsboro December 10-21. Southwest Creek December 13-14. Kinston December 14. Whitehall December 16. Goldsboro December 17. Duty at New Berne, N. C., until January, 1863. Moved to Port Royal, S.C., January 28-31. At St. Helena Island, S. C., until April. At Folly Island, S.C., until July. Attack on Morris Island July 10. Assaults on Fort Wagner, Morris, Island, S.C., July 11 and 18. Siege of Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, and operations against Fort Sumter and Charleston July 18-September 7. Duty on Morris and Folly Islands operating against Charleston until December. Moved to Hilton Head, S. C., and duty there until April, 1864. Expedition to Whitemarsh Island, Ga., February 22. Moved to Gloucester Point, Va., April. Butler's operations on south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-28. Ware Bottom Church May 9. Swift Creek or Arrow field Church May 9-10. Proctor's Creek and operations against Fort Darling May 12-16. Battle of Drewry's Bluff May 14-16. Operations on Bermuda Hundred front May 17-30. Ware Bottom Church May 20. Port Walthal June 16-17. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16 to November 22, 1864. Ware Bottom Church June 20. Demonstration on north side of the James at Deep Bottom August 13-20. Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18. Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 28-30. Darbytown Road October 7. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Mustered out November 22, 1864. Veterans and Recruits transferred to 188th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Regimental Roster

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Regiment Statistical Information

• Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 90 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 146 Enlisted men by disease. Total 247.

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 897, 898, 900, 901, 902, 903, 904, 1602-1603)