The Civil War in the East

51st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

 

The 51st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment lost 12 officers and 165 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 137 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

 

It is honored by two monuments at Antietam (right).

Monument to the 51st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment at Antietam Monument to the 51st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment at Antietam

1861

 

Recruited in Montgomery, Northampton, Union, Centre, Lycoming and Snyder Counties and organized at Harrisburg under Colonel John. F. Hartranft

November 16

Left State for Annapolis, Md. and duty there

1862

January 9

Attached to Reno's Brigade, Burnside's North Carolina Expeditionary Corps for Burnside's Expedition to Hatteras Inlet and Roanoke Island, N. C.

February 8

Battle of Roanoke Island

March 11-13

Moved to New Berne

March 14

Battle of New Berne

March 21-22

Expedition to Pollocksville

April 17-19

Expedition to Elizabeth City

April 19

Camden, South Mills

April

Duty at New Berne attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. of North Carolina

July 6-9

Moved to Newport News, Va. and assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

August 2-4

To Fredericksburg

August 12-15

March to relief of Pope

August 16-September 2

Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia

August 29

Battles of Groveton

August 30

Bull Run

September 1

Chantilly

September 6-24

Maryland Campaign

September 14

Battle of South Mountain

September 16-17

Antietam

The regiment, along with the 51st New York Infantry, took part in the final assault that carried Burnside's Bridge.

 

From the monument to the regiment by Burnside's Bridge:

The following comrades were killed:

Lieut. Col. Thos. S. Bell
Private James Coulston, Co. A
Private William Somerlot, Co. A

Private Charles Keyser, Co. A

5th Sergt. Richard J. Williams, Co. B
8th Corp. George W. Bird, Co. B
Private David S. Hutman, Co. B
Private Henry G. Moore, Co. B
1st Lieut. David Hunsicker, Co. C
Private David McKane, Co. C
Private Simon P. Emery, Co. C
Private George Mayberry, Co. D
Private John Hallowell, Co. C
Private William Comer, Co. F
Private Henry S. Lentz, Co. F
Private Henry Shultz, Co. F
Private James Dowling, Co. G
Private Miles Dillen, Co. G
Private William Wanrick, Co. G
Private Wallis Wiggins, Co. G
1st Sergt. Matthew Vandine, Co.G
1st Lieut. Jacob G.Beaver,Co. H
Private Isaac Beck, Co. H
Private Edward Bear, Co. H
Private Levi Marks, Co. H
Private Isaac Wittes, Co. H
Private Thomas P. DAvis, Co. I
Sergt. Albert Snyder, Co. K

And 84 others wounded.

September-
October

Duty at Pleasant Valley

October 27-November 19

Movement to Falmouth, Va.

December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.

1863

January 20-24

Burnside's second Campaign. "Mud March"

February 19

Moved to Newport News

March 26-April 1

To Covington and Paris, Ky. Attached to to Army of the Ohio

April 3

Moved to Mount Sterling

May 6-7

To Lancaster

May 23

To Crab Orchard

June 3-17

Movement to Vicksburg, Miss

June 17-July 4

Siege of Vicksburg; attached to the Army of the Tennessee

July 5-10

Advance on Jackson, Miss.

July 10-17

Siege of Jackson

July

At Milldale

August 6-20

Moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and assigned to the Army of the Ohio

August-October

Duty in Kentucky

November

Operations in East Tennessee

November 4-December 23

Knoxville Campaign

November 16

Campbell's Station

November 17-December 4

Siege of Knoxville

December 5-29

Pursuit of Longstreet

1864

January 1

Regiment reenlisted

January 11-
March 9

Regiment on Veteran furlough

March-April

At Annapolis, Md. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army Potomac

May 4-June 12

Rapidan Campaign

May 5-7

Battles of the Wilderness

May 8-12

Spottsylvania

May 9

Ny River

May 12-21

Spottsylvania C. H.

May 12

Assault on the Salient

May 23-26

North Anna River

May 24

Ox Ford

May 26-28

Line of the Pamunkey

May 28-31

Totopotomoy

June 1-12

Cold Harbor

June 1-3

Bethesda Church

June 16-18

Before Petersburg. Siege of Petersburg begins.

July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg

August 18-21

Weldon Railroad

September

Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps

September 29-October 2

Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm

October 8

Reconnaissance on Vaughan and Squirrel Level Road

October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run

1865

March 25

Fort Stedman

March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

April 2

Assault on and fall of Petersburg

April 20-28

Pursuit of Lee to Farmville. Moved to City Point, thence to Alexandria.

May 23

Grand Review

June-July

Duty at Washington and Alexandria

July 27

Mustered out