{{Infobox military unit , unit_name= 116th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry , image= Flag of Pennsylvania.svg , image_size = 100 , caption=Pennsylvania flag , dates= August 1862 to July 14, 1865 , country=

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

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Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

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Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

, equipment= , battles= Battle of Fredericksburg

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 186 ...

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

First Battle of Deep Bottom The First Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as Darbytown, Strawberry Plains, New Market Road, or Gravel Hill, was fought July 27–29, 1864, at Deep Bottom in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Siege of Petersburg of the American Civil ...

Appomattox Campaign The 116th Pennsylvania Infantry was a volunteer

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. It formed a part of the Irish Brigade.

History

The 116th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, was recruited from among the Irish Americans of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, during the summer of 1862. Dennis Heenan served as its first

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

, St. Clair A. Mulholland as lieutenant colonel, and George H. Bardwell as major. At the end of August 1862, the regiment was ordered to report to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and was assigned to the Irish Brigade, which was the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, II Corps, Army of the Potomac. The following month, it was ordered to the Shenandoah Valley, where it saw minor skirmishing. At the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, the 116th charged up Marye's Heights. Despite losing many of their officers and men, including Colonel Heenan, they remained at the wall until dark. The regiment had lost so many men that it was consolidated into a battalion of four companies under the command of Mulholland. The 116th performed well at the

, where it helped rescue the

5th Maine Battery 5th Maine Light Artillery Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 5th Maine Battery was organized in Augusta, Maine and mustered in for three years' service on December 4, 1861. T ...

from capture. In this action, Mulholland earned a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

. On the second day of the

, the 1st Division was sent into the Wheatfield to support the III Corps, where the 116th engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Caught in a crossfire, the division was forced to retreat. During

Pickett's Charge Pickett's Charge (July 3, 1863), also known as the Pickett–Pettigrew–Trimble Charge, was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Major General George G. Meade's Union positions on the last day of the ...

the following day, the regiment supported the 2nd Connecticut Battery but wasn't needed in the fighting. During the following few months, the 116th remained in northern Virginia. In the spring of 1864, Mulholland was given permission to recruit the regiment back to full strength. Enough men were raised in Philadelphia to form Companies E, F, and G in addition to bringing the four companies at the front to strength, though many of the veterans were consolidated into A Company. Companies H, I, and K were raised in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. Mulholland was promoted to colonel, while Richard C. Dale became lieutenant colonel and John Teed, who had been captured at Gettysburg, major. The 116th fought all through the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union ...

, where it continued to lose heavily in officers and men. Mulholland was wounded at the

and Dale was missing in action. Mulholland was wounded again at the

. Heavy losses continued during the

. In July, the Irish Brigade was broken up and the 116th was assigned to the 4th Brigade, 1st Division. After the Appomattox Campaign, the regiment was sent to

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

, where, on June 3, companies A, B, C, and D where mustered out. The remaining companies were mustered out on July 14 in Washington.

Casualties during the war

* Killed and mortally wounded: 8 officers, 137 enlisted men * Wounded: ? officers, ? enlisted men * Died of disease: 1 officer, 88 enlisted men * Captured or missing: ? officers, ? enlisted men * Total casualties: 9 officers, 225 enlisted men

References

Pennsylvania in the Civil WarReenactors of Company BReenactors of Company D
*Facebook Page: 116th Pennsylvania Vol. Infantry, Company E (Irish Brigade)

116 116 (''one hundred and sixteen'') may refer to: *116 (number) *AD 116 * 116 BC * 116 (Devon and Cornwall) Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, a military unit * 116 (MBTA bus) * 116 (New Jersey bus) * 116 (hip hop group), a Christian hip hop collect ...

Irish Brigade (U.S.)

1862 establishments in Pennsylvania Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865

History

Casualties during the war

See also

References