The 118th Pennsylvania Regiment 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 marine i ...

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 conscripted ...

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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

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 th ...

. They participated in several major conflicts during the war including the

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 ...

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 ...

, and escorted the truce flag of Robert E. Lee at the

Battle of Five Forks The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, around the road junction of Five Forks, Dinwiddie County, at the end of the Siege of Petersburg, near the conclusion of the American Civil War. The Union Ar ...

. The regiment was led by Colonel Charles Prevost until he was seriously injured at the

Battle of Shepherdstown The Battle of Shepherdstown, also known as the Battle of Boteler's Ford, took place September 19–20, 1862, at Boteler's Ford along the Potomac River, during the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. After the Battle of Antietam on S ...

in which Lieutenant-Colonel James Gwyn assumed command until the end of the war. It was also known as the Corn Exchange Regiment because a bounty of $10 for each man, as well as the funds necessary for raising the regiment, were furnished by the Corn Exchange Association with their hall at 2nd and Gold Streets in Philadelphia.

History

The regiment initially rendezvoused at

Camp Union Camp Union was a military training center for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Constructed near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the camp operated from 1861 until 1865, and primarily served various Pennsylvania volunteer regiments. The c ...

Philadelphia 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 ...

, where it was mustered into Federal service on August 30, 1862, for a three-year term. The field officers were Charles M. Provost as

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 of ...

, James Gwyn as

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

and Charles P. Herring as

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. The regiment was ordered at once 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, ...

, as part of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

. Assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division,

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

, it reached

Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union ...

on September 16, but was held in reserve during the ensuing engagement. At Blackford's Ford, near Shepherdstown, it saw its first fight on September 20, and lost 282 men out of a strength of 800. Several officers were among those killed or wounded. A number drowned in the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

trying to escape from a sudden

counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...

by the division of

A.P. Hill Ambrose Powell Hill Jr. (November 9, 1825April 2, 1865) was a Confederate general who was killed in the American Civil War. He is usually referred to as A. P. Hill to differentiate him from another, unrelated Confederate general, Daniel Harvey H ...

. Colonel Provost was made

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

for gallantry in this battle.The Union Army Volume I, States and Regiments (1908), page 448 (As of 2004, the Shepherdstown Battlefield was threatened by development). The regiment moved south in early November and took part in the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

, where it joined in the assault on Marye's Heights and suffered severely. During the infamous "Mud March" in January, 1863, the 118th was involved in a riot, fueled by a whiskey ration, with two other units, the 22nd Massachusetts and the 2nd Maine. The men of the 118th PA and the 22nd MA came to blows after accusations flew that the Massachusetts regiment failed to support the Pennsylvanians at Shepherdstown. Somehow, the 2nd Maine became involved and a 3 regiment free-for-all ensued, fizzling out only after the participants became exhausted. After the " Mud March", the 118th returned to camp at Falmouth, which it occupied until April 27, 1863. It was closely engaged at the

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 ...

, again suffering considerable casualties. The 118th was in camp at Falmouth until June 10 when the Army of the Potomac commenced its northward movement for the Gettysburg Campaign. The Corn Exchange Regiment acted as support in the cavalry engagements of Aldie, Upperville and Middleburg. The regiment reached Gettysburg early on July 2, 1863. At four o'clock that afternoon, the 118th went into action in support of

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Daniel Sickles Daniel Edgar Sickles (October 20, 1819May 3, 1914) was an American politician, soldier, and diplomat. Born to a wealthy family in New York City, Sickles was involved in a number of scandals, most notably the 1859 homicide of his wife's lover, U. ...

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

and was closely engaged, losing 3 killed, 19 wounded, and 3 missing or captured. On the 3rd, the regiment was moved to Big Round Top, where it remained without engagement. Following the battle, it then joined in the pursuit of the retreating Confederates and encountered the enemy on July 4. On September 30, 1863, Prevost officially retired, and Gwyn was promoted to colonel and the commanding officer of the 118th. During this time, Prevost had been stationed as

commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

of a

military prison A military prison is a prison operated by a military. Military prisons are used variously to house prisoners of war, unlawful combatants, those whose freedom is deemed a national security risk by the military or national authorities, and members of ...

Elmira, New York Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 cens ...

. At camp in Beverly Ford, Virginia in August and September, about 300 recruits were received. During this period, five

bounty jumper Bounty jumpers were men who enlisted in the Union or Confederate army during the American Civil War only to collect a bounty and then leave. The Enrollment Act of 1863 instituted conscription but allowed individuals to pay a bounty to someone else t ...

s from among the new recruits were recaptured after deserting from the Regiment, and sentenced to death. Appeals were sent all the way to President Lincoln, who decided that the desertion of bounty jumpers was becoming too severe a problem and denied the appeal. The execution of the five deserters took place with the entire V Corps assembled to witness the shooting on August 29, 1863. After participating in the

Mine Run campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union A ...

, the regiment returned to winter quarters at Beverly Ford. On May 1, 1864, it started for the Wilderness, where it was engaged. It also fought at

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 1864 ...

, the

North Anna River The North Anna River is a principal tributary of the Pamunkey River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in central Virginia in the United States. ...

, Mechanicsville, Totopotomoy Creek, and Petersburg. During the siege of Petersburg, the 118th remained in the trenches until August 15. It then joined in the movement upon the

Wilmington and Weldon Railroad The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (W&W) name began use in 1855, having been originally chartered as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad in 1834. At the time of its completion in 1840, the line was the longest railroad in the world with of track ...

, was posted near Yellow House in September, and joined in the Hatcher's Run movement in October, the raid on the Weldon Railroad in December, and the engagement at Dabney's Mill in February 1865. On April 1, it participated in the

and continued the pursuit to Appomattox Court House, where its brigade received the arms and flags of General Robert E. Lee's army.118th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers
/ref> On April 15, the regiment started for Washington, D.C., where it was mustered out on June 1, 1865. The late-1864 recruits were transferred to the 91st Pennsylvania Infantry.

Casualties

* Killed or mortally wounded: 9 officers, 132 enlisted men * Wounded: 6 officers, 67 enlisted men * Captured or missing: ? officers, ? enlisted men * Died of disease: 1 officer, 111 enlisted men * Total: ? officers, ? enlisted men

Legacy

A group based in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

currently represents Company C and belongs to the American Civil War Society. Their website can be foun
here
The 103rd Engineer Combat Battalion of the 28th Division, Pennsylvania National Guard, traces a lineage back through the 118th Pennsylvania Infantry.

References

5. Philadelphia Inquirer, January 28, 1863, page 4.http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/newspapers/?sort=_rank_%3AD&lname=%22corn+exchange+association%22&fname=&minit=&kwinc=&kwexc=&formDate=1862+-+1865&processingtime=&ploc1=Pennsylvania 6. Philadelphia Inquirer, January 29, 1862, page 8.http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/newspapers/?sort=_rank_%3AD&lname=%22corn+exchange+association%22&fname=&minit=&kwinc=&kwexc=&formDate=1862+-+1865&processingtime=&ploc1=Pennsylvania 7. Philadelphia Inquirer, February 1, 1865, page 4.http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/newspapers/?sort=_rank_%3AD&lname=%22corn+exchange+association%22&fname=&minit=&kwinc=&kwexc=&formDate=1862+-+1865&processingtime=&ploc1=Pennsylvania

External links

A scrapbook of newspaper clippings about the Corn Exchange Regiment
at the William Clements Library at the University of Michigan
Philadelphia in the Civil War, 1861-1865, Frank H. Taylor, 1913
at rootsweb.com

at Pennsylvania in the Civil War

Corporal William McLachlan's descendant visits Winchester Courthouse
103rd Engineers Pennsylvania Army National Guard
* {{Internet Archive, 03173748.3135.emory.edu, History of the Corn Exchange Regiment, 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers, from their first engagement at Antietam to Appomattox: to which is added a record of its organization and a complete roster : fully illustrated with maps, portraits, and over one hundred illustrations (1888)

Pictures

An 1886 lithograph of the Corn Exchange Bank at 2d & Chestnut Sts.Photographs of the Corn Exchange BankPicture of the Girard House where E Company was raised
from the Library Company of Philadelphia Wainwright Lithograph Collection

Soldier's letters

at the William Clements Library at the University of Michigan
Letters of Corporal John L. Smith
at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Units and formations of the Union Army from Pennsylvania 1862 establishments in Pennsylvania Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865