The 138th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an

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 ...

that served 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 ...

Service

The 138th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

, and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on August 16, 1862, under the command of

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 ...

Charles L. K. Sumwalt. The regiment was attached to Relay House, Defenses of Baltimore,

VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...

, Middle Department, to February 1863. 3rd Separate Brigade, VIII Corps, to June 1863. Elliott's Command, VIII Corps, to July 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division,

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 ...

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 ...

, to March 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division,

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...

, Army of the Potomac and Army of the Shenandoah, to June 1865. The 138th Pennsylvania Infantry mustered out of service on June 23, 1865.

Detailed service

Moved to Baltimore, Md., August 30, thence to Relay House. Duty at Relay House, Md., until June 1863. Moved to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., June 16. Escort stores to Washington July 1–5. Join Division at Frederick, Md., July 7. Pursuit of Lee July 7–24. Wapping Heights July 23. Bristoe Campaign October 9–22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7–8. Kelly's Ford November 7. Brandy Station November 8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Payne's Farm November 27. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6–7, 1864. Duty at and near Brandy Station until May. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12. Battles of the Wilderness May 5–7; Spotsylvania May 8–12; Spotsylvania Court House May 12–21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23–26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28. Totopotomoy May 28–31. Cold Harbor June 1–12. Before Petersburg June 17–18. Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad, June 22–23. Siege of Petersburg until July 6. Moved to Baltimore, Md., July 6–8. Battle of Monocacy July 9. Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap July 14–24. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to December. Charlestown August 21–22. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Fisher's Hill, September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty at Kernstown until December. Moved to Washington, D.C., thence to Petersburg, Va., December. 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. Sayler's Creek April 6. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Danville April 23–27, and duty there until May 23. March to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D. C., May 23-June 3, Corps review June 8.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 167 men during service; 6 officers and 90 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 70 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Charles L. K. Sumwalt * Colonel Matthew Robert McClennan *

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 ...

Lewis A. May - commanded at the Battle of Monocacy

Notable members

* Corporal Trustrim Connell, Company I -

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 valor. ...

recipient for action at the battle of Sayler's Creek * Corporal John W. Mauk, Company F - killed Confederate General

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 Hi ...

at Petersburg, April 2, 1865 * Corporal Peter Thorn, Company B - caretaker of Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Harrold, John. ''Libby, Andersonville, Florence: The Capture, Imprisonment, Escape and Rescue of John Harrold, a Union Soldier in the War of the Rebellion'' (Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Selheimer), 1870. * Lewis, Osceola. ''History of the One Hundred and Thirty-Eighth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry'' (Norristown, PA: Wills, Iredell & Jenkins), 1866. ;Attribution *

External links

Monument of the 138th Pennsylvania Infantry at Monocacy Battlefield

138th Pennsylvania Infantry living history organization

{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423033520/http://www.petersburgbreakthrough.org/138thPA.htm , date=2010-04-23 Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union Army from Pennsylvania 1862 establishments in Pennsylvania