{{Infobox military unit , unit_name= 90th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry , image= File:Pennsylvania State Flag 1863 pubdomain.jpg , image_size = 200 px , caption= State Flag of Pennsylvania, circa 1863 , dates= September 1861 to November 26, 1864 , country= United States , allegiance= Union , branch= Infantry , equipment= Altered smooth-bore muskets (until 1864) , battles= American Civil War: * Northern Virginia Campaign * Battle of Cedar Mountain * First Battle of Rappahannock Station * Battle of Thoroughfare Gap *

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

* Battle of Chantilly * Maryland Campaign * Battle of South Mountain *

Battle of 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 G ...

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 ...

*Burnside’s Mud March * Chancellorsville Campaign/ Battle of Chancellorsville * Gettysburg Campaign/ Battle of Gettysburg * Mine Run Campaign *

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

* Battle of Globe Tavern The 90th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. They wore chasseur-style uniforms, which each consisted of a dark blue habit veste with white trim, baggy sky-blue trousers and a dark blue kepi. The buttons on the habit veste were unique to the 90th Pennsylvania. They were the only Union regiment in the entire war to have a specific button design.

History

The regiment was formed from the 2nd Regiment, 1st Brigade, First Division of the Pennsylvania Militia. Peter Lyle was selected colonel, William A. Leech

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

Alfred J. Sellers Alfred Jacob Sellers (March 2, 1836 – September 20, 1908) was an American soldier who fought for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for valor. Biography Sellers fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg ...

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 ...

. Recruitment started in early September 1861 and by December 900 men were raised. It was first sent to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

and then to Washington, D.C. Once there, it became part of the I Corps, Army of the Potomac, assigned to the 2nd Brigade, Second Division. The regiment was issued .69 caliber muskets converted from flintlock to percussion; they carried these until the Siege of Petersburg when they received Springfield rifles. After several months of garrison duty and railroad repair, the 90th was sent along with the rest of its division to the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

to stop Major General T. J. Jackson's force, but did not get into any battles. In June, it was assigned to Major General John Pope's Army of Virginia. The regiment relieved part of the Union force after the Battle of Cedar Mountain. It lost 200 men during the

. At the

, the 90th fought in the Cornfield in support of the Pennsylvania Reserves. Total losses during this battle were ninety-eight, including several officers. Lyle was promoted to command of the brigade, with Leech taking command of the regiment. Missing the

in December, it did fight on the Union left during the Battle of Chancellorsville. On July 1, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg, it was placed in support of the Union line on McPherson Ridge. Forced to retreat with the rest of the I Corps, it was assigned with the rest of the division to the southern end of Cemetery Ridge. The chaplain of the regiment,

Horatio Stockton Howell Horatio Stockton Howell (August 14, 1820 – July 1, 1863) was a Union Army chaplain killed in downtown Gettysburg on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. Career as minister and teacher In 1853 he was called on t ...

, was cruelly murdered on the steps of the Lutheran Church during the retreat. Lyle was temporarily appointed to command of the 1st Brigade, with Sellers taking over the regiment. It did not fight during the rest of the battle, suffering only some shelling. In early 1864, the I Corps was consolidated into the V Corps, with the 90th forming part of the 1st Brigade, Second Division. The regiment lost heavily during the Overland Campaign, losing 124 out of 251 men at the

and another hundred at Spotsylvania Court House. On May 6, Lyle was placed in command of the 1st Brigade, Second Division. Since both Leech and Major Jacob M. Davis were on detached duty, Captain William P. Davis took command of the regiment. The 90th fought in the Siege of Petersburg. On June 24, both Leech and Jacob Davis returned to the regiment, with Leech assuming command. At the Battle of Globe Tavern, Leech, Jacob Davis, and about 90 men were captured when the Confederates overran its position. Another twenty men were killed or wounded. William Davis took command of the regiment again. The original term of service for the 90th ran out on November 26. Those eligible for discharge were sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the regiment was disbanded. The veterans and recruits whose enlistments had not expired yet were assigned to the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Casualties

* Killed and mortally wounded: 5 officers, 98 enlisted men * Wounded: ? officers, ? enlisted men * Died of disease: 1 officer, 126 enlisted men * Captured and missing: ? officers, ? enlisted men * Total: ? officers, ? enlisted men

Notable members

* William H. Paul, U.S. Medal of Honor recipient who prevented the regiment's flag from being captured by the enemy during the

on September 17, 1862 *

, U.S. Medal of Honor recipient for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg * Martin E. Scheibner, Medal of Honor recipient for his actions at the Battle of Mine Run

References

Pennsylvania in the Civil War90th Pennsylvania monument at the Antietam National Battlefield
Units and formations of the Union Army from Pennsylvania 1861 establishments in Pennsylvania Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1864

History

Casualties

Notable members

See also

References