PA Civil War Volunteer Soldiers
Two Hundred and First Regiment History
201st PA Regiment History
The regiment was recruited at Harrisburg, for one years service7 in compliance with an order of Governor Curtin, of the 29th of July, 1864, issued under the call of the President of July 18th, for five hundred thousand men. With the exception of a part of company K, recruited in Franklin County, and squadrons from Duncannon and Fairview, in the counties of Perry and Curnberland, the men were from Dauphin County. Of the ten regiments required from Pennsylvania, under this call, this was the first ready for duty, its ranks having been filled to the maximum strength in less than thirty days. The men rendezvoused at Camp Curtin, where they were organized in companies, clothed, armed, and equipped, and on the 29th of August, a regimental organization was effected, with the following field officers: F. Asbury Awl, Colonel; J. Wesley Awl, Lieutenant Colonel; John T. Morgan, Major. The field officers had all served in the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Regiment, and large numbers of the line officers and men had previously been in the field. Immediately after its organization, it proceeded to Chambersburg and went into camp five miles from the town, near the point where the pike crosses Back Creek. It was here schooled and regularly drilled, and on the 12th, started on a three days' march for exercise. On the 17th of September, company H was ordered to York, for duty at the general hospital established there, and on the same day, companies F and C, were ordered to Bloody Run, and upon their arrival reported to General 0. S. Ferry, in command of the Juniata District.
Shortly afterwards company F was sent to McConnellsburg, and during the fall and winter, these two companies were employed in the disagreeable, but arduous duties of arresting deserters, nearly five hundred being apprehended and sent to the front. In December, General Ferry was relieved, and Major Morgan, of the Two Hundred and First, was assigned to the command and of the district. On the 18th of September, company E was ordered to Scranton, and upon its arrival, reported to Captain S. N. Bradford Provost Marshal of the district, and was employed in provost duty. On the 22nd, the remaining companies were again led out upon a three days' march for exercise, accompanied by artillery. On the 28th, the command was ordered to Pittsburg, and had proceeded as far as Huntingdon, when the order was countermanded, and it was directed to proceed via Washington and Alexandria to Manassas Junction, and was deployed for duty along the line of the Manassas Gap Railroad, with headquarters at Gainsville. Subsequently it moved to Thoroughfare Gap, were it remained until the road was broken up and the iron removed. On the 13th of November, it was ordered to Alexandria, and was placed in Camp Slough. It was here engaged in guard duty in the city, in the defenses south of the Potomac, and upon railroad trains, and as escort to recruits and stragglers on their way to the front. Many of the officers of the regiment were detailed as members on a general court martial. Lieutenant Colonel Awl was, early in May, placed in command of the Soldiers' Rest at Alexandria, which was a camp for distribution, and remained there until the summons came for him to rejoin his regiment for muster out.
On the 24th of May, 1865, the company which had been on duty at Bloody Run, in pursuance of orders, proceeded to Pittsburg, where it was put upon provost duty, and its commander, Captain Ensminger, was made Provost Marshal of the post. Two days later, the main body of the regiment at Alexandria, was ordered to duty at Fort Delaware, where it remained until the close of its term. About the middle of June, the scattered detachments assembled at Harrisburg, where, on the 21st, the regiment was mustered out of service.
Contributed by George Rapp
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