Look for your ancestors in this PA genealogy database of American Civil War soldiers - infantry, cavalry & artillery rosters, histories, biographies, draft, journals, letters, medal of honor recipients, prisoners of war (POWs), & pensions of our Pennsylvania military ancestors. Use this free Pennsylvania database to help with your genealogy search.
Organized at Fortress Monroe, Va., April 1, 1864, from 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery.
Moved from Camp Hamilton, Va., to Yorktown April 25.
Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 18th Army Corps,
Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to December, 1864.
3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 24th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to July, 1865.
2nd Independent Brigade, 24th Army Corps, to August. 1865.
Dept. of Virginia, to December, 1865.
Service & Battles - 1864
Butler's operations on south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond, Va. May 4-28.
Swift Creek or Arrowfield Church May 9-10.
Proctor's Creek and operations against Fort Darling May 12-16.
Battle of Drewry's Bluff May 14-16.
On Bermuda Hundred front May 16-28.
Moved to White House,
Thence to Cold Harbor May 28-June 1.
Battles of Cold Harbor June 1-12.
Before Petersburg June 15-18.
Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond,
June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865.
Hare's Hill June 24 and 28, 1864.
In trenches before Petersburg till September.
Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30 (Reserve).
Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, north of the James, September 28-30.
Battle of Fair Oaks, near Richmond, October 27-28.
Service & Battles - 1865
Duty in trenches before Richmond till March, 1865.
Expedition up the Rappahannock to Fredericksburg and destruction of large quantities of tobacco and stores March 5-8.
Expedition from Fort Monroe into Westmoreland County March 11-13.
March to Signal Hill before Richmond.
Occupation of Richmond April 3.
Guard and provost duty at Lynchburg and in Central Virginia till December, 1865.
Mustered out at City Point, Va., December 14, 1865.
Regimental Losses
Regiment lost during service 10 Officers and 114 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 66 Enlisted men by disease. Total 192.
188th PA Regiment Medal of Honor Recipients
BLUCHER, CHARLES Corporal, Company H, 188th Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Harrisburgh, Pa. Birth: Germany. Citation: At Fort Harrison, Va., 29 September 1864. Planted first national colors on the fortifications. Date of issue: 6 April 1865
GRAUL, WILLIAM Corporal, Company I, 188th Pennsylvania Infantry. . Entered service at: Reading, Pa. Birth: Reading, Pa. Citation: At Fort Harrison, Va., 29 September 1864. First to plant the colors of his State on the fortifications. Date of issue: 6 April 1865
KRAMER, THEODORE L. Private, Company G, 188th Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Danville, Pa. Birth: Luzerne County, Pa. Citation: At Chapins Farm, Va., 29 September 1864. Took one of the first prisoners, a captain. Date of issue: 6 April 1865
