PA Civil War > Regiments > 42nd

42nd Pennsylvania Regiment - 13th Pennsylvania Reserve Corps
1st Pennsylvania Rifles - Bucktails

Three Years' Service - Recruited in Tioga County, Perry County, Cameron County, Warren County, Carbon County, Elk County, Chester County, McKean County, Clearfield County, PA

The men, who were mostly lumbermen, brought their trusty rifles and wore a bucktail in their hats. No one was accepted who did not prove himself-a skilled marksman.


42nd PA Regiment Soldier Biographies




42nd PA Regiment Newspaper Articles




42nd PA Books




42nd PA Regiment Companies




42nd PA Regiment Organization, Service & Battles

    Organization
  • Organized at Harrisburg June 21, 1861.
  • Moved to a point opposite Cumberland, Md., June 22;
  • Thence into West Virginia in support of Lew Wallace.
  • Duty on State line till July 27.
  • Ordered to Harper's Ferry August 1.
  • Assigned to George H. Thomas' Brigade, Banks' Division, and duty at Harper's Ferry till October.
  • Moved to Tennallytown, Md., October 1.
  • Attached to 2nd Brigade, McCall's Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862.
  • 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1862.
  • 3rd Brigade, McCall's Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862.
  • (Cos. "C," "G," "H" and "I" detached May 12, 1862, and
  • attached to Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862.
  • 1st Corps, Army of Virginia, to August, 1862.)
  • 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to August, 1862.
  • 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862.
  • 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to February, 1863.
  • 1st Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserve Division, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington, to June, 1863.
  • 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1864.
    Service & Battles - 1861
  • Moved from Tennallytown, Md., to Camp Pierpont, near Langley, Va., October 10, 1861,
    Service & Battles - 1862
  • And duty there till March, 1862.
  • Expedition to Hunter's Mills October 20, 1861 (Cos. "A," "G," "H," "I" and "K").
  • Expedition to Grinnell's Farm December 6.
  • Action at Dranesville December 20.
  • Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15.
  • McDowell's advance on Falmouth April 9-19.
  • Duty at Fredericksburg till June.
  • (Cos. "C," "G," "H" and "I" reported to Colonel Bayard May 15, 1862.
  • Pursuit of Jackson up the Shenandoah Valley May 25-June 6.
  • Harrisonburg June 1. Strasburg June 2.
  • Strasburg and Staunton Road June 2.
  • Woodstock June 3.
  • Mount Jackson June 3.
  • Harrisonburg June 6-7.
  • Cross Keys June 8.
  • Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2.
  • Catlett's Station August 22.
  • Bull Run Bridge August 30-31.
  • Rejoined Regiment September 7, 1862.)
  • Regiment moved to White House June 9-12.
  • Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1.
  • Battles of Mechanicsville June 26; Meadow Bridge, near Mechanicsville, June 26;
  • Gaines Mill June 27; Savage Station June 29; Charles City Cross Roads or Glendale June 30; Malvern Hill July 1.
  • At Harrison's Landing till August 16.
  • Movement to Join Pope August 16-26.
  • Battles of Gainesville August 28; Groveton August 29; Bull Run August 30.
  • Maryland Campaign September 6-24.
  • Battles of South Mountain September 14; Antietam September 16-17.
  • Duty in Maryland till October 30.
  • Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19.
  • Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15.
  • "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863.
  • Ordered to Washington, D.C., February 6, and duty there and at Alexandria till June 25.
  • Ordered to join Army of the Potomac in the field.
  • Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3.
  • Pursuit of Lee July 5-24.
  • Duty on the Rapidan till October.
  • Bristoe Campaign October 9-22.
  • Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8.
  • Rappahannock Station November 7.
  • Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2.
    Service & Battles - 1864
  • Guard Orange & Alexandria Railroad till April, 1864.
  • Rapidan Campaign May 4-31.
  • Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12;
  • Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21.
  • Assault on the Salient May 12. Harris Farm May 19.
  • North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Ford May 25.
  • On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28.
  • Totopotomoy May 28-31.
  • Veterans and Recruits transferred to 190th PA Regiment June 1.
  • Mustered out June 11, 1864.
    Regimental Losses
  • Regiment lost during service 11 Officers and 151 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 88 Enlisted men by disease. Total 252.



42nd PA Regiment Medal of Honor Recipients

  • LOWER, CYRUS B.: Private, Company K, 13th Pennsylvania Reserves.. Wilderness, Va., 7 May 1864. Citation given: 20 July 1887. Gallant services and soldierly qualities in voluntarily rejoining his command after having been wounded.

  • THOMPSON, JAMES B.: Sergeant, Company G, 1st Pennsylvania Rifles. Gettysburg, Pa., 3 July 1863. Citation given: 1 December 1864. Capture of flag of 15th Georgia Infantry (C.S.A.). Born 1843, died August 31, 1875, buried Old Church Hill Cemetery, Port Royal, Juniata County, Pa.