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61st Pennsylvania Regiment

Recruited in Indiana County, Allegheny County, Luzerne County, the city of Philadelphia, PA


61st PA Regiment Soldier Biographies




61st PA Regiment Newspaper Transcription




61st PA Regiment Companies




61st PA Regiment Organization, Service & Battles

    Organization
  • Organized at Pittsburg September 7, 1861.
  • Ordered to Washington, D.C.
  • Attached to Jameson's Brigade, Heintzelman's Division, Army Potomac, to February, 1862.
  • Graham's Brigade, Couch's Division, Army Potomac, to March, 1862.
  • 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to July, 1862.
  • 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, to September, 1862.
  • 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps, to October, 1862.
  • 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps, to February, 1863.
  • Light Brigade, 6th Army Corps, to May, 1863.
  • 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to July, 1864.
  • Army of the Shenandoah to December, 1864, and Army Potomac to June, 1865.
    Service & Battles - 1862
  • Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862.
  • Reconnoissance to Pohick Church and Occoquan River November 12, 1861.
  • Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15, 1862.
  • Reconnoissance to Gainesville March 20.
  • Moved to the Peninsula, Va., March 26.
  • Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4.
  • Battle of Williamsburg May 5.
  • Operations about Bottom's Bridge May 20-23.
  • Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, May 31-June 1.
  • Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1.
  • Seven Pines June 27.
  • White Oak Swamp and Charles City Cross Roads June 30.
  • Malvern Hill July 1.
  • At Harrison's Landing till August 16.
  • Reconnoissance to Malvern Hill August 5-7.
  • Movement to Alexandria,
  • Thence to Chantilly August 16-30.
  • Chantilly September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-24.
  • Battle of Antietam, Md., September 16-17.
  • Williamsport September 19-20.
  • Duty in Maryland and on the Potomac till November.
  • Movement to Falmouth, Va., November 1-19.
  • Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15.
    Service & Battles - 1863
  • Burnside's 2nd Campaign, "Mud March," January 20-24, 1863.
  • At Falmouth till April.
  • Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.
  • Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2.
  • Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3.
  • Salem Heights May 3-4.
  • Banks' Ford May 4.
  • Operations about Deep Run Ravine June 6-13.
  • Battle Of Gettysburg, Pa., July 2-4.
  • South Mountain, Md., July 6.
  • Duty on line of the Rappahannock and 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
  • At Brandy Station till April, 1864.
  • Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12.
  • Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Parker's Store May 5;
  • Spottsylvania May 8-12;
  • Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21.
  • Assault on the Salient May 12.
  • North Anna River May 23-26.
  • Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28.
  • Totopotomoy May 28-31.
  • Cold Harbor June 1-12.
  • Before Petersburg June 17-19.
  • Siege of Petersburg till July 9.
  • Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23.
  • Moved to Washington, D.C., July 9-11.
  • Repulse of Early's attack on Fort Stevens and the Northern Defences of Washington July 11-12.
  • Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap July 14-19.
  • Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to December.
  • Charlestown August 21.
  • Gilbert's Ford, Opequan Creek, September 13.
  • Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19.
  • Fisher's Hill September 22.
  • Battle of Cedar Creek October 19.
  • Duty in the Shenandoah Valley till December.
  • Ordered to Petersburg, Va., December 1.
    Service & Battles - 1865
  • 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.
  • Pursuit of Lee April 3-9.
  • Appomattox Court House April 9.
  • Surrender of Lee and his army.
  • March to Danville April 23-29, and duty there till May 23.
  • Moved to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D.C.
  • Corps Review June 8.
  • Mustered out June 28, 1865.
    Regimental Losses
  • Regiment lost during service 19 Officers and 218 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 100 Enlisted men by disease. Total 338.



61st PA Regiment Medal of Honor Recipients

  • CLAUSEN, CHARLES H. First lieutenant, Company H, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Citation: At Spotsylvania, Va., 12 May 1864, although severely wounded, he led the regiment against the enemy, under a terrific fire, and saved a battery from capture. Date of Issue: 25 June 1892.

  • FISHER, JOSEPH Corporal, Company C, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Citation: At Petersburg, Va., 2 April 1865, carried the colors 50 yards in advance of his regiment, and after being painfully wounded attempted to crawl into the enemy's works in an endeavor to plant his flag thereon. Date of issue: 16 January 1894.

  • MILTON MATTHEWS Private, Company C, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Birth: Pittsburgh, Pa. Citation: At Petersburg, Va., 2 April 1865, capture of flag of 7th Tennessee Infantry (C.S.A.). Date of issue: 10 May 1865.

  • GEORGE W. MINDIL (MINDELL) Captain, Company I, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth: Germany. Citation: At Williamsburg, Va., 5 May 1862, as aide-de-camp led the charge with a part of a regiment, pierced the enemy's center, silenced some of his artillery, and, getting in his rear, caused him to abandon his position. Date of issue: 25 October 1893.

  • THEODORE MITCHELL Private, Company C, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Birth: Tarentum, Pa. Citation: At Petersburg, Va., 2 April 1865, capture of the flag of the Tennessee Brigade (C.S.A.). Date of issue: 10 May 1865.

  • ROBERT L. ORR Major, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Born: 28 March 1836, Philadelphia, Pa. Citation: At Petersburg, Va., 2 April 1865, carried the colors at the head of the column in the assault after two color bearers had been shot down. Date of issue: 28 November 1892.

  • SYLVESTER D. RHODES Sergeant, Company D, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Wilkes_Barre, Pa. Birth: Plains, Pa. Citation: At Fishers Hill, Va., 22 September 1864, was on the skirmish line which drove the enemy from the first entrenchment and was the first man to enter the breastworks, capturing one of the guns and turning it upon the enemy. Date of issue: 16 February 1897.