PA Civil War > Regiments > 85th

85th Pennsylvania Regiment

Recruited in Washington County, Fayette County, Greene County, Somerset County, PA


85th PA Regiment Soldier Biographies




98th PA Regiment Newspaper Transcription




85th PA Regiment Companies




85th PA Regiment Books




85th PA Regiment Organization, Service & Battles

    Organization
  • Organized at Uniontown October 16 to November 12, 1861.
  • Left State for Washington, D.C.
  • Attached to 2nd Brigade, Casey's Division, Army Potomac, to March, 1862.
  • 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to June, 1862.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, to September, 1862.
  • Wessell's Brigade, Division at Suffolk, Va., 7th Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to December, 1862.
  • 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of North Carolina, to January, 1863.
  • 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Army Corps, Dept. of North Carolina, to February, 1863.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 18th Corps, Dept. of the South, to April, 1863.
  • Folly Island, S. C., 10th Corps, Dept. South, to June, 1863.
  • 1st Brigade, Folly Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to July, 1863.
  • 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps, July, 1863.
  • 2nd Brigade, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to October, 1863.
  • Howell's Brigade, Gordon's Division, Folly Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to December, 1863.
  • District of Hilton Head, S.C., 10th Corps, to April, 1864.
  • 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to November, 1864.
    Service & Battles - 1862
  • Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862.
  • Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15.
  • Moved to the Peninsula March 28.
  • Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4.
  • Battle of Williamsburg May 5.
  • Reconnoissance to Seven Pines May 24-27.
  • Skirmishes at Seven Pines, Savage Station and Chickahominy May 24.
  • Seven Pines May 29.
  • Battle of Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, May 31-June 1.
  • Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1.
  • Brackett's June 30.
  • Malvern Hill July 1.
  • At Harrison's Landing till August 16.
  • Moved to Fortress Monroe August 16-23, thence to Suffolk September 18,
  • And duty there till December.
  • Reconnoissance to Franklin on the Blackwater October 3.
  • Ordered to New Berne, N. C., December 4.
  • Foster's Expedition to Goldsboro December 10-21.
  • Southwest Creek December 13-14.
  • Kinston December 14.
  • Whitehall December 16.
  • Goldsboro December 17.
    Service & Battles - 1863
  • Duty at New Berne, N. C., till January, 1863.
  • Moved to Port Royal, S.C., January 28-31.
  • At St. Helena Island, S. C., till April.
  • At Folly Island, S.C., till July.
  • Attack on Morris Island July 10.
  • Assaults on Fort Wagner, Morris, Island, S.C., July 11 and 18.
  • Siege of Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island,
  • And operations against Fort Sumpter and Charleston July 18-September 7.
  • Duty on Morris and Folly Islands operating against Charleston till December.
  • Moved to Hilton Head, S. C., and duty there till April, 1864.
  • Expedition to Whitmarsh Island, Ga., February 22.
  • Moved to Gloucester Point, Va., April.
  • Butler's operations on south side of James River and
  • against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-28.
  • Ware Bottom Church May 9.
  • Swift Creek or Arrow field Church May 9-10.
  • Proctor's Creek and operations against Fort Darling May 12-16.
  • Battle of Drewry's Bluff May 14-16.
  • Operations on Bermuda Hundred front May 17-30.
  • Ware Bottom Church May 20.
  • Port Walthal June 16-17.
    Service & Battles - 1864
  • Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16 to November 22, 1864.
  • Ware Bottom Church June 20.
  • Demonstration on north side of the James at Deep Bottom August 13-20.
  • Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18.
  • Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 28-30.
  • Darbytown Road October 7.
  • Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28.
  • Mustered out November 22, 1864.
  • Veterans and Recruits transferred to 188th PA Regiment Infantry.
  • 7 Officers and 90 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 146 Enlisted men by disease. Total 247.



85th PA Regiment Medal of Honor Recipients

  • LEONARD, WILLIAM E.: Jacksonville, (now Jacktown) Greene County, Pa. Private, Company F, 85th Pennsylvania Infantry. Deep Bottom, Va., 16 April 1864. Citation given 6 April 1865 for capture of battle flag. Buried at Presbyterian Cemetery in Wind Ridge, Greene County, Pa.

  • MORRISON, FRANCIS: Private, Company H, 85th Pennsylvania Infantry. Bermuda Hundred, Va., 17 June 1864. Citation given: 2 August 1897. Voluntarily exposed himself to a heavy fire to bring off a wounded comrade.

  • SHELLENBERGER, JOHN S.: Corporal, Company B, 85th Pennsylvania Infantry. Deep Run, Va., 16 August 1864. Citation given: 6 April 1865. Capture of flag.