PA Civil War > Regiments > 97th

97th Regiment

Recruited in Chester county and Delaware county, PA


97th PA Regiment Newspaper Articles




97th PA Regiment Books




97th PA Regiment Organization, Service & Battles

    Organization
  • Organized at West Chester August 22 to October 28, 1861.
  • Moved to Washington, D.C., November 16-17,
  • Thence to Fortress Monroe, Va., November 20-22.
  • Attached to Dept. of Virginia to December, 1861.
  • Wright's 3rd Brigade, Sherman's South Carolina Expedition, to April, 1862.
  • 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the South, to July, 1862.
  • District of Hilton Head, S.C., Dept. South, to September, 1862.
  • District Hilton Head, S.C., 10th Corps, Dept. South, to April, 1863.
  • Stevenson's Brigade, Seabrook Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to July, 1863.
  • 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps, July, 1863.
  • 3rd Brigade, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to August, 1863.
  • 1st Brigade, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps, to October, 1863.
  • Fernandina, Fla., Dept. South, to April, 1864.
  • 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Army Corps, Dept. Virginia and North Carolina, to May, 1864.
  • 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to June, 1864.
  • 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 10th Corps, to December, 1864.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 24th Army Corps, to January, 1865.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Terry's Provisional Corps,
  • Dept. North Carolina, to March, 1865.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 10th Corps, Dept. North Carolina, to August, 1865.
    Service & Battles - 1861
  • Duty at Camp Hamilton, near Fortress Monroe, Va., till December 8, 1861.
  • Moved to Port Royal, S. C, December 8-11.
    Service & Battles - 1862
  • Duty at Hilton Head, S.C., till January 21, 1862.
  • Operations in Warsaw Sound, Ga., against Fort Pulaski, January 21-February 25.
  • Expedition to Florida February 25-March 5.
  • Occupation of Fernandina March 5, and duty there till March 24.
  • Moved to Jacksonville, Fla., March 24, and duty there till April 9.
  • Moved to Hilton Head, S.C., April 9-14.
  • Expedition to Edisto Island, S.C., April 19-20.
  • Expedition to James Island. S.C., June 1-28.
  • Action on James Island June 10.
  • Battle of Secessionville June 16.
  • Evacuation of James Island June 28, and duty at North Edisto Island till July 18.
  • Moved to Hilton Head, S.C., July 18, and duty there till November 20.
    Service & Battles - 1863
  • At St. Helena Island, S.C., till January 15, 1863.
  • At Hilton Head and Seabrook Point till April.
  • At Seabrook Island till July 8.
  • Expedition to James Island July 9-16.
  • Battle of Secessionville July 16.
  • Moved to Folly and Morris Islands July 17-18.
  • Assault on Fort Wagner, Morris Island, July 18.
  • Siege of Fort Wagner, Morris Island,
  • And Operations against Fort Sumpter and Charleston July 18-September 7.
  • Capture of Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, September 7.
  • Duty on Morris Island till October 2.
    Service & Battles - 1864
  • Moved to Fernandina, Fla., October 2-5, and duty there till April 23, 1864.
  • Expedition from Fernandina to Woodstock and King's Ferry Mills February 15-23, 1864.
  • Moved to Hilton Head, S.C., thence to Gloucester Point, Va., April 23-28.
  • Butler's operations on south side of the James and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-28.
  • Capture of Bermuda Hundred and City Point May 5.
  • 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.
  • Bermuda Hundred front May 17-28.
  • Chester Station May 18.
  • Green Plains May 20.
  • Movement to White House, thence to Cold Harbor May 28-June 1.
  • Battles about Cold Harbor June 1-12.
  • Before Petersburg June 15-18.
  • Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16 to December 7, 1864.
  • Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30 (Reserve).
  • Demonstration on north side of James River at Deep Bottom August 13-20.
  • Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18.
  • Bermuda Hundred August 24-25.
  • Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 28-30.
  • Charles City Road October 7.
  • Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28.
  • In trenches before Richmond till December 6.
  • Expedition to Fort Fisher, N. C., December 6-27.
    Service & Battles - 1865
  • Second Expedition to Fort Fisher January 3-15, 1865.
  • Assault and capture of Fort Fisher January 15.
  • Sugar Loaf Battery February 11.
  • Fort Anderson February 18-19.
  • Capture of Wilmington February 22.
  • Advance on Goldsborg March 6-21.
  • Advance on Raleigh April 9-13.
  • Occupation of Raleigh April 14.
  • Bennett's House April 26.
  • Surrender of Johnston and his army.
  • Duty at Raleigh till July 10, and at Gaston and Weldon, N. C., till August 28.
  • Mustered out August 28, 1865, at Weldon, N. C.
  • Moved to Philadelphia, Pa., and discharged September 4, 1865.
    Regimental Losses
  • Regiment lost during service 6 Officers and 130 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 184 Enlisted men by disease. Total 322.



97th PA Regiment Medal of Honor Recipients

  • ENGLE, JAMES E. Sergeant, Company I, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Chester, Pa. Birth: Chester, Pa. Citation: Responded to a call for volunteers to carry ammunition to the regiment on the picket line and under a heavy fire from the enemy assisted in carrying a box of ammunition to the front and remained to distribute the same. At Bermuda Hundred, Va., 18 May 1864. Date of issue: 17 December 1896.

  • LEWIS, DEWITT CLINTON Captain, Company F, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. Birth: West Chester, Pa. Citation: While retiring with his men before a heavy fire of can1ster shot at short range, returned in the face of the enemy's fire and rescued an exhausted private of his company who but for this timely action would have lost his life by drowning in the morass through which the troops were retiring. At Secessionville, S.C., 16 June 1862. Date of issue: 23 April 1896.

  • GALUSHA PENNYPACKER Colonel, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: West Chester, Pa. Born: 1 June 1844, Valley Forge, Pa. Citation: At Fort Fisher, N.C., 15 January 1865. Gallantly led the charge over a traverse and planted the colors of one of his regiments thereon, was severely wounded. Date of issue: 17 August 1891.

  • JOHN WAINWRIGHT First Lieutenant, Company F, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: West Chester, Pa. Born: 13 July 1839, Syracuse, Onondaga County, N.Y. Citation: Gallant and meritorious conduct at Fort Fisher, N.C., where, as first lieutenant, he commanded the regiment 15 January 1865. Date of issue: 24 June 1890.

  • GEORGE W. WALTON Private, Company C, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. Entered service at: Upper Oxford, Pa. Birth: Chester, Pa. Citation: At Fort Hell, Petersburg, Va., 29 August 1864. Went outside the trenches, under heavy fire at short range, and rescued a comrade who had been wounded and thrown out of the trench by an exploding shell. Date of issue: 6 August 1902.



97th PA Regiment Executions

  • Thompson, James 97th PA Infantry Feb 7, 1864 Firing Squad for Desertion
  • Wilson, James 97th PA Infantry Feb 7, 1864 Firing Squad Desertion
  • Goodrich, Peter 97th PA Infantry Feb 27, 1864 Firing Squad Desertion