85TH PA. BATTLES

This regiment was organized in the fall of 1861 at Uniontown, Fayette County, PA. The thousand or so men who served were from the following counties of southwestern Pennsylvania: Washington, Fayette, Greene and Somerset. During the war, about 100 men died in battle and about 150 died from diseases. My book, Such Hard and Severe Service: The 85th Pennsylvania in the Civil War. Volume I, 1861-1863, is available for purchase. Volume II will include a chronological list of deaths during the war, including date and cause, as well as a chronological list of postwar veteran deaths.

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Williamsburg, VA  (Philadelphia Inquirer, 5-6-1862)

WILLIAMSBURG (May 5, 1862): The regiment suffered their first two casualties while playing a secondary in support of the Peck’s brigade in the first battle of the Peninsula Campaign. McClellan called the battle a victory but the Confederates continued towards Richmond, settling the stage for the Battle of Seven Pines and the Seven Days' Battles.

Federal soldiers at Seven Pines (Va.), near Richmond.
(Library of Congress)

SEVEN PINES (May 31, 1862): Of all  their engagements, he 85th Pennsylvania suffered more casualties in this battle, their first. The regiment and the rest of Casey’s outnumbered Division held off a determined foe for several hours until Union help arrived from the opposite side of the Chickahominy River. Colonel Howell personally led a brief offensive that bought valuable time for the re-enforcements to arrive.





MALVERN HILL (July 1, 1862): The regiment guarded a battery on the extreme left of the Union line while a Confederate advance on the far right of the line was stopped by Union artillery.

Blackwater River Marker in SE Virginia

BLACKWATER RIVER (October 16 and 31, 1862): The regiment, stationed at Suffolk, VA, was twice engaged in heavy skirmishing at the river while helping to guard the Norfolk navy base. The regiment was sent to Suffolk following their alleged poor performance at Seven Pines and therefore missed Union losses at Second Manassas and Fredericksburg. The regiment suffered significantly fewer losses from diseases that had plagued them in the spring of 1862.






SOUTH WEST CREEK (December 13, 1862): Companies B and D of the 85th Pennsylvania in concert with the 9th New Jersey overran a Confederate position and pushed their defense back to the city of Kinston.

Kinston Bridge From Harper's Weekly, 1863

KINSTON BRIDGE (December 14, 1862): Wessells’ Brigade including the 85th Pennsylvania splashed through a swamp south of Kinston, enabling advancing Union troops to capture the city.

Replica of the CSS Neuse in Kinston, NC

WHITEHALL (December 15, 1862): The 85th Pennsylvania and most of General John G. Foster’s infantry marched below Whitehall on their way to Goldsboro while artillery on both sides fought a spirited battle. A Confederate ironclad, the Neuse, was partially destroyed by Union artillery and shelling but was rebuilt.





GOLDSBORO BRIDGE (December 17, 1862): The 85th Pennsylvania guarded a battery while Union forces destroyed the Goldsboro Bridge. While Union forces were on their way back to their base, reinforced Confederate forces counterattacked but were halted by well-placed Union batteries.

Federal camp at Morris Island, near Charleston, S.C., in 1863.
(Library of Congress)

MORRIS ISLAND (July-September, 1863):  The regiment arrived in South Carolina, excited at the prospect of helping to recover Fort Sumter and subdue Charleston. After two failed assaults on Battery Wagner, the 85th Pennsylvania had a lead role in digging a series of trenches to approach the structure, leading to the abandonment of the battery on September 7, 1863 by rebel forces.




WHITEMARSH (February 22, 1864): While testing Confederate forces guarding Savannah, Howell led a small excursion to Whitemarsh Island. After securing most of the island, Howell was forced to withdraw due to a previously unknown rebel battery on Oatland Island.

WARE BOTTOM CHURCH (May 20 and June 16, 1864): The regiment was engaged in very heavy skirmishing at this site during the Bermuda Hundred campaign as part of General Benjamin Butler’s Army of the James between Richmond and Petersburg. In the May 20th fight, Howell's Brigade captured a Confederate general, William Stephen Walker.

2nd Deep Bottom Re-enactment 2014

SECOND DEEP BOTTOM (August 4-20, 1864): During Grant’s Fourth Offensive, Pond’s Brigade temporarily captured a Confederate position on the outskirts of Richmond despite significant casualties. The regiment suffered more losses, percentage-wise, than in any other engagement. The victory was Pyrrhic, but the clash enable Union troops to successfully stretch Lee's defenses around Petersburg.






CHAFFIN'S FARM (September 29-30, 1864): While Union forces captured New Market Height and Fort Harrison near Richmond, the 85th Pennsylvania as part of the 10th Corps had an opportunity to march into Richmond but the advance was called off.


DARBYTOWN ROAD (October 13, 1864): After mysteriously being replaced in the front ranks by a supporting regiment, the 85th Pennsylvania suffered few casualties while the brigade suffered significant casualties against a heavily fortified position.

Parapet of Fort Gregg

FORT GREGG (April 2, 1865): Following the breakthrough of Lee’s defenses guarding Petersburg, the 85th Pennsylvania and Osborn’s Brigade were in the first wave of assaulters against this fort, a key to Lee's defensive line southwest of Petersburg. The Union suffered heavy casualties while every Confederate inside Fort Gregg was killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.






APPOMATTOX  COURT HOUSE (April 9, 1865): After Lee’s forces punched through Sheridan’s cavalry in an attempt to break though enclosing Union forces, the 85th Pennsylvania and Osborn’s brigade stormed to the front to close off the rebels’ last path of escape along the Lynchburg Road, forces Lee to surrender.

McLean House, Appomattox Court House