A short history of the 79th Pennsylvania Regiment during the United States Civil War.
Regiment: 79th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania
Date of Organization: 1 Sep 1861
Muster Date: 12 Jul 1865
Regiment State: Pennsylvania
Regiment Type: Infantry
Regiment Number: 79th
Officers Killed or Mortally Wounded: 4
Officers Died of Disease or Accident: 1
Enlisted Killed or Mortally Wounded: 118
Enlisted Died of Disease or Accident: 145
Regimental History
PENNSYLVANIA
79TH INFANTRY
(Three Years)
Seventy-ninth Infantry.-Col.. Henry A. Hambright, Lieut.-Cols., John H. Duchman, William S. Mellinger; Majs., William S. Mellinger Michael H. Locher, John S. McBride.
The 79th was raised in the late summer and early fall of 1861. It rendezvoused by companies at Camp Wilkins, Pittsburg, where it was mustered into the U. S. service in September and the early part of October for three years. It was recruited from Lancaster county, with the exception of Co. D, which came from Washington county, most of the officers and men having been in the three months, service. On Oct. 17 it received its colors from the hands of Gov. Curtin at Allegheny City, and the following day embarked at Pittsburg for Louisville, Ky.
From Louisville it moved to Camp Nevin on Nolin creek, and three weeks later crossed that stream to Camp Negley, where it was assigned to Negley's brigade, McCook's division. Army of the Ohio, under Gen. Buell. Upon the opening of the spring campaign in 1862, it moved with the division to Nashville, thence to Columbia at the end of March, where a detachment of Co. A, under Capt. Kendrick, was captured by Morgan's cavalry on the Pulaski road, but was soon paroled. About the middle of May, it shared in an expedition to Rogersville, Tenn., and Florence, Ala., and on the 29th moved towards Chattanooga with Gen. Negley's column, sharing in the engagements at Jasper, Sweden's cove, and Chattanooga, after which it returned to Shelbyville, having marched 284 miles in 14 days. The records of the regiment show that on July 4, out of 998 members, 50 were in hospital 33 dead, 51 discharged, and 7 had deserted. The regiment next proceeded to Tullahoma, where it was assigned to a brigade made up of the 15th, 16th and 19th regulars, under command of Gen. William S. Smith.
It next moved to Manchester and on Aug. 8,to Nashville, where it was variously employed until September. Meanwhile, the regimental band was mustered out by order of the war department, and the regiment was assigned to the 3rd brigade (Gen. Starkweather), 1st division (Gen. Rousseau), 14th corps (Gen. McCook). It moved north in September with Buell's army, in the exciting race with Gen. Bragg, and was heavily engaged at the battle of Perryville, losing 37 killed, 149 wounded and 3 missing. After the pursuit of the enemy for several days it moved to Mitchellville, Tenn., and guarded the Louisville & Nashville railroad there for a month.
In December, having rejoined the main army at Nashville, it moved on the Stone's river campaign and was engaged at Murfreesboro with a loss of 2 killed and 10 wounded. The 79th numbered at this time 35 officers and 688 enlisted men, of whom 25 officers and 484 men were present for duty. It remained at Murfreesboro after the battle until the following June, being engaged in numerous foraging expeditions. Assigned to the 2nd brigade, 1st division, 14th corps, it moved with Rosecrans' army on the summer campaign, and suffered severely in the bloody two days' battle of Chickamauga, where of the 17 officers and 350 men in action, it lost 16 killed, 66 wounded and 47 missing. During the battles of Orchard Knob, Lookout mountain and Missionary ridge, the 79th was employed in garrisoning the forts of Chattanooga and was not engaged.
On Feb. 9, 1864, 265 men reenlisted and were mustered in on the 12th. After sharing with its division in the engagements at Buzzard Roost and Tunnel Hill, Ga., the veterans were given their furlough and on their return rejoined their brigade at Buzzard Roost on May 9, 1864. From this time on it actively participated in the almost constant fighting leading up to the fall of Atlanta. Its losses during the Atlanta campaign were 6 killed, 86 wounded (12 mortally) and 2 captured.
It marched with Sherman to the sea, rested at Savannah for a month, and in Jan., 1865,moved with the army in the march through the Carolinas. It was heavily engaged at the battle of Bentonville, losing 13 killed and 46 wounded. At Goldsboro, N. C., March 22, it received 200 recruits, then marched to Raleigh and thence to Martha's Vineyard, where it encamped. After Johnston's surrender it moved via Richmond to the vicinity of Washington and was mustered out near Alexandria, Va., July l2, 1865.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 1
Battles Fought
Fought on 8 Oct 1862 at Perryville, KY.
Fought on 18 Oct 1862.
Fought on 3 Jan 1863 at Stones River, TN.
Fought on 19 Sep 1863 at Chickamauga, GA.
Fought on 20 Sep 1863 at Chickamauga, GA.
Fought on 8 May 1864 at Buzzard's Roost, GA.
Fought on 13 May 1864 at Resaca, GA.
Fought on 16 Jun 1864 at Kenesaw Mountain, GA.
Fought on 22 Jun 1864 at Kenesaw Mountain, GA.
Fought on 23 Jun 1864 at Kenesaw Mountain, GA.
Fought on 20 Jul 1864 at Peach Tree Creek, GA.
Fought on 21 Jul 1864 at Atlanta, GA.
Fought on 23 Jul 1864 at Atlanta, GA.
Fought on 31 Jul 1864 at Atlanta, GA.
Fought on 10 Aug 1864 at Atlanta, GA.
Fought on 11 Aug 1864 at Atlanta, GA.
Fought on 1 Sep 1864 at Jonesboro, GA.
(NOTE: G. W. Gibson was mustered out on 3 Oct 1864 upon expiration of his 3-year term of service)
Fought on 1 Nov 1864.
Fought on 25 Nov 1864.
Fought on 5 Feb 1865.
Fought on 23 Feb 1865.
Fought on 4 Mar 1865.
Fought on 10 Mar 1865.
Fought on 19 Mar 1865 at Bentonville, NC.
Fought on 26 Apr 1865.
