131st Pennsylvania Infantry

131st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
Active	August 1862 to May 23, 1863
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Infantry
Engagements	Battle of Antietam ; Battle of Fredericksburg ; Battle of Chancellorsville

Last updated March 01, 2019

The 131st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Infantry military service branch that specializes in combat by individuals on foot

Infantry is the branch of an army that engages in military combat on foot, distinguished from cavalry, artillery, and tank forces. Also known as foot soldiers, infantry traditionally relies on moving by foot between combats as well, but may also use mounts, military vehicles, or other transport. Infantry make up a large portion of all armed forces in most nations, and typically bear the largest brunt in warfare, as measured by casualties, deprivation, or physical and psychological stress.

A regiment is a military unit. Their role and size varies markedly, depending on the country and the arm of service.

During the American Civil War, the Union Army referred to the United States Army, the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. Also known as the Federal Army, it proved essential to the preservation of the United States of America as a working, viable republic.

Service

The 131st Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Camp Curtin near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and mustered in August 1862 for nine month's service under the command of Colonel Peter H. Allabach.

Camp Curtin was a military training camp in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War.

Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 49,192, it is the 15th largest city in the Commonwealth. It lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 107 miles (172 km) west of Philadelphia. Harrisburg is the anchor of the Susquehanna Valley metropolitan area, which had a 2017 estimated population of 571,903, making it the fourth most populous in Pennsylvania and 96th most populous in the United States.

Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state located in the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The Appalachian Mountains run through its middle. The Commonwealth is bordered by Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and New Jersey to the east.

The regiment was attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, V Corps, Army of the Potomac.

The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.

The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in May 1865 following the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in April.

The 131st Pennsylvania Infantry mustered out May 23, 1863.

Detailed service

Moved to Washington, D.C., August 20, and duty there until September 14. Moved to Sharpsburg, Md., and duty there until October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Burnside's 2nd Campaign, "Mud March," January 20-24, 1863. Duty at Falmouth until April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 83 men during service; 2 officers and 36 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 44 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

Colonel Peter H. Allabach
Lieutenant Colonel William B. Shaut - commanded the regiment almost entirely throughout its term of service due to Col. Allabach being promoted to brigade command
Major Robert W. Patton - commanded at the Battle of Chancellorsville

In the United States Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force, a lieutenant colonel is a field-grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.

In the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, major is a field grade military officer rank above the rank of captain and below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services. Although lieutenant commanders are considered junior officers by their respective services, the rank of major is considered field grade in the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps.

Related Research Articles

The 78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 145th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 2nd Delaware Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 132nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 130th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 13th New York Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 129th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 123rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 133rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 137th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 124th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 128th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Battery D, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery was a light artillery battery that served in the Union Army as part of the Pennsylvania Reserves infantry division during the American Civil War.

The 68th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 115th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 26th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 27th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 22nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 163rd New York Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 136th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

References

Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908.
Orwig, Joseph R. History of the 131st Penna. Volunteers, War of 1861-5 (Williamsport, PA: Sun Book and Job Printing House), 1902.

Attribution

This article contains text from a text now in the public domain : Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.

The public domain consists of all the creative works to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable.

Frederick Henry Dyer served as a drummer boy in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he wrote A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion – a complete record of every regiment formed under the Union Army, their histories, and the battles they fought in – taking forty years to compile.

External links

National flag of the 131st Pennsylvania Infantry

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.