83rd PA

- 1861 -

The 83rd Pennsylvania was recruited from the northwest counties of Pennsylvania and was organized in September of 1861 at a camp near Erie, PA. The new regiment went directly to a camp near Arlington, Virginia and spent the winter of 1861-62 in camp. Over the winter, the regiment was assigned to Fitz John Porter's division which later became the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The 83rd stayed in the 5th Corps, 1st Division, 3rd Brigade throughout its term of enlistment.

- 1862 -

The regiment's first action was at Hanover Court House on May 27, 1862. On June 27, the 83rd took part in the Battle of Gaine's Mill. The Confederates were intent on driving the 83rd off the field and approached the position of the Pennsylvanians with line after line of infantry. It was during this moment that Brig.Gen. Daniel Butterfield seized the Colors of the 83rd and with a loud voice shouted: " Your ammunition is never expended while you have bayonets, my boys, and use them in the socket. General Butterfield received the Medal of Honor for this act. The 83rd lost Color Bearer after Color Bearer that bloody day and during the Seven Days Battles suffered the fourth highest losses in the entire army. The remaining action during 1862 was at the Battle of Second Manassas, the 83rd was held in reserve with most of the 5th Corps at the Battle of Antietam, and in the final action of the year fought at Fredericksburg.

- 1863 -

During the third year of the war, the regiment's major action was at Chancellorsville, then on to the Battle of Gettysburg.
After Chancellorsville, the Regimental Commander, Col. Strong Vincent, was promoted to command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps. The Brigade consisted of the 83rd along with the 44th New York, 16th Michigan, and 20th Maine. Col. Vincent led the Brigade to everlasting glory in his defense of Little Round Top on July 2, 1863 during the Battle of Gettysburg. The 83rd Pennsylvania was on the right flank of the 20th Maine.

The 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters slowly retreated through the 83rd that day, but the Pennsylvanians held off the 47th Alabama of Laws Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The Brigade as a whole performed great service in defending Little Round Top against the Texans and Alabamians who strongly tried to dislodge Vincent's Brigade. Col. Vincent was wounded during the engagement and soon thereafter died of his wounds. He died as a Brigadier General and knew full well his positioning of the Brigade on Little Round Top was a major factor in the defeat of the Confederates during the Gettysburg campaign.
The rest of 1863 saw the 83rd take part in the Bristoe Station and Mine Run campaigns.

- 1864 -

The 83rd took part in all major engagements of Grant's 1864 campaign against Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, beginning with the Battle of the VVilderness in May. North Anna River, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad and Poplar Springs are all names very familiar to the men of the 83rd during the fourth year of the war. The fall of 1864 saw the 83rd reduced to six companies as many enlistments had expired.