88th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Pennsylvania
Surname/tag: US_Civil_War

Beginning on August 9, 1861, Colonel George McLean, recruits volunteers from the Philadelphia and Berks County areas to form a regiment to be known as the Cameron Guards. The regiment is named after the current Secretary of War, the Honorable Simon Cameron. Berks County would provide the soldiers of Companies A, B, and H. Philadelphia volunteers would compose the remaining seven companies. As is and was the custom in the military, there was no company J, to reduce confusion caused by mistaking J and I on handwritten orders. Four years later only 95 of the original 1000 men of the 88th were present to be mustered out of service.
The 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 8 officers and 101 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 72 enlisted men to disease, with over 300 wounded and survived during the Civil War. Quite a number of prominent soldiers graduated from this regiment, among them being Brevet Brigadier General G.W. Gile, Brevet Brigadier General B. F. Foust, Brevet Brigadier General Louis Wagner and General Robert B. Beath, Past Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, all of them earning their promotion and bearing honorable wounds, from which they will undoubtedly suffer as long as they live. ^{[1] [2]}

About noon, July 1st 1863, the regiment was in line along the Mummasburg Road, 200 yards S.E. of this monument. Later it changed direction and formed here, charged forward and captured two battle flags and a number of prisoners. at 4 p.m. the Division was overpowered and forced through the town.

July 2nd the regiment was in position facing the Emmitsburg Road and on July 3rd at Ziegler's Grove, as indicated by markers.

Engagements: Cedar Mountain, Rappahannock Station, Thoroughfare Gap, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Totopotomoy (Bethesda Church), Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon R.R (Globe Tavern)., Dabney's Mill, Boydton Road, Five Forks, Appomattox.

Sylvester Hopkins Martin - Born: August 9, 1841, Died: September 25, 1927, Buried: Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA, Captain, Co. K, 88th Pennsylvania Vol. Infantry, Awarded Medal of Honor: April 5, 1894, Action Date: August 19, 1864, Weldon R.R., VA.

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Sylvester Hopkins Martin, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 19 August 1864, while serving with Company K, 88th Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Weldon Railroad, Virginia. Lieutenant Martin gallantly made a most dangerous reconnaissance, discovering the position of the enemy and enabling the division to repulse an attack made in strong force.

WIlliam Sands - Born: October 14, 1835, Died: October 31, 1918, Buried: Charles Evans Cemetery, Reading, PA, 1st Sgt., Co. G, 88th Pennsylvania Vol. Infantry, Awarded Medal of Honor: November 9, 1893, Action Date: February 6-7, 1865 at Dabney Mill, VA.

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Sergeant William Sands, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on February 6 - 7, 1865, while serving with Company G, 88th Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Dabney's Mills, Virginia. First Sergeant Sands grasped the enemy's colors in the face of a deadly fire and brought them inside the lines.

Edward Lyons Gilligan - Born: April 18, 1843, Died: Apr. 2, 1922, Buried: Oxford Cemetery, Oxford, PA, Captain, Co. E, 88th Pennsylvania Vol. Infantry, Awarded Medal of Honor: April 30, 1892, Action Date: July 1, 1863 at Gettysburg, PA

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Sergeant Edward Lyons Gilligan, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 1 July 1863, while serving with Company E, 88th Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. First Sergeant Gilligan assisted in the capture of a Confederate flag by knocking down the color sergeant.

James G. Clark - Born: October 31, 1843, Died: December 16, 1911, Buried: Fernwood Cemetery, Fernwood, PA, Private, Co. F, 88th Pennsylvania Vol. Infantry, Awarded Medal of Honor: April 30, 1892, Action Date: June 18, 1864 at Petersburg, VA.

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private James G. Clark, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 18 June 1864, while serving with Company F, 88th Pennsylvania Infantry, in action at Petersburg, Virginia, for distinguished bravery in action; was severely wounded.

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88th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry

Overview:Organized at Philadelphia September, 1861. Left State for Washington, D. C., October 1. At Kendall Green, Washington, D. C., till October 12. Provost duty at Alexandria till April 17, 1862. (Cos. "A," "C," "D," "E" and "I" garrison forts on Maryland side of the Potomac River February 18 to April 17.) At Cloud's Mills, Va., April 17-23. Guard Orange & Alexandria Railroad between Bull Run and Fairfax C. H. till May 7. Attached to 1st Brigade, Ord's 2nd Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army Potomac, to March, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, to May, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to March, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to June, 1865.

Service:Duty near Fredericksburg, Va., till May 25. Expedition to Front Royal to intercept Jackson May 25-June 18. Duty at Manassas, Warrenton and Culpeper till August. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the Rappahannock August 21-23. Thoroughfare Gap August 28. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Cbantilly September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-24. Battles of South Mountain September 14; Antietam September 16-17. Duty near Sharpsburg, Md., till 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. At Falmouth and Belle Plains till April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Pollock's Mill Creek April 29-May 2. Fitzhugh's Crossing April 29-30. Chancellorsville May 2-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock till October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Regiment re-enlisted February 6, 1864, and on furlough till April 7. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania C. H. May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Ford May 25. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. White Oak Swamp June 13. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864 (Reserve). Weldon Railroad (Globe Tavern)August 18-21. Hatcher's Run October 27-28. Warren's Expedition to Weldon Railroad December 7-12. Dabney's Mills (Hatcher's Run), February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Lewis Farm near Gravelly Run March 29. White Oak Road March 30-31. Five Forks April 1. Pursuit of Lee April 2-9. Appomattox C. H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Moved to Washington, D. C., May 1-12. Grand Review May 23. Mustered out June 30, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 101 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 72 Enlisted men by disease. Total 181. ^[4]

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Sources

1. ↑ History of the 88th Pennsylvania Volunteers in the War for the Union, 1861-1865 (1894)
2. ↑ REGIMENT HISTORIES - The Gallant Record of the Eighty-Eight - PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS - THE CAMERON LIGHT GUARD
3. ↑ AT GETTYSBURG - The Eighty-Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry in The Battle. By John D. Vautier (With Illustrations by the Author)
4. ↑ National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database

• Civil War in the East Website for 88th Pennsylvania Infantry

• Descendants of the 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment Website

• 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, A Virtual Cemetery created by: Todd Leiss - Description: Veterans who served in the 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.

• The Battle of Gettysburg Website - 88th Pennsylvania Page

• The 88th Pennsylvania at Antietam: A Cornfield Invalid Saves Washington

• PA-Roots.com