150th Pennsylvania Infantry

[GELongstreet]

The 150th Pennsylvania Infantry in early April 1862. (wikipedia)

The 150th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was raised in Philadelphia and Harrisburg in September 1862. Proceeding to Washington D.C.; its Company K was detached and served as bodyguard of President Lincoln for the duration of the war. The rest of the regiment joined the Army of the Potomac in February 1863. There it served in the 2nd (Stone's) Brigade, 3rd (Doubleday's) Division, First Corps.

Going into Gettysburg with 397 men present it saw action on all three days. Colonel Wister assumed brigade command and every field officer was wounded. The regiment lost 53 killed & mortally wounded, 134 wounded and 77 missing. Two soldiers received the Medal of Honor, Lt. Col. Henry S. Huidekoper and Corporal J. Monroe Reisinger.

In 1864 the 150th was transferred to the Fifth Corps where it was in various brigades, including that of Joshua L. Chamberlain. It continued to serve until it was mustered out in June 1865.

 

[GELongstreet]

https://archive.org/details/cu31924030915023

Written by Lt. Col. Thomas Chamberlin, disabled veteran of the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry. Unsurprisingly out of copyright. I chose this version because it is, as the cover says, revised and enlarged from 300 to 430 pages, though both versions are available.

 

[Tom Elmore]

At Gettysburg, the 150th was solely responsible for repulsing the larger 32nd North Carolina on the first day. Citizen John Burns fought with the regiment that day. In town, during the retreat, the regiment fought hard but was overwhelmed and lost their colors. Lieutenant Harney of Company F, 14th North Carolina is credited with having possession of the 150th's flag until he was wounded. The wounded of the 150th on July 1 found refuge at the McPherson barn, and at the division hospital located in the Catholic Church on High Street. After sunset on July 2, the regiment was deployed as skirmishers just south of the Codori farm on the Emmitsburg Road. The following morning they were detected by the Confederates who had deployed further south along the road during the night, and were compelled to retreat back to Cemetery Ridge.

Other sources:
-Pennsylvania at Gettysburg, volume II, pp. 745-755.
-Battle Reminiscences of Charles F. McKenna, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh.
-July 2 letter of William L. Perry, Company C.
-The Recollections of a Drummer-Boy, by Henry M. Kieffer (Boston: Tichnor and Company, 1889).
-History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, by Samuel P. Bates, volume IV, pp. 650-653.
-First Day's Fight at Gettysburg, by Richard L. Ashhurst, Military Essays and Recollections of the Pennsylvania Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, comp. by Michael A. Cavanaugh (Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Co., 1995).
-Biography of Archibald Hill, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~evanshistory/Hill/CivilWarHills.html
-Obituary of Orlando Burnett, Company G, The National Tribune, October 26, 1905.
-Diary of John B. Sweet, Company I, Sweet Family Papers, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh.

 

[GELongstreet]

Col. Langhorne Wister (findagrave)

 

[Legion Para]

Brief history and rosters of the 150th Pennsylvania.

https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/150th_Regiment,_Pennsylvania_Infantry

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin

Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Field Officers and Staff - See Roster

Company A - Many men were recruited in Philadelphia County - See Roster

Company B - Many men were recruited in Philadelphia County - See Roster

Company C - Many men were recruited in Crawford County - See Roster

Company D - Many men were recruited in Union County - See Roster

Company E - Many men were recruited in Philadelphia County - See Roster

Company F - Many men were recruited in Philadelphia County - See Roster

Company G - Many men were recruited in McKean County - See Roster

Company H - Many men were recruited in Crawford County - See Roster

Company I - Many men were recruited in Crawford County - See Roster

Company K - Many men were recruited in Crawford County - See Roster

Unassigned Men - See Roster

 

[Mike Serpa]

Another photo of Col. Wister. (I don't have the source for it.)