THIS regiment was composed of eight companies from Chester, and two from Montgomery county. The camp of rendezvous was in West Philadelphia, where the companies assembled in November, 1862, and a regimental organization was effected, with the following field officers:

• Samuel A. Dyer, of Delaware county, Colonel
• Francis C. Hooton, of Chester county, Lieutenant Colonel
• Isaac M'Clure, of Chester county, Major

On the ist of December, the regiment broke camp and moved via Washington to Fortress Monroe, and thence to Suffolk, Virginia, where it was made a part of the brigade commanded by Colonel Alfred Gibbs. After a month's incessant drill, the regiment was transferred to the brigade of General F. B. Spinola, and moved with other troops, during the closing days of the year, to Newbern, North Carolina, and went into winter-quarters. Spinola's Brigade here became the, first of the Fifth Division, General Henry Prince, Eighteenth Corps, General Foster.

In March, 1863, when the enemy was threatening Newbern, the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth threw up a strong line of earth-works, on the south side of the river Trent, and joined in repelling the attack which was sluggishly made on the town. It also made several expeditions in search of Colonel Woodford's guerrillas, but never succeeded in inducing them to risk a fight.
After retiring from Newbern, the enemy proceeded to Washington, on the Tar River, and laid siege to the town. The defense was directed by General Foster in person, the little garrison consisting of only about two thousand men.

From Newbern to Washington, direct, was about thirty miles, but by water, one hundred and twenty. Prince's Division at once moved by water to the relief of Foster. Eight miles below the town, Prince found his way impeded by obstructions in the river, here a mile wide, and by heavy guns in earthworks on either side. A year before, when Burnside made his descent upon this coast, the enemy had driven three lines of piles across the stream, and erected heavy bomb-proofs to command the passage. When the Union forces got possession, they contented themselves with opening a narrow way through the piles, and left the bomb-proofs unharmed. When the enemy came again, he had but to occupy.
An attempt was made by the gunboats to reduce these defenses, but failing in this, the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth was put upon a transport, in tow of the gunboat Whitehead, and with other troops, moved up to run past the obstructions; but before reaching them, it was signaled to retire. Prince subsequently abandoned further attempts at relief, and returned to Newbern.

A force under General Spinola, of which the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth formed part, which moved overland with the same object, was alike unsuccessful, meeting the enemy in force at Blount's Creek. The enemy finding all attempts to reduce the place fruitless, and seeing a heavy force under Foster, who had escaped from the besieged town, gathering for a descent upon his rear, raised the siege.

Spinola's Brigade was then ordered to Washington, and a part of the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth, under Lieutenant Colonel Hooton, was posted at Fort Hill, and the other, under Major Smith, Major M'Clure having previously resigned, at an earth-work at Rodmian's Point, Colonel Dyer having been assigned to a temporary command in Little Washington, under General Prince. The regiment remained in this position for two months, and this being a malarious district, it lost many men by sickness, among them Lieutenants Evan Sheeler, and John E. Miller.

Near the close of June, the regiment was ordered north, and upon its arrival at Fortress Monroe, was designated to join in the force then organizing for a movement up the peninsula. This order was, however, countermanded, and it was sent to the upper Potomac, to aid in intercepting the retreat of the rebel army from Pennsylvania.

Upon its arrival at Harper's Ferry, it was stationed on Maryland Heights, whence, after some delay, and the final escape of Lee, it proceeded to Frederick, Maryland. It subsequently marched to Sandy Hook, where it was attached to Colonel Wells' Brigade, of the Eighth Corps. With it the regiment assisted in laying a pontoon bridge over the Potomac to the town of Harper's Ferry, and crossing, had a brisk skirmish with the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, which was driven, and the town occupied. Its term of service had now expired, and returning to Philadelphia, it was, on the 7th of August, mustered out

Source:  Bates, Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, Harrisburg, 1868-1871.

Organization:

Organized at Philadelphia November 6, 1862.
Moved to Washington, D.C., December 1; thence to Fortress Monroe and. Suffolk, Va.
Attached to Gibbs' Brigade, Division at Suffolk, Va., December, 1862.
Spinola's Brigade, Division at Suffolk, 7th Corps, to December, 1862.
1st Brigade, 5th Division, 18th Corps, Dept. of North Carolina, to May, 1863.
District of the Pamlico, Dept. of North Carolina, to June, 1863.
Well's Brigade, Harper's Ferry, W. Va., 8th Corps, Middle Department, to July, 1863.

Service:

Duty at Suffolk, Va., till December 28, 1862.
Moved to New Berne, N. C., December 28-January 1, 1863, and duty there till April, 1863.
Expedition from New Berne to Trenton, Pollocksville, Young's Cross Roads and
Swansborough March 6-10.
Operations on the Pamlico April 4-6.
Expedition to relief of Little Washington April 7-10.
Expedition to Swift Creek Village April 13-21.
Garrison duty at Little Washington till June.
Moved to Fortress Monroe, Va., thence to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., and to Frederick, Md.
Mustered out August 7, 1863.

Losses:

Regiment lost during service 21 by disease.

Source:  Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion Compiled and Arranged from Official Records of the Federal and Confederate Armies, Reports of he Adjutant Generals of the Several States, the Army Registers, and Other Reliable Documents and Sources, Des Moines, Iowa: The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908

Home	Artillery	Cavalry
Infantry	Reserves	U. S. C. T.

©  Alice J. Gayley, all rights reserved

Web Space provided by