This regiment was principally recruited in the counties of Indiana, Westmoreland, and Jefferson, and was organized at Camp Reynolds, near Pittsburg, on the 8th of September, 1864, with the following field officers: Hugh J. Brady, Colonel; John T. Fulton, Lieutenant Colonel; Joseph B. Ferguson, Major. The field, staff, and line officers, were for the most part veterans, (and the majority of the men had served in other organizations). On the day following its organization, it was ordered to Washington, but while enroute, an order was received directing it to proceed from Baltimore by transport, to City Point, where, upon its arrival, it was temporarily assigned to a provisional brigade in the Army of the James, occupying the Bermuda front,attached to the Eighteenth Corps. On the 4th of October, the regiment was ordered to duty with the engineer corps, and crossing to the north bank of the James, was put to work upon a fort a mile north of Dutch Gal??. It was here under fire of the enemy's guns, and had one man killed, and several wounded. So promptly and well was this work executed, that a complimentary order was issued by the commander of the Department, commending the energy and skill displayed, and in recognition of the service, directing the work to be called Fort Brady.

On the 26th of October, the regiment was ordered to report to General Terry, in command of the Tenth Corps, and was assigned to the Third Brigade of the First Division, where it was associated with the Eleventh Maine, Twenty-fourth Massachusetts, Tenth Connecticut, and One Hundredth New York. It was soon after placed in comfortable winter-quarters, on the line of works north of Fort Harrison, where every facility was afforded for drill and discipline that could be desired. By an order of the War Department, of the 3d of December, the Tenth and Eighteenth corps were merged, the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth corps being formed from them, the Twenty-fourth comprising all the white troops, and General Ord was placed in command of the Army of the James.

When the general movement of the army commenced on the 27th of March, 1865, the regiment was detached from the brigade, and ordered to remain in camp, reporting to General Devens, commanding the Third Division. This disposition was exceedingly distasteful to the command, and in response to a remonstrance made against it, the following communication from division headquarters was received: "I am directed by General Foster, to state that he regrets exceedingly, that your command should have been ordered to remain. The order came from Department Headquarters, and the General did, all in his power, to have it revoked, but could not." The convalescents of the First Division were ordered to report to Colonel Brady, who was directed to organize and hold them in readiness to move. On the 3d of April, the troops in front of Richmond were ordered to advance. It was soon discovered that the enemy had evacuated his works, and fired the city, so that the troops marched in without opposition. On the 22d, the regiment was relieved from General Devens' command, and ordered to report to General F. T. Dent, Military Governor, who assigned it to provost duty in the city. A month later it returned to its brigade, Colonel Brady, as the ranking officer, assuming command. The regiment was soon after sent to Lynchburg, where it reported to General Gregg, and was, by him, assigned to provost duty in that town. It remained here for two weeks, and was then ordered to return to Richmond and re-join the division.

On the 26th of June, no further service being required of it, it was mustered out of service, and ordered to Pittsburg, where,on the 21st of July, it was finally disbanded. In his farewell order, General Dandy, in command of the brigade, said: "Under your gallant commander, Colonel Hugh J. Brady, you were the first to enter Richmond, and to display in the capital of traitors, the Stars and Stripes of your country. Carry home with you, and bequeath it to your children, the red heart, the badge of the First Division. It is the symbol of deeds that will live when this present, and many succeeding generations, have passed away.

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

Organization:

Organized at Pittsburg September, 1864.
Left State for City Point, Va., September 9.
Attached to Provisional Brigade, Defences of Bermuda Hundred, Army of the James,
to October, 1864.
3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Corps, Army of the James, to December, 1864.
3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Army Corps, to June, 1865.

Service:

Duty with Engineer Corps engaged in fatigue duty at Dutch Gap, Va.,
till October 26, 1864.
Duty in trenches before Richmond north of the James till April. 1865.
Occupation of Richmond April 3.
(Temporarily attached to Devens' 3rd Division, March 27 to April 22.)
Provost duty at Richmond till May.
At Lynchburg and Richmond till June.
Mustered out June 26, 1865.

Losses:

Regiment lost during service:
1 Enlisted man killed and
29 Enlisted men by disease.
Total 30.

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

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