Draw the Sword

A Fighting 300 Regiment

Location: The Wheatfield.

Order of Battle: 2nd Corps, 1st Division, 1st Brigade

Number Engaged: 190; 5 killed, 49 wounded, 8 missing

Commander: Lt. Col. Amos Stroh (1821-1899)

Raised: Philadelphia and the counties of Carbon and Luzerene

Monument Specifications: Granite obelisk decorated with bronze state seal, and relief of crossed muskets, shield and cartridge box. The obelisk has an apex cap and four-side finial of granite trefoil. It stands on a two-tiered base. The monument marks the general location of the regiment when Cross’s Brigade advanced into wheatfield to fire upon Confederates behind wall to west.

Dedication Date: June 13, 1888.

Sculptor/Artist/Company: P. F. Eisenbrown & Sons, fabricator.

Main Inscription: 81ST PENNA INFANTRY/1ST BRIG. 1ST DIV. 2D CORPS FOUGHT ON THIS LINE IN THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 2ND/PRESENT AT GETTYSBURG ITS OFFICERS AND MEN/KILLED AND DIED OF WOUNDS 9 MEN/WOUNDED 5 OFFICERS AND 40 KILLED/CAPTURED OR MISSING 8 MEN/TOTAL LOSS 62

Other Monuments and Memorials: None.

Supplemental Materials: After Action Report of Lieut. Col. Amos Stroh (will open a pop up window).

Regimental History ~ Dyer’s Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:

Organized at Philadelphia October, 1861. At Easton, Pa., until October 10. Moved to Washington, D.C., October 10. Attached to Howard’s Brigade, Richardson’s Division, Army Potomac, to March, 1862. 1st Brigade. 1st Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army Potomac, to June, 1865.

SERVICE.–Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until March, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15. Reconnaissance to Gainesville March 20. Operations on Orange & Alexandria Railroad March 28-31. Ordered to the Virginia Peninsula. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Construction of Grape Vine Bridge on Chickahominy May 28-30. Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines) May 31-June 1. Fair Oaks June 18. Fair Oaks Station June 21. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Orchard Station June 28. Peach Orchard, Allen’s Farm, June 29. Savage Station June 29. White Oak Swamp Bridge and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison’s Landing until August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Alexandria and Centreville August 16-30. Centreville September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-24. Battle of Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Moved to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va., and duty there until October 29. Reconnaissance to Charlestown October 16-17. Advance up Loudon Valley and movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 17. Snicker’s Gap November 2. Manassas Gap November 5-6. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. At Falmouth until April, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Reconnaissance to the Rappahannock June 9. Kelly’s Ford June 10. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 13-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock until September. Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Auburn and Bristoe October 14. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Mine Run November 28-30. At Stevensburg until May, 1864. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Corbin’s Bridge May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Po River May 10; Spottsylvania C. H. May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. Landen House May 18. North Anna River May 23-26. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 12. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23, 1864. Demonstration north of the James at Deep Bottom July 27-29. Deep Bottom July 27-28. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30 (Reserve). Demonstration north of the James at Deep Bottom August 13-20. Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18. Ream’s Station August 25. Reconnaissance to Hatcher’s Run December 7-10. Hatcher’s Run December 8. Dabney’s, Mills, Hatcher’s Run, February 5-7, 1865. Watkins’ House, Petersburg, March 25. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. On line of Hatcher’s and Gravelly Runs March 29-30. Hatcher’s Run or Boydton Road March 31. White Oak Road March 31. Sutherland Station April 2. Sailor’s Creek April 6. High Bridge, Farmville, April 7. Appomattox C. H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D.C., May 2-12. Grand Review May 23. Mustered out June 29, 1865. Regiment lost during service 18 Officers and 190 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 96 Enlisted men by disease. Total 306.

Comments on this Post

One Response to “* 81st Pennsylvania Infantry”

1. Ted Dombroski says:

   January 11, 2009 at 6:42 pm

   Lt. Col. Amos Stroh resigned shortly after gettysburg, about mid July, because of illness. It was Gen. Caldwell who said when he recieved the resignation, that Col. Stroh was an inefficient officer, and there were better men to replace him.