The Eighty First Pennsylvania Infantry is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.
About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? June 13, 1888.
What is it made out of? Monument: granite with bronze tablet.
What size is it? Overall: approx. H. 15 ft. 9 in.; Base: approx. W. 6 ft. 4 in. x D. 6 ft. 4 in.
Who made it? P. F. Eisenbrown & Sons, fabricator.
What does it depict? 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. Monument is a 3.5 foot square granite shaft with an apex cap and four-sided trefoil set on a 6.4 foot square rough base. Overall height is 15.9 foot. The shaft has a bronze state seal, relief of crossed muskets, shield and cartridge box on the west side. Base has inscriptions. Flanking markers are apex topped, one foot square.
What does it honor? The monument marks the general location of the regiment when Cross’s Brigade advanced into wheatfield to fire upon Confederates behind wall to west.
How is it inscribed? 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
When was this photograph taken? December 10, 2011.
Where is it located? Located Gettysburg National Military Park, Wheatfield, west of Ayres Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? Yes.
Has this monument been moved or changed? This monument has not been changed or materially altered.
Monument Details, Alternative Views, and Contextual Views
At Gettysburg
The 81st Pennsylvania Infantry served as a member of Cross’ Brigade in Caldwell’s Division of the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac. A Fighting 300 Regiment.
Commander: Lt. Col. Amos Stroh (1821-1899). Moulder in Mauch Chunk.
Number Engaged: 190
Casualties: 5 killed, 49 wounded, 8 missing
Soldiers Buried in the Pennsylvania Plot of the Gettysburg National Cemetery:
- Pvt. Patrick Hayes, Company D, B-29
- Pvt. Joseph Newton, Company D, B-31
After Action Report: After Action Report of Lieut. Col. Amos Stroh (will open a pop up window).
General Information
Raised: Philadelphia and the counties of Carbon and Luzerene
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.
Pennsylvania at Gettysburg
1st Reserve :: 2nd Reserve :: 5th Reserve :: 6th Reserve :: 9th Reserve :: 10th Reserve :: 11th Reserve :: 12th Reserve :: 13th Reserve :: 11th Infantry :: 23rd Infantry :: 26th Infantry :: 26th Emergency :: 27th Infantry :: 28th Infantry :: 29th Infantry :: 46th Infantry :: 49th Infantry :: 53rd Infantry :: 56th Infantry :: 57th Infantry :: 61st Infantry :: 62nd Infantry :: 63rd Infantry :: 68th Infantry :: 69th Infantry :: 71st Infantry :: 72nd Infantry :: 73rd Infantry :: 74th Infantry :: 75th Infantry :: 81st Infantry :: 82nd Infantry :: 83rd Infantry :: 84th Infantry :: 88th Infantry :: 90th Infantry :: 91st Infantry :: 93rd Infantry :: 95th Infantry :: 96th Infantry :: 98th Infantry :: 99th Infantry :: 102nd Infantry :: 105th Infantry :: 106th Infantry :: 107th Infantry :: 109th Infantry :: 110th Infantry :: 111th Infantry :: 114th Infantry :: 115th Infantry :: 116th Infantry :: 118th Infantry :: 119th Infantry :: 121st Infantry :: 139th Infantry :: 140th Infantry :: 141st Infantry :: 142nd Infantry :: 143rd Infantry :: 145th Infantry :: 147th Infantry :: 148th Infantry :: 149th Infantry :: 150th Infantry :: 151st Infantry :: 153rd Infantry :: 155th Infantry :: Cavalry :: 1st Regiment :: 2nd Regiment :: 3rd Regiment :: 4th Regiment :: 6th Regiment :: 8th Regiment :: 16th Regiment :: 17th Regiment :: 18th Regiment :: 21st Regiment :: Artillery :: 1st Artillery B :: 1st Artillery F&G :: 3rd Artillery H :: Independent C&F :: Independent E
2 Comments
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.
Lt. Col. Amos Stroh was only the in temporary command of the 81st PA at the Battle of Gettysburg, Colonel H. Boyd McKeen the regmimental commander of the 81st was placed in charge of the 148th PA by Colonel Edward Cross (brigade commander). Lt. Col. Stroh was a very sick man and this might have had a great effect on his perfomance. Col. McKeen, one of the best regimental commaders in the entire Army of the Potomac whould have never kept Stroh in a position of authority if he did not beleive that he was a competent officer. The attached link…http://books.google.com/books?id=mKsZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR277&lpg=PR277&dq=amos+stroh&source=bl&ots=QAQMblJ5qY&sig=fULpdpMurrwh_FMSs72VFoyHw-o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=v-LWUN5pwfHSAdfmgYgH&ved=0CGEQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=amos%20stroh&f=false
Regards.. Richard..