*136th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers History

136th Regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers

Four companies of this regiment, E, F, G, and H, were recruited in Allegheny county, A, and D, in Tioga, B, was recruited in Luzerne and Tioga, C, in Dauphin, I, in Crawford, Centre, and Columbia, and K, in Cambria. A regimental organization was effected at Camp Curtin, on the 20th of August, 1862, by the choice of the following field officers:

 

• Thomas M. Bayne, of Allegheny county, Colonel;
• Isaac Wright, of Allegheny county, Lieutenant Colonel;
• Charles Ryan, of Tioga county, Major.

On the 29th, the regiment was ordered to Washington, arriving in the midst of the Bull Run battle, and was at once sent to Fort Lincoln, forming a link in the cordon of the defenses of the Capital. After the conclusion of the battle, the command was posted in detachments along the defenses, to the north and west of the city, and was employed in guard duty and in strengthening the fortifications. While here, a detachment of ax-men, amounting to about two regiments, was sent out under Major Ryan, to fell the timber on a belt of two miles outside the fortifications, in order to give full play to the artillery, in case the enemy approached.

 

On the 27th of September, ten days after the battle of Antietam, the regiment was assembled in camp near Chain Bridge, and two days thereafter moved into Washington and took cars for Frederick, Maryland, where, upon its arrival, it reported to General Paul. Two weeks later it moved to Sharpsburg, crossing on the way that part of the Antietam field where the veterans of Hooker fought, and upon its arrival, was assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division, of the First Corps, under command of General Ricketts. The brigade was composed of the Ninetieth, and One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Pennsylvania, Twenty-sixth New York, and the Twelfth Massachusetts ,and upon the promotion of General Ricketts to the command of the division, Colonel Lyle, of the Ninetieth, succeeded him.

 

On the occasion of the rebel raid upon Chambersburg, under Stuart and Hampton, on the 10th of October, the camp was thrown into commotion, and unusual vigilance was exercised, rebel scout bearing dispatches to rebels at Frederick, being captured. While remaining, in Maryland, the time was spent in picketing along the river, and in drill. After crossing into Virginia, when the army moved southward, the regiment was in camp for a few days at Warrenton, and subsequently at Brooks’ Station, White Oak Church, and finally near Falmouth.

 

Battle of Fredericksburg

In the battle of Fredericksburg, the First Corps formed part of Franklin’s Grand Division, and bore the brunt of the fighting on, the left of the line. Their division, to which the regiment, belonged, now commanded by General Gibbon, was formed on the right of the Pennsylvania, Reserves, under Meade, who took the initiative in the battle. Meade’s attack at first proved successful, but being too weak to hold his advantage, he was soon obliged to give ground, and Gibbon was hurried forward to his support. The position of the regiment had been in support of the Fifth Maine Battery, posted near the Stone House. As the brigade moved out to the attack, it soon came under a hot fire of musketry from a defiant foe, who was rapidly driven back across the railroad, with great slaughter. A single division battling against the rapidly concentrating forces of the enemy, presented a grand spectacle of courage; but to continue the unequal contest was only to entail a useless slaughter, and the order to fallback was given. At the original position near the Stone House, the command re-formed, and held the ground until the close of the battle. The loss of the regiment in the engagement was one hundred and forty in killed, wounded, and missing. Captain Asa Chapman was killed, and Captain S. S. Marchand, received a mortal wound.

 

Battle of Chancellorsville

After the return of the army to the north bank, the regiment occupied its old quarters, engaged in the usual camp and picket duty-with the exception of the few days in January, 1863, when it was out upon the Mud March-until the opening of the spring campaign under Hooker. On the morning of the 28th of April, the corps moved out to a position near the river, opposite Franklin’s Crossing, while the main body marched up, and passing the Rappahannock and the Rapidan at the upper fords, took position at Chancellorsville, in the enemy’s rear. On the 30th, the corps lay in columns of brigade, closed in mass, exposed to rebel artillery fire. At four in the afternoon, having brought his guns to bear upon the position, the enemy opened, throwing his missiles into the ranks of the One Hundred and Thirty-sixth, killing and wounding several of the men; Lieutenant Alfred C. Lindsay, being among the mortally wounded.

 

A change of position was immediately ordered, and the regiment fell back to a deep ditch by the side of the road, where it took shelter and remained, still under fire, until the close of the day. At night-fall it was ordered out to take up one of the pontoon bridges and escort the train bearing it, to United States Ford. By ten o’clock the boats were all up and the train ready to start. All night long it moved toilsomely on, and at daybreak of the following morning, was relieved and allowed to rest. At evening of the 2d, the corps crossed and encamped near the stream; but at nine at night it was aroused and ordered to move rapidly to the front, the Eleventh Corps having been routed, and the army being in confusion. It was moved into position on the extreme right, stretching out towards the Rapidan, the brigade joining Roy Stone’s Bucktails on the left, and General Paul’s Brigade on the right, with the Fifth Maine Battery in the centre. Breast-works were hastily thrown up, and on the following morning a detachment, embracing about half of the regiment, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Wright, was sent out upon picket, between the two lines of battle. Towards evening the enemy in considerable force made a dash upon this detachment ,and succeeded in driving it in. The ground was subsequently re-taken and the picket line re-established. On the following day the enemy again attacked, but the Union forces were well intrenched, and gave him a bloody repulse. On the night of the 5th of May, the army withdrew across the river, the brigade returning to its former camping ground. At the conclusion of its term of service, the regiment returned to Harrisburg, where, on the 29th, it was mustered out.

 

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

Organization

Organized at Harrisburg August, 1862.
Moved to Washington, D.C., August 29, and duty there till September 29.
Moved to Fort Frederick, Md., thence to Sharpsburg.
Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac.

 

Service

Duty at Sharpsburg, Md., till October 30.
Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19.
Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15.
Burnside’s 2nd Campaign, “Mud March,” January 20-24, 1863.
Duty at Falmouth and Belle Plains till April 27.
Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.
Operations at Pollock’s Mill Creek April 29-May 2.
Fitzhugh’s Crossing April 29-30.
Battle of Chancellorsville May 2-5.
Mustered out May 29, 1863.

Losses

Regiment lost during service:
3 Officers and 23 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and
30 Enlisted men by disease.
Total 56.

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