The 55th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, officially known as the 55th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1861. The regiment was recruited primarily from farmers, miners, and artisans, mainly from seven Pennsylvania counties, into ten companies. It was mustered into service in November 1861.
The 55th Pennsylvania took part in battles primarily in South Carolina, notably at Pocotaligo, where it suffered several casualties. It later participated in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, after a 30-day furlough, suffering heavy casualties, especially at the 1864 Battle of Proctor's Creek (also known as Drewry's Bluff). It also fought in the Siege of Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign, joining in the subsequent pursuit of Lee and his army until their surrender at Appomattox Court House, the regiment continued their service, stationed in Virginia until they were mustered out on August 30, 1865 at Petersburg, Virginia, before receiving their final pay and being disbanded at Harrisburg.
The regiment was also known as the 55th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers due to the majority of the men re-enlisting for another 3 years as veterans.
Organization The regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, 1861, with the recruitment being led by Col. Richard White, who had been given authority of raising the regiment by Pennsylvania Governor Andrew G. Curtin. The companies of this regiment were recruited from the counties of Cambria, Berks, Blair, Bedford, Schuylkill, Dauphin, and Indiana, many of them being farmers, miners, or artisans.
The companies of this regiment were recruited at:
Company A: Cambria County – Captain James Carroll Company B: Robesonia, Berks County – Captain John C. Shearer Company C: Johnstown, Cambria County – Captain Michael O’Connell Company D: Bedford County – Captain Thomas H. Lyons Company E: Minersville, Schuylkill County – Captain Horace C. Bennett Company F: Indiana County – Captain James S. Nesbit Company G: Harrisburg, Dauphin County – Captain Isaac S. Waterbury Company H: Bedford County – Captain George S. Mullin Company I: Blair County and Bedford County – Captain David W. Madara Company K: Bedford County – Captain Joseph Filler After they were extensively trained in November 1861, the regiment was mustered into service. On November 18, 1861, the regiment received its regimental colors by Governor Andrew G. Curtin in a ceremony held at the Hills Capitol. Before the regiment left the state, companies B, E and G were stationed at Camp Cameron near Harrisburg, where they received instructions by Federal army officers.
Service
Early service
After it was mustered into service, 38 officers and 757 enlisted men of the 55th left the state and moved to Fort Monroe, Virginia , on November 22 for drill. On December 8, the 55th, alongside the 45th, 76th , and 97th, embarked for South Carolina, arriving at Port Royal on December 12. The 55th was immediately sent to guard the small islands and approaches, west of Hilton Head, and remained there until February 25, 1862, when it was transferred to Edisto Island, arriving there on March 6, subsequently establishing their headquarters at the William Seabrook House, on the northern part of the island.
Engagement at Little Edisto While they were stationed on Edisto Island, a series of Confederate attacks were made against the Union forces stationed there, one of the most serious attacks took place on March 29, when companies E, F and G, who were stationed on Little Edisto, were attacked by 2,000 Confederate forces led by General Nathan G. Evans, and were pushed off from Little Edisto Island, with the men of Companies E, F and G, having to swim for nearly one mile in the overflowed swamp before reaching the regiment, losing 21 men as prisoners and 2 men as killed, alongside several wounded.
Historical accounts of this battle differ, with Union regimental histories claiming that this regiment repulsed the Confederates, losing 20 men killed or wounded. While other accounts claim that the Confederates pushed the Federal forces off Little Edisto Island, capturing 21 prisoners and 2 men killed, alongside several wounded. Following this engagement, Evans reported back to the Confederate government, exaggerating the size of the Union defense by claiming that he had faced over 6,000 Union forces there.
Battle of Simmon's Bluff
In June, Union forces operating against Charleston launched an amphibious expedition to destroy the Charleston & Savannah Railroad, in which Company E of the 55th Pennsylvania was a part of. On June 21, the 55th, who was on the gunboat Crusader and the transport Planter, landed on Wadmalow Sound. There, the 55th would discover the Confederate encampment of Companies A and H, 16th South Carolina Infantry, alongside a section of Marion Artillery. The 55th surprised and burned the Confederate encampment, with the Confederates scattered, the 55th Pennsylvania returned to their ships. Despite the victory, Federal forces abandoned the raid on the railroad. During this engagement, the regiment did not take any casualties.
After the engagements, the regiment continued to be stationed on Edisto Island, being the only Union forces there until October 21, while they were stationed there, Color Sergeant James Miller, who had served as the regiment's color bearer, died of disease. Second Battle of Pocotaligo On October 21, the regiment took part in General Brannan's expedition up Broad River to Pocotaligo, with the regiment attached to the 1st Brigade under the command of Brig. Gen Alfred Terry, this force of over 4,500 men, with each infantryman being issued over 100 rounds of ammunition, which severely limited the expedition's effectiveness. landed at Mackey's Point under the cover of gunboats. The expedition's debarkation was heavily reliant on the Army Signal Corps; 1st Lieutenant George H. Hill of the 55th Pennsylvania, serving as an acting signal officer, continuously directed communications between General Brannan's forces and the naval gunboats. Once ashore, Brannan's forces immediately advanced on the Pocotaligo Bridge, intending to destroy the Charleston & Savannah Railroad.At approximately 8:00 in the morning, on October 22, the regiment, consisting of 400 men, took part in a series of engagements at Caston's and Frampton's Plantations. The regiment, alongside the 6th New Hampshire, drove Confederate forces as far as the Pocotaligo River. The Confederates burned the Pocotaligo Bridge, subsequently taking up defensive positions behind the Pocotaligo River, and calling in reinforcements from Savannah and Charleston.
In the subsequent engagement, the regiment was fiercely engaged on the Union left. Colonel Richard White deployed Companies A and B as sharpshooters, who managed to effectively suppress the Confederate batteries until their ammunition ran low; they were relieved by Company K, armed with Springfield muskets. At the same time, Companies D and E were also sent forward, but due to them being armed with altered smooth-bore muskets, they were rendered unable to compete with the Confederate marksmen. Along the front, the ammunition for the Union artillery completely failed, due to the reserve ammunition caissons were left behind at Macknay's point due to a lack of wagons, Union forces were unable to push back the Confederates from their positions.
Fighting at Cooswhatchie While the engagement at Pocotaligo took place, a detachment of the 48th New York, alongside engineers and mechanics, landed near the village of Cooswhatchie via the transport Planter, with the objective of destroying the western segment of the Charleston & Savannah Railroad. While marching upon the village, a Confederate train carrying large numbers of Confederate forces crowded into the exposed flatcars, before immediately facing a volley from the detachment and a naval howitzer. The ambush killed the train's engineer and inflicted heavy casualties on the Confederates.
The train halted in the village and the surviving Confederates disembarked and went on to reinforce the Confederates guarding the bridge. Faced with Confederate reinforcements, the engineers who had started tearing up the railroad, were forced to abandon their works and fell back. The Confederates pursued the Union detachment before facing heavy fire from the transport Planter, which they mistaken to have been an unarmed transport ship, the Confederates were subsequently driven back. After Col. Barton identified the location of the village, including the train depot, Barton directed his 30-pounder Parrott Rifles to bombard both targets for two hours that afternoon. The detachment safely returned to Mackay's Point before nightfall.
With ammunition running low and being unable to gain an advantage, Union forces were forced to retreat under the cover of night and would move to Hilton Head. During this engagement, the regiment lost 29 men killed and wounded, with Captain Horace C. Bennett killed while leading his men in a charge against a Confederate battery.
After this engagement, the regiment spent the rest of 1863, stationed at Beaufort, South Carolina, while conducting picket duty and garrison duty on the fortifications at Port Royal.
Re-enlistment and the Virginia Campaign On January 1, 1864, the majority of the men re-enlisted for another 3 years as veterans and were sent on a 30-day furlough to Harrisburg on January 22 until March 23, when the regiment, now 1,250 strong, returned to South Carolina, conducting drill and guard duties for three weeks there. In April, the regiment embarked for Virginia, landing in Gloucester Point. It was subsequently attached to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division of X Corps, of the Army of the James (Commanded by Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler), which was preparing to operate against Richmond. X Corps moved to Bermuda Hundred, and there the 55th advanced inland with little resistance and was initially engaged in fortifying the head of the peninsula, between the James River and Appomattox River, helping secure the Union base of operations there.
Bermuda Hundred Campaign
On May 9, the regiment moved out with the 3rd Division, intending to destroy two miles of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. Later that day, they encountered Confederate forces at Swift Creek, engaging with them until evening. The following morning, on May 10, the division was forced to support troops attacking Union forces in their rear, and the division successfully drove the Confederates as far as Drewry's Bluff.
The Union advance towards Richmond resumed on May 13, encountering heavy fortifications at Proctor's Creek. Union forces were able to carry the outer line and spent the next two days trying to flank the Confederate position. However, Confederate forces under P. G. T. Beauregard. Recognizing that the Union line was dangerously extended, on May 16, under the cover of a dense fog, Beauregard launched a massive surprise attack on the Union forces there. The 55th Pennsylvania was positioned near the extreme left of the Union line, and bore the brunt of the Confederate assault, fighting closely alongside the 4th New Hampshire. The regiment repulsed several charges and stubbornly held its position. Eventually, however, the 55th was outflanked and was on the brink of being surrounded and captured. As a last resort, Colonel White sent Companies C, D, and E in a desperate counterattack against the Confederate advance, but was repulsed.
During this battle, the regiment lost 300 men killed, wounded, or captured, with Colonel White, Lieutenant John C. Bennett, and Adjutant J.C Metzger being captured, and Captain John C. Shearer took command of the regiment after the battle.