| 151st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry | |
|---|---|
Pennsylvania flag |
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| Active | September 1862 to July 27, 1863 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Engagements | Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Gettysburg |
The 151st Pennsylvania Infantry was a Union Army regiment during the American Civil War. It was known as "The Schoolteachers' Regiment" because of the large enlistment of school instructors.
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The regiment was recruited in south-central Pennsylvania during the fall of 1862, with the companies raised from the following counties:
Harrison Allen was elected colonel of the regiment, George F. McFarland lieutenant colonel, and John W. Young major.
The regiment was moved to Washington, D.C. at the end of November, and the following month to Union Mills, Virginia, in order to combat Confederate guerillas in the area. In mid-February, the regiment was re-assigned to the Third Division of the I Corps, Army of the Potomac.
The 151st fought in its first battle at Chancellorsville, where it fought on the picket line on the Union right flank. Colonel Allen was granted a furlough following the battle, with McFarland assuming temporary command.
The regiment next fought at the Battle of Gettysburg, with Lt. Col. McFarland still in command. The regiment defended the Union left on McPherson's and Seminary Ridges. Confederate attacks forced the I Corps to retreat through Gettysburg. During the fighting near the Seminary, the regiment took cover near a barricade and held off several more Confederate attacks. Lt. Col. McFarland was at the front of the regiment, leading his men. The gunsmoke was so thick that McFarland couldn't see the enemy through it. He crouched down to see under the smoke and track the Confederates' movements. It was then that a Rebel bullet went through one of his legs and through the other as he crouched down. A private of Co. F attempted to carry McFarland back to the Seminary for treatment, as it was then being used as a hospital. The private nearly lost his life when a bullet came so close that it sheared off one of the brass buttons on his cuff. McFarland was kept safely inside the Seminary for several months after the battle.
The regiment reformed on Cemetery Hill with only 113 officers and men left, with a captain in command. It was assigned a position on the left of the II Corps, where on July 3, it helped repulse the Confederate attack. During the battle, the regiment lost 367 out of 478 officers and men, a rate of nearly 75%. Allen arrived that day to re-assume command of the regiment, which then participated in the pursuit of the Confederate army. Following the conclusion of the campaign, it was sent to Harrisburg on the 19th and mustered out on the 27th.
The 151st is held in high regard in Juniata County where Company D was formed. There is a plaque across from the old McAlisterville Academy where several members of the regiment, including Lt. Col. McFarland, used to teach. It memorializes the regiment and its actions at Gettysburg.
A reenacting unit from Juniata County portrays Company D of the regiment.