3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery

3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery

Pennsylvania flag
Active February 17, 1863, to November 9, 1865
Country United States
Allegiance Union
Branch Heavy Artillery
Engagements Siege of Suffolk
Battle of Gettysburg
Siege of Petersburg
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Joseph Roberts

The 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery was a heavy artillery regiment that fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

History

The regiment was organized at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the consolidation of Robert's Battalion Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (redesignated Companies C, D, and F), Segebarth's Battalion Marine Artillery (Companies A, B, G, H, K, and L), and the 1st Battalion Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (Company E). Companies I and M were organized in Philadelphia. Recruiting finished on February 17, 1863, with Joseph Roberts as colonel, R. V. W. Howard as lieutenant colonel, and John A. Darling as major.

The regiment was sent to Fort Monroe in Virginia, except for Company H, which was sent to Baltimore, Maryland. During the Suffolk Campaign, companies A, B, F, and G were sent to Suffolk and participated in the siege. During the Gettysburg Campaign, Company H was assigned to the Second Division of the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps and was present at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2 and 3 1863. It fought at the East Cavalry Battlefield on July 3. After the campaign, the company returned to Baltimore, where it remained for the remainder of the war.

In the spring of 1864, the regiment was above its authorized strength, so its surplus men were organized into the 188th Pennsylvania Infantry. Shortly afterwards, it received more recruits, so it remained above strength.

During the Siege of Petersburg, Companies D, E, G, and N were assigned to the Army of the James to serve in light artillery batteries and to work on various parts of the fortifications. Detachments from various companies were assigned to the Naval Brigade, which fought along the rivers around Richmond and Petersburg during 1864 and 1865. Company I was selected as the guard company for the headquarters of the Army of the James.

Following the capture of Richmond, the regiment was reassigned to Fort Monroe, where it provided the guard for Jefferson Davis' imprisonment there. Companies A and B were mustered out at Fort Monroe on July 11, 1865; company H was mustered out at Baltimore on July 25; and the remaining companies were mustered out at Fort Monroe on November 9.

Casualties

Civil War reenactors

3rd PA Heavy Artillery is represented today by a group of Civil War living history reenactors, based in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, that represents Battery B. The unit operates as a light artillery unit, as Battery H did at Gettysburg. Website for Battery B is http://batteryb-3pavol.org

References

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