- 90th Pennsylvania Infantry
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 90th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
caption=Pennsylvania flag
dates= September 1861 toNovember 26 ,1864
country=United States
allegiance= Union
branch=Infantry
equipment=
battles=Battle of Cedar Mountain Second Battle of Bull Run Battle of Gettysburg Battle of the Wilderness Battle of Globe Tavern The 90th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was a volunteer
infantry regiment which served in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War .History
The regiment was formed from the 2nd Regiment, 1st Brigade, First Division of the Pennsylvania Militia. Peter Lyle was selected
colonel , William A. Leech lieutenant colonel and Alfred J. Sellersmajor . Recruitment started in early September 1861 and by December 900 men were raised. It was first sent to Baltimore and then toWashington, D.C. . Once there, it became part of the I Corps,Army of the Potomac , assigned to the 2nd Brigade, Second Division.After several months of garrison duty and railroad repair, the 90th was sent along with the rest of its division to the
Shenandoah Valley to stopMajor General T.J. Jackson's force, but did not get into any battles. In June, it was assigned to Major General John Pope'sArmy of Virginia . The regiment relieved part of the Union force after theBattle of Cedar Mountain . It lost 200 men during theSecond Battle of Bull Run .At the
Battle of Antietam , the 90th fought in the Cornfield in support of thePennsylvania Reserves . Total losses during this battle were ninety-eight, including several officers. Lyle was promoted to command of the brigade, with Leech taking command of the regiment. Missing theBattle of Fredericksburg in December, it did fight on the Union left during theBattle of Chancellorsville .On
July 1 ,1863 , at theBattle of Gettysburg , it was placed in support of the Union line onMcPherson's Ridge . Forced to retreat with the rest of the I Corps, it was assigned with the rest of the division to the southern end ofCemetery Ridge . The chaplain of the regiment,Horatio Stockton Howell , was cruelly murdered on the steps of the Lutheran Church during the retreat. Lyle was temporarily appointed to command of the 1st Brigade, with Sellers taking over the regiment. It did not fight during the rest of the battle, suffering only some shelling.In early 1864, the I Corps was consolidated into the V Corps, with the 90th forming part of the 1st Brigade, Second Division. The regiment lost heavily during the
Overland Campaign , losing 124 out of 251 men at theBattle of the Wilderness and another hundred at Spotsylvania Court House. OnMay 6 , Lyle was placed in command of the 1st Brigade, Second Division. Since both Leech and Major Jacob M. Davis were on detached duty, Captain William P. Davis took command of the regiment.The 90th fought in the
Siege of Petersburg . OnJune 24 , both Leech and Jacob Davis returned to the regiment, with Leech assuming command. At theBattle of Globe Tavern , Leech, Jacob Davis, and about 90 men were captured when the Confederates overran its position. Another twenty men were killed or wounded. William Davis took command of the regiment again.The original term of service for the 90th ran out on
November 26 . Those eligible for discharge were sent toPhiladelphia ,Pennsylvania and the regiment was disbanded. The veterans and recruits whose enlistments had not expired yet were assigned to the11th Pennsylvania Infantry .Casualties
* Killed and mortally wounded: 5 officers, 98 enlisted men
* Wounded: ? officers, ? enlisted men
* Died of disease: 1 officer, 126 enlisted men
* Captured and missing: ? officers, ? enlisted men
* Total: ? officers, ? enlisted menee also
*
List of Pennsylvania Civil War Units References
* [http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/infantry/90th/90thorg.html Pennsylvania in the Civil War]
* [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%2290th+Pennsylvania+Volunteer+Infantry%22 90th Pennsylvania monument at the Antietam National Battlefield]
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