72nd Pennsylvania Infantry

The 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry, known as the Philadelphia Fire Zouaves, was mustered in on Aug. 10, 1861, and mustered out on Aug. 24, 1864. Its total enrollment was 1600, with 195 killed and mortally wounded, 558 wounded, 70 dead from disease and in rebel prisons, 165 captured or missing, and a total loss of 988. In the 2nd Corps, 2nd Division, the regiment reached the angle at Gettysburg at 1 a.m. on July 2, 1863, took position in rear of this monument, and supported Cushing's Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery. At 6 p.m. it helped repulse an enemy attack and joined a counter-charge that drove the enemy beyond the Emmitsburg road and captured 250 prisoners. On July 3, 1863, it helped repulse the enemy charge on the angle at 3 p.m. and capture many standards and prisoners. During the cannonading before the charge, the regiment stood in line 60 yards to the left and rear of this monument; when the rebels forced the troops from the first line, the 72nd fought its way to the front and occupied the wall. Present at Gettysburg were 458 men, of whom 62 were killed and mortally wounded, 133 wounded, and 2 missing, for a total of 197 killed, wounded, and missing. The regiment also served at Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Peach Orchard, Savage Station, Glendale, Malvern Hill, Chantilly, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Tolopotomy, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania · United States