71st Pennsylvania Volunteers

The 71st Pennsylvania Volunteers, originally organized in Philadelphia on April 29, 1861, was the first three-year regiment to complete its organization. Enlisted by Senator E.D. Baker and Isaac J. Wistar under special authority from the War Department to be credited to California, it was known as the California Regiment until after Colonel E.D. Baker's death at Ball's Bluff on October 21, 1861, when it was claimed by Pennsylvania and became the 71st Pennsylvania. Commanded at Gettysburg by Colonel R. Penn Smith, it carried into action 24 officers and 307 enlisted men, suffering casualties of 2 officers and 19 enlisted men killed, 3 officers and 55 enlisted men wounded, and 3 officers and 16 enlisted men missing, for a total of 98. On July 2, to the left of this point, it assisted in repulsing the attack of Wright's Georgia Brigade. During the cannonading of July 3, the regiment held a position 60 yards to the rear of this spot, and some of its men voluntarily helped work Cushing's disabled battery. As the enemy emerged from Seminary Ridge, the regiment was ordered forward, with the left wing advancing to this point and the right to the walls in the rear. When Pickett's Division pressed the left wing in overwhelming numbers, it fell back into line with the right, bringing the whole regiment into action. Using also many loaded muskets gathered from the previous day's battlefield, the regiment captured a number of prisoners and three flags. The 71st Pennsylvania served in all the principal battles of the Army of the Potomac and most of the minor ones until it was mustered out at the end of its term of service on July 2, 1864; during its service it numbered nearly 2300 men and lost about 1800.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania · United States