79th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry

Historical Sketch:
Col., Henry A. Hambright; Lieut.-Cols., John H. Duchman, William S. Mellinger; Majs., William S. Mellinger, Michael H. Locher, John S. McBride. The 79th was raised in the late summer and early fall of 1861. It rendezvoused by companies at Camp Wilkins, Pittsburg, where it was mustered into the U. S. service in September and the early part of October for three years. It was recruited from Lancaster county, with the exception of Co. D, which came from Washington county, most of the officers and men having been in the three months' service. On Oct. 17 it received its colors from the hands of Gov. Curtin at Allegheny City, and the following day embarked at Pittsburg for Louisville, Ky. From Louisville it moved to Camp Nevin, on Nolin creek, and three weeks later crossed that stream to Camp Negley, where it was assigned to Negley's brigade, McCook's division, Army of the Ohio, under Gen. Buell. Upon the opening of the spring campaign in 1862, it moved with the division to Nashville, thence to Columbia at the end of March, where a detachment of Co. A, under Capt. Kendrick, was captured by Morgan's cavalry on the Pulaski road, but was soon paroled. About the middle of May it shared in an expedition to Rogersville, Tenn., and Florence, Ala., and on the 29th moved towards Chattanooga with Gen. Negley's column, sharing in the engagements at Jasper, Sweden's cove, and Chattanooga, after which it returned to Shelbyville, having marched 284 miles in 14 days. The records of the regiment show that on July 4, out of 998 members, 50 were in hospital, 53 dead, 51 discharged, and 7 had deserted. The regiment next proceeded to Tullahoma, where it was assigned to a brigade made up of the 15th, 16th and 19th regulars, under command of Gen. William S. Smith. It next moved to Manchester and on Aug. 8 to Nashville, where it was variously employed until September. Meanwhile, the regimental band was mustered out by order of the war department, and the regiment was assigned to the 3d brigade (Gen. Starkweather), 1st division (Gen. Rousseau), 14th corps (Gen. McCook). It moved north in September with Buell's army, in the exciting race with Gen. Bragg, and was heavily engaged at the battle of Perryville, losing 37 killed, 149 wounded and 3 missing. After the pursuit of the enemy for several days it moved to Mitchellville, Tenn., and guarded the Louisville & Nashville railroad there for a month. In December, having rejoined the main army at Nashville, it moved on the Stone's river campaign and was engaged at Murfreesboro with a loss of 2 killed and 10 wounded. The 79th numbered at this time 35 officers and 688 enlisted men, of whom 25 officers and 484 men were present for duty. It remained at Murfreesboro after the battle until the following June, being engaged in numerous foraging expeditions. Assigned to the 2nd brigade, 1st division, 14th corps, it moved with Rosecrans' army on the summer campaign, and suffered severely in the bloody two days' battle of Chickamauga, where of the 17 officers and 350 men in action, it lost 16 killed, 66 wounded and 47 missing. During the battles of Orchard Knob, Lookout mountain and Missionary ridge, the 79th was employed in garrisoning the forts of Chattanooga and was not engaged. On Feb. 9, 1864, 265 men reenlisted and were mustered in on the 12th. After sharing with its division in the engagements at Buzzard Roost and Tunnel Hill, Ga., the veterans were given their furlough and on their return rejoined their brigade at Buzzard Roost on May 9, 1864. From this time on it actively participated in the almost constant fighting leading up to the fall of Atlanta. Its losses during the Atlanta campaign were 6 killed, 86 wounded (12 mortally) and 2 captured. It marched with Sherman to the sea, rested at Savannah for a month, and in Jan., 1865, moved with the army in the march through the Carolinas. It was heavily engaged at the battle of Bentonville, losing 13 killed and 46 wounded. At Goldsboro, N. C, March 22, it received 200 recruits, then marched to Raleigh and thence to Martha's Vineyard, where it encamped. After Johnston's surrender it moved via Richmond to the vicinity of Washington and was mustered out near Alexandria, Va., July 12, 1865. Roster:
The Roster of this unit contains the names of 2773 men.
Source:
The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1
Bibliography:

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