51st Pennsylvania Infantry

The 51st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service
The 51st Pennsylvania Infantry was organized in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and mustered in November 16, 1861 for a three-year enlistment under the command of Colonel John F. Hartranft.

The regiment was attached to Reno's Brigade, Burnside's North Carolina Expeditionary Corps, to April 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Department of North Carolina, to July 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April 1863. Army of the Ohio to June 1863. Army of the Tennessee to August 1863, and Army of the Ohio to April 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac, to September 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, IX Corps, to July 1865.

The 51st Pennsylvania Infantry mustered out July 27, 1865.

Detailed service
Left Pennsylvania for Annapolis, Md., November 16. Duty at Annapolis until January 9, 1862. Burnside's Expedition to Hatteras Inlet and Roanoke Island, N.C., January 9-February 8. Battle of Roanoke Island February 8. Moved to New Bern March 11-13. Battle of New Bern March 14. Expedition to Pollocksville March 21-22. Expedition to Elizabeth City April 17-19. Camden, South Mills, April 19. Duty at New Bern until July. Moved to Newport News, Va., July 6-9, then to Fredericksburg August 2-4. Marched to the relief of Pope August 12-15. Pope's campaign in northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Battle of Groveton August 29. Second Battle of Bull Run August 30. Battle of Chantilly September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-24. Battle of South Mountain September 14. Battle of Antietam September 16-17. Duty at Pleasant Valley until October 27. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 27-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Burnside's second Campaign. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Moved to Newport News February 19, then to Covington and Paris, Ky., March 26-April 1. Moved to Mount Sterling April 3, to Lancaster May 6-7 and to Crab Orchard May 23. Movement to Vicksburg, Miss., June 3-17. Siege of Vicksburg June 17-July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. At Milldale until August 6. Moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, August 6-20. Duty in Kentucky until October. Operations in eastern Tennessee until November 14. Knoxville Campaign November 4-December 23. Campbell's Station November 16. Siege of Knoxville November 17-December 4. Pursuit of Longstreet December 5-29. Regiment reenlisted January 1, 1864, and on veteran furlough January 11-March 9. At Annapolis, Md., until April 23. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12. Battle of the Wilderness May 5-7. Spotsylvania May 8-12. Ny River May 9. Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Ox Ford May 24. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864 to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm, September 29-October 2. Reconnaissance on Vaughan and Squirrel Level Road October 8. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Fort Stedman March 25, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee to Farmville. Moved to City Point, then to Alexandria April 20-28. Grand Review of the Armies May 23. Duty at Washington and Alexandria until July.

Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 314 men during service; 12 officers and 165 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 137 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

 * Colonel John F. Hartranft - promoted to brigadier general June 8, 1864
 * Colonel William Jordan Bolton