Book Notes: History of the Eighty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1865

Note: The SOPO Book Notes series serves as a way to gather important information about a given source on the Siege of Petersburg like a book, article, essay, map, etc. It is a behind the scenes look at the methods I use to fill out the core pages of my Siege of Petersburg Site.

Subject: History of the Eighty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1865 by Luther S. Dickey

Note: The SOPO Notes series serves as a way to gather important information about a given source on the Siege of Petersburg like a book, article, essay, map, etc.¹

 

Important Points:

Note: Earlier chapters do not discuss the Bermuda Hundred Campaign or the Siege of Petersburg and were not consulted for the purposes of this research.

 

BERMUDA HUNDRED CONTENT STARTS ON PAGE: 314

 

CHAPTER XVIII: Bermuda Hundred

* Sailed from Hilton Head April 22, 1864, reached Gloucester Point, VA on April 25. Stayed until May 4, proceeded up James River on steamer Guide and landed at Bermuda Hundred May 6, 1864.²

 

* 85th Pennsylvania was at “the neck of the Bermuda Hundred Peninsula, within a mile of the James River.” Dicky notes the regiment stayed there from this point until August 14, 1864, with only an absence of five or six days due to an expedition.  Was he talking about something other than the Second Deep Bottom Campaign?  It appears so.  And did this happen prior to or during the Siege of Petersburg?³

 

* Fought at Ware Bottom Church May 9-10, 1864 and tore up some of Petersburg & Richmond Railroad⁴

 

* Cos. C and H were sent to the James River to destroy Confederate torpedoes on May 10? ⁵

 

* Battle of Ware Bottom Church, May 20, 1864⁶

 

RICHMOMD/PETERSBURG CONTENT STARTS ON PAGE: 327

 

CHAPTER XIX: Bermuda Hundred (Continued.) p. 327

Note: This covers the Bermuda Hundred front where the 85th Pennsylvania was located, but the Bermuda Hundred Campaign was already over.  This covers the month of June 1864, the latter half of which involved the Siege of Petersburg.

 

* 85th PA was stationed in the vicinity of Ware Bottom Church in the Bermuda Hundred lines for all of June 1864, except for June 20-25, 1864, when it was involved in an expedition north of the James River at Deep Bottom to establish a bridgehead there.⁷

 

* Engagement at Bermuda Hundred, June 16, moved his brigade to entrenchments near the Clay House, skirmished with enemy.  Fell back late in day to a line of works on a line with Ware Bottom Church.  Enemy attacked in the evening, 133rd OH, a brand new regiment, broke and ran, but line held. Fighting continued on June 17, 1864.⁸

 

* General Brooks takes over X Corps, the book says June 19, but Official Records show the day before.⁹

 

* 62nd OH had been detached at Bermuda Hundred Landing the day they landed in early May 1864, then had been made Provost Guard (of the Landing, of a larger organization?), and lastly temporarily placed at Point of Rocks under General Terry.¹⁰

 

* 133rd OH reached Bermuda Hundred on June 12, 1864, and was temporarily assigned to 1/1/X/AotJ until at least June 17, 1864 (other records indicate later, June 19) and was finally permanently assigned to a new Third Division of the 100 day Ohio troops and ordered to Fort Powhatan for duty on or after June 17.¹¹

 

* See page 335 for a lengthy discussion of the reorganization of the Tenth Corps on and around June 18-19, 1864.  Make sure ALL of these command changes are noted in their unit pages with this page as a source.¹²

 

* On June 20, Gen. Foster took a force to Deep Bottom to establish a bridgehead which included the 85th PA, 11th ME, 24th MA, 39th IL, 100th NY, 10th CT, 1st Section of the 1st CT Btty, and a section of the 5th NJ Btty. Make sure all of these units have “Deep Bottom Bridghead (June 20-25, 1864) listed among their battles, and use this source. Colonel Howell accompanied the two regiments of his brigade on this expedition. The 85th PA returned to Bermuda Hudnred on June 25, 1864 in mid-afternoon.¹³

 

* Good itinerary for June 1864 from soldier diaries on pp. 337-338. Use these in the itinerary!¹⁴

 

* “June 28: …Regimental provision return indicates the strength of the Regiment as 398.”¹⁵

 

* Several PA newspapers contained casualty lists of the 85th PA for June 1864:¹⁶

• Casualties of June 17-18, 1864: Appeared in Uninotown PA Genius of Liberty, no date mentioned, and July 6, 1864 Washington PA Reporter and Tribune, check to see if you can find these papers.

 

 

 

CHAPTER XX – Bermuda Hundred (Continued) p. 342

Note: This chapter seems to cover July 1, 1864 to August 13, 1864, just prior to the Second Battle of Deep Bottom. Everything covered here occurred during the Siege of Petersburg.

 

* 85th PA didn’t suffer a single casualty on the picket line at Bermuda Hundred during the entire month of July 1864, and was located there the entire time from July 1-August 13, 1864.¹⁷

 

* Major Abraham writes to Pennsylvania Governor Curtin about their muster out date controversy for the first time on July 14, 1864.¹⁸

 

* Brooks resigned July 14, and Terry took over X Corps temporarily on July 14, with David B. Birney taking over permanently on July 23, 1864.¹⁹

 

* Shortly after MG Birney assumed command of Tenth Corps on July 23, 1864, he created a Corps badge and did other things to try to improve morale.²⁰

 

* On July 28, 1864 Col. Howell took a leave of absence due to illness. Col. Francis B. Pond replaced him as Brigade commander while he was away.  Howell returned at 1 am on August 18, 1864.²¹

 

* Nice daily journal of activities in the regiment from several soldier diaries from July 1-August 13, 1864.  Use these for the itinerary!²²

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XXI – Battle of Deep Bottom, p. 351

* One third of the regiment was killed or wounded at Second Deep Bottom.²³

 

* “The 85th Regiment left the Bermuda Hundred camp at the head of the First Brigade of the First Division, 10th Corps, at 11 p. m., Saturday night, August 13, crossed the James River on the upper pontoon-bridge at Deep Bottom, and went into bivouac shortly after two o clock, Sunday morning, August 14, near the Grover house, on the left of the road leading from the river known as the Kingsland road, and over a mile to the left of Four-Mile Creek.”²⁴

 

* 1/1/X/AotJ formed to the left of Foster’s Brigade (3/1/X/AotJ) during the August 14, 1864 skirmishing. 85th PA charged the enemy’s skirmish line and took it, suffering 18 casualties.²⁵

 

* 85th and its brigade moved to the right of the Second Corps during the night of August 14-15, 1864, eventually skirmishing at a place called “Craddocks” around 1 pm on August 15, and remaining in the area until 9 am on August 16.²⁶

 

* Engaged at the Battle of Fussell’s Mill on August 16, 1864, Lt. Col. Campbell in command. Lost over one third of the 201 brought into the attack.²⁷

 

* Remained near Fussell’s Mill August 17 into early morning hours of August 19, 1864, when their brigade moved two or three miles further right, stopping near Malvern Hill. They left this position at dusk on August 20, 1864, crossing the lower pontoon bridge back to Bermuda Hundred around 11 pm, and reached the old Bermuda Hundred camps at sunrise, August 21, 1864.²⁸

 

* Official Records reports are given verbatim for the next several pages.²⁹

 

* Really good daily itinerary on pages 365-367. Use them for your itinerary!³⁰

 

* August 21, 1864 Washington PA Reporter and Tribune contains a list of casualties August 13-20, 1864.³¹

 

* September 7, 1864 Washington PA Reporter and Tribune contains a letter from the 85th PA describing the Second Battle of Deep Bottom. I clipped this one and another good letter from the 16th PA Cav for that date.  It is Google News, and you cannot download entire pages at all.  Clipping is the only option.³²

 

 

CHAPTER XXII – In Front of Petersburg, p. 370

* Discussion of proposed attack on August 22, 1864 on the southern part of the Bermuda Hundred lines to keep Lee from reinforcing his men near the Weldon Railroad. Preparations were made but ultimately abandoned as too risky.³³

 

* 85th PA and the brigade moved to in front of Petersburg, leaving Bermuda Hundred on the early afternoon of August 24, and arriving in front of Petersburg an hour after midnight on August 25. This was the beginning of a movements where the 10th Corps and 18th Corps changed places at Bermuda Hundred and east of Petersburg.³⁴

 

* New camp of 85th PA in front of Petersburg was the old camp of the 2nd PA HA of Fairchild’s Brigade, Ames’ Division, 18th Corps, who they replaced. It was located in a dense wood.³⁵

 

* Several pages of orders from Tenth Corps leadership as the Corps settles into its new positions east of Petersburg.³⁶

 

* On September 7, the right wing of the 85th PA moved into Fort Morton aka Redoubt D aka “the fourteen-gun battery.”³⁷

 

* Death of Colonel Howell is discussed as well as numerous eulogies and other remembrances.³⁸

 

* 85th and brigade stayed in vicinity of Fort Morton until September 24 at 9 pm, when they moved to the rear and camped near Corps HQ. ³⁹

 

* After a few days of drill, the 85th and its brigade moved at 3 pm September 28, 1864, crossing the Appomattox and the James River, and arriving north of Deep Bottom around midnight of September 28-29, 1864.⁴⁰

 

* A daily itinerary exists for August 22 to September 28, 1864. Use it in your own itinerary.⁴¹

 

 

CHAPTER XXIII – North Side of the James, p. 388

* Discussion of Battle of Chaffin’s Farm, September 28-30, 1864. On September 29, Howell’s old brigade of Terry’s Division was on the far right flank of the main infantry force in column, the 85th PA at the front of the column. They reached “ appoint three miles from Richmond, on the Central New Market Road, whence it was withdrawn…”⁴²

 

*Col. Francis A. Osborne, commanding the third brigade in their division, wrote a good description of the events in his regimental history of the 24th MA.⁴³

 

* On the evening of September 29, 1864, the 85th PA retired to a position about a mile west of 4 Mile Creek church near Laurel Hill, formerly held by the Confederates. Terry’s division was the extreme right flank of the AotJ, so the division was refused slightly.⁴⁴

 

* Next a recon mission on October 1, 1864 in the direction of Richmond out on the right flank is discussed: “About noon October 1 the Regiment at the head of the brigade again advanced out the Darbytown road to within a few hundred yards of the enemy’s last defences and within two or three miles of the Confederate capital.” I added this to the unit page.⁴⁵

 

* 1/1/X/AotJ stayed on right of X Corps from October 1-7, with a small skirmish occurring on October 2 “shortly before noon” as the Confederates drove in the pickets of the brigade. The regimental history believed the enemy troops were part of Pickett’s Division.⁴⁶

 

* Participated in the First Battle of Darbytown Road aka the Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads on October 7, 1864, the brigade losing 32 and the 85th PA just 4 men wounded, none killed.⁴⁷

 

* Moved about a mile east of their former position after October 7, digging a new line of works.⁴⁸

 

* 199th PA arrived on October 9, 1864 and was attached to 1/1/X/AotJ. This would have important consequences for the remaining men of the 85th PA after the veterans whose enlistments had expired mustered out about 6 weeks later. ADD A NOTE TO THE 199th PA PAGE SHOWING WHEN THEY ARRIVED AND THAT THEY GUARDED DEEP BOTTOM BRIDGEHEAD FROM OCTOBER 5-9, 1864.⁴⁹

 

* Voting for PA Gov on October 11, 1864. ⁵⁰

 

* Discussion of October 13 Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads, where the 95th Pa was held out at the last minute.⁵¹

 

* Good description of brigade attack dispositions on October 13 before the 85th PA was pulled from the line: “After passing to the north of the Darbytown road the brigade was formed in line of battle in the following order: The 67th Ohio and 85th Regiment forming the main line, the Regiment to the right of the former supported by eight companies of the 39th Illinois in reserve; the remaining two companies of the 39th and the 62d Ohio thrown out as skirmishers to the front and right flank. Shortly after noon the brigade was re-enforced by the 3d New Hampshire from the Second Brigade and the 10th Connecticut, of the Third Brigade. The lines were then formed, four regiments; the 10th Connecticut, part of the 62d Ohio, 39th Illinois and 67th Ohio, formed into a charging column, the 85th Regiment and 3d New Hampshire being held in reserve.”⁵²

 

* Defense of 1,1,X,AotJ from aspersions cast on it by a Reverend memorializing Major Camp of the 10th CT.⁵³

 

* Itinerary of days from Sept. 29 to October 12.  Use it for your own itninerary!⁵⁴

 

 

CHAPTER XXIV – Final Days in Service, p. 408

* At 3 pm on October 14, 1864, the men of the 95th PA whose enlistments were about to expire left the front.  They halted near Aiken’s Landing near sunset and stayed there for the night.  On October 15, they crossed the James River at Aiken’s Landing in the morning, halted at Jones’ Landing around noon, and then moved to Bermuda Hundred Landing.  At sunset, they left on the steamer Ironsides, and reached Jamestown around 9 p.m.⁵⁵

 

* Taken from Jamestown, to a brief stop at the dock in Norfolk, to disembarkation at Portsmouth on October 16 by the steamer Black Bird.⁵⁶

 

* Moved from Portsmouth to Norfolk on November 3, 1864.⁵⁷

 

* Men and one enlisted officer Left Norfolk on November 16, 1864 at 4 pm on the steamer Adelaide, bound for Baltimore, MD.⁵⁸

 

* On November 19, 1864, the remaining officers left Norfolk on the steamer Louisiana, no time mentioned, bound for Baltimore.⁵⁹

 

* Men of the 85th PA who remained at the front had an unusual attachment to the 199th PA for the rest of the Siege of Petersburg, seeing action at Fort Gregg on April 2, 1865: “The departure of the Regiment from the 10th Corps did not terminate its identity with the Army of the James. A detachment of the 85th Pennsylvania Regiment continued in the service at the front, until after the war was ended, and participated in the final campaigns against Lee at Petersburg and at Appomattox, and it remained, and was officially recognized as a Detachment of the 85th Pennsylvania Regiment until after June 28, 1865. On that date orders were issued for its consolidation with the 188th Pennsylvania Regiment and its identity as an organization did not become entirely defunct until July 11, 1865, when the enlisted men were distributed among various companies of the 188th Regiment. Bates History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, although regarded as an official publication of the State, in its history of the 85th Regiment says:

On the 14th of October, the Regiment was ordered from the front, the veterans and recruits were transferred to the 188th Pennsylvania, and the balance, whose term of service was soon to expire, reported at Portsmouth and were ordered into camp.

At the time the Regiment left the front the 188th Regiment was in the 18th Corps, and remained in it until this corps was discontinued, and the Detachment of the 85th Regiment, remained an integral part of the 10th Corps until the latter was discontinued, and was officially recognized as an integral part of the original brigade commanded by Col. Howell after it became merged into another corps, and a large group of the Detachment was mustered out of the service after the war was ended without ever having affiliated at any time with the 188th Regiment. On October 15, the day after the Regiment took its final departure from the front, the veterans and those whose term of service had not expired, or was not about to expire, were ordered to report to the 199th Pennsylvania Regiment which had been recently assigned to the Regiment s old brigade. These numbered about 160, eighty-two of whom had re-enlisted as veterans. This Detachment, although furnishing several commissioned officers to the 199th Regiment from its enlisted men, and a lieutenant-colonel from its line officers, was merely attached to it as an independent organization, and was officially recognized as a Detachment of the 85th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers until June 28, 1865, when orders for its consolidation with the 188th Regiment were issued. As the Detachment officially identified the Regiment with Col. Howell s old brigade, and Gen. Terry s division, until these organizations were discontinued a brief resume of the activities of these organizations after the Regiment had taken its departure from the front will be relevant.”⁶⁰

 

* Detachment 85th PA participated in Second Fair Oaks on October 27, 1864.⁶¹

 

* Detachment 85th PA made Provost Guard of 1/XXIV/AotJ on December 15, 1864, and according to this unit history, stayed in that role until July 1865. Note this on the unit page!⁶²

 

* Good itinerary of final days in service on pages 418-421.  Use it for the itinerary!!!⁶³

 

 

Order of Battle:

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: 85th PA, 39th IL, 62nd OH, 67th OH (May 6, 1864)⁶⁴

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: 85th PA, 39th IL, 67th OH, 133rd OH (62nd OH apparently detached) (June 16, 1864) ⁶⁵

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: 85th PA (August 13, 1864)⁶⁶

 

 

Unit Leaders:

* 1/1/X/AotJ: Colonel Joshua B. Howell (May 6 and often during June 1864 based on letters)⁶⁷

 

* 1/X/AotJ: BG Alfred H. Terry (May 6, 1864)⁶⁸

 

* X/AotJ: MG Quincy A. Gillmore (May 6, 1864)⁶⁹

 

* 85th PA: Lieutenant Colonel Edward C. Campbell (May 3, around June 5, 1864)⁷⁰

 

* 133rd OH, 1, 1, X, AotJ: Colonel Innis (June 16, 1864)⁷¹

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Colonel Joshua B. Howell (June 13, 1864)⁷²

 

* 1, X, AotJ: BG Robert S. Foster (June 14-19, 1864)⁷³

 

* X, AotJ: BG Alfred H. Terry (June 14-19, 1864)⁷⁴

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Colonel Joshua B. Howell (July 10, 1864)⁷⁵

 

* X/AotJ: BG W. T. H. Brooks (June 19, 1864)⁷⁶

 

* 85th PA: Lieutenant Colonel Edward C. Campbell (July 13, 1864)⁷⁷

 

* X, AotJ: Brigadier General William T. H. Brooks (July 14-18, 1864)⁷⁸

 

* X, AotJ: BG Alfred H. Terry (July 18-23, 1864)⁷⁹

 

* 1, X, AotJ: BG Alfred H. Terry (July 14-18 and July 23,-31, 1864) ⁸⁰

 

* X, AotJ: MG David B. Birney (July 23, 1864)⁸¹

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Colonel Joshua B. Howell (up to July 28, 1864)(left on a leave of absence July 28, 1864)⁸²

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Colonel Francis B. Pond (of the 62nd OH)(July 28-31, 1874 and August 1-16, 1864)(while Colonel Howell was on a leave of absence)⁸³

 

* 85th PA: Lieutenant Colonel Edward C. Campbell (August 16, 1864) (but acted as temporary ADC to Gen. Alfred H. Terry later in the day)⁸⁴

 

* 85th PA: Captain [Robert P.?] Hughes (August 16, 1864) (while LT. Col. Campbell acted as temporary ADC to Gen. Alfred H. Terry later in the day)⁸⁵

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Colonel Joshua B. Howell (of the 85th PA) (returned from leave and assumed command August 18, 1864)⁸⁶

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Colonel Alvin C. Voris (of the 67th OH) (took over for Pond who was ill on August 16, 1864) (August 16-18, 1864)⁸⁷

 

* X, AotJ: David B. Birney (August 21-22, 1864)⁸⁸

 

* 1, X, AotJ: Alfred H. Terry (August 21-22, 1864)⁸⁹

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Joshua B. Howell (August 21-22, 1864)⁹⁰

 

* 3, X, AotJ: Joshua B. Howell (temporarily commanding the division while BG William Birney was recovering from illness) (Howell’s horse landed on him on the night of September 11, 1864, and he lingered either unconscious or in a stupor while conscious until he died on September 14, 1864)(September 1-11, 1864)⁹¹

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Pond of the 62nd OH (took over after Howell was called to temporarily command another division) (September 1-7, 1864)⁹²

 

* 85th PA: Lt. Col. Edward C. Campbell (September 7, 1864)⁹³

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Alvin C. Voris of the 67th OH (took over after Pond became so ill he could not continue) (September 7-12, 1864)⁹⁴

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Pond of the 62nd OH (resumed command September 12 after an illness) (at least September 12-13, 1864)⁹⁵

 

* 3, X, AotJ: Col. Pond of the 62nd OH (took over when Howell was mortally wounded by his horse) (September 13-24, 1864) ⁹⁶

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Alvin C. Voris of the 67th OH (temporarily commanding the brigade while Colonel Pond was called to command 3/X/AotJ) (September 13-24, 1864)⁹⁷

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Pond of the 62nd OH (returned from temporarily commanding 3/X/AotJ on September 24, 1864)(from September 24, 1864)⁹⁷

 

* 85th PA: Lt. Col. Edward C. Campbell (at least September 20, 27, 1864)⁹⁹

 

* X, AotJ: David B. Birney (took a leave of absence due to illness on October 10, and never returned, passing away on October 18 at home) (September 28-October 10, 1864)¹⁰⁰

 

* X, AotJ: Brevet Major General Alfred H. Terry (temporarily assumed command due to Birney’s illness)(from October 10, 1864)¹⁰¹

 

* 1, X, AotJ: Brigadier General Adelbert Ames (temporarily assumed command due to Terry being moved temporarily to X Corps command)(from October 10, 1864) ¹⁰²

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Pond of the 62nd OH (October 13, 1864)¹⁰³

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Voris of the 67th OH (October 14-November 4, 1864) ¹⁰⁴

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Pond of the 62nd OH (temporarily assigned to the brigade command when Voris was temporarily assigned to division command) (resigned November 6) (November 4-6, 1864)¹⁰⁵

 

* 1, X, AotJ: Voris of the 67th OH (temporarily assigned to command the division on November 4, 1864) (at least November 4, 1864)¹⁰⁶

 

* Colonel John L. Otis (October 13, 1864)¹⁰⁷

 

* AotJ: Butler (ordered to NY on November 1 to suppress any riots connected with election) (to November 1, 1864)¹⁰⁸

 

* AotJ: Terry (while Butler was away in NYC) (from November 1, 1864) ¹⁰⁹

 

* X, AotJ: Terry (temporarily commanding Army of the James from November 1 due to Butler being called away to NYC for the election) (to November 1)¹¹⁰

 

* X, AotJ: Ames (temporarily commanding X Corps from November 1 due to Terry temporarily commanding AotJ) (from November 1)¹¹¹

 

* 1, X, AotJ: Ames (temporarily commanding X Corps starting November 1)(to November 1)¹¹²

 

* 1, X, AotJ: Voris (temporarily commanding 1/X/AotJ starting November 1 while Ames commanded the X Corps) (from November 1)¹¹³

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Voris (temporarily commanding 1/X/AotJ starting November 1)(to November 1)¹¹⁴

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: Pond (temporarily commanding brigade while Voris was commanding division) (from Nov. 1)¹¹⁵

 

 

Unit Leader Images:

 

* Joshua B. Howell (regimental commander and later commander of 1/1/X/AotJ and another division (which one?)¹¹⁶

 

 

 

Unit Strengths

 

* 85th PA: 333 officers and men PFD, 411 officers and men Present (July 10, 1864)¹¹⁷

 

* 1, 1, X, AotJ: 1,678 officers and men PFD, 2,057 officers and men Present (July 10, 1864)¹¹⁸

 

* 85th PA: 398 officers and men Present, probably around 320 officers and men PFD (June 28, 1864)¹¹⁹

 

* 85th PA: 201 men brought into the fight at Fussell’s Mill, not including officers (August 16, 1864) ¹²⁰

 

* 1/1/X/AotJ: 882 “muskets” (minus the 199th PA) (October 13, 1864)¹²¹

 

* 10th CT: 70 “strong” (October 13, 1864)¹²²

 

* Detachment of the 85th PA: ~160 officers and men remaining transferred to 199th PA (October 15, 1864)¹²³

 

 

Unit Armament

* Fort Morton (September 7, 1864): 2 x 4.5” Rodmans, 4 x 10” mortars, (6 x Coehorn mortars just outside)¹²⁴

 

 

Itinerary:

• See full itinerary post, coming soon.

 

 

Battle Excerpts:

• None

 

 

Other:

• Good BIO of Colonel Joshua Howell, the commander of 1,1, X, AotP, the brigade in which the 85th served throughout its time at the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign.

 

Sources: