An Account of a Civil War Regiment V

The 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Volunteers - Final Assignments

Excerpts taken from a story written by Randall E. Black

Engagements around Cold Harbor from June 1 to June 12, 1864 registered Federal losses of 10,971 killed and wounded, and 1,816 missing. From June 4 to June 12, the armies settled into their entrenchments and exchanged cannonade volleys and musket fire. There were no further direct front-line assaults.

The 2nd PA HA (provisional) remained at Cold Harbor until the evening of June 12 when Grant secretly moved all the troops out of the trenches toward the south bank of the James River to threaten the city of Petersburg and the Confederate's railroad supply lines. The Eighteenth Corps was actually a detached Corps from the Army of the James, so the 2nd PA HA (provisional) went with them. They were assigned to the Army of the James under the command of General Butler.

I doubt that my great grandfather was deemed fit enough for duty so he probably did not make that trip. He was returned to Philadelphia in October 1864 and was officially discharged in December 1864.

The 2nd PA HA provisional was south of the James River by June 14 and received orders to move at daylight on Petersburg supported by Kautz's Calvary Division on its left flank. Smith's Eighteenth Corps was in position to attack the Petersburg fortifications shortly before noon on June 15. On the far right of the Federal line near the Appomattox River in the lowland area, two brigades of the 2nd PA HA waited for the attack to begin. Following a heavy Federal bombardment, the infantry on all points of the line started toward the Confederate fortifications. Confederate artillery responded and covered the advancing 2nd PA HA troops with musket fire. Their advance was at a stand still. Further to the south, other Federal troops faired better in storming the Confederate fortifications. It was over in thirty minutes or less and Smith's Eighteenth Corps had taken a mile and a half of trenches, five forts, sixteen pieces of artillery and several hundred prisoners.

On June 18th, the 2nd PA HA regiment was ordered to join in a charge upon a rebel entrenched line between City Point Railroad and the Appomattox River. Due to the failure of other Federal troops on the left to move promptly, the whole fire of the rebel line was concentrated upon 2nd PA HA and prevented it from reaching the enemy's works. The men had charged through a field of tall oats and now used that cover to screen themselves as they scraped the ground with bayonets and tin cups, digging a low trench for cover from the Confederate bullets. The ground gained was held and at night the line was strengthened. The cost in this charge was ten killed and sixty-five wounded within a few minutes. The engagements conducted from June 15 to June 18 at Petersburg resulted in Federal losses of more than 10,000 men. The Federal armies (since Cold Harbor) more frequently engaged in a different type of warfare called the siege. Life in the entrenchment for the ordinary soldier was miserable. Relentless heat, dirt, filth and constant harassment from the fire of enemy sharpshooters tried many a man's patience and endurance, and it was to last for ten more months.

During June, July, and August the 2nd PA HA performed hard and dangerous duties in the trenches. The 2nd PA HA had performed exceedingly hard service and lost many men in four months. I do not think our branch of the Yarnall family tree would be here today if my great grandfather had been with his unit after Cold Harbor. The armies were bogged down in trench warfare. Each maneuver was countered by another and the casualties continued to rise. They were involved in battles at Ft Gilmer, Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights (see little map above), and Ft Harrison plus others.
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Grant was determined to force the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to overextend its lines of defense around Petersburg, thereby weakening the fortifications and opening them to assault. On September 29, 1864 Grant moved the Tenth and Eighteenth Corps back North across the James River for an assault on the outer defenses of Richmond. Grant anticipated that this movement would prevent the Army of Northern Virginia from sending reinforcements to General Early's forces in the Shenandoah Valley as well as force Lee to weaken the Petersburg defenses in response.

The 2nd PA HA's original assignment was to defend Washington DC. The 2nd PA HA took particular pride in its role of expanding Fort Massachusetts into Fort Stevens. The regiment that did not go to Cold Harbor was engaged by General Early's forces. The regimental historian declared, "Historians will not likely condescend to give credit to them and their part in the defense against Early's advance in late 1864. Had Fort Massachusetts and Fort Slocum remained as they were in 1862, Gen. Early would have had no difficulty in reaching Washington City by route of the Seventh Street Road."

On December 2, the 2nd PA HA was sent back south of the James River to the entrenchments. The terms of the early 3-year enlistments would expire in January 1865. A large number re-enlisted. With these reenlistments and additional recruits, the regiment had over two thousand men still remaining in the service. After the Confederate evacuation, the regiment was assigned defensive duty in Petersburg. Upon the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April, the regiment's companies were distributed through the lower counties of Virginia for the purpose of maintaining order and tranquility and performed basically "police" duties. For a ten-month period it must have been quite bewildering to the soldiers to continue to serve as they did. The war was finished, they had done their fighting, and now it was time to go home. Peace keeping did not strike the Civil War veteran as an important role just like the men of today in Iraq. The men of the 2nd PA HA were mustered out of service at City Point, Virginia on 1/29/1866 and returned to Philadelphia.

The 2nd PA HA men were just as brave and honorable as other men who served longer in combat conditions. For the most part, they were boys who were taken away from small towns and farms. They returned as hardened men after enduring the hardships and horrors of battle. Those not sent home early were discharged at Philadelphia on 2/16/1866. Their service has not been glorified or celebrated like some. The deeds they performed and the courage required was evidenced by the losses that the regiment suffered. 5 officers and 221 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded. 6 officers and 385 enlisted men died from disease. The men of the 2nd PA HA had memories of death, destruction, and loss that would always be with them.

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