PENNSLYANIA 78TH INFANTRY (Three Years)

Seventy-eighth Infantry.-Cols., William Sirwell, Augustus B. Bonnaffon; Lieut.-Cols., Archibald Blakeley, A. B. Bonnaffon, Henry W. Torbett; Majs., A. B. Bonnaffon, James N. Hosey, Robert M. Smith. The 78th regiment was recruited in the late summer and early fall of 1861, and was mustered into the U.S. service from the middle of September to the middle of October at Camp Orr on the Allegheny river, for three years. Cos. B, F, G, I and K were raised in Armstrong county, C and E in Clarion, A in Indiana, D in Indiana and Cambria, and H in Butler. On Oct. 18, 1861, it left the state and proceeded by transport to Louisville, Ky., and thence by rail to Nolin creek, where it was assigned to Gen. McCook's division, Army of the Ohio, and was brigaded with the 78th Pa., 1st Wis., and 38th Ind., commanded by Brig.-Gen. James S. Negley. In December it moved with the brigade to Munfordville, Ky., and in March, 1862, it arrived with the division at Camp Andy Johnson, Nashville, Tenn. Throughout the remainder of the spring and summer it performed guard duty on the railroad from Nashville to Columbia, garrison duty at Pulaski and Rogersville, guard duty on the railroad from Columbia to Elk river, and was engaged in numerous skirmishes with the enemy's cavalry. While Buell's army was marching north into Kentucky, in the race with Gen. Bragg for Louisville, the 78th was ordered into the defenses of Nashville, where the garrison was often attacked. It was engaged at La Vergne, Neely's bend, White creek, Charlottsville and Franklin Pike, remaining in Nashville until Dec. 12, when it moved to Camp Hamilton, where it was assigned to Miller's brigade, of Negley's eighth division. It was heavily engaged at the sanguinary battle of Stone's River, or Murfreesboro, where it behaved with great gallantry, losing 190 men killed and wounded. In Jan., 1863, the Army of the Cumberland, under Gen. Rosecrans, was divided into three corps, the 14th, 2Oth and 21st, and the 78th was assigned to the 3rd brigade (Col. Miller), 2nd division (Gen. Negley), 14th corps (Gen. Thomas). It was engaged in provost duty at Murfreesboro until April, and in June shared in Rosecrans, campaign from Murfreesboro to Tullahoma. It then encamped at Decherd until Aug. 15, when it moved with the army in pursuit of Bragg. On Sept. 11, a part of the regiment was engaged at Dug gap, Ga., the whole regiment shared in the desperate fighting at Chickamauga and then retired with the army to Chattanooga. While here it was assigned to the 3rd brigade (Gen. Starkweather), 1st division (Gen. R. M. Johnson), 14th corps (Gen. John M. Palmer). In the decisive engagements at Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, the 78th was engaged with small loss, and it participated in a reconnoissance to the summit of Lookout Mountain. In company with the 21st Wis., the regiment was assigned to duty on Lookout mountain until May, 1864, when it rejoined its brigade at Graysville and moved with Sherman's army on the Atlanta campaign. It saw much hard fighting at Tunnel Hill, Buzzard Roost gap, Resaca, Dallas, New Hope Church and in the long struggle before Kennesaw mountain. While in front of Kennesaw mountain it was ordered to Chattanooga to guard wagon trains to the front and was thus employed for three months, when it was ordered to report to Gen. Rousseau at Nashville. It was active at Pulaski, Tenn., and a little later was mounted and moved with Rousseau against the enemy's cavalry in Southern Tenn., returning to Nashville on Oct. 17. Its term of service having expired, all the original members, except the veterans and recruits, returned to Pennsylvania and were mustered out at Kittanning, Nov. 4, 1864. The veterans and recruits remained at Nashville and in March, 1865, the regiment was recruited to the minimum strength by the assignment of eight new companies, commanded by Col. Bonnaffon. The regiment as thus organized was finale mustered out at Nashville on Sept. 11, 1865. Source: The Union Army, vol. 1 Chickamagua after battle report: Report of Col. William Sirwell, Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, commanding Third Brigade. HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., SECOND DIV., 14TH ARMY CORPS, Chattanooga, September 27, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the proceedings of the Third Brigade since leaving Cave Spring, Ala.: At 6 p. m., September 1, we left our encampment at Cave Spring, crossing the Tennessee River the same night, and bivouacked in the river bottom about 3 miles above. The next day we moved to Moore's Spring near Bridgeport. During the whole of the 3d my brigade was engaged on the mountain side repairing the road and helping the wagons and artillery up to the summit of the Raccoon Mountain; this being safely accomplished, after incredible labor, we reached Warren's Mill the same evening. According to the wish of the general commanding, I organized a working party from the Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania, who, under my direction, cut down the saw-mill, which is in a deep valley or ravine, and succeeded in changing it into a bridge, over which the whole of Gen. Thomas' corps safely crossed with all its artillery and transportation. On the 4th we descended into Lookout Valley and bivouacked at Brown's Spring. The next morning I took out the Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania and Twenty-first Ohio on a reconnaissance, leaving one regiment for the night at Payne's Mill, the other at Cureton's Mill. Left on the morning of the 6th and bivouacked at the crossing of Lookout Creek, leaving the Seventy-eighth behind at Payne's Mill. The next day, the 7th, moved to the foot of Lookout Mountain; my command was deployed in groups up the steep mountain side to repair the road, and assist the artillery and wagons in the difficult and tedious ascent. The whole of the 8th and forenoon of the 9th were consumed in this laborious and toilsome duty. The men worked cheerfully, and with such care that no accident of any kind occurred. On the morning of the 9th saw all our transportation on the mountain and on its way down into the famous Chattanooga Valley. The Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania rejoined my command while descending the mountains. On the 10th, according to orders previously received, my brigade had the advance on our reconnaissance toward the Pigeon Mountain. Skirmishing with the enemy began early in the day, but we moved slowly and steadily onward, with no loss on our side, though the fire of the enemy was at times very vindictive. When I reached the mouth of the ravine that finally forms Dug Gap, I halted my command and reported to the general commanding the presence of the enemy strongly posted in our front. At night I threw out a strong line of pickets with lookouts on the eminences, and had my men lie on their arms. At 3 o'clock at night I silently and carefully withdrew my command one-half mile to the rear, leaving the picket in its original line. Early the next morning the fire of the rebel sharpshooters began on my right and gradually swept round to my left until the whole of my pickets in front and on either side were hotly engaged. In this fierce engagement my men nobly stood their ground, and repelled their assailants at every point. I had 3 men killed and several severely wounded. It was evident that the enemy were in great force and endeavoring to pass round on our left. Being relieved by Gen. Starkweather's brigade, under the direction of the general commanding, my brigade was withdrawn and again placed in position at the cross-roads, near the general's headquarters, from which it was again removed and placed in position near the Widow Davis'. During this eventful day I cannot too highly recommend the behavior of the officers and men under me, taking up new positions and abandoning others in the face of an overwhelming enemy, and all done without the least confusion or accident of any kind. We reached the cove near Stevens' Gap late at night, where we remained, changing our position once, until the morning of the 17th, when, according to orders received from the general, my brigade was moved to Alley's Spring, and the next day to Crawfish Spring. The same night, according to orders received, I took the Seventy-eighth, Thirty-seventh Indiana, and Twenty-first Ohio back about 2 miles and took a strong position near Chickamauga Creek, in order to protect our right flank until Gen. McCook, who was then on the march from Stevens' Gap, could join us. Gen. McCook's corps passed us early in the morning of the 19th. Heavy fighting to our front and left. About 2 p. m. we were ordered to the center and took a position on the edge of a field near the springs. Received an order from Gen. Negley to take two regiments to the woods in the bottom at the foot of the hill. This was about sunset. We had some heavy fighting, the rebels being in the woods and in a corn-field in front. I had 3 men wounded and 2 killed in this engagement, which was short but fierce. Placing two pieces of artillery in position, I had them throw canister into the woods and across the field in my front, which effectually silenced the enemy's fire, and during the balance of the night they were quiet. The Thirty-seventh Indiana took up a supporting position in my rear. During the night and on the morning of the 20th my men had thrown up breastworks, which were really quite formidable and from which it would have been no easy task to dislodge them. Receiving news early in the morning from my adjutant that the rebels were massing a heavy force in my front, I brought down a section of Marshall's battery, together with the Seventy-fourth Ohio, and put it into excellent position. These arrangements had hardly been completed when I was ordered away to the left of our division to the support of Gen. Beatty, who had been for some time exposed to a terrible fire from and overwhelming force of the enemy. As soon as we were relieved we went at a double-quick, and at the distance of a mile, according to the general's instructions, had my men deployed in an open wood, so as to cover any flank attack from the left. In half an hour I received orders to change position, moving my command by the right flank some 400 yards. My line was now immediately in the rear of where the fiercest of the fight was going on. Marshall's battery was posted on a hill beside a log house used for a hospital, and in a few rounds completely silenced a rebel battery that was beginning to prove very mischievous. While in this position, which was a good one, with open fields in front, my men rapidly threw up fine breastworks of logs and rails; but we had no chance to try their defensive qualities, for the sharp, quick firing of skirmishers in our rear made us face about and hasten up the hill immediately behind us. Here I was solicited by Gen. Brannan to leave a regiment to support one of his batteries. I detached the Twenty-first Ohio for that purpose, taking the Seventy-fourth Ohio to another point to protect another battery. When I returned I could not find my other two regiments where I had left them, but soon ascertained that by order of Gen. Negley they had been taken to the Rossville road to take up a new line and gather up all the stragglers. The battery the Seventy-fourth Ohio was supporting having left, the regiment was brought back and joined to the others on the Rossville road, and did good service in assisting the general to reorganize and return into some kind of shape the confused mass of troops who were rapidly streaming back from the hard-fought battle-field. The Twenty-first Ohio faithfully remained at its post the whole of that dreadful afternoon. The men fought as heroes; almost unsupported and without hope they fought gallantly on; their ammunition giving out, they gathered the cartridges of the dead and wounded, and then finally, without a load in their guns, charged twice upon the rebel horde which was howling furiously around them. Their loss is terrible, losing 272 men* out of a regiment of 500. On the 21st my brigade was moved out on the Rossville and La Fayette road about three-quarters of a mile. After remaining in position a short time, I was ordered to move back and take position on the face of a high hill on the left of the road, where we remained all day. At 12 o'clock at night, according to previous arrangements, my command was withdrawn silently from its position on the hill, leaving the Thirty-seventh Indiana, two companies of the Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania, and two companies of the Seventy-fourth Ohio on picket, to be withdrawn at daylight, and, along with the pickets of other commands, to form a rear guard to our retreating column. Early at daybreak on the 22d we entered Chattanooga; since which time my command has been kept constantly at work, night and day, on the fortifications. During all these long and fatiguing marches and the many skirmishes and the heavy battles but just now over, no troops could have behaved better. I cannot commend them too highly. The officers and men of the Twenty-first Ohio deserve great praise for their conduct upon this occasion. I respectfully mention, in terms of praise, the names of Lieut.-Col. Stoughton and Maj. McMahan, who gallantly fought and stood by their men until wounded and not able to do anything more. The officers and men of my brigade behaved bravely, without a single exception. I cannot particularize the officers and men of my command who deserve especial mention; if I did so, my report would be so voluminous that it would scarcely be read. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILLIAM SIRWELL, Col., Comdg. Third Brigade. Maj. JAMES A. LOWRIE, Assistant Adjutant-Gen., Second Division.

Source: Official Records PAGE 383-50 KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., N. ALA., AND N. GA. [CHAP. XLII. [Series I. Vol. 30. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 50.]

Pennsylvania 78th Volunteer Infantry (Union)

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