History of the 140th. PVI

These are the words composed by Samuel P. Bate in the History of Greene County, Pennsylvania the 1888 edition. pp.404 ChapterXXIX. (slightly edited for clarity. M.R.V.)

Company A, of the One Hundredth and Fortieth Regiment, was recruited in Greene county and was originally officered by: Captain John F. McCullough, First Lieutenant J. Jackson Purman and Second Lieutenant David Taylor .

The regiment was organized at Camp Curtin on the 8th of September 1862, with Colonel Richard P. Roberts of Beaver County, Lieutenant-Colonel John Frazer of Washington County and Major Thomas B. Rodgers of Mercer County.

During the period of Lee's invasion of Maryland, which culminated in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, the regiment was posted along the line of the North Central Railway to keep open that great thoroughfare. Having been thoroughly drilled, the regiment was ordered to the front, and arrived as the troops were returning from the disastrous battle of Fredericksburg. They then became part of General Zook's third Brigade, of the First Division , Second Corp.

In the Battle of Chancellorsville it was engaged in the front of the Chancellor House on the old turnpike leading to Fredericksburg, where General Hancock held an advanced position, and where the enemy made frequent and determined attacks. The regiment was upon the picket line with Colonel Miles during the nervous and uneasy night of the 2nd, when the slightest movement of the troops drew the fire of whole divisions of the army.

During the morning of the 3rd, while the 140th was supporting the 5th Maine Battery, the White House, which was situated at the apex of the new battle line, took fire and was utterly destroyed. Thirty-three wounded men, and three women who had taken refuge in the cellar, were brought fourth from the burning wreck. When the army retired to the new line, the 140th occupied a position to the left of the White House, where it remained, subjected to occasional artillery fire, until the 6th, when it retired across the river.

The battle of Gettysburg followed close upon Chancellorsville. The First and Eleventh Corps met a full half of the rebel army on the heights beyond the town to the northwest, and were driven back through the streets to the ridge to the south, in the center of which was a quiet Evergreen Cemetery.

On the morning of the 2nd. the Second Corps, now under the gallant Hancock, came upon the field, and was posted along the left center of the line, stretching from the cemetery along the Emmettsburg Pike towards the Peach Orchard. About four o' clock Sickles who, with the Third Corps, occupied the extreme left, stretching from the Pike along the Peach Orchard to Little Round Top, was fiercely attacked. His line was thin and weak; but right gallantly did he hold his ground, and hurl back the foe. Again and again he came. In the midst of the fray Sickles was grievously wounded with the loss of a leg. His weakened columns were gradually forced back. "Portions of the Fifth Corps were sent to his relief, but shared like fate." Finally Hancock sent Caldwell's 1st. Division, of his own Corps, to check the enemy's mad advance, and repair the threatened disaster. Moving rapidly across the little wooded knoll to the right and front of Round Top, he first sent brigades of Cross and Kelly to penetrate the Wheat Field and the wood beyond, where the fiercest fighting had been. Colonel Cross was killed, and his command was terribly torn, as it advanced upon that fatal Wheat Field, on three sides of which the enemy in brigades of Zook and Brooke were sent forward. Zook was killed while leading his troops into the fight, and before he had hardly gotten into action.

The command of his brigade then fell upon Colonel Roberts of the 140th. Gallantly did these two small brigades push forward over this devoted ground on the face of a severe fire. The enemy was swept back from the cover of the woods, and the rocky ridge beyond the Wheat Field, a position of great natural strength, was carried. But this advantage, gained at a fearful cost, was of no avail. The angle in Sickle's line at the Peach Orchard, the weak point in his formation, had been hopelessly broken, and through this opening the enemy swarmed and turned the right of Caldwell's position, compelling him to withdraw. He rested at night on the low ground on the left center of the line, where he remained during the heavy cannonade of the succeeding day, and until the close of the battle. The loss in Company A in the battle was severe. Sergeant Brown and Corporal Eddy were killed, Private Loar was mortally wounded, Lieutenant Purman was wounded with the loss of a leg, Captain McCullough, Sergeant Zimmers and Private Eddy were severely wounded, Colonel Roberts, Captain Acheson and Lieutenant Wilson of the regiment were killed.

The 140th now became part of the first brigade, to the command of which Colonel Nelson A Miles, of the 61st. New York, was assigned. Lieutenant-Colonel Frazer was made Colonel. Major Rodgers, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Captain Thomas Henry, Major.

In the advance of the army to the Rapidan, and the retrograde to Centreville, and subsequent advance to Mine Run, where the campaign ended without coming to a decisive battle, the regiment shared the fortunes of the corps, participating in the action of Bristoe Station on the 14th of October, 1863, and the skirmishing on front of the enemy's position at Mine Run, sustaining some loss in wounded.

By midnight of the 3rd. of May, 1864, the regiment was on the march for the Wilderness campaign. General Grant was now in supreme command. By noon of the 5th. the regiment had arrived upon the Brock road, where it threw up breast-works, the enemy in front. The scenes on that gory field, pen cannot portray. The regiment shared in the fiery conflict. At three o'clock on the morning of the 6th. it was aroused, the brigade holding the left of the line where substantial breast-works were erected. On the morning of the 8th. the regiment joined in the general movement of the army, and had an encounter with the enemy at Corbin's Bridge. On the 9th the Po River was crossed, and the regiment was placed upon the skirmish line and met the pickets of the enemy. A line of rifle pits was thrown up along the Po River. Early on the morning of the 12th. the regiment joined in the grand movement of Hancocks's corps, which resulted in the movement upon the rebel entrenchments, and large captures of men and material at Spotsylvania. The movement was commenced at the first breaking of day, and was shielded somewhat from view by a dense fog which prevailed on that morning. The advantage gained was securely held, though the enemy made repeated attacks to regain his lost ground, and atone for his discomforture. The loss in the regiment in this affair was over one hundred, and in Company A, Benjamin Dunston, John W. Peden, Thomas Doty and Judson W. Paden, were killed, Andrew J. Walders was mortally wounded, John Henry was wounded, and David Frays and Job Smith Jr, were missing in action.

Starting on another grand flanking movement on the 20th, the North Anna was crossed on the 23rd, but finding the enemy advantageously posted, Grant determined not to attack, but withdrawing, he encountered the enemy at Tolopotomy Creek, and severe fighting occurred, Hancock occupying the center and successfully carrying the enemy's first line and holding it against every fierce attack of the foe. Here Company A lost its brave leader, Captain John F. McCullough, who was killed, and Norval Troy, who was mortally wounded.

Without loss of time the army moved on to the old battle ground of Gaine's Mill, only with the two opposing columns reversed, Lee having the ground of McClellan, and Grant that of Stonewall Jackson. Grant here boldly attacked along the whole line, Hancock holding the left. But the ground was found to be completely fortified, and the attack , though successful in parts, was not in the main design fruitful, and was finally abandoned with grievous loss. In Company A, John R.M. Greene, and John Gray, were killed, and Michael Roope was mortally wounded.

By the middle of June the army was across the James, and an attack upon the enemy at Petersburg was promptly delivered. But finding, as usual in this campaign, that the enemy had placed himself behind elaborately planned and strongly fortified works, the attempt to carry the place by direct assault was abandoned, and the army sat down before the town and commenced the more tardy operations of the siege. In this first attack before Petersburg, John Acklin, of Company A, was killed.

In the movement on the Jerusalem Plank Road, on the 21st of June, the One-Hundred Fortieth participated with the Second and Sixth Corps, but only a partial success was achieved; though a position was taken and fortified, which the enemy found himself unable to break through.

On the 26th of July a demonstration was made to the north side of the James, where in connection with the Nineteenth Corps, the brigade gallantly charged the enemy's works, on the 28th, and captured prisoners and four Parrott guns, and on the 30th returned to the Petersburg front. The historic Burnside mine explosion resulted in no advantage to the Union army. On the 14th of August the Corps again crossed the James, and at Deep Bottom the rebel works were carried by Birney's division, which was advanced within sound of the rebel capital.

Returning to the Petersburg front the Corps took up the line of march on the 21st, and at Ream's Station had a desperate encounter with the enemy who appeared in superior force.

In the subsequent operations of the corps during the fall and winter, the regiment bore a part in the hot engagement in the front of Petersburg, on the 9th of September, in the general movement of the 27th of October; suffering form the inclemency of the weather in the expedition to Hatchers Run, form the 8th to the 10th of December, and in that to Dabney's Mills from the 5th to the 17th of February 1865. Apart form these it remained undisturbed in winter quarters until the opening of the spring campaign on the 25th of March. On that day the Second Corps made an advance upon the rebel lines at Hatcher's Run, and a portion of his works, designed to cover the South Side Railroad, was carried. For four days the fighting was continued on this part of the line, the Corps making daily some substantial advance, Mile's Division executing a brilliant move at Southerland's Station on the 3rd of April, whereby extensive captures of men and materials were made. The Corps was again engaged at the last battle. In this engagement an assaulting column led by General Miles was bloodily repulsed. Night put an end to the contest and under the cover of darkness the enemy withdrew.

Two days later Lee surrendered. Hostile operations were soon after concluded, and returning to the neighborhood of Washington, the regiment, on the 31st of May. was mustered out of service.