41st Regiment
United States Colored Regiment

The troops composing this regiment were from different sections of the State, and rendezvoused at Camp William Penn, where a regimental organization was effected in the fall of 1864, with the following field officers:
  • Llewellyn F. Haskell, Colonel
  • Lewis L. Weld, Lieutenant Colonel
  • Alpheus H. Cheney, Major
On the 13th of October, six companies, all that were at that time full, were ordered to join the Army of the James, and proceeded to Deep Bottom, where, for a few days, they performed guard duty, and then moved up to the front in rear of Fort Burnham. On the 27th, they took part in a reconnoissance in force on the right of the Army of the James, in the vicinity of the Darbytown Road, and had one, a Sergeant, wounded. This movement was undertaken as a diversion in favor of Hancock, who was moving upon the Boydton Plank Road, on the extreme left of the Army of the Potomac.

The command soon after went into camp on Chapin's Farm, where it was engaged in drill and picket duty, and where it was joined by the remaining companies.

On the 1st of January, 1865, the regiment moved to the vicinity of Fort Durham, exchanging camps with the One Hundred and Seventeenth Colored, where it continued in drill and picket duty. On the 27th of March, in connection with the Twenty-fourth Corps, under command of General Ord, to the Second Division of which it now belonged,it moved to join the Army of the Potomac, arriving at Hatcher's Run on the 29th. It was immediately ordered upon the front, where it threw up breastworks and skirmished with the enemy.

On the 2d of April, it was engaged before Petersburg, losing one killed and eight wounded, and at evening movedin pursuit of the rebel army, following the line of the South Side Railroad. The pursuit was pushed with little interruption until the regiment reached Appomattox Court House, where, on the 9th, while upon the skirmish line, Captain John W. Falconer was mortally wounded, dying on the 23d.

After the surrender, which occurred on the same day, the regiment encamped in the neighborhood of Appomattox, where it remained until the 11th, and then moved back to Petersburg.

On the 25th of May, it embarked at City Point, for Texas, arriving at the Island of Brazos de Santiago, early in June. After remaining here a few days, it proceeded to Edinburg, where it was employed in guard and provost duty. On the 30th of September it was consolidated into a battalion of four companies. These were mustered out of service at Brownsville, on the 10th of November, and returning to Philadelphia, were paid and disbanded on the 14th of December.

As only the muster-out rolls of thesecompanies were returned to the Adjutant General's office, the men whose namesare borne upon them are, alone, accounted for.

Source:  Bates, Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865 , Harrisburg, 1868-1871.

Organization:

Organized at Camp William Penn, Philadelphia, Pa., September 30 to December 7, 1864.
Ordered to join Army of the James, in Virginia, October 18, 1864.
Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, to December, 1864.
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1865.
2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, January, 1865.
2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to December, 1865.

Service:

Guard duty at Deep Bottom, Va., till October 20, 1864.
Moved to Fort Burnham on line north of James River, before Richmond, October 27.
Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28.
In trenches before Richmond, and picket duty on Chaffin's Farm, till January 1, 1865.
Near Fort Burnham till March 27.
Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28.
Appomattax Campaign March 28-April 9.
Hatcher's Run March 29-31.
Fall of Petersburg April 2.
Pursuit of Lee April 3-9.
Appomattox Court House April 9.
Surrender of Lee and his army.
Moved to Petersburg April 11, and duty there till May 25.
Embarked for Texas May 25, arriving at Brazos Santiago June 3.
Moved to Edenburg and guard and provost duty there till November.
Consolidated to a Battalion of four Companies September 30.
Mustered out at Brownsville, Texas, November 10, 1865.
Disbanded at Philadelphia, Pa., December 14, 1865.

Source:  Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion Compiled and Arranged from Official Records of the Federal and Confederate Armies, Reports of he Adjutant Generals of the Several States, the Army Registers, and Other Reliable Documents and Sources.  Des Moines, Iowa: The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908

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