53dflags

From: Advance the Colors: Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flags

By Richard A. Sauers - Capital Preservation Committee

53rd Infantry

First State Color

Representing soldiers from thirteen Keystone counties, the 53rd Pennsylvania was organized during the fall of 1861. The officers elected as colonel John R. Brooke, a Pottstown area native who had already served in the three-months volunteers. Brooke would ultimately become a brigadier-general and continue in the Regular Army after the war. Shortly after the regiment was organized, it received its state color from the governor at Camp Curtin on November 5, 1861. Sergeant Dewalt S. Fouse of Company C was selected to bear the color. The 51st and 52nd regiments received their flags during the same ceremony.

Two days after obtaining its color, the 53rd was shipped to Washington, where it remained during the winter of 1861-1862, constantly drilling in routine camp duty. The new regiment was attached to the First Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, with which it remained during its entire term of service. After the occupation of Manassas in March 1862, the corps was transported by water to the Yorktown Penninsula, being held in reserve during the Siege of Yorktown. The 53rd’s initial taste of combat occurred on the second day of the Battle of Fair Oaks, June 1, 1862. The corps wash rushed as reinforcements across a rickety bridge over the flooded Chickahominy River to aid the hard-pressed Yankees south of the river. Although thrown into confusion at first, the regiment rallied and fought well, suffering ninety-four casualties. Thereafter, the regiment performed rearguard duty as McClellan's army fell back from Richmond during the Seven Days' Battles.

The Second Corps was then returned to Washington and covered the withdrawal of the beaten army after the Second Battle of Manassas. During the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, the 53rd protected the right flank of the division as it assaulted the Rebel position along the now-famous Sunken Road. At Fredericksburg on December 13, the corps was in the forefront of the unsuccessful, bloody assaults on the strong Confederate position on Marye's Heights. Here, the 53rd entered the attack with 285 officers and men and suffered a loss of 155. Color-sergeant John M. Harvey was among the severely wounded.

After spending the winter of 1862-63 in camp near Falmouth, the regiment took part in General Hooker's Chancellorsville Campaign of April-May 1863. Although the First Division was actually engaged during the battle on May 3, the 53rd escaped with a loss of only eleven men. The much-reduced regiment then marched north with the army to Gettysburg. Three companies were detached as provost guards and the other seven companies could only muster 135 officers and men. On July 2, the First Division of Second Corps went into action in the Wheatfield. Colonel Brooke, commanding the Fourth Brigade of the division, was held in reserve until the counterattacking Federals needed more impetus. Brooke's troops then launched a bayonet charge across the Wheatfield, driving the enemy from the southern end of the contested field. After repelling several attacks on their new position in the woods beyond the Wheatfield, the outnumbered Yankees were forced to retreat. The 53rd lost eighty men of the 135 who entered the fight, the casualties included the color-bearer.

Upon the army's return to Virginia in pursuit of General Lee's army, the 53rd took part in the minor campaigns of Bristoe Station and Mine Run, then went into winter camp near Stevensburg. Most of the soldiers re-enlisted for another three years and the regiment was sent to Harrisburg for its furlough in late December 1863. A reporter who witnessed the 53rd's arrival commented on the appearance of the tattered state color: "The regimental flag exhibits the danger through which it has passed, it being completely riddled and torn with bullets. Four sets of color bearers were killed - the last having fallen at Gettysburg. The first bullet which pierced the flag went immediately through the upper circle of the figure "3." The remnant of the first state color, without a staff, was apparently left in Harrisburg when the regiment returned to the front. A replacement staff was supplied prior to the 1866 ceremony, when the flag was officially returned to the Commonwealth.

Second State Color

A replacement state color was sent to the state by Horstmann Brothers in February 1864. Colonel Brooke took the flag to the 53rd sometime prior to the opening of the 1864 campaign. The regiment suffered a mere four casualties during the fighting in the Wilderness on May 5-6. During the titanic struggle at Spotsylvania on May 8-18, the Second Corps was heavily engaged with the enemy. On May 12, the entire corps surged forward and captured a portion of the Rebel earthworks. The resulting counterattack neutralized General Hancock's breakthrough and the two armies remained locked in a stalemate. The 53rd lost 177 officers and men during the heavy fighting. After being lightly engaged during Grant's crossing of the North Anna River, the 53rd next fought at Cold Harbor on June 3. Here, Grant launched a series of attacks on Lee's position, but the attackers were repulsed with heavy losses. The 53rd's casualties totalled sixty-nine.

Grant then transferred the Army of the Potomac south of the James River to attack Petersburg. During the June 16 assaults and on the next few days, the 53rd suffered battle casualties of ninety-nine soldiers. Repulsed in his attempt to capture Petersburg, Grant settled down into a period of siege warfare that lasted until April 2, 1865. The 53rd generally remained in the siege lines during this period. The First Division of the corps took part in the Battle of Reams' Station on August 25, where the 53rd suffered light casualties. The regiment next fought in the Battle of Five Forks, when the Second Corps was rushed to aid the hard-pressed Fifth Corps. During the Appomattox Campaign, the 53rd aided in the capture of part of Lee's wagon train on April 6. After Lee surrendered, the regiment camped at Burkesville a short time, then proceeded to Alexandria. It took part in the Grand Review on May 23, where a reporter noted that only about one-third of the state color remained. The regiment was mustered out of service on June 30, 1865. This second state color was officially returned to state care on July 4, 1866.

Third State Color

Colonel William M. Mintzer ordered this flag sometime in May 1865. The flag was delayed in reaching the regiment, and although Colonel Mintzer wrote letters of inquiry, the regiment disbanded before the flag was received. It was therefore sent to Adjutant-General Russell's office for safekeeping. The flag was present in the 1866 parade, when it was officially given to the state.