The 96th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Organization Henry L. Cake, who had commanded the 25th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, had received authority from the U.S. War Department, on 13 August 1861, to raise a regiment for three years; and establishing a camp at Lawton's Hill, overlooking the town of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, at once commencing the work of recruiting with many of the officers and men of his old command entering the new. The National Light Infantry of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, a militia company of over thirty years' standing, was the first organized body of men in the United States to offer its services to the government at the outbreak of the rebellion. Having been accepted, it was one of the first five companies from Pennsylvania to reach the menaced capital, and afterwards became a part of the 25th Pennsylvania Infantry in the three months' service. Afterwards it formed the nucleus of the 96th Regiment, and recruited and re-organized under its former Second Lieutenant, Lewis J. Martin, was the first to report in camp. With the exception of companies C, E, G and H, in which were some men from Luzerne, Berks, Dauphin, and Montgomery counties, the regiment was recruited in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. On 23 September the command was mustered into the United States service with the following field officers: Henry L. Cake, Colonel; Jacob G. Frick, Lieutenant Colonel; Lewis J. Martin, Major.Bates, Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Regiments, p. 1861-1865.

A week later, a company under William H. Lessig, organized as a light battery, to be attached to the regiment, came into camp. Subsequently, Company C, Captain Beaton Smith, was, by order of the Governor, transferred to the Fifty-second Regiment, when Lessig's Good Intent Light Artillery was substituted as infantry in its place. On 6 November, Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin and staff visited Pottsville, and presented, with appropriate ceremonies, the State colors.

History

Early Service On 8 November the regiment moved by rail to Washington, and upon its arrival went into camp at Kendall Green, where it was armed with Harper's Ferry muskets. Colonel Cake promptly reported to General Casey, and was at once placed in command of the First Provisional Brigade, of which the Ninety-sixth formed part. The regiment was here thoroughly drilled in the manual, company, and battalion exercises. On the 25th it crossed the Potomac, and encamped on the Leesburg Pike, a short distance beyond Fort Ellsworth. It was assigned to Slocum's Brigade of Franklin's Division, and on 27 December went into permanent winter-quarters on the Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad, near its crossing of Four Mile Run. It remained engaged in drill and occasional picket duty until 10 March 1862, when it joined in the abortive movement upon Manassas, but soon returned to camp. On 4 April, with McDowell's Corps, it took up the line of march for Fredericksburg. On reaching Catlett's Station it went into camp, and remained until the 12th, when Franklin's Division returned to Alexandria, and embarked for the Peninsula. McClellan was now engaged in the siege of Yorktown, and on the 23rd, the division having arrived, a part of it debarked n the vicinity of Cheeseman's Creek. The enemy having evacuated Yorktown on 4 May, the troops on shore again embarked, and proceeding up the York River, on the 6th, in company with the divisions of Sedgwick, Porter, and Richardson, arrived at four P.M. at Brick House Point, below West Point, where the Twenty-seventh New York, and companies A, B, C and D, of the Ninety-sixth debarked, and forming in line of battle, with skirmishers thrown out, advanced for the protection of the pioneers engaged in slashing timber and obstructing the roads.

Battle of West Point "At nine o'clock on the following morning the order was given for the Sixteenth, Thirty-first, and Thirty-second New York, and the Ninety-fifth and Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania regiments to advance into the woods and drive off some of the rebel scouts who were firing occasional shots at our pickets, supposed to be supported by a force concealed in the woods. This proved correct; for no sooner had our men made an advance into the woods than they were received with a volley of musketry from the rebels who were hidden in the dense undergrowth. Our men pressed on and gave them a volley, after which the enemy retreated further into the woods, with the Thirty-second New York close at their heels; but they were too swift footed for our boys-being more protected-and they soon left the Thirty-second struggling in the mud." The Ninety-sixth was now held upon the extreme left of the line, nearest to Brick House Point, to prevent a flank movement of the enemy in that direction, while the fighting on the right center, where his forces were concealed in a dense swamp, was animated, the Thirty-first and Thirty-second New York, and the Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania sustaining considerable loss.

After the engagement at West Point, the Fifth and Sixth Provisional corps were organized, to the latter of which General Franklin was assigned, General Slocum being promoted to the command of the division, and Colonel Bartlett, of the Twenty-seventh New York, to that of the brigade. On the 25th the division moved past Gaines' Mill, and went into camp in the vicinity of Hogan's House, just beyond. A few days later the brigade moved up to Mechanicsville, where it remained doing picket duty along the Chickahominy until 6 June, when it returned to its former position at the Hogan House. On the 18th the division was relieved by the Pennsylvania Reserves, and crossing the Chickahominy at Woodbury Bridge, took position on the right bank, between Smith's Division, which had the right, and Sumner's Corps the left. Here the brigade remained engaged in arduous picket and fatigue duty until the opening of the Seven Days' Battles. On the evening of that day, the 26th, a detail of three hundred and fifty men of the Ninety-sixth, with a like detail of the Seventh Maine, under Lieutenant Colonel Jacob G. Frick, advanced to the front in the direction of Old Tavern, and under cover of darkness, threw up a redoubt in close proximity to the enemy's lines. At early dawn it retired unassailed, leaving the relief to fight during the day, what was known as the Battle of Golden's Farm.

Battle of Gaines's Mill Returning to camp near Strong Courtney's House, it re-joined the brigade, and with the entire division moved to a position on the right of Smith's Division, between Lewis' Hill and Chickahominy, the right resting near Duane Bridge, opposite the left of the Gaines' Mill battle-field. Here it remained until two o'clock, when Porter's forces being hard pressed in the battle, under orders, Newton's, then Taylor's Jersey Brigade, and shortly after Bartlett's, marched to his support, crossing the Chickahominy by the Woodbury Bridge. Previous to starting, a detail from the Ninety-sixth, with one from the Third Vermont, under Adjutant M. E. Richards, destroyed Duane Bridge. At twenty minutes past three the brigade reached the scene of action on the left of the line, moved past General St. George Cooke's Cavalry, occupying a sheltered position to the rear and left of Adams' House, and was immediately afterwards ordered to the relief of Sykes' command, which was engaged in supporting Weed's, Edwards', and Tidball's batteries, the latter on the extreme right of the position. The arrival of the brigade was opportune. The Fifth and Tenth New York, on the left of Sykes, driven back, had been re-placed by the First Pennsylvania Reserve, which in turn was relieved by a part of Newton's Brigade. The Regulars, hard pressed, were wavering. Instantly the Fifth Maine, then the Twenty-seventh New York, the Sixteenth New York, and shortly after the Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania, advanced across the field under a heavy fire, and took position along the crest of the hill, from the left of Griffin's-then supported by Newton's men-to the rear of Tidball's Battery. The Ninety-sixth was at first held in support, closed in mass in the open valley below, where it was fearfully exposed. To shield his men and save them from the destruction to which they seemed almost inevitably condemned, Colonel Cake moved them close up on the side of the hill. The Sixteenth New York, which was ordered to advance, soon came under a fearful enfilading fire, and was driven in some confusion. The Ninety-sixth, which had in the meantime been deployed in line, was brought to confront the enemy's line, and the word given to advance. It was answered with a cheer, and as by one impulse, the line dashed forward; re-took the lost ground, and held it until night. The boldness of this charge undoubtedly saved the right of the army from disaster. The loss of the brigade in this engagement was severe, that of the Ninety-sixth was thirteen killed, fifty-nine wounded, and fourteen missing. Lieutenant Ernest T. Ellrich was among the killed.

Retiring to its old camp beyond Woodbury Bridge, the brigade rested for the night, and on the following morning was moved to Fort Davidson, to the right of the line. Scarcely had it got into position, when the enemy opened a heavy artillery fire from the vicinity of Dr. Gaines' House, on the opposite bluff of the Chickahominy, rendering the position untenable, and obliging it to retire, when, with the entire army, it about faced, and commenced the march for the James. After crossing White Oak Creek, it was posted to defend the passage, and in the battle of Charles City Cross Roads occupied a position to the right of the line, in the vicinity of Glendale. During the night of the 30th, it retired to Malvern Hill, where, during the terrific fighting of 1 July, it was posted on the extreme left of the field, near Carter's Mill, and Colonel Cake was placed in command of the brigade. Retiring with the army to Harrison's Landing, on the morning of 3 July, the regiment pitched tents on the muddy plains of Westover Landing. From this it moved out on the Westover Road, and after two successive changes of camps, on the 15th moved with the brigade into the breastworks looking towards Malvern Hill, where it remained employed in picket and fatigue duty until the evacuation. While here the regiment received Enfield rifles in exchange for the Austrian muskets with which it had made the campaign. The Pottsville Cornet Band, which had been attached to the regiment from its organization, was by a general order of the War Department relieved from further duty, and returned home. On the 29th Lieutenant Colonel Frick resigned, to take command of the One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania, Captain Joseph Anthony of company F, to be Major of the same regiment, and Lieutenant Z. P. Boyer of company D, to be Lieutenant Colonel of the One Hundred and Seventy-third Regiment.

On 16 August the brigade moved from camp on the James and taking transports at Newport News, arrived at Alexandria on the 24th, and went into bivouac along the Little River Turnpike, below Fort Ellsworth. On the 27th it moved into Fort Lyons, but was relieved on the 29th, and followed the rest of the corps, joining it at Annandale. On the 30th the corps pushed forward through Fairfax and Centreville, crossed Cub Run, and arrived in time to join in stemming the tide of disaster, which was sweeping the Bull Run battlefield.

Northern Virginia Campaign