The 2nd Delaware Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Service

The 2nd Delaware Infantry was organized at Wilmington,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

from June 12 through October 7, 1861, and mustered in October 17, 1861, for three years' service under the command of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

W. Henry Wharton. Companies B, D, and G were recruited in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

; Company C was recruited in Elkton,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. The regiment was attached to Dix's Command until June 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, II Corps,

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

, to April 1863. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, II Corps, to June 1864. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps, to July 1864. The 2nd Delaware Infantry mustered out of service July 1, 1864. Veterans and recruits were transferred to the

1st Delaware Infantry Regiment The 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment, later known as the 1st Delaware Veteran Infantry Regiment was a United States volunteer infantry regiment raised for Union Army service in the American Civil War. Part of the II Corps it served in the Eastern ...

Detailed service

Moved to

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, October 1861. Duty at Baltimore, until June 1862. Expedition through Accomac County November 14–22, 1861. Ordered to join the Army of the Potomac, on the Peninsula, Virginia, June 1862. Seven Days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Savage Station June 27. Battle of Gaines Mill June 27. Peach Orchard and Savage Station June 29. White Oak Swamp and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing to August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, then Centreville, August 16–30. Covered Pope's retreat from Bull Run August 31-September 2. Maryland Campaign September 6–22. Sharpsburg September 15. Battle of Antietam September 16–17. Moved to Harpers Ferry September 22, and duty there until October 30. Reconnaissance to Charlestown October 16–17. Advance up Loudon Valley and movement to Falmouth, Virginia, October 30-November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg, December 12–15. At Falmouth, Virginia, until April 27, 1863. "Mud March" January 20–24. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5. Gettysburg Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1–3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Virginia, July 5–24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan until October. Advance from line of the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13–17. Bristoe Campaign October 9–22. Auburn and Bristoe October 14. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7–8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. New Hope Church November 29. Mine Run November 28–30. At and near Stevensburg until May 1864. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6–7. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5–7. Spotsylvania May 8–12. Po River May 10. Spotsylvania Court House May 12–21. Assault on the Salient "Bloody Angle" May 12. North Anna River May 23–26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28. Totopotomoy May 28–31. Cold Harbor June 1–12. Before Petersburg June 16-July 1. Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad, June 22–23.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 201 men during service; 6 officers and 93 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 101 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel W. Henry Wharton - resigned due to illness * Colonel William P. Baily - wounded in action at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2; resigned May 16, 1864, following the Battle of Spotsylvania Court HouseDivision commander Major General Francis Barlow endorsed the request with the underlined notation, "This officer is a coward." * Lieutenant Colonel David L. Stricker - commanded at the Battle of Antietam while still a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

; commanded at the Battle of Chancellorsville; commanded until wounded in action at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, after Col Baily; killed in action at the "Mule Shoe" at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House * Lieutenant Colonel Peter McCullough * Captain Charles H. Christman - commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg after Col Baily and Lt Col Strickler left the field

Notes

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Middleton, Darrell N. ''The Second Regiment Delaware Volunteers'' (Georgetown, DE: The Author), 2005. * Pickett, John E. ''The Crazy Delawares: A Short History of the Second Regiment Delaware Volunteers'' (Middletown, DE: J. E. Pickett), 1995. * ''Report of Joint Committee, to Mark the Positions Occupied by the 1st and 2d Delaware Regiments at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2d and 3d, 1863'' (Dover, DE: Delawarean), 1887. * Smith, Robert G. ''A Brief Account of the Services Rendered by the Second Regiment Delaware Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion'' (Wilmington, DE: Historical Society of Delaware), 1909. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links

2nd Delaware Infantry monument at Antietam

2nd Delaware Infantry monument at Gettysburg
Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1864 Units and formations of the Union army from Delaware 1861 establishments in Delaware