History
The regiment was organized in August 1861 from the northeast counties of Pennsylvania. John C. Dodge, Jr. recruited the unit and served as its first colonel. The 52nd first went to Camp Curtin at Harrisburg, and in November was ordered to Washington, D.C., for drill and camp duty.
In March 1862, the regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, IV Corps of the Army of the Potomac. It fought in the Peninsula Campaign, seeing its first action at the Battle of Williamsburg. At the Battle of Seven Pines on May 31, the 52nd lost 129 men out of 249 men present, including three captains and two lieutenants.
That December, the regiment was assigned to the Union forces attacking Charleston, South Carolina, where it would remain for the rest of the war. In July 1863, it was involved in the siege of Fort Wagner, made famous for the attack of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. In December 1863, the unit re-enlisted and was granted veteran's furlough. It spent the time home re-arming and recruiting. Afterwards, it returned to Charleston.
On July 3, 1864, 125 men from the 52nd, led by Col. Henry M. Hoyt, attacked Fort Johnson and captured it. But the promised supports never came and many were captured themselves, including Hoyt. On February 18, 1865, a party under Major Hennesy landed at Fort Sumter and found it deserted. After hoisting the regimental flag over the ruins (the first U.S. flag over the fort in nearly four years), the party continued into Charleston, entering the city before the Confederates had finished evacuating it.
After the capture of the city, the 52nd Pennsylvania joined General William T. Sherman's army and was present at General Joseph E. Johnston's surrender at the Bennett Place in North Carolina. The regiment returned to Harrisburg, where it was mustered out on July 12, 1865.
Read more about this topic: 52nd Pennsylvania Infantry
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