26th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry Militia (Emergency, 1863)

Brief History
This regiment was organized at Harrisburg June 22, 1863, for the protection of Pennsylvania against Lee's invasion. It mustered out July 31, 1863.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 26th Regiment Emergency Militia Infantry, (accessed 13 September 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

This regiment was Mustered in at Harrisburg where men enrolled in the Militia, most of the men probably came from Dauphin County and Perry County. Rosters for the Militia are found in: Bates, Samuel P. History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-5, Index: Prepared in Compliance with Acts of the Legislature. Wilmington, N.C.: Broadfoot Pub. Co, 1993. This can be found at MOA

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 813 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Pennsylvania in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Pennsylvania in the Civil War describes many sources, specifically for Pennsylvania, and how to find them. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * PaRoots gives a history for the Militia units of 1863. (Accessed May 30, 2012)


 * CivilWar.org describes the battle at Gettysburg and gives a history. (Accessed May 30, 2012)


 * National Park Service. History of the regiment and its battles.


 * Pennypacker, Samuel W. 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Infantry Address by Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, Private, Co. F, at the Dedication, Sept. 1, 1892, of the Monument to Commemorate the Services of the Regiment on the Battlefield of Gettysburg. (Philadelphia: [s.n.], 1892), . Other Libraries.