23rd Pennsylvania Infantry The 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Known for its colorful uniforms based upon the popular French Zouave style , the regiment served in the Eastern Theater . History . Recruiting for the regiment commenced on April 18 , 1861 , at the Arsenal , at the corner of Sixteenth and Filbert streets in Philadelphia . Many members and the organization of the unit was drawn from the 1st Pennsylvania militia regiment . Both Charles P . Dare and David B . Birney retained their positions as colonel and lieutenant colonel , respectively . Capt . George C . Spear of Company A was elected major . Three days after recruitment started , the newly formed regiment left for active duty . After some garrison duty in their native Pennsylvania , the 23rd was assigned to the 1st Brigade , 1st Division of General Robert Patterson ' s Army of the Shenandoah . The unit ' s first fight was at the Battle of Falling Waters in the Shenandoah Valley on July 21 , 1861 , although it suffered no casualties . One week later , it was ordered back to Philadelphia , where it was mustered out on July 31 . Two days later , three companies were mustered in again for three years service . Dare was forced to resign his position due to disease ( from which he would soon die ) . Birney was promoted to colonel , with Charles Wilhelm taking his place as lieutenant colonel . Spear remained as major . By August , fifteen new companies had been raised , twelve from Philadelphia and one each from Pittsburg , Wilkes - Barre , and Columbia . It was ordered to Washington , D . C . , where it was assigned to the IV Corps of the Army of the Potomac . In February 1863 , Birney was promoted to brigadier general and Thomas H . Neill replaced him as colonel . Soon afterwards , four companies were detached and became part of the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry . Spear , promoted to lieutenant colonel , was also assigned to the 61st . Another company was disbanded and its men distributed to the other companies . The 23rd fought in the Peninsula Campaign , not seeing much action until the Battle of Seven Pines , where it lost 143 men in severe fighting . It faced only minor skirmishing during the Seven Days Battles , losing only a few men . In July , it was transferred back to Washington too late to fight in the nearby Second Battle of Bull Run . However , the unit did see action at the subsequent Battle of Chantilly , losing five men . During the Maryland Campaign , the 23rd Pennsylvania guarded the Potomac River from White ' s Ferry to Nolen ' s Ferry , along with the 36th New York Infantry . During this time , it lost one officer and twenty - four men captured . In late September , it was transferred to the VI Corps . The 23rd didn ' t fight in the first Battle of Fredericksburg , but did in the Second Battle of Fredericksburg . The unit had not been assigned an active role in the fighting , but when it saw another regiment rout , it charged in without orders , helping carry Marye ' s Heights . It saw more action at the subsequent Battle of Salem Church . At the Battle of Gettysburg , the regiment supported Maj . Gen . John Geary ' s division on Culp ' s Hill on July 3 . In this battle , it suffered only minor losses , and primarily remained in reserve . In the 1864 spring reorganization of the Army of the Potomac , the 23rd Pennsylvania was reassigned to the 4th Brigade , 1st Division , VI Corps . At the beginning of the Overland Campaign , it guarded prisoners , rejoining the Army near the end of the Battle of North Anna . At the Battle of Cold Harbor , the 23rd lost 4 officers and 71 enlisted men killed , 5 officers and 111 enlisted men wounded , and 3 men captured in the ill - fated June 3 attack on the Confederate lines . After several days of additional skirmishing , the regiment was transferred with the rest of the corps to Bermuda Hundred and from there crossed the Appomattox River . Over the next few weeks , the unit fought in various actions during the Siege of Petersburg . On July 9 , the 23rd was transferred with the rest of the VI Corps to Washington , D . C . , in response to Jubal Early ' s attack on the city . After Early ' s retreat back into the Shenandoah Valley , the regiment , along with the VI and XIX Corps followed the Confederates . On September 8 , the 23rd was mustered out of service , with those men who enlistments had not expired yet being transferred to the 82nd Pennsylvania Infantry . Reenactors . Currently , a group based in Gettysburg , portrays Company F . It was founded in March 2001 and has about 60 members . It is part of the 2nd Regiment of Vincent ' s Brigade .