The Eighty-third encountered more fighting and lost more men in battle than any other Pennsylvania regiment; in fact, its loss in action was exceeded by only one other in the entire Union army. None of its losses were caused by blunders, none occurred in disastrous routs; its dead always lay with their faces to the enemy. With its "twin regiment," the Forty-fourth New York, it was assigned to Butterfield's Brigade, Morell's Division, Fifth Corps. Colonel McLane was killed at Gaines's Mill, and Vincent fell at Gettysburg while in command of the brigade. At Gaines's Mill, the regiment lost 46 killed, 51 wounded, and 99 missing; four days later, at Malvern Hill, it lost 33 killed, 115 wounded, and 18 missing--a total of 362, out of the 554 present at Gaines's Mill. At Manassas, under Lieutenant-Colonel McCoy, it lost 14 killed, 72 wounded, and 11 missing, out of 224 officially reported by McCoy as present and engaged. It had the honor, at Gettysburg, of participating in the brilliant manoeuvre of its brigade--Vincent's--in seizing Little Round Top at a critical moment, helping materially to save the fortunes of the day. At Spotsylvania, its casualties amounted to 21 killed, 119 wounded, and 24 missing; total, 164. General McClellan once publicly pronounced the Eighty-third "one of the very best regiments in the army."
From Fox's Regimental Losses
83rd REGIMENT INFANTRY.
From Dyer's Compendium.
Organized at Erie and mustered into United States service September 8, 1861. Moved to Washington, D.C., September 18-20, Attached to Butterfield's Brigade, Fitz John Porter's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army Potomac, to May, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to June, 1865.
SERVICE.--Duty in the Defences of Washington, D.C., till March, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula March 22-24. Reconnoissance to Big Bethel March 30. Warwick Road April 5. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Reconnoissance up the Pamunkey May 10. Action at Hanover C. H..May 27. Operations about Hanover C. H. May 27-29. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battle of Mechanicsville June 26. Gaines Mill June 27. Savage Station June 29. Turkey Bridge or Malvern Cliff June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing till August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16-27. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 27-September 2. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6-24. Battle of Antietam september 16-17. Sharpsburg and Shepherdstown Ford September 19. Duty at Sharpsburg, Md., till October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Expedition to Richards <dy_1602> and Ellis Fords, Rappahannock River, December 29-30. Burnside's second Campaign, "Mud March," January 20-24. 1863. At Falmouth, Va., till April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 26-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 13-July 24. Aldie June 17. Middleburg and Upperville June 21. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee July 5-24. Duty at Warrenton, Beverly Ford and Culpeper till October. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. At Beverly Ford till May, 1864. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania C. H. May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Ford May 25. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Old members mustered out September 7, 1864. Consolidated to 6 Companies. Peeble's Farm, Poplar Springs Church, September 29-October 2. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Warren's Expedition to Weldon Railroad December 7-12. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Lewis Farm, near Gravelly Run, March 31. Junction of the Quaker and Boydton Roads March 29. White Oak Road March 31. Five Forks April 1. Appomattox C. H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D.C., May 2-12. Grand Review May 23. Mustered out June 28, 1865, and disbanded at Harrisburg, Pa., July 4, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 11 Officers and 271 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 151 Enlisted men by disease. Total 435.