About Our Unit
The72nd Pennsylvania is a historically accurate regiment that is very simple and fun to be around. We will be using Hardee's 62 tactics, each and every Pvt. will have to read the drill manual and will have to go through drill school. In the 72ndPA we're to respect everyone. This includes your comrades in the 72nd PA members of other regiments, public players, admins, officers, non-commissioned officers, and people on the forums. We also like to conduct ourselves in a professional and mature manner. This means that cursing, trolling, flaming, and name-calling or other forms of fighting are not allowed. This is especially important when we are in events or on a public server. Lastly, everyone should follow Orders. It is paramount for the survival of the regiment that all orders given by our Officers are followed to the order and without question or argument. There are a time and place to discuss tactics and whether or not certain orders should be given or not. Directly after the order is given is not one of those times. Roleplaying will be a big part of the 72nd PA. We intend on using all historical commands, maneuvers, and discipline. For example, all Enlisted men must call higher ranking members as their rank and speak to them with the respect a Private would have spoken to a Captain. There will be court martial's for any man who breaks Roleplaying "During events" and for anyone who breaks any of our rules. The reason for this is so we can properly reenact a real union company during the civil war and the game will stay a lot more interesting to our player base if they have to act like a real soldier did during the war. Each NCO will perform duties that a Union NCO would have to maintain; like keeping up a roster of all enlisted men. Camp life will be another asset to our Roleplaying. We will have a schedule that will include Drill (Training) and before and after our men will be in our camp socializing before the DrillSergeant tears them to pieces in Drill. This is for our members to get to know their brothers fighting with them on the battlefield and to make us look authentic. Authenticity is the key for us.
Regimental History
The 72nd (originally raised as the 2nd California) was recruited from among the firemen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in early August 1861, with DeWitt Clinton Baxter as its colonel. It became part of Edward D. Baker's famous California Brigade, a group of regiments recruited from Philadelphia with California designations. After Colonel Baker was killed at the Battle of Ball's Bluff, Pennsylvania reclaimed the regiment as its own, re-designating it as the 72nd. After some months of patrolling along the Potomac River, the 72nd was transported to the Peninsula. It saw its first action at the Battle of Seven Pines on May 1, 1862. During the Seven Days Battles, it supported the army's rear guard. The 72nd was transferred to northern Virginia too late to fight in the Second Battle of Bull Run but did see light skirmishing at the Battle of Chantilly. On the battle of Antietam The regiment participated in the attack on the west woods, the regiment bravely assaulted the confederate positions losing half of it's men in the process, eventually being forced to retreat when the rest of the division routed. Though perhaps it's greatest performance was at Gettysburg, the regiment defended the Angle on July 2 and 3. On the evening of the 2nd, it helped defeat Confederate Brigade General Ambrose R. Wright's attack, advancing just over the stone wall. The next day, it was placed in reserve for the brigade near the copse of trees. Holding the line during Pickett's Charge, its position served as a rallying point for the left wing of the 71st and two companies of the 106th Pennsylvania, which had been driven back. Eventually fire from the 72nd and the rest of the Philadelphia Brigade forced the confederates to retreat giving the union one of the most important victories of the war. A total of 1,600 men fought in the 72nd, of whom 1,053 became casualties, a 65% casualty rate. At Antietam 6 men from A company were killed, one man was also MIA and around a dozen were discharged due to severe injury. Statistics: Initial Strength: 681; Killed in Action (KIA): 38; Wounded (WIA): 163; Missing in Action (MIA): 36;
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