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Monuments at Gettysburg – 84th Pennsylvania Infantry
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 2, 2015
The 84th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg near the Pennsylvania Monument. It was dedicated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1889. The drawing of the monument pictured above is from an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 11 September 1889.
For more information about this monument and the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry, as well as an additional view of the monument, see Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site.
A full description of the monument, a picture, the GPS coordinates, and some of the history of the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.
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From the Philadelphia Inquirer of 11 September 1889:
What the 84th Was Doing.
The recruiting of the 84th Regiment commenced August, 1861. It was organized at Camp Crossman near Huntingdon, 23 October, mustered into the service of the United States 23 December, re-enlisted 1864, consolidated into a battalion of four companies 31 December 1861, consolidated with the battalion of six companies of the 57th Pennsylvania, 13 January 1865, the Lieutenant Colonel of the 84th becoming Colonel of the consolidated regiment, mustered out 29 June 1865.
The 84th was saved from capture at Bull Run by Lieutenant Colonel Nixon who imperiled his life and was taken prisoner. when the 84th reached Washington after the disaster it had but seventy-five men fit for duty, but was soon replenished with Pennsylvania recruits. At Chancellorsville 219 of its 319 men engaged were killed, wounded or captured. During the Battle of Gettysburg the 84th was detailed to guard the corps train at Westminster under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Milton Opp. The last commander of the regiment, Brevet Brigadier General George Zinn, is still living. The exercises at the monument will take place at 2 P.M. The dedicatory address will be made by Captain Thomas E. Merchant.
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Milton Opp
Lieutenant Colonel Milton Opp commanded the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg. He had enrolled in Company F as a 1st Lieutenant on 1 October 1861 and received a promotion to Captain of the Company on 19 May 1862. A promotion to Major at the regimental level occurred on 1 October 1862, and another promotion to Lieutenant Colonel on 23 December 1862.
At the time of his enrollment in the regiment, he was 26 years old and gave his residence at Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, Lieutenant Colonel did not survive the war and died on 9 May 1864 of wounds received three days earlier. He is buried at Muncy Cemetery, Muncy, Lycoming County. No record has been located to indicate that any survivors applied for a pension based on his service.
For more information about Milton Opp, see Facebook and his Findagrave Memorial.
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Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg. The plaque for the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry is pictured below. By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read. If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg. There could also be errors on the plaque.
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