40th Pennsylvania Infantry – 11th Pennsylvania Reserves

Alternate Designations: Eleventh Reserves

Commander: Col. Samuel M. Jackson (1833-1907)

Numbers: 392; 3 killed, 38 wounded.

Raised: Indiana, Butler, Westmoreland, Fayette, Armstrong, Jefferson, and Cambria.

Dedicated: Sept. 1890.

Location: Located on the east side of Ayres Avenue near Wheatfield Road.  The location of the monument marks the general position of the 11th Reserve unit on the evening of July 2, 1863 when they counterattacked Confederates in the Valley of Death, driving westward through Wheatfield. The regiment took position in line with McCandless’ Brigade along stone wall to rear of monument.

Description: A Celtic style monument. Monument: granite with marble tablet and bronze plaques. Monument to 11th Pennsylvania Reserves comprised of two supporting monolith piers decorated with inset Maltese crosses), topped by a pediment-shaped rock with bronze Pennsylvania state shield). Between the two piers, another rock pillar is decorated with a large palm leaf. Granite monument is composed of two, 3.3×8.2 foot supporting piers with incised Maltese Crosses, corps insignia, and gable cap set on a 4.9 foot rough hewn base. Overall height is 10.4 foot. A polished panel with incised inscriptions is located between the piers. Flanking markers are apex topped, one foot square.

Fox notes that, “The Eleventh sustained the heaviest loss of any regiment in the Pennsylvania Reserves, while its percentage of loss is among the largest of any in the war.”

Army of the Potomac > Fifth Corps > Third Division > Third Brigade