History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT.
THE Seventeenth regiment, known in the State militia as the First Regiment
Pennsylvania Artillery, was originally formed as a battalion, on the 16th
of September, 1814, at Camp Dupont, under the command of Major Andrew
M. Prevost. On the 14th of November, of that year, it was organized as a
regiment, when Major Prevost was chosen Lieutenant Colonel, Cornelius Stevenson, First Major, and Thomas W. Duffield, Second Major. Colonel A. J.
Pleasanton succeeded Colonel Prevost in the command, and upon his resignation Colonel Henry Bohlen was elected. This regiment was always relied on
by the civil authorities, to respond promptly at their call in case of disturbance
which they were unable to suppress, and in 1844, under Colonel Pleasanton,
it rendered efficient service in preventing the destruction of public and private
property by a mob.
On the 6th of June, 1859, an election of field officers was held, and under
this organization it was mustered into the service of the United States by Major Charles F. Ruff, on the 25th day of April, 1861. The following were field
officers: Francis E. Patterson, Colonel; Robert O. Tyler, Lieutenant Colonel;
William A. Leech, Major. Gideon Clark was appointed Adjutant. Recruiting.
was commenced on the 15th of April, and it was ready with the maximum number for muster in on the 18th. The companies had armories where they were
quartered, and the new recruits drilled, rendering it unnecessary to go into a
general camp of rendezvous. The officers served under their old commissions,
and the regiment was known in the service as the First Pennsylvania Artillery,
until the order of Governor Curtin, dated May 15th, 1861, changed its designation to that of the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Infantry.
For many years previous to the rebellion the First Artillery had been well
drilled in infantry as well as artillery tactics. There was, therefore, little difficulty in drilling the new recruits, which was kept up day and night at the armories, from the time its services were offered, until it left the city. Aid was
promptly furnished by the citizens of Philadelphia for the subsistence of the
recruits until they were mustered into the service of the United States, and
the merchants supplied stockings and under-clothing for the men in even greater
quantities than were needed. On the 6th of June, the entire regiment was, by
the liberality of a few patriotic citizens, presented with drab felt hats, and
thenceforward the drab hats became the insignia of the QuAxEB REGIMENT.
Since the 19th of April, when the Massachusetts Sixth was fiercely assailed
in the streets of Baltimore, no troops had passed through the city, and no attempt had been made to force a passage. Troops which had reached the Capital from the north, had proceeded via Annapolis. The necessity of holding the
direct route had become imperative, and General Patterson determined, at all
hazards, to open it. He accordingly ordered Colonel Patterson to proceed with