Eldridge, James H.

Civil War Veteran

Birth: May 10, 1845, Ohio
Death: August 26, 1887
Burial: Vienna Township Cemetery, Vienna, Trumbull County, Ohio
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Military Service: Private, 45th Regiment, Company D, Pennsylvania Infantry

Born in Ohio, James H. Eldridge lived as a child in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. He was mustered into the Army in December 1864 and served until the Civil War’s end in April 1865, and was at the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia. He resided in Liberty.

Regimental History, 45th Pennsylvania Infantry

Overview: Organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, October 21, 1861. Moved to Washington, D. C., October 21-23. Attached to Jameson's Brigade, Heintzelman's Division, Army of the Potomac, to October, 1861. Unattached, Sherman's South Carolina Expeditionary Corps, to April, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the South, to July, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to September, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1863, and Army of the Ohio to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Army of the Ohio to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to July, 1865.

Service: Expedition into Lower Maryland November 3-11, 1861. Moved to Baltimore, Md., thence to Fortress Monroe, Va., November 19-21. Sailed for Port Royal, S. C., December 6-8. Companies "A," "C," "D," "E" and "I" assigned to duty at Bay Point; Companies "B," "F," "G," "H" and "K" occupy Otter Island, S. C., December 11, and duty there till May, 1862; Companies "F" and "K" occupy Fenwlck Island December 20, 1861; Company "F" at Fenwick Island April 4 to May 20, 1862; Companies "B," "F," "G," "H," "I" and "K" moved to North Edisto Island, S. C., May 21, 1862. Operations against James Island, S. C., May 21-June 28. Action on James Island June 10. Battle of Secessionville June 16. Evacuation of James Island and movement to Hilton Head June 28-July 1. Moved to Newport News, Va., July 18-21; thence to Aquia Creek August 4-5. Operations on the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers till September. At Brook's Station August 5-29. Destruction of bridges at Potomac Creek and Brook's Station September 4. Destruction of stores at Aquia Creek September 6. Battles of South Mountain September 14; Antietam September 16-17. Duty at Pleasant Valley, Md., till October 26. March to Lovettsville, Va., October 26-29; thence to Warrenton October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Burnside's 2nd Campaign January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth till February 11. Moved to Newport News February 11, thence to Lexington, Ky., March 19-23. Duty at various points in Kentucky till June. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., June 7-14. Siege of Vicksburg June 14-July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. At Milldale till August 5. Moved to Covington, Ky., thence to Crab Orchard August 5-18. Burnside's Campaign in East Tennessee August 16-October 17. Blue Springs October 10. Knoxville Campaign November 4-December 23. Lenoir Station November 14-15. Campbell's Station November 16. Siege of Knoxville November 17-December 4. Pursuit of Longstreet December 5-24. Regiment re-enlisted January l, 1864. Operations in East Tennessee till March, 1864. Strawberry Plains January 21-22. Movement to Annapolis, Md., March 21-April 6. Rapidan Campaign May 4-June 12. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. Stannard's Mill May 21. North Anna River May 23-26. 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. Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 2. Peeble's Farm October 1. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. At Fort Rice till April, 1865. Fort Stedman March 25, 1865. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. March to Farmville April 3-9. Moved to Petersburg and City Point April 20-24, thence to Alexandria April 26-28. Grand Review May 23. Duty at Washington and Alexandria till July. Mustered out July 17, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 13 Officers and 214 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 252 Enlisted men by disease. Total 479.