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Short History
In the spring of 1861, by raft, rowboat, and cattle cars, there came from the mountains of northern Pennsylvania's "Wildcat District" a group of young men who would form the nucleus of a regiment destined to become famous. The regiment was made up largely of rough, hardy lumbermen who had their own peculiar "wildcat yell." The conduct of some of its men, as well as the region many of them were from, led to the designation of "Bucktailed Wildcats." -
Bucktails in Action
The bucktails, old and new, fought in most of the major campaigns in the East. In the spring of 1862, four companies of the 13th were in the Shenendoah Valley Campaign, while the rest of the unit fought in the Peninsula Campaign. The regiment was also prominent in the second days battle in Gettysberg. -
Sharpshooters and Skirmishers
The Bucktails were all superior marksmen, and during the first year of the war, they distinguished themselves as skirmishers and sharpshooters. In July 1862, because of this excellent record, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton directed Roy Stone, a major in the regiment, to enlist an additional brigade of Bucktails. Stone raised 20 companies of recruits by the end of August to send to Harrisburg, PA., the state capital, for official organization into the 149th and 150th Pennsylvania regiments.
