Consolidation of the 84th and 57th Pa.
This formation was preparatory to the consolidation of the Regiment with the 57th Pennsylvania, which had been made a Battalion of 6 Companies.
The consolidation took place on January 13th, 1865.
The consolidation was not a merger, save as to number. The 57th composed the Right 6 Companies and the 84th the Left 4 Companies.
I will venture what I think the explanation of the dropping of the number 84 and the retention of the number 57, notwithstanding it was known that the Colonel, Major and Adjutant of the Consolidated Regiment would be from the 84th. But it was also known that the retention of the number 84 would work great injustice to officers who had earned further promotion, and therefore the natural course of the command of the Regiment determining the number, must give way to the necessity which justice prompted.
Colonel Bowman was still borne on the rolls of the 84th, though his service in the field was less than a year, and only half that time directly with the Regiment, and then on permanent Detached Service at Washington since June, 1863. It was known that he would not return to Field Service.
With the number 57, Lieutenant-Colonel Zinn was promoted Colonel; Captain Bryan, Major; and Captain Perkins, of the old 57th, Lieutenant-Colonel.
Captain Bryan had been commissioned Major of the 84th in May, '64, nearly a year before, but could not be mustered as such for want of the minimum number admitting of 3 Field Officers, although there was not the 1 Field Officer doing duty with the Regiment.
Colonel Bowman continued to rank as of the 84th until the middle of May, when he was mustered out, a month after the close of the War.