After a month and a half of organization, from July 28 to September 12, 1863, at Camp William Penn, Pennsylvania, the 6th Regiment was sent to Fort Monroe, Virginia, on October 14, 1863, and from there to Yorktown, Virginia, where it remained until April 1864. While at Yorktown, the unit was involved in several expeditions as part of the XVIII Corps: Wild's Expedition to South Mills and Camden Court House, North Carolina, from December 5 to December 24, 1863, Wistar's Expedition against Richmond from February 2 to February 6, 1864, an expedition to New Kent Court House in aid of Brigadier General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick's cavalry from March 1 to March 4 (including action at New Kent Court House on March 2 and at Williamsburg on March 4), an expedition into King and Queen County from March 9 to March 12, and an expedition into Mathews County from March 17 to March 21.