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A SKETCH OF THE 126 TH REGIMENT P. V.
RSITA
ORNIENSIS
LVX
SIGI
FIAT
EX LIBRIS
1862-1863.
=
A Sketch
OF THE
126th Regiment
1 ennsylvania
Volunteers.
NOTE TO THE READER.
This Sketch should be read in connection with Swinton's History of the Army of the Potomac, and with reference to the plans and maps therein contained, which are accurate.
OF THE
FRANKLIN COUNTY
oldiers'
onumental
Association.
Chambersburg, Pa. : PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE "FRANKLIN REPOSITORY" --- COOK & HAYS, PUBLISHERS. 1869.
.
1862-1863.
A Sketch
OF THE
126th
Regiment
Hennsylvania
olunteers.
THE COMRADES.
U.S.
PREPARED BY AN OFFICER, AND SOLD FOR THE BENEFIT
OF THE FRANKLIN COUNTY
oldiers
omurmental
ssociation.
Chambersburg, Ex .: PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE "FRANKLIN REPOSITORY" -- >COOK & HAYS, PUBLISHERS. 1869.
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1
,5 126th P4
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PREFATORY.
IT is desirable that a record of the principal incidents in the career of the Regiment which Franklin county was pleased to consider peculiarly her own, should be preserv- ed. The survivors will cherish such a memorial. The dead will be embalmed in its pages.
It is especially becoming to make this memorial the means of rearing a Column to the Fallen Braves of the County, of whatever Regiment.
The Franklin County Soldiers' Monumental Association design erecting such a Column at the County seat. This Sketch has been prepared for them, and the proceeds de- rived from its sale will be devoted to that object.
It has been read, as published in the following pages, to a number of the Officers and Men of the Regiment, who were with it throughout, and has received their approval.
The Company Rolls are taken from the Regimental De- scriptive Book. The "Remarks" -the notes of changes, casualties, &c., - have been carefully revised by competent members of the respective Companies-in all the Compa- nies except A, C and K, by one or more of the Officers. Sergeant SEIDERS revised A; Sergeant STRICKLER, K; Mr. SETH DICKEY, C.
General TYLER kindly furnished copies of his Reports of the part taken by his Brigade at the battles of Fredericks- burg and Chancellorsville.
M212532
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A
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A SKETCH
OF
|HE 126TH REG'T PA. VOLUNTEERS,
ON the 8th of July, 1862, the Peninsular Campaign came to a disastrous close. McClellan was at Harrison's Landing. The siege of Richmond was raised. Fifteen thousand men had been lost to the army in the fruitless struggle. That grand army, which was the pride and hope of the country and which had fought its way to the gates of the Rebel Capital, had staggered back in a seven days' combat to the banks of the James river. The North was stunned with grief and de- spair.
Halleck was made General-in-Chief. On the 14th of July, Pope took command of the Army of Virginia. On the 17th, the President was authorized to accept the services of one hundred thousand volunteers for nine months to serve as infantry, for whom the same provision was made as for volunteers for three years, except as to bounty. At. the same time arrangements were made to set in motion the terrible machinery of the draft. The President approved the Confiscation and Emancipation Act. The Nation was beginning to adopt stringent and energetic measures. On the 31st of July, all leaves of absence were revoked and annulled, and all officers and privatés capable of ser- vice were required to join their commands. During the
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FORMATION OF THE COMPANIES.
first week of August, the Confederate Generals were as- sembling their forces for the purpose of crushing the army commanded by General Pope and advancing to the cap- ture of the Capital. On the 9th of August, Jackson fought Banks at Cedar Mountain.
Such was the aspect of military affairs in the East whilst the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth regiment was recruit- ing. About three weeks were occupied in this labor. Ju- niata county furnished two companies, namely: F and I. Captain John P. Wharton, of Perryville, led the men of Company F, and those of I came in charge of Captain Amos H. Martin, of Mifflintown. Both these officers were men of mature years and sterling character, and the young men who followed them from the banks of the Blue Juni- ata were the flower and promise of the county.
The remaining eight companies were from Franklin coun- ty, except part of one company, which was furnished by Fulton. Dæbler gathered around him, in Company A, the young men of Chambersburg; and here also Miles and John H. Reed assembled companies G and D. Brownson led down C from Mercersburg. The mountaineers of Ful- ton, under Pott and Hoke, uniting with the men of Antrim collected by Wm. H. Davison, formed Company B, under Austin. Waynesboro' sent out E, under the Walkers. From the highlands of Path Valley, John H. Walker was followed by the bulk of Company H, Elder filling out the complement with St. Thomas' contribution. The quota of Greencastle marched out as Company K, under Rowe and A. R. Davison. The materiel of these companies was also excellent. The very pick and pride of Franklin county responded to the call of the President at this great crisis of the struggle. The towns and the hill-sides of the Con- ococheague sent of their best youth. A fair proportion of the officers had seen service and learned the rudiments of drill and discipline in the school of actual hostilities.
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ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT.
This regiment, made up so largely of the citizens of Frank- lin county, was always regarded with pride by her people as her peculiar contribution to the war.
The several companies of which the regiment was com- posed assembled at Camp Curtin between the 6th and 10th of August, 1862. These having been duly mustered into service, an election for field officers was held in camp on the 13th of August-the electors being the company officers. This election was without legal force, and merely served to indicate to the Governor the wishes of the regiment in this regard. James G. Elder, of St. Thomas, Franklin county, who had been captain of company C, Second regi- ment Pennsylvania Volunteers, (three months service) was elected Colonel. Captain John Dick, of the One Hun- dred and Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, then serving with his regiment in the field, was elected Lieutenant Colo- nel, and D. Watson Rowe, late First Lieutenant of Compa- ny C, Second P. V., was chosen Major. The selection of Captain Dick was due to the desire of the regiment to have the aid of an experienced soldier, but the regulations of the War Department, at the time, prohibited officers of three- years regiments from being transferred to nine-months or- ganizations, (as was said,) and the Governor accordingly com- missioned James G. Elder as Colonel, D. Watson Rowe as Lieutenant Colonel, and James C. Austin, who had been voted for as Lieutenant Colonel, to be Major. At the same time, John Stewart was commissioned as Adjutant, and T. Jefferson Nill as Quartermaster.
On the next day, the men having been supplied with arms and clothing, and the companies furnished with camp and garrison equipage, the order to proceed to the front was received by Colonel Elder, and at 4 A. M. of Friday, the 15th of August, tents were struck, and the commissions of the Field and Staff Officers being now handed to them, the re- giment was conveyed by car to Baltimore and thence to
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AT CLOUD'S MILLS.
Washington, where it arrived at 4 A. M. of the succeeding day. Remaining at the Soldiers' Rest until noon, the march was then taken up for the south side of the Potomac, and at 6 P. M., tents were pitched near Fort Albany, about five miles from the city, a beautiful location, which was named Camp Stanton. General Casey was here in command of the provis- ional brigades, and to him reports were made. At this time the Surgeons joined the regiment and the Non-Commissioned Staff were appointed. From this camp, on the 22nd of Au- gust, the command was moved to Alexandria, and thence four miles out to Mrs. Scott's house, near Clouds' Mills. The regiment was now brigaded with the Ninety-First, One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth, and One Hundred and Thirty-Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, commanded re- spectively by Colonels Gregory, Frick and O'Brien. Brig- adier-General Erastus B. Tyler was assigned to the com- mand of the brigade. No change took place in the bri- gade organization whilst the One Hundred and Twenty- Sixth was in service, and General Tyler remained in com- mand until the term of service of the regiments had ex- pired. Here the regiment was fully supplied with am- munition and transportation, and began regular drill. It was ready for work. Major Hershberger, of Chambers- burg, went down to the front and instituted a school for officers, which was kept up until the result of the second Bull Run necessitated active movements of the command.
On the 23d of August, orders were received by Colonel Elder to be in readiness to proceed to Warrenton; but, for some reason, the regiment was not moved. On the 26th, indeed, the baggage was loaded and sent off, but the men remained in camp, and in the afternoon again pitched tents. On Sunday, the 31st of August, orders came at 8 P. M., directing Lieutenant Colonel Rowe to prepare to proceed with six companies of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth and a section of artillery to Bull Run bridge and hold it.
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WITHIN THE LINES OF WASHINGTON.
The companies were called out, a train of cars with the artillery aboard stood ready near by. At 11 P. M. Colonel Rowe was ordered to Alexandria for final directions, but the order to move did not come, for the tide of battle had already passed the point designated, and the bridge was de- stroyed. On this day, companies A and B were sent se- venteen miles to the front in charge of an ammunition train, and Company K was also sent to Fairfax Station to guard and care for the wounded there collected. The deep boom- ing of cannon had now, for several days, warned the regi- ment of the fearful struggle daily drawing nearer, and at length the streams of wounded and stragglers revealed only too clearly that a second time, on the field of Bull Run, the banners of the Union had trailed before the foe.
On the 2nd of September, the whole army was drawn back within the lines around Washington, and the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth was moved to a position one mile from Alexandria, named Camp Wade, between two Forts. Here, on Saturday, the 6th of September, Reverend Samuel J. Niccolls, appointed Chaplain to the regiment, joined it, and the Commissioned Staff was thus made full.
On Sunday, the 7th, a long and tiresome march was made from this camp to Fort Corcoran, up the river, and back again to Camp Whipple beside Fort Richardson, where tents were pitched in a peach-orchard. At 62 in the evening di- vine service was held by Reverend Mr. Niccolls, the chap- lain, before head-quarters. At that hour, unknown to the men, the whole rebel army had crossed the Potomac and were settling around Frederick.
At this place the regiment learned of the dismissal from the service of Major Austin, on the 5th of September, for visiting Washington without leave, contrary to General Or- ders, No. 114. Major Austin had been very sick of a se- vere chronic disease, and ignorant, like the rest, of the or- der referred to, went to the city and placed himself in charge
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HOMES IN DANGER.
of a physician there from August 28th till September 3d, when he rejoined the regiment. This summary dismissal was subsequently, upon a better understanding of the mat- ter, revoked and Major Austin restored, but he then re- signed. He accompanied the regiment, however, to An- tietam.
It was whilst lying in this camp, a portion of the regiment in the rifle-pits, and the remainder on picket at Bailey's Cross-Roads, near Munson's Hill, every one supposing the enemy to be in full force in front of Washington, and an assault upon the fortifications daily expected, that a flood of letters from Franklin county first informed the men of Lee's invasion of Maryland, and that their hearths and altars were threatened. A very deep feeling pervaded the entire re- giment. Every one pondered the situation, and endeavored to divine the near future. While thus the letters came in from the 8th until the 11th, showing with each day an in- crease of excitement at home; while Lee was issuing his proclamations to Maryland, and McClellan was marching in tive parallel columns on Frederick; the men of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth picketed and drilled, and lounged and smoked in the works around Washington, the monotony broken only by a review on the 9th by Gene- Fitz John Porter and General Whipple. But the after- noon of Friday, the 12th, found the brigade of Tyler march- ing through Georgetown and Washington to Meridian Hill, at the foot of 14th street in the latter city, whence began, on Sunday, the 14th of September, the march for the bat- tle field of Antietam.
Before we follow the regiment from Washington a bit of romance connected with its history is to be chronicled. Wil- liam Fitzpatrick, of Western Virginia, loved or was loved by Frances Day. Fitzpatrick enlisted in company F, from Juniata county, and went to the war with the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth regiment. In a short time he fell ill,
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A SERGEANT IN PETTICOATS.
and on the 24th of August, 1862, whilst the regiment lay at Cloud's Mills, he died in the hospital at Alexandria. On the day he died, Frank Maine, a Sergeant of company F, unaccountably deserted. When he enlisted he was a stran- ger to all the men of that company, but in a few days he had so ingratiated himself with his comrades and officers as to be promoted to Sergeant. He was not heard of any more while the regiment remained in service. But long after, in the far West, a soldier, wounded badly in a great battle, could not conceal her sex, and Frances Day then told how she had followed Fitzpatrick into the army and become herself a soldier and a Sergeant in the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers; of her deser- tion upon her lover's death, and the abandon and despair which led her to seek again the ranks of the army. To ve- rify her story, letters were written to the officers of Compa- ny F, at Mifflintown, and thus the mystery of the Sergeant's desertion was dispelled.
On Sunday, Sept. 14th, the regiment marched with the brigade from the Camp at Meridian Hill for the Monocacy, by way of Rockville, encamping by that stream on the af- ternoon of the 16th, about the time Hooker's corps was first put in motion on the field of Antietam, and the great battle began. On the first day's march, General Humphreys with his staff was observed on the roadside, snatching a marching review of the brigade as it passed by en route, and it was then learned that a day or two before he had been as- signed to the division composed of the brigades of Tyler and Allabach. He remained at the head of this division until the muster out of the regiments composing it. Of these two officers, Tyler and Humphreys, who together had sole charge of the fortunes of this regiment, General Hum- phreys was a Regular officer, past middle life, educated at West Point, deeply learned in engineering, long attached to the Topographical Department, and so far, during the
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HUMPHREYS AND TYLER.
war, on the staff of General McClellan. He entered the ser- vice on the 1st of July, 1831, as Brevet Second Lieutenant, in the Second Artillery. Served in Florida: resigned 30th September, 1836: was appointed First Lieutenant of Topo- graphical Engineers, July 7th, 1838. He knew little of hu- man nature in civilians, and when he first assumed com- mand of this division he was not well fitted to handle citi- zen volunteers. Nevertheless, he was greatly relied upon. General Tyler, on the other hand, was not an educated sol- dier, but full of military spirit and aptitude, and admirably suited to have charge of a brigade of men fresh from the people. He was heartily liked by all under him, and was as much respected as liked. He was a large, soldierly-look- ing man, in the prime of life. He entered the army at the outbreak of the war as Colonel of the Seventh Ohio, and served under Rosecrans in West Virginia. He subsequent- ly fought by the side of Shields in the Valley, when Stone- wall Jackson was there. The regiment was fortunate in both its general officers.
Tyler's brigade lay on the Monocacy, by the Frederick road, from the evening of the 16th till the middle of the af- ternoon of the 17th of September, during which time a large body of paroled Union prisoners, surrendered by Miles at Harper's Ferry, passed southward. About 3 o'clock the march was taken up for Antietam, by way of Frederick, Middletown and Boonsboro,' and the command was forced forward all night, halting but one hour on the top of South Mountain for rest, and at 8 A. M. of the 18th arrived on the battle field, received twenty additional rounds of ammu- nition, and took position in reserve with the rest of Porter's corps. The men were much fatigued with the twenty-six miles forced marching, but were in good heart at the pros- pect of making their first fight near home. The reinforce- ment which Humphreys thus brought to M'Clellan number- ed six thousand men. The fight was not resumed. Lee
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ANTIETAM. THE RECONNOISANCE.
crossed the Potomac. Tyler's brigade was moved down to the river bank and watched the enemy on the other side all day, while an Ohio battery amused them with an occa- sional shell. The brigade went into camp one mile from Sharpsburg, where it lay without a movement worthy of note until the 16th of October. The One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth regiment, raised on the border, was over- overflowed all the while it lay here with friends and rela- tives, who came in great numbers, bearing loads of pro- visions and delicacies. The State Colors were presented here, and the division was honored with a review by the President of the United States.
On the 16th of October, General Humphreys, with his di- vision and some artillery and cavalry, made a reconnoisance into Virginia, crossing the Potomac below Shepherdstown and proceeding as far as Leetown. The enemy's cavalry hovered in the Federal front all the way, and his horse-artil- lery were kept pretty busily at work. He fell back, however, without showing much resistance, and the casualties were few. The reconnoitering force encamped over night near Leetown, and next day retraced its steps and recrossed the river, the movement having been very finely conducted by General Humphreys. After this, for two weeks, the time passed as before-in guard, drill, parade and review. The ladies of Waynesboro' relieved the monotony somewhat by the presentation of a beautiful banner to Company E, many of the fair donors being present.
At length, on the 30th of October, 1863, (M'Clellan having begun his movement on Warrenton,) the regiment broke camp at 3 P. M., and moved about six miles into Pleasant Valley. At day-break next day the march was resumed, the river at Harpers' Ferry was crossed on pontoons, and the brigade halted four miles beyond the Ferry, in Loudon county. On Sunday, 2nd of November, Snickersville was reached and the regiment went into camp, but having only
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14 SNICKER'S GAP AND WARRENTON.
had time for supper, the march was continued after dark to the top of the mountain-Snicker's Gap. Here, on the top of the Blue Ridge, the brigade lay until Wednesday, the 5th. The weather was growing cold. The west winds whistled on the mountain peaks and pierced to the marrow of the men's bones. But there were compensations. The sol- diers, living off the enemy, reveled in mutton and veal. The enraptured vision of the pickets drank in the beauties of the Shenandoah Valley, spread out like a great quilt beneath them-Berryville plainly in view, and the distant spires of Winchester dimly visible.
From Snicker's Gap the command was moved towards Aldie, but when about four miles from that place changed direction and passed through White Plains to New Balti- more, and thence to the vicinity of Warrenton, where it lay encamped until the 17th of November. Here M'Clellan, attended by Burnside, his successor in command of the ar- my, bade farewell to all the corps in a grand and brilliant review. A day or two later, Fitz John Porter also reviewed the 5th Corps upon taking leave of it-Hooker succeeding him. While here, the six corps of the army were consolida- ted into three Grand Divisions of two corps each, and the Fifth Corps, now under Butterfield, was assigned to the Center Grand Division, which Hooker commanded. On Sunday, the 16th, Hooker reviewed Humphreys' division, and the men began to know "Fighting Joe," and to take pride in him as their commander. In the evening, Rever- end Mr. Niccolls preached his farewell sermon to the bri- gade, at General Tyler's headquarters. The leave of absence granted him by the Presbyterian Congregation of Cham- bersburg had expired, and he now resigned the chaplaincy and returned home.
On Monday, the 17th, the division began its march by way of Warrenton Junction and Richland Creek to the vi- cinity of Falmouth. The weather was rainy, the country
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FREDERICKSBURG.
traversed poor and deserted, the rations short, and the march, though the stages were not long, was altogether disagreea- ble. On the 19th tents were pitched six miles from Fred- ericksburg, and on the 22d camp was shifted to a point two miles nearer Falmouth. The coldness of the weather now admonished the soldiers to build chimneys and otherwise promote physical comfort in their tents, and the camp soon became a temporary village. Upon the arrival of the regi- ment here, it was greeted with the return of Captain Reed and Lieutenants Cook and Hornbaker and a number of en- listed men left sick at Antietam.'
At 4 A. M. of the 11th December, the reveille was beat- en and the regiment moved out to the field of its first great battle. It halted in a level plat about two miles out. The next day it was moved forward a mile or two and bivouacked in a pine woods near the Philips House, and close by the river. During both days the men were inspired by the mu- sie of bands and the deep booming of Burnside's cannon on the river bank. On Saturday, the 13th of December, the brigade crossed the Rappahannock on the upper pon- toon bridge, entered Fredericksburg at the northern end, then turning to the left moved down to the centre of the town. At 3} P. M. General Tyler moved his command to the front, and filing to the right from the Telegraph road, en- tered a low meadow, at the far end of which stood a large brick tannery. Above this meadow, overshadowing it, frowned the rebel redoubts and batteries. The command was massed in this enclosure-the Union and Confederate batteries playing over the heads of the men. Very soon a rebel officer was observed to advance a section, and imme- diately he opened on the crowded mass beneath. The shell dropped down into the throng and threw the earth and man- gled bodies into the air. The men were not in line of bat- tle -- could not form in line-were simply awaiting orders. They could only watch the battery on the height above; watch
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THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
the flight of the shell into their midst, and shudder at its destruction. It was awful to stand thus and be slaughtered. But at length the order came to move to the left of the Tele- graph road and form in two lines under cover of a hill, pre- paratory to a last charge upon the rebel works on Marye's Heights. The road was swept by the enemy's shell and the bullets of his sharp-shooters. The right of the regiment was hurried across; the left waited a moment at the edge of the road, then it also hastily passed over, but not scathless. Lieutenant Fortescue, of G, had scarcely put foot into the road before a ball from a sharp-shooter's rifle pierced his head and he fell a corpse.
As rapidly as possible, for it was growing late, the column of assault was formed in two lines. The first line was com- posed of the One Hundred and Thirty-Fourth Pennsylva- nia, under Colonel O'Brien, on the right, and the One Hun- dred and Twenty-Ninth Pennsylvania, Colonel Frick, on the left; the second line, six or eight paces in the rear, was made up of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Pennsyl- vania, Colonel Elder, on the right, and the Ninety-First Pennsylvania, Colonel Gregory, on the left.
While the brigade was thus forming, at the base of the hill, a battery above was engaged in a fearful and desperate duel with the rebel artillery-their many guns concentrating on it a converging fire. It was an unequal fight. The artillery- men, black with powder and smoke, worked like fiends. Volunteers were sent from the regiments below. In a short time the men were scattered about the ground dead, and the guns were rendered useless or hauled off. At this moment General Hooker and General Butterfield came out of town, and from an eminence a short distance to the rear, prepared to watch the effect of Humphreys' charge.
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