History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 33

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

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1 Copied in Berks and Schuylkill Journal, June 26, 1847.

2 A grand illumination took place in Reading when the news of the victory at Vera Cruz arrived, 20th April, 1847. " See sketch of Captain T. S. Leoser, at end of chapter, for other battles mentioned.

Also, see sketch of Richards McMichael, in Chapter XII.

4 Promoted to first lientenant 9th September, 1847 ; and in the election of officers, occasioned by the death of Col. Roberts, he was elected to the office of major.

5 Promoted 1st November, 1847.

6 Wounded at Chapultepec and recovered.

7 Wounded at Belen Gate and promoted.

8 Wounded at Belen Gate and recovered.

9 The men from Reading. William Graff was compelled to remain at Pittsburgh on account of sickness, with Long and Rapp to wait npon him ; they arrived at Reading 10th of August, 1848. Bachman left the company at Baltimore on their return to Harrisburg.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

and Reading. Some of the men went by stage to Reading. Upon their arrival, on the 29th of July, they were given a brilliant military reception. Numerous buildings and streets were handsomely decorated with flags and wreaths. The military procession was under the command of Gen. William H. Keim. The troops numbered over eight hundred men. The battalion consisted of two companies of cavalry under the command of Gen. William High, viz .:- National Troop and Reading Troop -- and of eight companies of infantry under the command of Major H. A. Muhlenberg, viz. :- Reading Artillerists, Washington Grays, Ham- burg Artillerists, Womelsdorf Legion, Moselem Blues, Washington Rifle Blues, Friedensburg Liglit Infantry, Cadets of Military Institute.

After parading through the principal streets of the city, the procession was taken to "Inde- pendence Island," where an appropriate oration was delivered by Charles Davis, Esq .; with which the demonstration ended.

DEATHS .- The following twenty-seven men of the company died in Mexico, mostly from sickness contracted there :

Abraham Roland, April 27, 1847, at Jalapa Hospital, from wounds received at Cerro Gordo in head at right ear ; ball lodged under his tongue.

John Sheetz, April 29, 1847, at Jalapa Hospital, from wound received at Cerro Gordo, in calf of left leg.

Charles Dunbar, April 29, 1847, at Jalapa Hospital.1 John Kutz, May 16, 1847, at Vera Cruz Hopital.

William Van Thiel, June 11, 1847, at Perote Hos- pital, from diarrhea.

William Patterson, June 17, 1847, at Perote Hospital, from diarrhoea.

Israel Kaercher, July 14, 1847, at Perote Hospital, from rheumatism.

Henry Kaercher, July 30, 1847, at Perote Hospital, from diarrhea.

Henry Gardner, July 20, 1847, at quarters in Puebla. Christian Linderman, August 3, 1847, at Perote Hos- pital, from diarrhoea.

James Eason, August 19, 1847, at Perote Hospital, from diarrhoea.

John Fisher, August 25, 1847, at Puebla Hospital, from diarrhoea.

Napoleon Merceron, August 27, 1847, at Perote Hos- pital.

William S. Diehl, August 29, 1847, at Puebla Hos- pital, from diarrhea.

George L. Moss, August 30, 1847, at Perote Hospital. Henry Beidinger, September 1, 1847, at Puebla Hos- pital, from diarrhoea.

John Donnelly, September 1, 1847, at Perote Hos- pital, from diarrhea.

Daniel L. Forney, September 5, 1847, at Puebla Hos- pital, from diarrhea.

Peter Moyer, September 13, 1847, killed in storming of Chapultepec.

Lieutenant William Wunder, September 14, 1847, at Miscoac.2

Sylvester McCaragan, September 27, 1847, at Puebla Hospital, from diarrhoea.

Nathan Metz, October 17, 1847, at City of Mexico, of wound received at Chapultepec.

William Flickinger, November 3, 1847, at Puebla Hospital, from diarrhoea.

Sergeant J. G. Hambright,3 November 7, 1847, at Mexico Hospital.

Bernhard Vaux, November 16, 1847, at Mexico Hos- pital.

George Henry, November 29, 1847, at Mexico Hos- pital, of wound received at Gate of Belen.

Daniel Graeff, February 16, 1848, at San Angel.

DISCHARGED .- The following men were dis- charged during their term of service on account of sickness :

Sergeant L. H. Wunder, April 4, 1847.

Private William M. Smith, from Vera Cruz Hospital, April 4, 1847.

Private John Q. Anderson, from Vera Cruz Hospital, May 17, 1847.

Private William Frey, from Vera Cruz Hospital, May 17, 1847.

Private Albert Myers, from Vera Cruz Hospital, May 17, 1847.

Private William Trayer, from Vera Cruz Hospital, May 17, 1847.

Private Edwin Fritz, from Vera Cruz Hospital, May 17, 1847.

Lieutenant Levi P. Kuerr, June 1, 1847.

Private Charles W. Horrell, from Castle of Perote.

Sergeant William W. Diehl, wounded in arm at Puebla de los Angelos.

1 Charles Dunbar fell a victim to camp-fever and died of medical neglect. The sick soldiers were badly treated, and loud complaints were made.

2 Fell sick at Jalapa. His body was sent to Reading. It lay in state in the court-house. On May 13, 1848, an oration was delivered by J. Glancy Jones, Esq., after which the burial was made in the Charles Evans Cemetery. The funeral procession was very large, including military, municipal officers, and Councils, judges, lawyers, physi- cians and secret organizations. The city generally was crowded with people from the country. After the burial appropriate services were also held in Trinity Lutheran Church.

3 Promoted April 1, 1847.

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THE MEXICAN WAR.

Lieutenant H. A. M. Filbert, November 1, 1847 (re- signed).

Private Lewis Monzert, from Puebla Hospital, No- vember 5, 1847.

Private Joseph Alexander, from Puebla, where he was sick.

RECAPITULATION.

Commissioned officers 4

Sergeants. 1

Corporals. 1

Sergeant-major

Discharged on account of sickness.

Deserted

Honorably mustered out of service:

Commissioned officers.

Non-commissioned officers and musicians 10

Privates

Total

102

THOMAS S. LEOSER was one of the best-

Musicians

Privates

Privates joined from regimental depot ..

Private joined by transfer as musician

Total strength during war .. 102

Killed in action

Died of wounds. 4 Died of disease 22

1 Resigned 21

known citizens of Berks County from 1845 to the time of his death.

He was born in the lower part of the county May 27, 1818, and was the son of Dr. Jacob Leoser and Sarah Bull Leoser, the daughter of John Smith, of Joanna Furnace.

He was graduated at the University of Penn- sylvania at an early age, and, on the 7th of No- vember, 1838, was married to Mary Hillegas

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Rheem, the daughter of Jacob Rheem, Esq. of Philadelphia.

He always took an active interest in military matters and commanded a company of militia called the " Reading Artillerists " for some years previous to the Mexican War.

At the breaking out of that war the company volunteered, and was mustered into the service of the United States as Company A, of the Sec- ond Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, with him as the commissioned Captain. The Regi- ment joined Scott's column at Lobos Island and took part in the work of his army until the oc- cupation of the city of Mexico, participating in the siege of Vera Cruz, the battle of Cerro Gor- do, the engagements at Jalapa, Perote and Pu- ebla, the battles of Contreras and Cherubusco, and the storming of Chapultepec.

On the return of the company to Reading, the enthusiasm of its reception , was unbounded, and the citizens so far forgot their accustomed plilegmatic demeanor that some of them carried Captain Leoser from the station to his residence on their shoulders.

Before the war began, he had received from Governor Shunk a commission as brigade in- spector for Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks and Schuylkill Counties for four years. During his absence in Mexico the duties of this office were performed by a substitute.

After his return from the war, Captain Leo- ser enjoyed the greatest popularity among his fellow-citizens, and, when he died, September 12, 1849, of, an affection of the stomach and liver contracted in Mexico, his loss was universally mourned by the community. He left to sur- vive him two sons-Charles Mcknight Leoser and Christopher Leoser-and a daughter, Sid- ney H., married to Morton C. Mellvain ; a third son, Thomas S., having died in infancy.

CHAPTER XII.

CIVIL WAR.

Introduction -- Patriotism of County-War-Meetings and Appropriations-Ladies' Aid Society -- Reading Hospital -Drafts and Quotas of Berks Couuty-Northern Men in Service-Summary of Battles-Paper Money-List of

Companies from Berks County in Civil War-President's Call for Troops-First Companies in War-Ringgold Light Artillery the First Company-Statement of Cap- tain Mcknight-Soldiers of Berks County in Three Months' Service, 1861 : Three Years' Service ; Nine Months' Service; Volunteer Militia of 1862; Drafted Militia of 1862: Volunteer Militia of 1863: One Hun- dred Days' Service of 1864; One Year's Service, 1864-65 -Miscellaneous Enlistments from Berks County-Sol- diers Buried in Berks County -Grand Army Posts-So- ciety of Ex-Prisoners of War.

THE Civil War in our country broke out in April, 1861. The direct cause was the agita- tion of the great subject which related to slav- ery. In 1620 religion started the movement for freedom in the northern part of our coun- try, and about the same time trade started the movement for slavery in the southern part. These two agents in the development of our people moved, as it were, westwardly from the Atlantic Ocean, side by side in the onward course of time, the one in the northern section and the other in the southern section, without any substantial interference for two hundred years. When independence from the British government was agitated ou account of burden- some taxation, all the States north and south united in the one common purpose of establish- ing a free, representative government, separate and apart by themselves, of, for and by the people, and through this union they were en- abled to carry on successfully the Revolutionary War, which, after a severe trial of eight years, resulted in their favor. In 1787 delegates from these several States assembled together for the purpose of formulating a Constitution for their general government and protection as a nation, and in this they were entirely successful. In the interest of harmony and progress, large concessions were made to the Southern States on the subject of slavery. The two agents, religion and slavery, were able to move along successfully side by side for a number of years afterward by reason of their separation. But as education developed greater notions of liberty and equality, and as steam brought the people of the several sections of the country closer together, and as manufactures and traffic induced them to trade with one another more intimately and more frequently, these two agents began to antagonize each other more and

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THE CIVIL WAR.

more, and statesmen of the North and of the South anticipated the danger of an inevitable conflict between them. Increasing liberality in religion introduced many improvements, di- rectly and indirectly, amongst the people of the North. Population and wealth increased rap- idly over an enlarging area of territory, and these gave the northern section more States and a stronger political influence and power. But slavery was stationary in the South, new poli- tical rights were not awakened, progress in any direction was not developed, though new States were erected and political representation was increased to preserve the balance of power between the two agents. After 1850 the ex- tension of slavery on the one hand, and its restriction on the other, became thoroughly national questions and their animated discus- sion resulted in a terrible struggle for the su- premacy. Till this time the South had the general control of political affairs through lead- ership and legislation. But the Southern states- men then saw that their political power was in reality passing away through the wonderful growth of the North in population and wealth, and in political representation in the national government. A similar growth could not be effected in the South ; so its leaders desired to extend the rights of slavery. This was particu- larly apparent upon the admission of Kansas as a State. The Republican party-the exponent of restricting slavery to territory then occupied -became an active political factor in the country in 1856; but its Presidential candidate was de- feated. Threats of secession by the Southern States had been made about that time, and it was thought that if the Republican party had been successful, secession would have been at- tempted.

For four years this question was prominent above all other questions. Buchanan preserved the peace during his administration, but he could not preserve the balance of power. Pub- lic opinion grew more favorable towards the Re- publican party, and in 1860 this party appeared before the people with renewed strength. During that time . the Democratic party agitated the question of slavery to such an extent that two branches of the party were created,-one, the

Douglas branch, for submitting the question to the people of a new State upon its erection; and the other, the Breckenridge branch, for sub- mitting it to the Supreme Court for adjudication under the national Constitution,-and in the Pres- idential campaign of 1860 their political power was divided. The party was still strong enough, as a whole, to elect a candidate; but it was not strong enough to bear a division, especially such a division as Douglas was able to create by the support which he had won through pub- lie discussion. Lincoln, the Republican candi- date, was elected. From the sentiments of his party-especially from the sentiments of its ultra-leaders, who werestyled " Abolitionists"- the Sonthern leaders felt constrained to take earnest steps towards secession ; and these steps were taken between the day of the election, in November, and the day of Lincoln's inaugura- tion, in March, not only vigorously, but suc- cessfully, without the slightest hinderance on the part of the national government. Promi- net Cabinet officials, Senators and Representa- tives withdrew from their respective positions and cansed their several States to pass ordi- nances of secession, declaring the contract be- tween them and the national government broken. When Lincoln took possession of the government, the status was not only discourag- ing but very alarming. In his inaugural ad- dress, he stated that apprehension seemed to ex- ist among the people of the Southern States that, by the accession of a Republican adminis- tration, their property, peace and personal se- curity were to be endangered, but that there 'never had been any reasonable cause for such apprehension ; and he declared that he had no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it existed. He had no inclination to do so on the one hand, and on the other he had no lawful right. Those who had nominated and elected him did so with the full knowledge that he had made these declarations, which he had never re- canted ; and, besides, his party had placed in their platform the clear and emphatic resolu- tion :

"That the maintenance, inviolate, of the rights of the States, and especially the right of each

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

State to order and control its own domestic insti- tutions, according to its own judgment exclusively, is essential to that balance of power on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric de- pend ; and we denounce the lawless invasion of the soil of any State or territory by armed force, no mat- ter under what pretext, as among the gravest of crimes."

He then reiterated these sentiments and pressed upon the public attention the most con- clusive evidence of which the case was suscep- tible, that the property, peace and security of no section were to be in any wise en- dangered by his administration. Notwith- standing his plain and direct language, to perform the duties of his office according to the Constitution and laws, without any mental reservations or any purposes to con- strne them by hypercritical rules, and his ex- pressed sentiments for peace and inseparable union of the States, the Southern leaders per- sisted in secession and disunion ; and when he endeavored to protect national property they rose up in arms and committed positive acts of treason.

In April, 1861, Fort Sumter was bom- barded from the fortresses and batteries at Charleston in such a furious manner that the commander was forced to surrender it. This was the signal for war, and the people in the North rose with a grand, patriotic impulse to punish the outrage. The President issued a requisition for seventy-five thousand troops, in order to quell the disturbance in the insurrec- tionary States, and the response was prompt and noble. The national government had not, as yet, done anything to cause the South to feel- alarmed, but this hostile demonstration required it to show some positive action towards defend- ing its property and enforcing its laws. The excitement at Reading, as everywhere else in the North, was intense. Captain James Mc- Knight offered his company of Ringgold Light Artillery, and it was the first military organi- zation that responded to the call and moved to the defense of the country. This historical fact is worthy of especial mention, for in it our peo- ple take a just, patriotic pride, and it is a dis- tinction in this great crisis of our country which no other community enjoys. It was hoped that

this simple manifestation of executive author- ity would restore peace ; but the organization at the South was too thorough, and its purpose to establish, if possible, a confederation by itself, was too premeditated. Men rushed to arms and were forced into dreadful warfare, call after call for troops was made, and thousands of lives were sacrificed, and millions of dollars were ex- pended, in the two sections, for a right which each claimed,-the one to establish a con- federation and the other to maintain constituted authority,-and this terrible contest continued four years before peace was restored.

It is not my purpose to write a history of the war. I simply desire to record the patriotism which our county displayed upon this occasion by narrating the more prominent, events which transpired in our community during this per- iod.

PATRIOTISM OF COUNTY .- The feeling here for maintaining the Union and upholding the Constitution was strong and continuons during the entire period from the beginning to the close of the war ; and this was exhibited by Demo- crats and Republicans alike. Breckenridge had received a majority over Lincoln, exceeding two thousand votes, but the sentiment for the Union was general in all our districts, especially at Reading. Companies were raised rapidly and mustered into service-numbering eighty-seven, almost entirely enlisted in and from the county. They went to the rescue freely, moved by the highest patriotic impulse. Public meetings were numerous and earnest sympathy for the cause was manifested at all of them. The prominent men took the lead. Our judges, lawyers and merchants, and business men gen- erally, without respect to party affiliations, united to enconrage and sustain the national administration. Their pronounced opinion in the matter created and preserved a proper spirit in the community. The county and city governments were constantly liberal in appro- priations of money towards encouraging volun- teer enlistments. But the methods of conduct- ing the war received a degree of criticism amounting to condemnation. This was natural from partisans who entertained political opin- ions opposed to those of the administration in

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THE CIVIL WAR.

power. A disposition to criticise and condemn was shown even in small local matters ; how much more was it to be expected in national matters of such enormous proportions, involv- ing the appropriation of millions of dollars and the exercise of extreme legislative and executive authority over the people ! Certain measures, which were resorted to during the progress of the war, such as the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the issue of paper money, the conscrip- tion of men for military service, the proclamation of emancipation, the enlistment and enfranchise- ment of negroes, etc., were particularly objec- tionable, but they were consequences that were nnavoidable under the trying circumstances in which the country was placed ; and, if they were not exactly within the letter of the Con- stitution, the preservation of the country, its property, its government and its people justi- fied them entirely. A national Constitution and all the laws growing out of it could not be paramount, in such an extreme emergency, to national existence, inasmuch as they were par- ticularly designed to preserve it; and this was certainly no time for "sympathizers,"-a class of individuals which prevailed here as elsewhere. Further indulgence of the Southı- after it had taken national property and carried on destructive warfare, and especially after its army had invaded Pennsylvania, not for the purpose of defending its property and po- litical rights, but for the purposes of vengeance, of destroying our property and of jeopardizing the peace and security of our political exist- ence-ceased to be a virtne; and those who were not for the Government were against the Union. These two were one and inseparable. For them extraordinary measures were enacted, not promptly and hastily, but only after much discussion and delay. They were forced upon the people as justifiable war measures.

Our county contained a large majority of peo- ple who were against the war, if we interpret their opinion from the exercise of their political suffrage at electious ; but they were submissive- they caused no trouble, no riotous demonstration. This reflects great credit upon them as a law- abiding community. Our national and State governments, by enactments, required these

things of them, and therefore they bore them. They went to the war by the thousand, they endured conscription without opposition and they permitted the assessment of burdensome taxation. They encouraged appropriations of money, amounting to nearly a million of dollars, expressly for the enlistment of men, and they invested large sums of money in the national securities. These, taken together, truly consti- tute significaut evidence of devotion to their conntry and to the administration of its affairs by an opposite party,-a party whose principles were not only different from theirs, but, in fact, objectionable, if not repulsive, to them. Their general conduct of co-operation under such cir- cumstances is therefore commendable and wor- thy of this prominent mention.

During this period, the excitement throughout the county was ever active, and several times, when the State was invaded by the revengeful, destructive rebels, and our own county was threatened with the horrors of war, it became alarming. This was particularly the case at Reading. Penn Square was daily, more or less, in commotion with the enlistment of men, the formation and exercise of companies and their departure to the seat of war or their return from it. The music of fife and drum and the marching of men-fathers, husbands, brothers and sons-thrilled the entire community time and again. These were, indeed, events that made a lasting impression upon that generation. Two encampments-one in the northern part of Reading in 1862, and another in the eastern part in 1863-attracted much attention. They afforded the people an opportunity of forming a proper conception of camp-life and military dis- cipline. If our peaceful inhabitants did not realize the actual terrors and horrors of warfare by the booming of cannon, the explosion of shells and the destruction of property in their midst ; if they did not see blood and death in their, highways and upon their fields as the evi- dence of bitter opposition and revenge, they saw officers and soldiers in uniforms and witnessed military exercises with the weapons of war, and they knew by their own personal observations that earnest preparations were made for encounters with the enemy. How they looked at these

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

military cities, with tents and streets under strict regulation ! how they watched the men in drill, by platoons and companies and battalions ! how they pointed out generals and colonels and captains as the men who had been in war and passed safely through the jaws of death! But when the wounded, the dying and the dead were brought home to them, then they felt that the curse of rebellion was in the land. Did they catch the true spirit with these things about them ? Yes; they sprang to the rescue, -they either went themselves or urged others to go to preserve the Union,-they raised money and en- dured burdensome taxation, amounting to the millions ; their mothers, wives and daughters prepared flags for the men, and said, "Go, de- fend these banners ; let not a star be torn away. Yon have our prayers. Your patriotism mnst win the crown of victory." With such inspira- tions our men, as men everywhere throughout the North, went to this war.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 33

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418