History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 41

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended > Part 41

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Officers. - Captain - Jacob Hay; First Lieutenant-William Gilberthrop; Second Lieutenant-Daniel B. Immell; First Ser- geant-Washington Beirbower; Sergeants- George Weirman, Thomas E. Cochran, Will- iam Hay, Abraham W. Rudisill, Edward Stuck; Corporals-William M. Frysinger, John Fahs, John Shive, James Kell, William W. Dingee, Jacob Andrews, George Horn; Musician- William Poleman.

Privates. - John Busser, Emanuel C. Beck, John Borland, John W. Buckingham, John M. Brown, William C. Fischer, James Groff, Henry Ginter, Henry Gresly, John Hay, Jacob Hantz, Samuel Hame, Henry Haker, Daniel Heckert, George W. Ilgenfritz, Mar- tin Ilgenfritz, Harrison Ilgenfritz, Samuel Kitzmiller, Jacob Keeney, Simon Kopp, Jacob. L. Keuhn, Alexander Kidd, Charles

201

THE WAR FOR THE UNION.

Laumaster, Anthony Leiben, George Mun- dorff, George W. Neff, Jonathan Owen, Thomas Owen, Sr., John Platts, George Rud- isill, Henry Rutledge, John W. Schall, Charles F. Sheafer, Jacob Spangler, John Schall, Alexander Shetter, John Small, Isaac Shelly. John Strickler, William Shelly, Lewis Shive, Daniel Stough, John Truett, Oliver P. Weiser, Thomas White, Martin H. Weiser, William Wolf.

Officers .- Captain-D. Wagner Barnitz; First Lieutenant-George J. Spangler; Sec- ond Lieutenant-John W. Shirey; First Ser- geant-George H. Maish; Sergeants-Levi Strickler, John Strickler, Albert Hay, John A. Beitzel; Corporals- Frederick Klinefelter, Oliver H. Wells, Jerome Fisher, Amos Mit- zell, Henry Buck, Alexander Hildebrand, George Wagner, Milton Johnston.

Privates. - William H. Albright, Jacob Assemen, Adam K. Baylor, Jacob Blauser, William Call, John Carr, John Connelly, Charles Cook, George W. Dietz, L. Doll, Jacob B. Fishel, Joel E. Fisher, George Foose, William Frame, William Fried, George S. Frey, Martin Frey, Augustus F. Gotwalt, Joseph W. Ilgenfritz, George Ilgen- fritz, Albert Ilgenfritz, William Jacobs, Vic- tor V. Kelton, William Koch, William Lloyd, Adam E. Mayers, David Myers, Andrew J. M'Laughlin, Bernard M'Farland, George Odenwalt, Philip Odenwalt, August Rouse, Daniel Rittenhouse, Josiah W. Sleider, George P. Smyser, William Straber, Edward Straber, Louis Shenberger, George W. Steig, Luther A. Small, Albert Small, William Sponsler, Henry Swartz, Charles A. Strack, John G. Schaffer, John Schott, Michael Seitz, John Tomes, Hamilton H. Treager, John Vandersloot, Charles Wagner, Louis E. Wagner, Marcellus G. Weiser, George Weiser, Howard. H. Welsh, Lewis Weller, Emannel C. Yessler, John Zeller, Walter Zimmerman.

Officers .-- Captain-William H. Albright; First Lieutenant - George Smith; Second Lieutenant-John H. Kliuedirst; First Ser- geant-William Swartz; Sergeants-Charles W. Stebbins, Lewis L. Sears, William H. H. Erwin, Samuel Rudy; Corporals-Samuel Funk, Henry Reily, Charles N. Brannon, Isaac Goodman, John Heckert, Charles O. Fields. Frederick Bastean, John Epply; Mu- sician-Harry A. Spangler.

Privates .- John W. Bittenger, Charles H. Bressler, Martin Basehore, John Crone, Clay- ton Craver, Howard Duvall, John G. Ernst, James Ensminger, Emanuel Erb, Robert Fields, Romanus Greenawalt, George W. F. Gray, Albert Heckert, Edward Helfrich,

Alfred Helsel, Frederick Hibner, Christian Hinkle, Daniel C. Ilgenfritz, Daniel Jacobs, James Johnston, George Koons, Jacob Kraft, John Kline, Emanuel Kissinger, William T. Laumaster, Philip Lehr, William H. Loch- man, William Lov, Samuel Myers, John Miller, Albert Metzel, William M'Ilvaine, John B. Oswald, Andrew Pfile, John Rouse, Andrew J. Reiley, George W. Reichenbach, John Siegle, Henry Stine, Augustus Strack, Adam Spangler, Jacob Smith, Alexander Smith, William Warner, Samuel H. Welsh, David A. Wilhelm, Jeremiah Yaple, William Zeigle.

Officers, - Captain - John Hays; First Lieutenant-John M. Deitch; Second Lieu- tenant-James H. Fisher; First Sergeant- Alexander Duncan; Sergeants-Edward G. Smyser, George W. Ruby, Zacharias Dugan, Daniel D. Doudel; Corporals-Peter M'Gui- gan, Nathaniel Weigle, William Beitzel, Henry L. Fisher, Andrew J. Bashers, Thomas M'Cann, Andrew K. Glessner, Alfred Koch.

Privates. - George Albright, Henry Baylor, George A. Barnitz, George Beck, William B. Carter, Barney Conley, Jeremiah Cullison. Daniel Crerand, Daniel Densel, Patrick Dawson, Henry Everhart, Abraham Forry, Charles Fishel, Enos M. Frame, William Froelich, Martin Frey. Jr., Jacob E. Fisher, Samuel Gotwalt, Jacob Gotwalt, Sr., Daniel Gotwalt, John Horn, Jr., Jeremiah Hess, Abraham Hearshy, Joseph Heard, Samuel Ilgenfritz, Henry Ilgenfritz, James W. Kerr, Adam Klinefelter, Augustus Knudson, Charles W. Karg, George A. Karg, Angust Leibhart, William Leidlich, Jolm Minnon, Moses Morritz, John Morrow, Abraham Mus- ser, Henry Philby, Frederick Plitt, August Plitt, Alexander Reisinger, John F. Rien- berger. Barnard Rhodenhouser, Jacob Reich- ley, Michael Schall, David Small, Peter Schoch, Charles Spangler, Ambrose Smith, William Small, Henry Spangler, Henry Schuyler, Charles Schnable, Frederick A. Steig, Walter Shaeffer, Henry Stallman, Lebrecht Treager, Alexander Underwood, John A. Wilson, James West, Joseph Welsh, Joseph Watt, William Watt. Henry Weltz- hoffer, Anthony Weaver, William Wagner, Sr., Jacob Wagner, Jacob Yunker, John Zim- merman.

Officers .- Captain-John Gibson ; First Lieutenant-Charles A. Stair ; Second Lieu- tenant -- William II. Jordan ; First Sergeant -George P. Smyser ; Sergeants-William L. Stough, Charles S. Weiser, George Fisher, Samuel I. Adams ; Corporals-Francis M. Eppley, Edwin R. Burke, Edward C. Eichel- berger, William Fahs, George W. Heiges,

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

George L. Hay, Edwin Heckert, Thomas S. Meyers ; Musician -David A. Decker.

Privates .- Murray S. Adams, Charles Ans- ley, Emmett B. Bossler, John Brillhart, Chauncey F. Black, Crayton W. Brandt, Will- iam Chambers, Charles Donnell, Edward D. Eppley, Lewis H. Eppley, Weter Eck, Martin S. Eichelberger, Isaac A. Elliott, Silas H. Forry, George Foose, Henry K. Gardner, William H. Griffith, Cornelius Garretson, Ivan Glossbren. ner, Hollingsworth Gipe, Alfred Gartman, Johns Hopkins, Henry Haker, John C. Jor- dan, Milton S. Johnson, Charles A. Keyworth, Willian H. Kurtz, James Kell, Daniel Keller, Nathan T. Keesey, Jacob E. Lehman, James WV. Latimer, Edward B. Meyers, George Meredith, William Meredith, Peter M'Intyre, Jr., Martin P. M'Creary, John M'Intyre, Samuel Owens, William N. Porter, George H. Pentz, George Rudisill, Albert W. Ru- disill, Thomas J. Rupert, James B. Small, John H. Strayer, Thomas B. Schall, Jr., Lewis W. Schaeffer, W. H. Strickler, Henry W. Spangler, Joseph G. Small, James F. Shunk, Joseph H. Strubinger, George W. Stouffer. Jacob A. Wilt, L. Edward Wag- ner, Charles F. Welch, Geoffrey P. Yost, A. Duncan Yocum, Herman Zeigler.

Officers .- Captain-Charles M. Nes ; First Lieutenant-John Brillinger ; Second Lieu- tenant-Samuel Warring ; First Sergeant- Martin Quinn ; Sergeants-Edward Brillin- ger, A. B. Farquhar, Henry J. Loucks, Will- iam Loucks; Corporals-Alfred Erwin, Eman- uel A. King, A. Hamilton Nes, John B. Rut- ter, W. L. Small, Martin H. Weiser, Erastus H. Weiser, Thomas Williams ; Buglers- Jacob Roman, Philip Hecker.

Privates. - Jacob Brillinger, N. F. Burn- ham, Daniel Cookes, John T. Erwin, Arthur N. Green, James Groff, Philip Herman, Henry Hertzog, Edward G. Hersh, Thomas Holland, John Herman, Jonathan Jessop, - Jessop, William S. King, George Koons, Vincent K. Keesey, Anthony Lieben, Samuel Leitner, Josiah E. Myers, Henry Myers, Jr., Leander H. Myers, Daniel A. Rupp, James Rupert, Edward P. Smyser, Frederick Stall- man, Milton Sultzbach, William Smith, Michael Schall, Jacob D. Schall, James Schall, Alexander W. Underwood, Amos Un- derwood, John Wanbaugh, Thomas E. White, - Welsh, Henry Wagner.

COMPANY I.

Emergency troop of 1863.

Officers .- Captain-John S. Forrest; First Lieutenant-John Q. Pfeiffer ; Second Lieu- tenant-Alexander T. Barnes ; First Ser- geant-Joel Henry ; Sergeants-William H.

M'Causland, Howard N. Deitrick, Napoleon B. Carver, Charles Young ; Corporals-Jo- siah Rinehart, Thomas Sneeringer, Henry Schultz, David E. Winebrenner, Henry C. Bucher, Amos F. Klinefelter, Charles T. Kump, Charles W. Thomas.

Privates. - William Althoff, Noah Allison, William Bair, William H. Bastres, William F. Baum, William A. Beard, James Blair, John F. Blair, Edward Bollinger, John Bond, David F. Forney, William G. Forney, Jacob Freet, William Gantz, Jacob Gardner, Mar- tin Graybill, Lewin Heathcote, Martin Hitzel, Addison M. Herman, John J. Hersh, Josiah D. Hersh, Barthabus Himes, John H. Hinkle, Lewis V. Holter, William H. Holter, Wash- ington J. Johnson, Lewis B. Jones, Isaac Jones, William Leader, Isaac Loucks, Henry C. Metzgar, Jacob H. Michael, Michael D. Myers, William A. Myers, Aaron M'Lean, Mahlon H. Nail, Hezekiah Ports, Henry H. Pfeiffer, John J. Sanders, George W. Sher- man, George E. Sherwood, Henry W. Shriver, William H. Snyder, Eli Snyder, Daniel J. Snyder, Ovid Stahl, George E. Trone, Oliver Trone, Samuel E. Trone, Fabius N. Wag- ener, Samuel Weigle, John Willing, Calvin Wirt, William C. Wolf, Cornelius Young, Martin Zimmerman.

LIST OF OTHER OFFICERS FROM YORK COUNTY.

Assistant Surgeon, William F. Smith, Twenty-eighth Regiment; Surgeon, J. A. Wolf, Twenty-ninth Regiment; Assistant, G. W. Jackson, Fifty-ninth Regiment; Surgeon, G. W. Jackson, Fifty-third Regiment; Second Lieut., Robert W. Smith, Thirty-fourth Reg- iment; Second Lieut., T. Brandon Hurst, Thirty-sixth Regiment; (Brevet First Lieut. and Capt.), Thirty sixth Regiment; Lieut. Col., Samuel N. Bailey, Forty-first Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, James M. Shearer, Forty- first Regiment; Capt., William G. Moore, Fifty fifth Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, W. P. Nebinger, Fifty-sixth Regiment; Capt., Nathan Z. Seitz, Sixty-seventh Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, T. M. Kern, Sixty-eighth Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, John E. Mc- Ilvaine, Sixty-eight Regiment; Adjutant, Frederick R. Smith, Seventy.sixth Regiment; Surgeon, W. D. Bailey, Seventy-eighth Reg- iment; First Lieut., William H. Myers, Eighty-second Regiment; Surgeon, Jared Free, Eighty-third Regiment; Capt. Will- iam H. Lanius, Company I, Eighty-seventh Regiment; First Lieut., Benjamin Geipe, One Hundred and First Regiment; First Lient., Samuel S. Matthews, One Hundred and Third Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, Will- iam F. Smith, One Hundred and Fifth Reg-

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HOSPITAL WORK.

iment; First Lieut., D. W. Oberlander, One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment; Second Lient., Henry Brunner, Thirteenth Cavalry, One Hundred and Seventeenth Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, G. K. Thompson, One Hundred and Thirty-second Regiment; Lieut. Col., W. A. McCartney, One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, W. J. Underwood, One Hundred and Fifty- first Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, F. W. Vandersloot, One Hundred and Fifty-second Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, August R. Nebinger, One Hundred and Fifty-eighth Reg- iment; Assistant Surgeon, S. F. Meely, One Hundred and Sixty-fifth Regiment; Assistant Surgeon, S. M. Murphy, One Hundred and Eighty second Regiment; Chaplain, Isaiah L. Kephart, One Hundred and Eighty-second Regiment; Second Lieut., Alexander I. Barnes, One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment; Second Lieut., David J. Bossler, One Hundred and Eighty-sixth Regiment; Capt. Henry Fox, One Hundred and Eighty- eighth Regiment; Second Lieut., John B. Metzgar, One Hundred and Ninety-second Regiment: Assistant Surgeon, F. S. Smith, One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Regiment; Second Lieut., James C. Channel, One Hun- dred and Ninety-fourth Regiment; Capt., R. B. Hoover, Two Hundredth Regiment; First Lieut., Daniel L. Stond, Two Hundredth Regiment; Second Lieut., Joseph H. Krafft, Two Hundredth Regiment; Second Lieut., Fred. A. Hershey, Two Hundredth Regiment; Second Lieut., Peter Ginter, Two Hundredth Regiment; First Lieut., Samuel B. Urich, Two Hundred and Second Regiment; Surgeon, Washington Burg, Two Hundred and Seventh Regiment.

INDEPENDENT BATTERY.

Capt., F. Robert Polack; First Lieut., Daniel L. Stair.

HOSPITAL WORK .*

OCCUPATION OF YORK BY THE REBELS, 1863.

TN response to President Lincoln's call for troops in April, 1861, Gov, Curtin, of Pennsylvania, made an earnest appeal to the volunteer companies of the State. The citi- zen companies of York, the Worth Infantry, Capt. T. A. Ziegle, and the York Rifles, Gen. George Hay, reported immediately for active service.

On Saturday, the 13th inst., Maj .- Gen. Keim came up from Ashland, Md. Gen. Hay ordered the companies to muster at the armory, from whence they were marched to the railroad station to await a special train from Harrisburg, with troops destined to check an advance of the Southern forces, and to protect the railroad and the bridges. At 11 P. M., the train started off, amid the cheers and good wishes of the bystanders. The town already began to wear a military aspect. Flags were suspended from the pub- lic buildings, and places of business. Poles were erected in central positions displaying the stars and stripes. On Monday the troops were all ordered back to York. As they marched through the streets to the fair grounds, the people stood at the street cor- ners, and the doors of their dwelling houses, with hot coffee, bread and cakes for the half- starved men. At Camp Scott, christened Camp Delight by the men in contrast to Camp Misery, at Cockeysville, they found a cordial welcome, and a hot supper ready for them.

From this date began the hospital work which filled our hearts with pity, and our hands with labor for the following five years.

On the 26th of April, the Twelfth Regi- ment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Col. David Campbell, and the Thirteenth, Col. David Rowley, arrived from Pittsburgh. Early in May over 6,000 troops were stationed at Camp Scott, including Capt. Campbell's battery of flying artillery. The commissary arrange- ments were necessarily very inadequate to meet the wants of the large body of men, and they depended upon the citizens for many comforts and for special diet for those on the sick list. The spring of 1861 was peculiarly wet and inclement. The soldiers suffered severely from rheumatism, contracted by lying on damp straw, and from colds and in- termittent fevers. As there were no arrange- ments for a hospital at this early date, the sick boys were often taken into private houses and nursed gratuitously, and in many households a meal was rarely eaten without one or more guests from the camp.

A meeting of ladies was promptly called to organize a system of relief for the men. Mrs. Charles A. Morris was elected president. A committee was chosen consisting of one person from each ward, the number to be increased at option. From the First Ward, Mrs. Dr. Roland ; Second, Mrs. Samuel Small ; Third, Mrs. Knause ; Fourth, Mrs. George Barnitz ; Fifth, Mrs. Ellen Smyser. As the number of patients increased the committee was enlarged, a temporary hos-

* By Mrs. Mary C. Fisher.

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

pital was arranged in the agricultural build- ing on the fair grounds. Early in the sea- son there was a demand for stockings, shirts and other garments. Private stores were soon disposed of and making up new mate- rial commenced. The work was systematized, and a committee of ladies appointed to take charge of it. The firm of P. A. & S. Small gave them a commodious room in Small's building, which was always open and filled with busy helpers in the good cause. The entire community entered heartily into the work. Little children left their play to scrape lint and roll bandages. Parties and tea-drinkings were neglected for meetings at the work rooms and at private houses for cut- ting and sewing garments, and packing the stores contributed by the town folk and the country people. Thanks to their generosity the supplies never failed, and the constant appeals from the front for aid were always promptly answered. In many a country farm house the treasured stores of linen were brought forth from the great chests packed in Germany, and freely given for the use of the suffering, wounded boys.

In December, 1861, the Sixth Regiment New York Cavalry, Col. Devens, was ordered to York for the winter. The regiment, 900 strong, arrived on Christmas day. An extract from the notes of Maj. Daily says: "He met with a hearty welcome. The citi- zens had provided a hot dinner of turkeys, meats, and the delicacies of the festive sea- son, the ladies who provided the dinner serving as waiters on the occasion." Bat- talion First, Maj. Daily, was quartered in the agricultural building. The Second, Maj. Conardin, and the Third, Maj. Clarkson, occupied the public school buildings, the schools having been closed by order of the school board. In January Gen. Simon Cameron, secretary of war, ordered barracks and stabling to be erected on the public

commons. Before the completion of the quarters a temporary hospital for the troops was established in the Duke Street school- house, which was daily visited by the citi- zens. The soldiers spoke in the most grate- ful terms of the kindness and generous help and sympathy of the ladies of York. Many cards and testimonials of their appreciation appeared in the journals of the day.

After the departure of the cavalry an offi- cer was sent to superintend the removal of the barracks ; but his report of the conveni- ent situation, healthy locality and advantages of the quarters for hospital purposes was favorably considered. They were fitted up and ready for occupancy in June, 1862. The

stabling was removed under the supervision of Dr. Alexander Small. On the 27th of the month the York General Hospital was organ- ized by Dr. C. W. Jones, officer in charge. His staff was composed of Brigade-Surgeon Henry Palmer, U. S. A., surgeon in charge; Assisting Surgeons C. S. DeGraw, U. S. A .; R. L. Peltier, U. S. A .; Acting Surgeons H. T. Bowen, H. L. Smyser, A. R. Blair, Jacob Hay, Jr., George Jacoby, clerk; D. Jerome Bossler, hospital steward; E. C. Grevemyer, commissary; L. K. Morris, ward master ; medical cadet, Dr. Weil. Rutter Herman had charge of the barracks before this time. Dr. Weil arrived with the first consignment of nineteen patients July 1st. July 7 a large number were forwarded from Washington, Baltimore and other stations further south. The long rows of cots were filled day by day till every room was full. The days were crowded with touching inci- dents in the lives of the poor fellows who engrossed our time and attention. The La- dies' Aid Society, organized in November, 1861, was much enlarged. All ranks and ages joined in attentions to the brave defend- ers of their homes and of the country's honor. Among the prominent names were Mrs. Charles Morris, Mrs. Daniel Durkee, Mrs. Samuel Small, Sr., Mrs. Walter Frank- lin, Mrs. Solomon Oswald, Mrs. Dr. Roland, Mrs. Fulton, Mrs. David E. Small, Mrs. Spangler Wagner, Mrs. John Weiser, Mrs. William Welsh, Mrs. Robert J. Fisher, Mrs. George Eisenhart, Mrs. Benjamin Weiser, Mrs. George Wantz, Mrs. Henry Lanius, Mrs. E. A. Pierce, Mrs. Kate Garretson, Mrs. David Rupp, Mrs .. Kurtz, and the Misses Amelia and Catherine Kurtz, the Misses Dur- kee, Miss Latimer, Miss Mary J. Lewis, Miss Sallie B. Small, Miss Cassie M. Small, Miss Annie Thornbury, Miss Julia Hay, Mrs. George Heckert, Miss A. Fisher, Mrs. David Landis, Mrs. Kell, Mrs. Weigle, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jenks, Mrs. Ed Smyser, Mrs. Rutter Herman, Mrs. Laumaster, Mrs. Thomas Zie- gle, Mrs. David Frey, Mrs. Angus Barnitz, Mrs. Weorhly, Lizzie Brown, Kate Connelle, Isabel Gallagher, Lizzie Gardner, Miss A. Upp, Amelia Doudel, Miss . Mary Rupp, Miss Stine, Miss Carrie Hay, Miss Jen- nie Templeman, Mrs. William Smith, Miss Sarah Sayres, Miss Theodocia Weiser, Mrs. Bumgartner, Miss Belle Gallagher, Mrs. Ann Krabee, Miss Eliza Smyser, Miss Sue Chalfont, Mrs. Lucy Davis, Mrs. Martin Weigle, Miss Ellen Funk, Miss Jen- nie King, Miss Anna King, Miss Doudel, Mrs. Albert Smyser, and many others. Some persons were untiring in their labors at

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home who could not go out to the hospital personally. Miss Jane Weiser had charge of the aid room. From this time constant ac- cessions to the hospital were received from the various bloody fields. None but an eye- witness can conceive the horror that hung over the death-freighted cars. The worst cases were immediately after the battle of Antietam. The wounded men, brought di- rectly from the battle field, were laid upon the floors of the cars, which ran with blood from many an uncomplaining hero. One by one the sufferers were tenderly taken and placed upon stretchers to be carried to the hospital, followed by a compassionate pro- cession, eager to do something for their relief. An inner row of barracks was erected, and the Odd Fellows' Hall was granted for a tem- porary hospital. On August 30, after the disastrous second Bull Run battle, a call came from Washington for volunteer sur- geons. Drs. William S. Roland, E. H. Pentz, S. G. Rouse, O. M. Johnston, James W. Kerr, Jacob Hay, Jr., W. D. Dailey and M. C. Fisher left at once, reaching their destination early the following morning. On Sunday Dr. L. M. Lochman, C. W. Bressler, O. C. Brickley, Jonas Deininger, W. J. Un- derwood, C. M. Shafer, J. W. Vandersloot, S. R. Jones, R. B. Hoven, A. C. Hetrick and J. W. Brickly followed. Transportation was furnished by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The following card from the Secretary of War, Col. Thomas A. Scott, proves his appreciation of their prompt re- sponse:

PHILADELPHIA, August 31, 1862. To Mr. Henry Welsh, York, Penn .:

Your borough has responded nobly to the call for surgeons, and deserves great praise. If there are more willing to go, seud them here to-night. Their services for the next few days will be invaluable beyond price to our wounded, suffering soldiers.

T. A. SCOTT.

During the winter, the York hospital had its full qnota of patients. Surgeon Palmer, assisted by the ward physicians from town, spared no effort to make it a pleasant home for the boys, often furnishing treats of ices, fruit and other luxuries from their own purses, and devising ways to relieve the weary days of convalescence. Various amusements were provided to while away the lonely win- ter evenings -- readings, lectures and musical entertainments. A library and reading room were established. In the spring many of the impatient boys were able to join their regi- ments for the eventful campaign of 1863. Those incapable of field duty were detailed as nurses and clerks, or filled other positions in the hospital. In June the air was filled

with rumors that scouts had appeared oppo- site Williamsport, Maryland, and it was evi- dent that an invasion of Maryland and Penn- sylvania was contemplated. Gov. Curtin, by direction of the President, issued a call for 50,000 volunteers, for defense of the State. The Confederates had entire possession of the Shenandoah Valley. and the advance forces had reached Hagerstown. A large command was organized in the Cumberland Valley under Gen. Couch. He called upon all citizens between the ages of eighteen and sixty years to join an army corps, embracing cavalry, infantry and artillery, to serve dur- ing the pleasure of the President, or contin- nance of the war. When not really needed for the defense of the department, they were to return to their usual occupations, still subject to the orders of the commanding gen- eral. They were required to drill regularly and keep up an organized militia ready for service in an emergency. A panic ensued in the Cumberland Valley. The State archives were removed from the capital. The post- office was closed, and the merchants sent away their valuables. A portion of the hos- tile force crossed over to Connelsburg, raided the district, and captured large numbers of horses and cattle. The line of the Susque- hanna was guarded from Harrisburg to Peach Bottom. The imminent danger of invasion. made York an unsafe position for the sick and wonnded men. On the 15th the medical stores and commissary supplies, with the pa- tients, were taken to Columbia in charge of Dr. Blair. They reached Columbia at mid- night, where they met with a hospitable reception. The ladies furnished food, bed- ding, etc., for immediate use. The Odd Fel- lows opened their hall to the fugitives until quarters conld be fitted up in the fine new school building, which was occupied by them for several months. Dr. Blair filled the po- sition of surgeon in charge, as Dr. Palmer remained in York with five patients, who could not be removed ; they were held pris- oners of war while the Confederates occu- pied the town. Dr. Palmer was released on parole. ^ In view of the threatening aspect, the bank directors thought it advisable to re- move the deposits and securities of their respective banks to a place of safety. On the 15th, the York Bank and the York County Bank were taken to Philadelphia, by Messrs. John A. Weiser and William D. Elliot, who deposited the assets of the York County Bank in the Northern Liberties; and Mr. Alfred Gartman and Mr. Lewis Carl took the York Bank to the Western Bank of Philadelphia. The York County Bank had several hundred

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History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 41

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104