USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 32
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 32
USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 32
USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 32
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 32
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the regiment effective. On the 24th of June it was ordered to Alexandria, in anticipation of an attack by the enemy, and was soon after placed in camp on Shuter's Hill, where the regular drills and inspections were resumed.
On Sunday, June 30th, at two o'clock in the morning, the pickets of the regiment, stationed on the old Fairfax road, under command of Lieutenant M. R. MeClennan, were attacked by about thirty of the enemy. They were re- pulsed by the Union pickets, only three in number, who killed Sergeant Haines, previously a clerk in the Treasury Department at Wash- ington. Three others of the pickets on the outer post, intending to go to the rescue of their com- rades, came in contact with the enemy's force, in which Thomas Murray was killed and Llewelyn Rhumer was severely wounded. The third, dropping upon the ground, escaped without in- jury, the enemy, in the excitement and darkness, passing over him. The trails of blood discov- ered in the morning showed that they had like- wise suffered in the encounter.
The evidences on every hand pointed unmis- takably to an early advance of the army. In- spections were careful and minute. All surplus baggage was sent to the rear, together with knapsacks and overcoats, the men retaining only their blankets. The Fourth Regiment was as- signed to the First Brigade, Third Division1 of McDowell's army. The division moved from camp by the Fairfax road, reaching Sang- ster's Station on Thursday evening. The enemy set fire to his stores and retreated as the column advanced. Firing was heard in the direction of Blackburn's Ford, occasioned by Colonel Richardson's reconnoissance in that direction. On Friday the division moved to Centreville, where the entire army of MeDowell lay on- camped. On Saturday, the 20th of July, the
1 Organization of First Brigade, Colonel W. B. Franklin, Third Division, Colonel S. P. Heintzelman (the three brig- ades of the division were commanded respectively by Colo- nels W. B. Franklin, O. O. Howard and O. B. Wilcox) .- Ricket's Battery of the First United States Artillery ; Firth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, Colonel Lawrence: Eleventh Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, Colonel Clark ; First Regiment Minnesota Volunteers, Colonel Gor- man ; Fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Hartranft.
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question of muster out was freely agitated, the term of enlistment expiring on the following day. Desirous of retaining the regiment in his command till the anticipated battle should be fought, General McDowell issued an order, making the following appeal :
"The General commanding has learned with regret that the time of service of the Fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers is about to expire. The services of the regiment have been so important, its good conduct so general, its patience under priva- tion so constant, its state of efficiency so good, that its departure at this time can only be considered an important loss to the army. Fully recognizing the right of the regiment to its discharge and payment, at the time agreed upon, the agreement of the govern- ment in this respect, the General commanding, never- theless, requests the regiment to continue in service for a few days longer, pledging that the time of muster out of service shall not exceed two weeks. Such members of the regiment as do not accede to this re- quest will be placed under the command of proper officers, to be marched to the rear, mustered out of service, and paid, as soon as possible, after the expi- ration of the term of service."
Differences of opinion prevailed in the regi- ment upon the question of compliance with this request. While many were willing to re-enlist for two weeks longer, some were desirous of being mustered out in accordance with their contract with the government. When it was ascertained that unanimity of sentiment was not likely to be secured, it was decided by the com- manding general that to break up the organiza- tion and to take a fragment of the regiment into battle would not be prudent ; orders were accord- ingly issued for its muster out of service.
The subsequent history of the men composing this regiment dispels any doubt that may, at the time, have been raised of the reetitude of their intentions. Under the command of the lieutenant-colonel, it marched to Washington, from whence it was taken by rail to Harris- burg, where it was soon after mustered out of service. But measures immediately taken for the organization of new regiments, in which the men were immediately enlisted for the war, and fully attested on the bloody fields of Fredericks- burg and Antietam, and in numberless hard- fought battles of the war, their patriotism and their valor.
COMPANY G, UNION COUNTY .- This com- pany was recruited at Lewisburgh, Union County, and was mustered in April 20, 1861.
John W. Chamberlin, captain.
George H. Hassenplug, first lieutenant.
James M. Linn, second lieutenant.
James Chamberlin, first sergeant.
Thomas Donachy, second sergeant.
John N. Wilson, third sergeant.
Peter Koser, fourth sergeant. Samuel Cuskaden, first corporal.
Charles H. Trainer, second corporal. Jeremiah Snyder, third corporal.
William Frymire, fourth corporal.
William Wise, musician.
Privates.
Levi Ammon. Wm. A. Martlett.
A. James Bell. James R. Mackey.
Henry Brown. Samuel McGregor.
Charles S. Buoy. Daniel McGregor.
Jacob Campbell. John McPherson.
David Davis. Charles Moody.
Thomas Davis. Jacob N. Moyer.
John H. Derr. David B. Nesbitt.
Richard Dye. John A. Norris.
Richard Edwards.
Joseph R. Orwig.
William Everett. James II. Prass.
Charles R. Evans. Joseph Pursell.
George W. Foote,
Lemuel Potter.
Henry Frey.
Martin G. Recd.
Louis H. Funk.
Thomas D. Reed.
Jacob Gibbony.
Emanuel Sasaman.
William Gilham.
James H. Sanford.
William Grant.
Gottlieb Smaltzried.
William Gunter.
Michael Smith.
Adam S. Houtz.
Nathan M. Han.
Charles II. Snively. Henry Snyder. Aaron Stoughton.
John Harvey.
William H. Haus.
William M. Switzer.
Henry Heightsman.
Roland Stoughton.
Robert Henry.
Martin L. Schock.
Henry Hutchison.
Ashton Tetlow.
Benj. F. Housewerth.
Daniel Tovey.
Seth J. Housel.
William Tovey.
Isaac S. Kerstever,
William Ulrich.
Samuel F. Klechner.
Matthew Vandine.
John Lenhart.
Robert Walsh.
Benjamin Lenhart.
John Wertz.
SEVENTH REGIMENT.
The Seventh Regiment (three months' ser- vice) was organized at Camp Curtin, Harris- burg, on the 22d of April, 1861, under com- mand of Colonel William H. Irwin, who was at that time serving as a private soldier in the ranks of the Logan Guard at Washington, D. C.
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The other field officers of the Seventh were Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver H. Rippey, of Pitts- burgh, and Major F. P. Robinson, of the same city. One of the companies of the regiment was the " Burns Infantry," raised at Lewistown, Mifflin County, by Captain Henry A. Zollin- ger. In the organization of the regiment it was designated as Company I, and was mustered into the service on the day of the regimental or- ganization-April 22d.
The regiment left Camp Curtin on the 23d of April, under command of Lieutenant-Col- onel Rippey, and proceeded by rail to Chambers- burg, Pa., where the command was assumed by Colonel Irwin, who had come to that point from Washington. At a little distance from the town a camp was formed, where the regiment remained nearly nine weeks, engaged in drill and other soldierly duty. In the latter part of May it was assigned to General E. C. Williams' (Third) brigade of the (First) division of Major-General George Cadwallader, in the corps commanded by Major-General Robert Patterson. On the 8th of June the Seventh, with the other regiments of the brigade, struck tents and commeneed the march, by way of Hagerstown, to the Potomae, which was reached at Williamsport, Md., on the 15th. On the 2d of July, under positive orders from General Scott to General Patterson to advance into Vir- ginia, the command moved at daylight, forded the Potomac and marched to Martinsburg. Two or three days later the regiment moved forward with the brigade to Bunker Hill, and thence to a new camp near Charlestown, Va. From this camp a midnight reconnaissance was made by a battalion of the Seventh ; but, after an advance of about six miles, it was found that the enemy had withdrawn from the front, and Colonel Irwin's report to that effect was afterwards con- firmed by a reconnoissance made by a heavier force, sent out to the Shenandoah fords by the brigade commander, General Williams.
On the 22d of July the Seventh (whose term of enlistment was to expire on the following day) moved, under orders, from its camp to the Potomac, at Shepherdstown, Va., where it crossed the river, and marching thence, by way of Sharpsburg, to Hagerstown, was transported
from the latter place by rail to Harrisburg, where the companies were paid off and dis- charged.
COMPANY I, MIFFLIN COUNTY .- This com- pany was recruited at Lewistown, Mifflin Coun- ty, and was mustered in April 22, 1861.
Henry A. Zollinger, captain.
William H. McClelland, first lieutenant.
James Couch, second lieutenant,
Amos W. Wakefield, first sergeant.
Thompson Wiece, second sergeant.
Michael Dillon, third sergeant.
Samuel Eisinbise, fourth sergeant.
Jackson D. Stoneroad, first corporal.
William A. Troxal, second corporal.
James P. MeClintic, third corporal.
John W. Nelson, fourth corporal.
William L. Harding, musician.
Henry HI. Fortney, musician.
Privates.
Steel Barcus.
George W. Kelley.
John Brimmer. John M. Krise.
George W. Black. Jacob Landis.
Andrew Bringman.
William Leator.
George Brown. John Morton.
Franklin Beisel. John D. Martin.
Lewis Blumenloder. William R. Moran.
James Cambell. Henry MeNalley.
Samuel Collins. Henry Maser.
John Cherry.
David A. MeCram.
Jackson Corkell.
Samuel Myers.
William H. Crothers.
Isaac Olinger.
Jeremiah Corseck. Lewis Price.
Thomas Dillon.
Philip Peffer.
John Devore.
Fredk. Reninger.
Charles Donnan.
R. Rosenborough.
James H. Funk.
James B. Ross.
John Ginaphan.
Patrick Rodgers.
Austin Gro.
John Ruble.
Abram Gondor.
William Ruse.
Thomas B. Hiltebarn.
James Rutherford.
William Hart.
Amos Satcher.
J. R. Hackenburgh.
James Sanford.
Joseph Houser.
Matthias Shilling.
John F. Ilarice.
William Sperry.
John Henry.
John M. Skelley.
John Hofler.
David Shafer.
William M. Irvin.
James Vanzant.
David Jenkins.
Benjamin Walters.
Aaron Klinefelter.
Thomas Wolfkill.
John Klinefelter. James Wilson.
John W. Kunes. Charles White.
Daniel Karl.
James Yeamon.
ELEVENTH REGIMENT.
The Eleventh Regiment (three months'), was organized at Camp Curtin April 26, 1861, and
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was soon afterwards moved to Camp Wayne, near West Chester, where it remained about three weeks. The colonel of the regiment was Phaon Jarrett, of Lock Haven, promoted from the the captainey of Company B, in which company was a detachment of men of Mifflin County. U'pon the promotion of Captain Jarrett to the voloneley, Benjamin K. Jackman became cap- tain of the company, with William Shanks as first, and Thomas C. Lebo as second lieu- tenant.
The regiment, having been only partially uniformed and equipped, was ordered on the 27th of May to move forward and occupy the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Rail- road, which was done, and the headquarters es- tablished at Havre de Grace, where B and A Companies were posted-the other companies being scattered at different points along the railway and the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal.
On the 18th of May the regiment, having been fully equipped, marched, under orders, to Chambersburg, Pa., and thence, a few days later, to Hagerstown, Md., where it was assigned to duty in the brigade of General Negley, in General Keim's division. On the 20th of June it was transferred to Abercrombie's (Sixth) brigade, of the same (Second) division. On the 28th an attempt was made to cross the Poto- mac, but no fording-place could be found in the high stage of water; but, being moved to Wil- liamsport Md., on the. 29th, it remained there three days, and before daylight, in the morning of July 2d, was pushed across the river into Vir- ginia, and marched towards Falling Waters, where the enemy was reported to be in force. The Eleventh, being considerably in advance of the remainder of the brigade, encountered this hostile force, which consisted of the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Twenty-Second Virginia regiments of infantry, the cavalry regiment of J. E. B. Stuart, and a four-gun battery under Captain Pendleton,-all forming what after- wards became the famed "Stonewall Brigade,"- Colonel Thomas J. ("Stonewall ") Jackson be- ing present in person and in command of the Confederate force. Passing through a wood to the open ground, the Eleventh received a heavy | in the war after Fort Sumter was captured.
fire of musketry and artillery, but which gen- erally passed over their heads. The enemy was posted at some farm buildings, which were soon set on fire by shells from Perkins' (Union) bat- tery. "The enemy being thus driven from their shelter, were for the first time exposed to view, and extended their line. The Eleventh now opened, and the engagement became gen- eral. The enemy's guns were soon silenced, and his line began to fall back, at first in good order, but soon in great confusion." The vic- tory was complete, the Sixth Brigade (of which the Eleventh was a part) driving the Confed- erates two miles from the field, where they left their dead and wounded. The loss of the Eleventh was eleven killed and wounded- among the latter being Private Marion F. Ilamaker, of Lewistown, a member of B Com- pany. He died of his wound soon after return- ing to his home.1 The others wounded were James Morgan, Daniel R. Stiles and Nelson Headen, of Company E; Christian Schall, of Conpany F; John De Hass and Russel C. Levan, of Company G ; and John E. Reed and Wil- liam H. Kuhns, of Company K. The one killed was. Amos Suppinger, private, of Com- pany H.
On the 3d of July the Eleventh, with the brigade, moved to Martinsburg, Va., and en- camped. It remained there twelve days, during which time it received a stand of national colors, presented by the Union ladies of the place. Before this it had carried no colors. On the 15th of July the regiment moved to Bunker Hill, Va., on the 17th to Charlestown, Va., and on the 21st to Harper's Ferry, where, on the 24th, it forded the Potomac, and marched thence to Sandy Hook, Md. On the 26th it was ordered to take rail transportation to Bal- timore, en route for Harrisburg, there to be mustered out of service. The order (by Gen- eral Patterson) concluded : " It gives the com- manding general great satisfaction to say that the conduct of this regiment has merited his highest approbation. It had the fortune to be in the advance in the affair at Hokes Run
1 Hamaker was probably the first Union soldier wounded
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(Falling Waters), where the steadiness and gal- lantry of both officers and men came under his personal observation. They have well merited his thanks." The regiment was mustered out of service on the 31st of July, but was re-en- listed for three years under the same designating number (Eleventh), was organized at Camp Curtin in the summer and fall of 1861, and on the 27th of November, in that year, it was moved to the front, and remained in the field, serving gallantly through the principal cam- paigns in Virginia until the war was closed by the surrender at Appomattox.
FOURTEENTH REGIMENT.
The Fourteenth Regiment (three months' ser- vice), which contained a large number of Ju- niata County men, was organized at Camp Cur- tin in the latter part of April, 1861, under the following-named field officers : John W. John- ston, colonel ; Richard McMichael, lieutenant- colonel ; Charles N. Watts, major. It was mustered into the United States service as a regiment April 30th. On the 9th of May it was moved from Camp Curtin to the fair- grounds at Lancaster, and there remained until the 3d of June, when it moved to a camp about five miles from Chambersburg, and was there assigned to the Fifth Brigade (General James S. Negley) of General William H. Keim's (Second) division.
After a stay of about two weeks at the camp near Chambersburg, the regiment moved (June 16th) to Hagerstown, Md., and thence on the 20th to a camp near Sharpsburg. At this place it remained until the 2d of July, when it moved with the column under General Patter- son across the Potomac into Virginia, and on the 3d (having encountered Ashby's Confederate cavalry on the march of the previous day) ar- rived at Martinsburg, where it remained on pro- vost and other duty until the 15th of July, when it moved with the forces of General Pat- terson to Bunker Hill, Va., upon a report that the enemy was .in force at that place. No enemy was found, however, but only his deserted camps, and on the 18th the regiment marched to Charlestown, Va., and on the 21st (the day of Bull Run battle) to Harper's Ferry, where, two |
days later, the news was received of the great disaster to the Union arms. This ended the Virginia campaign, and soon afterwards, the term of service of the Fourteenth having nearly expired, it crossed the Potomac, marched to Hagerstown, where it arrived on the 26th, was moved thence by rail to Chambersburg, and from there to Carlisle, where, after a stay of eleven days, it was mustered out and disbanded on the 7th of August.
FIFTEENTH REGIMENT.
The Fifteenth Regiment (three months') con- tained one company which was partly made up of men from Mifflin and Juniata Counties. This company-designated as I of the Fifteenth -was mustered into service on the 20th of April, 1861. The Fifteenth Regiment was or- ganized at Camp Curtin, its field officers being Colonel Richard A. Oakford, Lieutenant-Col- onel Thomas Biddle, Major Stephen N. Brad- ford. It was brigaded with the Fourteenth, under General James S. Negley, and its history from muster in to muster out is essentially the same as that of the Fourteenth.
A considerable number of men of Mifflin, Union, Perry, Juniata and Snyder Counties served in other companies and regiments, but the companies which have been mentioned above were all which weredistinctively of these counties in the three months' service. During their first enlistment they saw little of actual war, but the greater part of them afterwards entered regi- ments raised for three years, and in that term of service became veteran soldiers. Many of them gave up their lives on the battle-field, many others died in Southern prisons, and hundreds who came back from the conflict to their homes in the valley of the Juniata will bear to their graves the scars and wounds received in the ser- vice of their country.
THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT.
The Thirty-fourth Regiment, otherwise des- ignated as the Fifth Reserve, was organized at Camp Curtin on the 20th of June, 1861, being made up of companies previously formed and filled in Lycoming, Northumberland, Clearfield, Union, Huntingdon, Centre, Bradford, Mifflin, Snyder and Lancaster Counties. Union County
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furnished one company (D), Captain Thomas Chamberlain), and there were also Mifflin, Sny- der and Union County men in Companies B, E, G, H and T. The original field officers of the Fifth Reserve were Colonel John I. Gregg, of Centre County ; Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph W. Fisher, of Lancaster; and Major George Dare, of Huntingdon. .
On the 21st of June, the day following the organization of the Fifth under the above-named field officers, Colonel Gregg resigned in order to accept a captaincy to which he had been ap- pointed in the Sixth United States Cavalry. He was succeeded in the colonelcy of the Fifth by Captain Seneca G. Simmons, of the Seventh Regular Infantry, and in the morning of the 22d the regiment, with Battery A, First Penn- sylvania Artillery, and the "Bucktail " regi- ment, under Colonel Charles J. Biddle, left Camp Curtin under orders from General Scott to proceed to Cumberland, Md., to relieve the Eleventh Indiana Regiment, under command of Colonel Lew. Wallace, at that point. The route of the command was from Harrisburg by the Pennsylvania Railroad to Huntingdon, thence southward by the Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad to Hopewell, where it ar- rived on the night of the 22d, the men having been profusely feasted during their stop at Huntingdon, where " an ample dinner had been provided for the coming soldiers, of which they partook most freely, and filled their haversacks with the choicest dainties "
From the night camp of the 22dl at Hope- well the command moved early in the morning of Sunday, the 23d of June, and took the road for Bedford Springs, near which place it en- camped on the same evening. This was named "Camp McCall," and the two regiments and battery remained there three days. From "Camp McCall " the command marched to the Maryland line, where a camp was formed call- ed " Camp Mason and Dixon." There it re- mained until the night of the 7th of July, when it moved forward and occupied Cumberland, this being done at the urgent request of the cit- izens of the town, who desired it for protection against a rumored raid of the enemy's cavalry. The attack was not made, being prevented
doubtless by the presence of the Pennsylvania troops. On the following day the regiments took possession of the camps previously occupied by Colonel Wallace's Indianians. On the 13th of July the command moved to a camp about two miles from New Creek, Va., and twenty miles above Cumberland, where a railroad bridge had been destroyed by the enemy. The town of New Creek was occupied immediately after- wards by the troops, and on the 20th the Fifth moved to Piedmont, to hold the town and afford protection to its Unionist citizens. At this place some of the men of the regiment took posses- sion of the office of the Piedmont Independent (the editor of which journal had been driven away by the rebels), and from it issued a paper called the Pennsylvania Reserve, "which was the first of a great number of similar publica- tions issued during the war by the editors and printers in the volunteer army."
This campaign of the Fifth and the Bucktails at Cumberland, Piedmont, New Creek and neighboring parts of Virginia was of forty days' duration, in which time they had frequent skir- mishes with bodies of the enemy's cavalry and infantry, afforded protection to the Union people of that region, and, by repairing the railroad bridges which had been destroyed by the rebels, reopened railroad communication between Bal- timore and Wheeling. Their campaign was closed on account of the urgent need of more troops in the vicinity of Washington, to protect that city against the expected advance of the enemy after the battle of Bull Run. In con- formity to orders recalling this command, the regiments and battery took up their line of march northward on the 27th of July, and moving to Hopewell, proceeded thence by railroad through Huntingdon to Harrisburg, where they arrived on the 31st. There the companies were re- cruited to near the maximum strength, and on the 8th of August the Fifth was moved by rail to Washington, and thence marched to the camp established for the Reserve division at Tenallytown, Md., as before mentioned.
In the organization of the division at the Tenallytown camp the Fifth was assigned to Brigadier-General John F. Reynolds' (First) brigade, of which the other regiments were the
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First, Second and Eighth Reserves, commanded respectively by Colonel R. Biddle Roberts, Colonel William B. Mann and Colonel George S. Hays.
The regiment remained at Tenallytown about two months, a period which was passed in camp routine, picket duty and frequent alarms along the line of the Potomac, and on the 9th of Oc- tober moved, with its brigade and division, across that historie stream and took position in the line of the Army of the Potomac at Langley, Va., at which place the Reserve division made its winter-quarters. In the battle of Dranesville, which was fought on the 20th of December by the Third Brigade (General Ord's) of the Re- serves, neither the Fifth Regiment nor any part of Reynolds' brigade took part, having been delayed at Difficult Creek by orders of General McCall.
On the 10th of March, 1862, the Fifth, with the entire division, moved from the winter- quarters at Camp Pierpont (Langley) to Hunter's Mills, Va., with the expectation of joining in a general advance of the army on the Confederate position at Manassas. But it was found that the enemy had evacuated his line of defenses and retired towards Gordonsville, and thereupon the plan of the campaign was changed by the commanding general, MeClellan, and the Reserve regiments were ordered back to the Potomac. On the 14th the retrograde march was commenced, and continued through mud, darkness and a deluge of rain to Alexandria, where it was expected that the division would enibark, with the rest of the army of the Poto- mae, for the Peninsula ; but this was not the case. The division of MeCall was assigned to duty with the First Corps, under General Me- Dowell, which, with the exception of Franklin's division, was held between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers for the protection of the city of Washington.
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