USA > Pennsylvania > Northampton County > History of the One hundred and fifty-third regiment Pennsylvania volunteers infantry which was recruited in Northampton County, Pa., 1862-1863 > Part 13
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His remains were laid at rest with military honors in the family lot on the Easton Cemetery, Easton, Pa., the funeral being in charge of Post 217, G. A. R., John P. Huber, 5Ist P. V. Post Commander. The pall bearers were: Lieutenant-Colonel Jacob Dachrodt, 153d P. V .; Robert Ballentine, Ist P. V .; Jacob Gangwere, Battery C, 5th U. S. Artillery ; John L. Clifton, 51st P. V .; Levi Fraunfelter, 153d P. V., and Jacob Leidy, 12th Pa. Reserves.
The committal service was read by the Rev. Henry M. Kieffer, D. D., a comrade of the Post, now rector of the P. E. Chapel of Good Shepherd, Atlantic City, N. J. Sergeant Weaver was a member of Lafayette Post 217, Grand Army of the Republic, and of the Society of the Army of the Potomac.
The muffled drum's sad roll has beat The soldier's last tattoo ; No more on life's parade shall meet The brave and daring few. On Fame's eternal camping ground Their silent tents are spread, And Glory guards with solemn round The bivouac of the dead.
Whilst at Camp Convalescent, he wrote a narrative covering the last three months of his enlistment, which follows :
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HISTORY OF TIIE 153D REGT.
NARRATIVE Written Whilst a Paroled Prisoner at Camp Convalescent, near
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, By SERGEANT HENRY WEAVER, COMPANY A, 153D PENNA. VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
In a Diary for the Year 1863, now in Possession of His Son,
ETHAN ALLEN WEAVER, GERMANTOWN, PA.
Friday April 10th (1863) left camp at Potomac Creek Bridge for home, arrived at home on Saturday, IIth. Stayed there un- til Sunday, the 19th; left there, went to Easton that night. Stayed with Jacob (his brother) until Monday, the 20th. Left Easton at six in the morning for Philadelphia by North Penn- sylvania Railroad, arriving in Philadelphia at 12 of same day ; left there at 12 in the night for Washington by way of Havre- de-Grace, arriving in Washington at 8 on the 21st; left Washı- ington at 8 on the morning of the 22nd for Camp, arriving there at 2 in the afternoon of same day ; went to Aqua (Aquia) Creek landing; on Friday, 24th, to express office. Returned in afternoon. Left Camp on Saturday at 10 to go on picket near Stafford (Court House) to stay three days until 28th. On the morning of the 27th had rations sent me for 8 days for my men : after dealing them out started on the march. Came up to Capt. Atter (Oerter) in about one hour's time, he being Captain of the guard; after coming together we left and came up to the regiment at noon ; marched about two miles beyond Hartwood Church, there we halted for the night.
Tuesday, 28th, broke camp and took up line of march again for Kelley's Ford; arrived there at 2 in the afternoon. Rained all day, waited there for pontoons to come up; came up about 4 in the afternoon ; after being laid we were ordered in line again to cross ; we laid in line from 9 to 12, then we started to cross ; after crossing we were marched around an hour or two through
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the mud and rain, then were ordered to lie down and rest in line of battle; we were so tired that we were glad to lie down in the mud and rain to rest.
On the morning of the 29th (April) after the 5th and 12th Corps had crossed, we took up line of march again for the Rapi- dan ; crossed Deep Creek about 2 in the afternoon ; came to Sher- manda (Germanna) Mills on the banks of the Rapidan at 7 in the evening; laid down there in the mud and rain until 3 in the morning of the 30th; then we crossed the Rapidan and marched about 2 miles and then stacked arms and laid down in the mud and rain until 7 in the morning ; then we took up line of march again and marched out on the plank road and up the plank road some 10 or 12 miles; then we stopped for 1 hour's rest ; then we were marched about 1 or 2 miles on another road ; there we pitched tents and drawed beef; took me until 12 in the night to deal it out. Cut it up with a pocket knife; next day (May Ist) we laid in camp until 10, then we were ordered out in a hurry to go and reinforce the 5th Corps, but we didn't get out of the field before orders came to go back and pitch tents again, for they could get along without us, so we went back and there was great cheering, but I thought it might be too soon ; in the afternoon of the same day we were marched out in the woods, there we soon heard hard skirmishing to our right ; we were marched back but all was silence again so we were marched back to the left again ; there our company was detailed to go on picket to the left of the road; after being stationed about an hour we were called in again to go to the regiment on the left of the road; there we formed a line of battle and layed down to sleep; we slept on our arms in line of battle; in the morning (2nd) we cut down trees all around the front of us; there we were stationed in battle line; we stood there until 2 in the afternoon, then our company was ordered to the center of the regiment to hold a road leading to the woods; in about 2 hours after we had our position the Rebs came on. Schurz's Division broke and ran, so the whole left of the line broke and ran before we had orders to fall back; we fell back slow at first but the balls came too hot
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so we also broke and ran; some ran this way and some that I got in the woods intending to join my regiment again next morning, the 3rd.
We were shelled all night by the Rebs, the shells exploding over us in any quantity; in the morning (Sunday, 3rd,) I got up and started for my regiment, but didn't get very far before I found myself in the line of the Rebs, they having throwed out pickets during the night, so I had no way but to be cap- tured. I was captured about 7 in the morning of the 3rd of May; after being captured I was marched about 2 miles to a field; there joined a squad of about 150, and there we waited about 1 hour, then another squad of about 1000 came up; there was Col. Glanz, Lt. Schaum, Wm. M. Schultz and many others of our regiment; then we were marched off, arriving at Transyl- vania (Spottsylvania) Court House at 7 in the evening ; there we slept in the jail yard until Monday morning, the 4th.
In the morning of the 4th we took up line of march again and marched to Guiney (Guinea) Station, arriving there at 4 in the afternoon of the 4th ; here we got a lot of flour and salt horse ; stayed here until the 7th about noon; then we took up line of march again, passed through Boulding (Bowling) Green at 4 in the afternoon of the same day. Arrived at Milford Station about 6 in the evening of the same day ; rested about 15 minutes, then started again ; marched about 1 mile, forded a creek about 1/2 mile wide, thigh deep, then went in the woods and camped for the night; rained all night ; up next morning early and started for Hanover Station at 7 in the morning of the 8th. Raining again this morning. Arrived at Hanover Junction at 6 in the evening, still about 30 miles to Richmond. Started on the morning of the 9th, marched until 9 in the evening, then ar- rived at the Libby prison ; to-day marched through mud and water ankle deep all day, very tired, could hardly stand on one foot any more, for supper we got nothing. On Sunday morning at 9 (May 10th) we got about 1/4 pound of bread and 1/4 pound pork : in the evening at 9 the same; Monday, 11th, nothing till
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noon, then we got the same; evening, 1/4 cup bean soup. Tues- day, 12th, at 3 in the afternoon, 14 beef, 1/2 bread ; 9 in the even- ing, 1/2 cup bean soup, 1/2 lb. bread; (Wednesday, 13th,) at 10 in forenoon, 1/2 lb. bread ; in the afternoon at 3 we left the prison for City Point, then we got 1/2 loaf bread and 14 1b. pork to last one day. So off we started with the intention of marching all night ; we marched until about 7 and then the hardest shower came up I ever seen, but they wouldn't let us stop but made us march on, we kept until about 9 and then they let us rest for the night, but such a rest I never had, for it rained, and so we layed in the wet and rain until 4 in the morning of the 14th ; then we started again, arriving at Petersburg at 8 in the morning, and at City Point about 2 in the afternoon. City Point is a very nice place but all deserted ; contained some 12 or 15 houses, some of them pretty well riddled with shell that McClellan throwed in there from his gunboats; at about 3 in the afternoon we went aboard of the boat; we ran down the James River until 9 in the night; then anchored until 4 in the morning of the 15th ; then we started again, arriving at Fortress Monroe at 9 in the forenoon. We passed Harrison's Landing, Newport News and other distinguished places of this war; the last-named place you can see the masts of a boat out of the water ; we layed at anchor at Fortress Monroe until 3 in the afternoon of the same day; then we started up the Chesapeake Bay, arriving at Annapolis* on the morning of the 16th, there we marched to College Green Barracks. Here we stayed until Wednesday, the 20th of May; then in the morning we marched to the landing and took the boat for Washington ; we went down the bay to Point Lookout, arriving there about sundown; after running in the Potomac we anchored for the night; in the morning of the 22d at 4 we started up the Potomac, crossing
*The following message to my mother at Nazareth, via Easton by stage, sent from this point, was the first information we had of my father's safety. we supposing up to this time that he had been killed or wounded and burned with the many who thus met their fate in the woods on the right at Chancellorsville: "Am a paroled prisoner ; am well and sound; will write immediately."-(E. A. W.)
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Aqua (Aquia) creek about 10 and arriving at Washington at 2 in the afternoon; we left there again without landing and went to Alexandria, Va .; landed and then took up line of march for present camp-Camp Convalescent ; here there are 50 barracks, each holding 101 men, 2 cook houses and 4 dining, 2 of them furnishes tables for about 700 men apiece and the other 2 of them furnishes tables for about 1400 apiece; there are also 2 very large hospitals and ordnance building for each State.
Saturday, June 6th, speech made by John Covode, member ·of Congress from Pennsylvania, and Governor Nye, of Colo- rado Territory. Tuesday afternoon, June 9th, explosion of magazine at Fort Lyons, 20 killed, 14 wounded. At Convales- cent Camp at the time, just moving from one barrack to an- other ; heard the report. June 28th, expecting raid at Camp Convalescent, 40 or 50 teams ready to load commissary stores to remove from the camp.
(Here he added after reaching home the following :- )
July 9th, left Convalescent Camp for Washington; 10th left Washington for Philadelphia; 11th left Philadelphia for Harris- burg, arrived there at 2 in the afternoon.
In the summer of 1886, twenty-three years after the battle of Chancellorsville, I determined to visit the spot in company with my father and his comrade William M. Shultz both of whom had participated in this great strategic battle of the Civil War which, in the light of subsequent events after a series of victories for the South, marked the high tide of Con- federate success, for with the death of General "Stonewall" Jackson began a succession of reverses resulting in the down- fall of the Confederacy two years later.
On July 3rd, whilst a remnant of the 153d Regiment were dedicating a tablet marking its position at the foot of Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg, Pa., where it assisted in repulsing the famous "Louisiana Tigers" on the evening of July 2, 1863, we left Philadelphia for Fredericksburg, Va. Until we reached Washı-
Wim. Simmers, L+ Co G.
Joha v. Rickar. Capt Co. E. Capt. Co. C. Capt. Co.B.
Henryd. Denter. Joseph A. Frey Vim Bardelman. HR Barnes. ben Friterman. Jos S.Myers. H.J. Yeager.
H. J. Ræadar. Clyde Mylar. Capt. Co.G.
Lt. Co. F.
Lt. Co.F. Lt. Co.K. Capt. Co I. Lt. Co.'C.
L't. Co. A.
OFFICERS OF THE 153RD. REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
1862-63.
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ington there was nothing special to attract us, but having once crossed the historic Long Bridge over the Potomac River, my companions began to sniff a familiar atmosphere, and a short ride brought us to the site of Camp Convalescent, near Alexan- dria, Va., and an hour later we passed by Brooks Station and over Potomac Creek Bridge, where my companions were in winter quarters with the Eleventh Corps in '62-'63.
Fredericksburg was soon reached, and the afternoon was spent in viewing that ancient, historic town, the home of Washington's mother, and the unfinished monument to her memory (time stained and shattered by bullet and shell, which later the patriotic women of America replaced by a handsome shaft bearing the modest inscription "Mary the mother of Washington"), the Masonic Lodge where we were shown the record bearing the signature of George Washington when he was made a Free Mason in 1752, the various headquarters occupied by the com- manding officers of both armies in the great battle of Dec. 13, 1862 (the cannon of which were plainly heard in the winter camp at Brooks Station ) the Confederate cemetery where lie the remains of many prominent and unknown participants in the "lost cause," the National cemetery containing the graves of 15,257 Union soldiers gathered from the various battlefields in this vicinity, 12, 770 of whom are unknown, and Marye's Heights from whose crest and the stone wall at its base thundered the cannon and musketry of the Confederates in their repulse of the Union forces in their attempted siege of the heights from the plains in the foreground where fell inany of the boys in Blue from old Northampton who were members of the 5Ist and 129th Regi- ments which gave such conspicuous service on this bloody field and where many lost their lives in the heroic struggle to gain the heights on their front.
The evening was spent in conversation with a number, who had participated in the great battles in this vicinity, among them John Hayden, Wagon-Master of Ordnance Corps, C. S. A. who guided General "Stonewall" Jackson in his flank movement at
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Chancellorsville, resulting in the unexpected attack of the right of Hooker's army constituting the Eleventh Corps of whose first division, first brigade, the 153d Regiment was a part.
On the following morning July 4th, comfortably seated in a carriage with a driver who had taken many parties over the ground, we proceeded by way of the famous Plank Road to Chancellorsville, passing Salem Church, the scene of a desperate fight which prevented the Sixth Corps under General Sedgwick from joining the main Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville and Tabernacle Church, an historic land mark often referred to in the annals of the war.
Just before reaching Chancellorsville, we had pointed out to us the spot where General Lee and General Jackson bivouaced the night previous to the latter's now famous flank movement. At Chancellorsville Mansion (Hooker's headquarters during the battle) we were cordially received by the occupants Trooper Thomas Junkin, late of the Confederate Cavalry, and liis esti- mable young wife, who manifested a deeper interest in the stage than in battlefields, in scenes histrionic rather than historic. Mr. Junkin accompanied us, being familiar with the various land marks, and we continued our journey westward, soon reaching the large quartz boulder to the right, marking the location where General "Stonewall" Jackson* fell, May 2, 1863, the same having
*It is interesting to note that the first wife of General Thomas J. Jackson ("Stonewall" Jackson) spent 12 years of her girlhood in Easton, Pa. She was a daughter of Rev. Geo. Junkin, D. D., LL. D., first President of Lafayette College. In 1832, when about 10 years of age, she removed with her parents from Germantown to Easton, Pa., where she remained until 1841, when her father became President of Miami University, Ohio, whence he was recalled to Easton in 1844, remaining as the President of Lafayette College until 1848, when he accepted the Presi- deney of Washington College (now Washington & Lee University), Lex- ington, Va. Here Eleanor Junkin met and was wooed by Major Jack- son, (then a professor in the Virginia Military Institute) who was des- tined to become a conspicuous figure in the annals of the Civil War. They were married in August, 1853.
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been erected by his Chaplain the Rev. Dr. B. F. Lacy and his brother Major Lacy. This rock has since been replaced by a handsome granite monument.
We soon reached the Wilderness Church (where four years later in company with a party several of whom had participated in the battle in a grove of trees bearing marks of the battle, we ate our noon day lunch) beyond which to the right in the dis- tance is the Hawkins Farm House, which many of the 153d Regiment passed in the retreat in the flight for safety on the evening of May 2, 1863.
Upon reaching the edge of the great timbered forest, known as the Wilderness and which remained practically as on the day of the battle and where the Orange Plank Road proceeding in a southwesterly direction joins the Old Turnpike, we continued along the latter for a distance of about a quarter of a mile, where we alighted from our carriage; here a road, known as the Brook Road, turns toward the right penetrating the forest, and proceeding along this road for a distance of a quarter of a mile we stopped at the point which Government maps indicate as the position of the 153d Regiment. This was in the bed of a shallow and lazy stream (Hunting Creek). When we reached this point I noticed a special interest on the part of my com- rades who almost at the same moment expressed the belief that that was the very spot which they occupied twenty-three years before in battle line. The feelings of these men, with memories of that ill-fated eventide cannot be described. Here in the very woods in which they were attacked and where after the breaking of the Eleventh Corps they became lost, spending the night amidst horrors, the shrieks of the wounded and dying, added to which was the burning woods wherein many met their death, standing perhaps on the very ground where two of their own company, Francis Daniel and Freeman Stocker were forever lost, they stood living over again in memory the scenes of that horrible day and night. Postals were written to the folks at home, and to their brave Capt. Rice, then living at Elkhart, Indiana.
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HISTORY OF THE 153D REGT.
After the exchange of many recollections of what they saw here at the time of the battle we returned to Chancellorsville by the same route we took into the Wilderness, passing the Tal- ley Farm House, the headquarters of General Devens command- ing the First Division to which the 153d was attached, and where nineteen years later old Mr. Talley who lived on the place during the battle, presented me with cuttings from a beau- tiful geranium which have grown and flourished to the present time. A mile eastward is the location of Dowdall's Tavern, the headquarters of General Howard commanding the Eleventh Corps, and some distance to the right is Hazel Grove or Fair- view visited by me some years later in company with a number of veterans-one of them (the late Major J. Edward Carpenter) the sole survivor of the four officers who commanded squadrons of the Eighth Penna. Cavalry in its desperate charge to check the Confederate rout.
Our return trip was via Aldrich's, about two miles southeast from Chancellorsville, where in a large field my father was corraled with other prisoners on the morning of May 3d, and where he was latterly joined by Sergeant Shultz, now with us, and other captives of the regiment. We continued our journey along the Cartharpan Road, passing Piney Branch Meeting House, just as the services were concluded and it was a pictur- esque sight to see the congregation, all black as ebony, men, women and children, some of the former very aged smoking their pipes, suggesting their probable ignition within the portals of this otherwise sacred edifice.
We continued our journey to the site of Todd's Tavern, the scene of a desperate cavalry fight, thence by the historic Brook Road we found ourselves in a little while within the lines oc- cupied by Grant's army in 1864, passing the spot where Sedg- wick was killed by a rebel sharpshooter, the "bloody angle" where the muskets of the infantrymen of the two armies almost touched each other as they lay across improvised breastworks on the outer line, and where the effects of shot and shell were
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plainly visible, and where were scattered in almost unlimited quantities remains of canteens, cartridge boxes, buckles, straps, bones of man and beast, and other relics suggesting the carnage of this great fight.
We drank water from the spring, near the McCool House, which slaked the thirst of many of the wounded and dying of both armies during the memorable siege.
We secured relics, personally cutting bullets from fence rails and trees. At Spottsylvania Court House, not far distant, my companions pointed out the tree in the court yard, under which they spent the first night after their capture on their way to Richmond via Guiney Station. It was over this route to the latter station that General "Stonewall" Jackson was taken after being wounded, and which he reached about the same time as did my captive comrades on the afternoon of May 4th, and where Jackson died on May 10th following, uttering those memorable words-"Let us pass over the river and rest in the shade of the trees."
On the return trip to Fredericksburg we passed many historic homesteads and small streams bearing the names of the Mat, Ta, Po, and Ny, which join to form the historic Mattapony River.
On nearing Fredericksburg we made a detour to the right so as to view the alum springs and deposits of petrified wood, reaching Fredericksburg in the early evening.
Within the triangular space, which we practically encompassed in our journey from Fredericksburg to Chancellorsville, and from Chancellorsville to Spottsylvania Court House and return, more men were killed than upon any area of equal dimensions in the world from the creation to the present time.
After a night's rest, we returned to Washington, where we spent a few hours in sight seeing and in the viewing of the cyclorama of "The Battle of Manassas" reaching the City of Brotherly Love in the early evening.
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This visit to the great battlefields of Virginia with two partici- pants in one of them, is to the writer one of the memorable events of his life, and as he grows in years and in the knowledge of the Civil War and recurs to this particular event of his life, his interest is intensified, and he is thankful that the privilege was afforded him to accompany his father, who has since passed beyond this life, to these historic spots, and at the very age which his father had attained when he was a party to one of the scenes there enacted, and that it is his privilege after a lapse of twenty-three years since our visit, as it was to him twenty- three years after the great fight to record in a modest way our trip to Chancellorsville on July 4, 1886.
J. L. Boerstler, Co. A.
Comrade Boerstler belonged to the Ambulance Corps. "I had just gone over to see the Colonel to ask him about the oats for the horses. I saw him just behind the regiment. When the rebels came through the slashed trees and the attack came on the Colonel drew on his gloves and said to the men in line, 'get ready for action.' He seemed to be greatly excited, and when the column moved back, when commanded to do so by the Brigade Commander, the Colonel started back, and being portly and having on his high-topped boots was unable to run and was soon captured. Bill Fisher had charge of the Colonel's horses and rode one of them from the field at the opening of the engage- ment. He had just asked the Colonel what he should do with the horses in case of a battle, and the reply was "Look after your own life and leave the animals if you cannot safely take them off."
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George Beers, Co. A.
"I was detailed as courier on the Staff of General von Gilsa. The One Hundred and Fifty-Third Regiment was a favorite with the general, and he was often associated with it. He had also detailed several other men for some work he had to do. and selected them from the 153d."
Experience of Peter Herman, Co. A.
"I was captured in the battle of Chancellorsville May 3d, 1863, at about 8 o'clock in the morning, and about one mile from our Saturday's line of battle. In company with 4000 prisoners I marched to Spottsylvania Court House where we were kept over night in the jail yard. Having two gum blankets I shared with Colonel Glanz, he and I sleeping together. On the next morning we left for Guinea Station. While resting on the way the Colonel gave me money requesting me to buy him a pair of shoes, as he found it very hard marching in his high- topped boots. After a long search I found a pair, but which proved to be too small for him. I then started out and exchanged them for a larger pair, which were all right. I also carried his overcoat for him on the march. We remained at Guinea Station three and a half days, during which time Stonewall Jackson was brought here wounded. He died before we left,* only a short distance from our camp. While here the Colonel gave me a twenty dollar Confederate bill requesting me to purchase some cakes for our use. I took with me a gum blanket in which
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